What you’ll learn in this episode: Who McClelland Barclay is, and why his costume jewelry is so difficult to find  How to spot high-quality vintage costume jewelry What styles of vintage jewelry are popular right now How vintage pieces can help you define your personal style About Patricia Gostick Patricia Gostick has always loved old "stuff", especially jewelry, but she started seriously collecting vintage costume jewelry in the late 1990s. A retired educator, she began to do research in the field of antique and vintage jewelry and became a v.c.j. dealer, buying and selling interesting pieces. Her specialty is the jewelry and art of McClelland Barclay (1891-1943), and she has published a number of articles about him. Her book "McClelland Barclay: Painter of Beautiful Women and More" is an illustrated biography of the life of this multi-talented man. Patricia founded the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewelry Club in 2005, and she is a supporter of Costume Jewelry Collectors International (CJCI.) Additional Resources: Facebook Instagram Website where the book is sold: www.rubylane.com/shop/bijouxvintage Email:  bijoux123@sympatico.ca Photos: Cover of book, McClelland Barclay: Painter of Beautiful Women and More p. 105 from the book showing an example to McClelland’s cover art p. 112 from book showing a very relaxed McClelland Barclay at the beach p. 122 from book showing goldtone Retro Moderne jewellery p. 119 from book showing sterling silver jewellery Transcript: Like many jewelry lovers, vintage jewelry dealer Patricia Gostick became enchanted by a particular jewelry designer. In her case, that designer was a little-known artist named McClelland Barclay, and his fascinating story led her to perform extensive research on his life and eventually write a book about him. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about why McClelland Barclay captivated her, how she chooses pieces for her personal collection, and what types of vintage jewelry are popular right now. Read the episode transcript below.  Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. Today, my guest is vintage jewelry dealer Patricia Gostick. She’s also the author of a new book, “McClelland Barclay: Painter of Beautiful Women and More.” I have to admit I am not familiar with this individual and his work, and I’m looking forward to learning more about it today. Patricia, welcome to the program. Patricia: Thanks so much, Sharon. Sharon: So glad to have you. Tell us about your jewelry journey. Did you always like jewelry? Did you play with it when you were young? How did that come about? Patricia: Yes, I was one of those children who always liked jewelry; I would say loved jewelry and played with it. I remember a highlight of my childhood was visiting an aunt who was very beautiful and fashionable. She invited my sisters and me to look through her jewelry drawer, which was filled with boxes and displays of jewelry, and she said, “You may each choose one piece, your favorite piece, and keep it as a gift from me.” I still remember looking through all these sparkly things, like being in Aladdin’s cave, and I never stopped loving jewelry. Sharon: How did you become a vintage jewelry dealer? How did that come about? Patricia: It started as a pretty young person. I started going to church bazaars, where all manner of things were sold, but I always headed to the jewelry table. You could always pick up some nice, old things. I started handling jewelry, really quality pieces, beautiful pieces, pieces that appealed to me. I eventually learned that some jewelry had little things on the backs called signatures. One of the best gifts my husband eventually gave to me was a jeweler’s loupe. As I started going on jewelry buying trips all over the place, I took my loupe with me and would search out these signatures. I became more aware of different styles and types of jewelry, and eventually I became a costume jewelry dealer.  I did shows at some of the top venu