How One Jewelry Entrepreneur Found Her Calling in Vintage
Randi Molofsky channels her passion for vintage natural diamond jewelry into launching her brand: For Future Reference Vintage.
Randi Molofsky, founder and owner of For/Future/Reference, knows how to spot a rare gem. Whether that be finding the perfect ‘60s sequin dress at a flea market, or an unsigned 1970s natural diamond and onyx collar at a trade show, Molofsky has a trained eye and a keen sense of style. Though she’s worked in fine jewelry her entire career, Molofsky graduated from college with a degree in Journalism before landing a job as the Fashion Editor at National Jeweler magazine. From there, she networked and traveled, meeting designers from all over, attending trade shows, and visiting mines. It wasn’t long before she fell in love with the jewelry industry.
Molofsky found herself in public relations and marketing by working with industry friends and brand consultations. Not long after, For Future Reference was born. The agency supports the growth of independent fine jewelry brands and is based in New York and LA, where Molofsky lives. “I moved to LA and wanted to start fresh,” Molofsky tells Only Natural Diamonds. “For Future Reference was born out of doing PR and sales work for brands, and then just realizing how it all came together and what we thought the market needed for these brands to succeed.”
Now, Molofsky has expanded her business. “I’ve always been interested in having my own brand. I have built so much knowledge and have learned the ins and outs of the industry,” she says. After nearly 10 years of For Future Reference, she has created For Future Reference Vintage, a vintage jewelry line in collaboration with Excalibur Jewelry. Excalibur is based in Los Angeles and is run by a father-daughter duo, who have been in the business for 40 years. “They have an incredible amount of inventory but their breadth of knowledge and understanding of the vintage and estate market is phenomenal,” Molofsky says.
Molofsky has loved vintage jewelry for as long as she can remember and even worked alongside Excalibur to build her own collection bit by bit, saying, “As a collector, you work your way up towards things that you want to buy. So you start small and then maybe you can trade in and move up.” She continues, “So, I kind of always have done that and enjoyed the thrill of the hunt with vintage.” Molofsky posed the question to the family business, asking, “‘How can we make this bigger, how can we educate the people about the kind of jewelry you love?’ So we were like, let’s do it. Let’s put it out there, see if stores are interested, and try to start building this teaching of unsigned vintage.”
Molofsky smiles when she says, “I live a vintage lifestyle. I drive a vintage car, I live in an old house, I wear vintage clothes and collect vintage handbags, and I have vintage furniture.” She adds, “Once you get into it, it becomes a little bit of an obsession.”
Molofsky is drawn to vintage for many reasons, specifically the sustainability aspect of collecting vintage. “It’s so good for the planet,” she says. “The quality is so good. These pieces last so long. People take so much inspiration from vintage in the contemporary world.” Molofsky loves the stories that come with each vintage piece, “I’m like, ‘What parties did this necklace go to?’” Speaking of necklaces, one of Molofsky’s most treasured jewels is a Marina B inspired natural diamond and onyx collar. “Excalibur unearthed an incredible unsigned piece from the ‘70s set with onyx and 11 carats of natural diamonds. That soon became my obsession,” she says. The necklace holds special meaning to Molofsky, as a massive fan of historical women’s jewelry designers, particularly Marina Bulgari, the namesake and designer of Marina B. “I’ve drooled over the brand’s 1970s gem-and-stone-set collar necklaces for years, never even remotely able to afford one, but lusting nonetheless,” she explains. It took her a while to save up for the piece, and she had an inkling it had been set it aside for her when the time was right. “Moral of the story? Good vintage stands the test of time for a reason and will never go out of style.”
It’s so good for the planet. The quality is so good. These pieces last so long. People take so much inspiration from vintage in the contemporary world.
The world of vintage jewelry can be intimidating. There are auction sales, intricate resale websites, and estate sales. Molofsky’s goal with For Future Reference Vintage was to bring education on jewelry, sustainability, and the world of vintage to consumers in a digestible way. “I wanted to bring jewelry to market that I love, which is a focus on jewelry from decades ranging from the 1930s to the 90s,” she says. “I’m a statement jewelry kinda gal. People are interested in my aesthetic and ask what I am wearing often,” explaining she sources pieces she loves and connects with, and her clients do too. Molofsky says if a customer is looking for something different, be it Art Deco or Victorian, she and Excalibur have access to that as well.
Molofsky has found there to be a shift in the engagement ring world and a gravitation towards older stones. “Vintage engagement rings are super hot right now,” she notes. “People are looking for interesting stuff too, not just the solitaire or the three stone, but things that have some more detail and interest and some older techniques and so I think that’s cool.” She explains her clients are attracted to old mine cuts, saying “People want diamonds with soul, these are diamonds that you associate with the word chunky rather than blingy.” She adds, “I think that shift is really interesting and exciting as well because it opens up the door for so much more variation in people and their options.”
Moral of the story? Good vintage stands the test of time for a reason and will never go out of style.
Another trend she is seeing is natural diamonds mixed with enamel. “We have this collection of really beautiful, oversized bangles that have different enamel colors mixed with some diamonds,” she explains. “A lot of older pieces have black enamel mixed with diamonds and that’s a cool look that feels very current.”
At the end of the day, Molofsky wants clients to feel like their most authentic selves, wearing pieces of vintage jewelry that have stood the test of time. Natural diamonds predate life on earth, and “are still being able to be worn over and over and over again by different people in different periods and different ways,” She adds, “You can change the setting or style but a diamond is something to treasure from now until forever.”
For Future Reference Vintage is available online at retailers such as Twist, Marissa Collections, Stephanie Gottlieb, and select retailers.
