Ansley Schrimsher fell into jewelry design when her grandmother, Dora Mae, gave her boxes of vintage jewelry she’d collected for 50 years. Inspired by the jewelry’s history, patina and charm, Ansley began combining vintage components with modern materials and her one-of-a kind jewelry line was born. Her goal is to artistically rejuvenate the antique pieces by juxtaposing them with modern components. She hopes to both preserve and renew vintage design.

Each piece is a fresh recombination of vintage and modern pendants, pins, chains, Lucite, beads and findings. It’s a new take on estate jewelry – vintage form with modern flair!

Juxtaposing eras is a key component to the designer’s definitive style. A necklace might be composed of an 1800’s Victorian pendant, crystal beads from the 1930’s and completely modern industrial style chain. Antique costume jewelry is often over-the-top and outdated, but its individual components can be beautiful and current when a modern design sensibility is applied.

Ansley searches antique shows, estate sales and stores around the country to find pieces that inspire her. She loves talking to dealers about their collections to get as much information on each piece as possible. Knowing the history of a piece makes it so much more fun to wear! On the tag she shares some of that story with you.

Dora Mae Jewelry is sold at chic boutiques in Orlando and Winter Park and online at doramaejewelry.com. The designer also holds trunk shows a various times throughout the year. Check the website for dates and locations.

Dora Mae Pemberton, now in her nineties, was an avid antique collector, an accomplish seamstress, a talented pianist and singer, but perhaps most notably a clever and gifted poet. Each piece of jewelry is named using phrases from her poetry taken from “The Selected Poems of Dora Mae Pemberton, 1966-2000.”

Ansley Schrimsher is married to her high school sweetheart, Jake and they have two children Cade and Haven. Along with Dora Mae Jewelry, Ansley owns Avant Garden Design, Inc. She has been designing gardens for Orlando and Winter Park residents since 2002.

The Style…

There are many categories of vintage jewelry, but many fall into three categories:

First there’s just the old, outdated and over the top…those pieces that try to be resurrected but should probably be laid to rest!

Then there’s the “object found” feel with random trinkets and charms combined in an off-beat, casual way. These pieces are often worn by those who desire to express their individuality quietly - those who use their style to personally confirm their identity rather than trying to prove it to everyone else. Unfortunately this style has become mass-produced and can sometimes translate as cliché.

Finally there’s the flashy, “I want to make a big statement with my overly asymmetrical design and my drastic juxtaposition of materials” vintage jewelry. This jewelry can feel forced, unnatural and overly manipulated. It is no longer an accessory but the main event and is probably the least versatile piece in a person’s collection. In fact, after a few wears, they are probably sick of it.

Dora Mae is simultaneously elegant and funky, versatile without being bland, timeless yet somehow trendy… just the right amount of fashion forward with tasteful juxtapositions of eras and materials. Dora Mae doesn’t take itself too seriously. It doesn’t match anything yet somehow matches everything. It can make a variety of subtle statements depending on the occasion, the mood, or the personality and effortlessly adapts to the style of each individual.