2. Neil Zevnik’s Passion: Vintage Jewelry for an AIDS-Free Generation

By day, Neil Zevnik has been a mild-mannered private chef, whose clients have included Elizabeth Taylor, Pierce Brosnan, and Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck.  By weekend, he has been an intrepid marine mammal rescue volunteer in Malibu, California. But by night and day and weekend, for almost thirty years, he has been a passionate some would say obsessive – collector of vintage costume jewelry. 

Previously available for sale only at rare charity events and in very limited amounts, his entire collection is now being offered for sale in an online exclusive at One Kings Lane. All sales benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s work to create an AIDS-free generation.

“I have always been drawn to helping those who cannot speak or advocate for themselves. Hence my involvement with so many animal causes and charities and activities over the years…Then I was introduced to the work of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and of course it was right up my alley, for who is more voiceless and helpless in our world than these children? EGPAF speaks for them, and comforts them, and cares for them when no others will; it strives to create a day when this dreaded affliction will be but a sad and painful memory. What could be more important than that? Our voices and our actions and our hearts must be engaged and employed to bring an end to this indifferent and remorseless disease.”

A special “Tastemaker Tag Sale” featuring 250 carefully-chosen pieces from his collection will launch on the One Kings Lane website at 9 p.m. ET today, Tuesday, November 25 and continue until 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 30.

From the 1840’s to the 1970’s, from Vintage Victorian to Daring Deco to Flaming Fifties, from mild to wild, his collection encompasses many thousands of examples of the jeweler’s art and spans over a century of social upheaval, multiple World Wars, and endless daily history. Indeed, much of his fascination with, and love for, these exceptional pieces is entwined with the resonant and personal stories they tell. 

And of course their dazzling and intricate beauty calls to him, as he is sure it will to you – there’s nothing better than artistic adornment that sparkles and glows! http://www.neilzevnik.com/

Because an AIDS-free generation is not just a dream, from November 24 through December 26, we are highlighting 25 ways that EGPAF, our partners, and every-day people are helping and/or can help make it a reality. Pediatric HIV/AIDS is solvable, but we can't do it alone. Each and every one of us has an important role to play.