When Functionality Becomes Cool
Jeffrey Hess
April 2, 2026
9:03 pm
Rolex became iconic not through style first, but through durability and real-world use, with function driving demand and culture following.
A collection of columns appearing in the Tampa Bay Times by Jeff & Katrina Hess.
Rolex became iconic not through style first, but through durability and real-world use, with function driving demand and culture following.
A Cartier New York blooming flower brooch shows how subtle differences between Cartier houses can dramatically affect value.
Costume jewelry offers collectors vintage glamour, bold design, and surprising value—often at prices that remain comfortably within reach.
An engraved gold watch gifted by the President of Mexico shows how liquidation, market, retail, and insurance values can collide
A rare 18th-century mourning brooch for Agnes Briggs reveals how early Americans preserved memory through intimate, handcrafted jewelry pieces.
Three standout Tiffany treasures arrive in-store, including two major diamonds and a solid gold cup priced far below original Tiffany
A rare 8.35-carat old European-cut diamond reminds us why antique stones, with their hand-cut brilliance and history, remain timeless treasures.
A Tampa Bay client’s 1930s Van Cleef & Arpels Hawaii brooch and ring set, valued at $40,000–$60,000, brings a rare
A rare pink diamond brooch, a 12-carat sapphire, and a D-color antique diamond highlight this week’s extraordinary acquisitions at Old
Readers write in with love, hate, and everything in between—some even suggest I need an editor. (Joke’s on them. I
Rolex became iconic not through style first, but through durability and real-world use, with function driving demand and culture following.
A Cartier New York blooming flower brooch shows how subtle differences between Cartier houses can dramatically affect value.
Costume jewelry offers collectors vintage glamour, bold design, and surprising value—often at prices that remain comfortably within reach.
An engraved gold watch gifted by the President of Mexico shows how liquidation, market, retail, and insurance values can collide
A rare 18th-century mourning brooch for Agnes Briggs reveals how early Americans preserved memory through intimate, handcrafted jewelry pieces.
Three standout Tiffany treasures arrive in-store, including two major diamonds and a solid gold cup priced far below original Tiffany
A rare 8.35-carat old European-cut diamond reminds us why antique stones, with their hand-cut brilliance and history, remain timeless treasures.
A Tampa Bay client’s 1930s Van Cleef & Arpels Hawaii brooch and ring set, valued at $40,000–$60,000, brings a rare
A rare pink diamond brooch, a 12-carat sapphire, and a D-color antique diamond highlight this week’s extraordinary acquisitions at Old
Readers write in with love, hate, and everything in between—some even suggest I need an editor. (Joke’s on them. I
