Vintage jewellery news – July 3rd
By · CommentsHere is this weeks vintage Jewellery and Antique Jewelleryupdate from AntiquesAvenue taking a look at the exciting items which have been recently added into antiquesavenue.co.uk.
Lucite Brooches: Bright and cheerful lucite brooches made from a form of clear plastic which was popular circa 1930s to 1950s. This has the design carved from behind and flooded with colour. This lucite brooch features three rose flowers:
Lucite brooch
Other costume Jewellery added this week included glass necklaces and Triffari earrings.
Scandinavian Silver. I am always pleased to be able to offer genuine vintage Scandinavian silver. This week has seen pieces added to the site from David Andersen, George Jensen and more
Jensen earrings
Other items of interest included miniature silver photograph frames which all have a lovely deep blue velvet background and would make excellent gifts for the home.
Coming next to antiquesavenue a good collection of antique stick pins and more vintage silver jewellery
Victorian costume Jewellery
By · CommentsPart 2b of AntiquesAvenue’s guide to the history of costume jewellery covers The Victorian Era.
The Victorians loved jewellery of all kinds and when they couldnt afford precious stones and metals they wore jewellery made from non precious materials which we now know as Costume Jewellery.
Victorian Costume Jewellery Influences:
There were two main influences on the jewellery during the Victorian era :i) Queen Victoria herself and ii) new discoveries and innovations
i) Queen Victoria’s influence on Jewellery style can be seen with mass market copies of the Jewellery which the queen wore herself. When she had a interest in all things Scottish then celtic and pebble jewellery became fashionable. This influence was seen in both the materials used in jewellery and also in the shapes with Penannular shields, Kilt pins, Dirks, Scottish Crosses and buckles all being popular. When she went into mourning following the death of Prince Albert then the whole country took to deep mourning following the death of loved ones and the fashion for black jewellery was created. Victorian Jewellery of this kind is highly sought after these days.
ii) New discoveries and innovations. New materials became available ( see below) and these were quickly used in costume jewellery also with technological progress new manufacturing techniques were invented. These manufacturing techniques meant that costume jewellery could be mass produced making it cheaper and more widely available. The new techniques included: the machine stamping of parts so that not everything had to be handmade as it was in previous eras. It was possible to inlay silver and gold into tortoishell . Aluminium was commercially produced from the 1860s and new discoveries of semi precious gems and new ways of cutting them brought their prices way down.
Costume Jewellery materials of the Victorian Era:
Jet Brooch
1. Jet, Gutta Percha, Bog Oak: The best Jet was from Whitby. A highly polished form of black glass known as French Jet was a cheap substitute. Gutta Percha is a natural material derived from rubber . Bog oak from Ireland is fossilised wood and often carved with shamrock shapes. All these have a dark black colour and were used in mourning jewellery
2. Rolled Gold , Gold Plate , Gold coloured metal, Iron. Used as substitutes for Gold and silver. Pinchbeck was still available but gradually faded from popularity.
3. Glass and Glass mosaics. Glass was used widely – as covers for locket panel, as beads in black and deep red, as paste stones . It was also formed into artificial cameos. Tiny glass tiles in different colours were put together to form micromosaic pictures mainly made in Italy.
4. Coral, Shell, Fish bone, pearls, tortoiseshell, mother of pearl. Materials from the sea once rare become more widely available as transport links improved. Shells were popular for carving into cameo jewellery
5. Early Plastics : celluloid, imitation coral, Parkasine. The Victorians invented plastics however the early plastics have not survived the years well , it has faded, cracked and generally disintegrated. Little Victorian plastic jewellery remains of any worth today.
6. Agate , semi precious gemstones and other hardstones: Popular for celtic type jewellery. new innovations and discoveries made it possible for these to be offered on the mass market. There is quite a wide range of Genuine Victorian hardstone and semi precious set costume jewellery available for us to buy today.
agate brooch
7. Hair, Teeth, claws, Horn, Bone, Ivory: Animal parts. The Victorians loved natural parts materials and wore them without the squeamishness that some of us (me included) would have today about such items. Hair jewellery was often made from the hair of a departed loved one – worn as bracelets, watch chains or in a locket. Tiger tooth brooches, animal claws and and teeth all mounted as brooches. There was no concern over conservation of elephants and ivory was widely .
8. Porcelain and pottery. Ceramic cabochons could be painted at home and decorated with flowers before being set into jewellery but most often porcelain plaques were printed with a scene from a classical European painting. These were popular holiday souvenirs.
The Jewellery Style of the Victorian Era
When Queen Victoria first reigned there was a naturalistic, romantic feel to jewellery. The Language of Flowers became popular with different flowers having different meanings for example Forget-me-nots were for true love. Once Prince Albert died the fashion became black and somber. This lasted until the later Victorian era (1880’s onwards) when colour once again appeared in all things.
There was also the influence of Gothic and medieval in early Victorian times . By the time of the Great Exhibition in Crystal palace (1851) design had become very ornate and heavy with almost everything being over ornamented. The Victorian aesthetic of the 1870s with its Japonaise feel was more simplistic.
At the very end of the Victorian era even simpler more naturalistic shapes and forms were revived with medieval and Scottish and Celtic themes being popular once more. This was part of the stylistic rebellion led by Ruskin pushed away from this heavy Victorian ornamentation and led to the arts and Crafts movement with its return to artistic values.
porcelain brooch
Why Antique Furniture?
By · CommentsChris Seidl currently works as a blog writer and webmaster for English Classics, purveyor of fine antique furniture. He lives, works, and plays in Atlanta, and can be contacted at webmaster [at] english-classics.net. Here is a piece he has written for AntiuqesAvenue which is all about why you could consider Antique Furniture for your home
Why Antique Furniture?
Antique Bookcase
If you asked yourself, “Why furniture?” two categories of answers would surface: need and desire. Of course, there is a practical need for furniture around the home and office, dating all the way back to when the first person decided it was better to sit on a plank of wood than squat on the floor. But then there are the more complicated “needs” of the mind: desires. Furniture has a way of completing a space, of pulling a collection of rooms together to make a home. Accessories and collectibles have a way of doing this, too, but it is the sustained combination of function and aesthetic pleasure that sets furniture apart as a superior organizer of space. A desk, for instance, serves an obvious and important need, but whether the desk is a gorgeous antique with rich wood and leather, or whether it is simply a hunk of junk with surface area, can make the difference between an inspired workspace and one lacking all creativity and cheer whatsoever.
So now we arrive at the second part of the question: “Why antique?” Everyone probably has their own answer for this, but I’ve found that antiques have several key advantages over contemporary furniture (good reproductions aside). The first is the most obvious: quality. In general, antiques hail from a time before quality became expendable, when furniture was carefully made to not only endure, but to look beautiful. Of course, there must have been droves of shoddy pieces, pumped out by unscrupulous cabinetmakers, but then, most of the furniture belonging to this category has already passed away into the oblivion of scrap and garbage that history forgets. The furniture that remains has withstood the test of time, and so there’s bound to be something good about it.
Antiques also tend to hold their value. I myself am redecorating around the house, and it makes it much simpler (and easier on the wallet) to sell one piece and use that money to buy another. Over time, too, it makes sense to have your money invested in something that is almost guaranteed to at least retain the same value, especially in today’s market.
Last but not least, antique furniture organizes space in a way that I have come to believe is healthy for the mind. If the spaces we inhabit affect how we feel, then in some small part, they determine who we are. Consider, for instance, your idea of home: isn’t it more in the mind that in one place? It is the feelings and memories with which we invest a place that makes it home, and furniture goes a long way to creating that ambiance. Antique furniture in particular so often represents the ideal synthesis of nature and craft—carved wood being the perfect example—and I believe it is this combination that we look for in our homes. When we surround ourselves with the crafted beauty that only antiques can provide, it tends to affect us in a way that makes us happier people, and in the end, that’s what furniture should do.
Costume Jewellery History part 2a Georgian invovations
By · CommentsThe term Costume Jewellery was not used by the Victorians and the Georgians before them but they did make lots of use of non precious materials in their jewels. These are the earliest examples of costume jewellery which have survived in any quantity and are available to purchase today. Part 2a discusses innovations in costume Jewellery which were made during the Georgian era and 2b takes a long look at Victorian Costume Jewellery
Georgian Costume Jewellery Materials:
Paste Jewellery was introduced in the Georgian era , a high quality imitation of real gemstone jewellery. The “Gemstones” were made of glass which was often foil backed and could be cut and polished just like the real thing but at a much more affordable price. These paste gems were set into all types of jewellery and they can still be found today, I think a particularly interesting collecting field is paste set buckles which can be found from around £20 upwards.
Pinchbeck was a high quality alternative to gold, it looked like the real thing. Genuine pinchbeck items are quite rare today, many of the items described as pinchbeck are in fact gold plated. Pinchbeck is not plated but a metal where the gold colour continues all the way though – check at points of wear such as edges and hinges. If the metal colour shows signs of plating it is not pinchbeck. Pinchbeck is quite light in weight in comparison to gold, it is made from an alloy of Zinc and Copper.
Cut steel jewellery consisted of lot of tiny faceted metal studs which were set onto back plates, this sparkled almost like diamonds under the artificial lighting of the day. Something which looked similar to cut steel jewellery was marcasite set jewellery – again faceted and black but this time the studs are a natural crystal of Iron Pyrites. Most marcasite jewellery you see today is 20th century in origin so please check very carefully if you think you have a piece of Georgian marcasite jewellery.
cut steel brooch
Wedgwood first introduced their jasper cameo jewellery in the Georgian era and these are still being made to this day
Vauxhall glass is a type of mirrored glass often in black or ruby red colour. This had been invented before the Georgian era but most of the pieces available today in Vauxhall glass are Georgian or sometimes Victorian. The glass is beveled / faceted at the edges and tiny pieces make up the piece of jewellery.
vauxhall glass buckle
Georgian Costume Jewellery Forms:
So what forms were these costume jewellery materials set into? In the early part of the Georgian era the French Rococo style was in fashion. This is scrolling and asymmetrical perhaps a complex forerunner of art nouveau style. In the 1750s large flower brooches were high fashion and rings could be worn on any finger. Sentimental and mourning jewellery was widely worn – look out for date and dedicated Georgian mourning brooches which can still be acquired for under £50.
From the mid 1700s the “Grand Tour” was popular with those who could afford the trips to see the ancient world this led later on in the 1790s to the Georgian style became much simpler with the Neo-classical taste taking over. This had very simple uncluttered lined when compared with the earlier rococo pieces. Here we see Greek key patterns and Etruscan influences and, of course, a rise in popularity of the cameo.
georgian classical cameo brooch
In the early 1800s wearing lots of jewellery at the same time was popular: several rings, several rows of pinchbeck chains, long pendant earrings and several bracelets all at the same time. With this quantity of jewellery only the rich could afford real and those aspiring to look the part turned to costume jewellery
Between about 1820 and the early Victorian era a more naturalistic style was apparent – flower brooches of all types. Cut Steel jewellery was still popular and coral was re-introduced as a must have fashion. In the 1820s wearing hair jewellerywas all the rage with necklaces and bracelets at the same time.
This leads us up to the Costume Jewellery of the Victorian era which is the subject of my next blog entry
Costume Jewellery History part 1, ancient and medieval
By · CommentsVintage Costume Jewellery History part 1 , ancient and medieval
Part one of AntiquesAvenue’s guide to the history of vintage costume jewellery looks at what was worn in the ancient world right up through the middle ages until the beginnings of the industrial revolution when more sophisticated jewellery gradually became available due to improving production capabilities. Very little of this jewellery remains to be bought today which is still wearable, any which can be found is best kept as a collectable and if we wish find quality reproduction pieces to wear.
Before the 1920s there was no such term as “Costume Jewellery” but there was plenty of jewellery made from materials which nowadays we would call costume , that is non precious materials.
Truly prehistoric cultures are thought to have worn Jewellery and amulets made of natural materials such as leather, shell and feathers. Think of the reproduction items made by American Indians and the African and South Sea Tribal cultures today.
The ancient Egyptians before them the Sumerians and later on the Phoenicians developed a style of costume jewellery which has been imitated and reproduced many times through thee ages. We see some lovely ceramic beads in shades of turquoise and blue which have survived in the ancient Egyptian tombs . The Egyptians made glass beads and they used pearls which were found in the river Nile. These were used in designs including hieroglyphics and scarabs. The brooch shown below is a 1920s copy which looks something like a piece of costume Jewellery from ancient Egypt
Egyptian style brooch
The classical cultures of ancient Greece and Rome loved precious jewellery made of gold but they also made costume jewellery from glass mosaics. There is an abundance of ancient Greek and Roman Jewellery to see in our museums today – you can certainly see early cameos and intaglios carved with classical gods much like the shell cameos of today but of course shell has long disintegrated and we just see genuine ancient examples in glass . The ancient Romans and Greeks both used semi precious gemstones with the amethyst being popular as it was believed to ward off drunkenness.
The medieval era and the Renaissance also wore Jewellery of non precious materials – bronze was used and semi precious stones were worn most often in cabochon shape which was easy to polish. Motifs changed with Christian and celtic religious emblems replacing the ancient gods. Jewellery not often seen today such as Girdles, Cloak clasps and circlets went with the clothing of the day and were worn by both men and women. Pearls especially large baroque ones were highly regarded. There is very little original medieval jewellery surviving you will have to visit a museum to see any nowadays .
In the next part of my look at the history of costume jewellery I take a look at Vintage Jewellery which can still be found today from the Georgian and Victorian times.
10 eras of Vintage Costume Jewellery
By · Comments10 eras of vintage Costume Jewellery , a new mini series.
Over the next week or so I am planning a new mini series here all about the history of Vintage Costume Jewellery. I will be looking at the style, themes , motifs, colours and materials popular at the time hopefully helping you to identify how old your special pieces are. Also I will include a few famous designer names to look out for where relevant
Costume Jewellery
1. Ancient and Medieval Costume Jewellery
- What did Ancient Egyptian Jewellery have in common with costume Jewellery of today?
2. Victorian and Georgian Costume Jewellery
The earliest pieces of costume jewellery which can easily be found today are from the Georgian era and the Victorians introduced a whole new range of materials and styles.
3. Edwardian Era and 1910s
Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and the romanticism of the Edwardian times
4. Art Deco Costume Jewellery
1920s and 1903s bold colours design and new materials which followed from the difficult times of the first world war
5. 1940s and the cocktail era
The huge influence of the USA on costume Jewellery design
6. 1950s and diamante
As life returned to normal after the second world war design changed and the 1950s again brought new styles and materials, space age Jewellery
7.1960s and pop art jewellery
Plastics, shiny metals and simple bold designs and colours – pop art and psychedelia
8.1970s
Not exciting but collectable for the future?
9.1980s
Wonderful new designs and copies of old ones
10. Contemporary Costume Jewellery to collect
What is available from the 1990s and 200o’s to buy today and collect for tomorrow?
Vintage Jewellery News – update end June
By · CommentsThe latest Vintage Jewellery news update from AntiquesAvenue. I have been busy acquiring and adding some lovely fresh stock of vintage jewellery to antiquesavenue.co.uk web shop during June.
Take a look around at the excellent selection of vintage gold charms ( with more to come over the next week) and I have been lucky enough to acquire some more genuine lucite brooches which I believe are a great collectable for the future as well as very wearable right now.
Lucite Brooch
In the antique Jewellery section there are some newly added pieces of Scottish hardstone pebble jewellery. This Jewellery was first popularised by Queen Victoria with her passion for all things from Scotland. Scottish pebble or hardstone jewellery is set with polished stone from the Scottish mountains and is often Celtic in design. I have quite a good selection of Scottish hardstone Brooches and a rather nice moss agate pendant.
Not exactly wearable jewellery but certainly as pretty and as intricate with high quality workmanship are miniature enamel boxes . The most desirable are made in England and I have found some special once by Crummels and Halcyon days
And a sneak preview of whats coming to antiquesavenue shop in early July: Some lovely miniature silver picture frames, Some amazing vintage silver jewellery by the best names in Scandinavian silver ( D Andersen, G Jensen and more) and an excellent fresh collection of antiuqe stick pins …………. watch this space.
Links to AntiquesAvenue blog
By · CommentsDo you have a antiques, Collectibles, Vintage or Jewellery website and would like to exchange links here with AntiquesAvenue Blog? If so please do get in touch . I am still open to having guest bloggers write a piece for the blog as well so if you have something interesting to sya about a relevant subject I would love to hear from you.
One Website which has been in touch is centralkentuckyantiques.com who specialise in antiques and collectibles – do take a look