Why RareQuiste?
If you ask us why we created a website about "second-hand" and "old things", the answer might be hidden in this coined word: RareQuiste.
It is a combination of Rare and Exquisite. Behind all this are R and Q, two girls living in Milan, sharing an obsession with old times.
Partners in Crime in Milan
We don't have a strict division of labor like "one buys, one sells". Rather than business partners, we are more like "partners on the treasure hunt".
We both live in Milan, Italy, a city full of art and history. The story started simply: we both love "hunting" too much.
From the end-of-month market at Navigli in Milan to the antique fair in Parma; from being attracted by exquisite micro-mosaic enamel to starting to study the era behind every gold hallmark... We have stepped into pitfalls and found hidden gems in this process. RareQuiste is our shared record of collecting time in Europe.
We believe that people with similar aesthetics will eventually meet.
Rare
Rare
Not expensive, but irreplaceable.
In this era of mass industrial production, "rare" has been redefined. For RareQuiste, rare does not necessarily mean sky-high prices.
- Rare, could be that the cutting method of this ring (such as Old Mine Cut) has been lost after 1920.
- Rare, could be that this silverware workshop disappeared in the bombing of World War II, and there is no such mark in the world anymore.
- Rare, is that when you wear it, on this planet, you can't find a second person exactly like you.
Exquisite
Exquisite
Beauty is a gift from time.
When you buy a fast fashion accessory, you buy a season's trend. But when you collect an Edwardian lace gold brooch, you collect a sealed exquisite time. This object was once cherished by someone, and now it has become a part of your life.
This is a weapon against mediocrity, our persistence in maintaining unique aesthetics surrounded by assembly line products.
Our Mission
We established RareQuiste because we know the threshold of "finding hidden gems". We want to share our frontline practical experience in Europe so that more people dare to step into this field.
How to distinguish the color difference between 9K, 14K and 18K gold?
How to tell at a glance whether a gold foil painting is hand-pasted or printed?
How to use a magnifying glass in a flea market like an expert?
We hope to build a platform for "Demystification" and "Empowerment". We want to hand this key to the door of old times to you.
Welcome to RareQuiste. Here, we don't talk about trends, we only talk about style.
—— R & Q in Milan