Object of Desire: Gold Mine

An exclusive necklace from Tiina Smith’s gold mine.


Photo by Emily Sotomayor

There’s shopping for jewelry and there’s building a collection; the latter requires Tiina Smith. A former elite tennis player, the Weston resident spent years amassing a personal trove of baubles before deciding to turn her passion into a business. Now she’s enrolled at the Gemological Institute of America and scouring the globe for treasures like this signed necklace by Henry Dunay: Believed to be the only one of its kind, it showcases the acclaimed jeweler’s fine etching technique. “I’m always adding to the collection,” says Smith, who sells her exclusive mix of contemporary and vintage finds via private appointment. “I thoroughly research who made each piece, where it was made, and what makes it special. I want my clients to walk away with something no one else has.”

Henry Dunay 18-karat-gold necklace with carved coral and cultured pearl, $22,500, Tiina Smith Exceptional Fine Jewelry.