Bloodstone for seals and spinners
By · CommentsHave you ever seen old jewellery set with a dark green stone with red flecks in it? This is known as bloodstone or sometimes as heliotrope. This is a hardstone which was popular during the Victorian era for setting into fobs and seals however it can also be carved as a cameo or used in bead form.
The name bloodstone was given to this semi precious stone as in the Middle ages it was thought that the red spots were the blood of Christ and it was used as an amulet or charm against blood loss
Here are a few examples of antique jewellery set with bloodstone so that next time you see this stone you will recognise it.
Bloodstone spinner
Bloodstone seal
Are you looking for more Victorian Antique fobs and seals? There are always a few in antiquesavenue shop and usually some set with bloodstone.
Vintage charms blog
By · CommentsRegular readers here will know that one of the Vintage Jewellery specialities of AntiquesAvenue is Vintage charms and Charm bracelets. I have no opened a special blog devoted to vintage charms over at http://vintage-charms-info.blogspot.com/
Do take a look, I’ve made a start on a Vintage Charms A-Z with A for Acorns and opening charms starting with A.
I’ve also being trying out Google’s new Knol system ( short for knowledge I think) and have written a five point guide on how to tell genuine vintage jewellery from modern reproductions
Anne
Silver vintage jewellery
By · CommentsVintage silver jewellery is becoming increasingly sought after. As the price of gold rises it is making the cost of heavier pieces of gold jewellery rise too and become too expensive for every day wear for many of us.
Silver jewellery wears well and as it ages it acquires a lovely soft patina as long as it is not over polished. Here are a few pieces of vintage silver jewellery available on antiquesavenue during March 2010.
Vintage silver Jewellery
1970s silver bracelet hallmarked 1976
A very stylish silver bracelet which is fully hallmarked and can be dated to 1976. The bracelet measures about 20 cms long and is about 14mm wide. In excellent condition this weighs about35 grams
Vintage Silver Jewellery
Vintage silver jewellery gate necklace bracelet 1960s
This vintage jewellery set consists of a matching necklace and bracelet. These are both made of fully hallmarked silver and can be dated to 1966. The bracelets with this gate effect are quite popular and it is quite rare to find a matching necklace and bracelet set. The bracelet fastens with a heart shaped padlock
Material: Silver .925 sterling ( Fully hallmarked) Size: 1 cm wide. Bracelet is 18.5 cms long. Necklace 40 cms long Age: 1966 Condition: Excellent Maker, Designer, Origin: JAM
Vintage brooch in silver
vintage brooch enamel silver orchid marcasites
What a pretty brooch dating from circa 1950s. This flower brooch is enameled and set with marcasites. This brooch is made of silver and measures about 5 cms long This vintage brooch is in excellent
Silver Charm Bracelet
Silver charm bracelet
This silver charm bracelet comes complete with sixteen charms attached. The silver charms are:
Dwarf, Shakespears head, horse drawn cart
gondola, pixie, round tower
bull fighter, stork, windmill,
cottage, harp, spinning wheel
dog, building on bridge,
stag,
The silver bracelet measures about 18.5 cms long, has an attached safety chain and fastens with a roll over catch. This silver charm bracelet measures about 53 grams
Vintage Jewellery News – March 2010
By · CommentsVintage Jewellery News for March 2010 from AntiquesAvenue
Hello, Anne here with your March Vintage Jewellery News from AntiquesAvenue.
Blog:
Just for a change lets start with this Antiques and Vintage Jewellery blog.
Information Videos: As you can see I have now added a section on the right hand side of the page where you can see all my information Videos. Hover over a picture to see what the video is about and click on it to view the vid. I have received such good feedback ( kind people) on these that I am hoping to be able to show you more about Antiques and Vintage Jewellery in this format. Is there anything you would like me to cover next?
Vintage Jewellery A-Z: I’ve now finished with the letter A for vintage jewellery materials, A is for Agate, Amber, Amethyst and Aventurine. During March I will be blogging on Antique and Vintage Jewellery materials beginning with B: Bakelite, Basalt, Bloodstone, Bog Oak, Brass and Bronze.
Comments and Contact Anne:
Thank you for all your wonderful comments left on this blog but please be aware – I do have an anti-spam program running so please don’t waste you time leaving a long comment advertising your latest pharmaceuticals or adult products. My anti spam program will prevent this from being published. One link back to your site or blog which is Antiques or Vintage jewellery related is welcome where this adds to the article.
Thank you also for all the lovely emails I get from you on a regular basis. I will try and help if I know the answer but cannot spend hours researching your item. Nor can I do valuations . Should you wish to sell you item please contact your local auction house or try selling it on eBay. As a private individual you are very unlikely to get a better price from a dealer than you would achieve yourself by selling it on eBay.
AntiquesAvenue Vintage Jewellery Shop:
There is still time to order your Vintage Jewellery for Mothers day – please ensure that orders are with me by March 11. Easter is coming too, I will be back early next week with a selection of jewellery for Easter ( much less fattening and longer lasting than chocolate) . Think Spring flowers, chicks, bunnies, ducks, egg jewellery. Do you have any Easter theme suggestions I can add?
I have been very busy working on the Shop during February adding lots of lovely fresh stock of vintage jewellery including gold gemstone rings, Victorian silver sweetheart brooches and some nice Scandinavian silver and enamel jewelry. How about this striking brooch :
Vintage Norwegian silver enamel brooch K Rasmussen
What a colourful vintage brooch. This brooch is made of silver and enamel and was made in Norway by Karl A Rasmussen having the KAR initials and the markers mark on the reverse. I believe that this dates from circa 1950s. This brooch measures about 5 cms long .
You can now find a selection of vintage crosses in the shop and coming soon a new department for pearls including pearl necklaces and pearl earrings. Also coming during March are more wonderful gold and silver charms and I have just receive a nice selection of vintage costume jewellery .
See you soon – Happy hunting
Anne
Aventurine by chance gemstone
By · CommentsAventurine by chance
Aventurine is a lovely green colour, the colour of jade or emerald. This gemstone is enhanced by flecks of mica or hematite which give a the polished surface a sparkling effect known as Aventurescence. Aventurine can also be found in other colours such as grey or red / brown.
Aventurine is found in Brazil, India and Russia amongst other countries.
So why do I call it the ” by chance ” gemstone? Aventurine comes from the Italian “A ventura” which translates to By chance and refers to a lucky find by an Italian of a type of glass containing flecks which can be used to imitate both aventurine ( green) and gold stone ( brown with gold flecks). This imitation is also used widely in jewellery but you should easily be able to tell the difference with a 10x lens where the glass will show the copper spangles as opposed to the more natural flecks in Aventurine.
Aventurine was popular during the art deco era as the green colour matched the fashion of the time.
In crystal healing Aventurine is supposed to be supporting and comforting. I calms anger and aids recovery.
The vintage jewellery necklace shown here is an original piece of art deco jewellery made with Aventurine polished into small slabs. It can also be found as beads, cabochons and even carved into cameos.
Art Deco Aventurine necklace vintage jewellery
An original art deco necklace made of Aventurine (an apple green coloured natural gemstone with silver flecks inside. This necklace is on a gold thread coloured cord with gold coloured thread wrapped between each piece of aventurine. This is a wonderful piece of original vintage jewellery which measures about 45 cms long. The longest piece of aventurine is 2 cms deep.
Amethysts, The sobriety Jewel
By · CommentsIs your vintage jewellery set with a purple or violet gemstone? If so there is a good chance that that stone is amethyst. The amethyst is a popular gemstone which varies from a light violet to a deep Royal Purple in colour . The amethyst is a purple form of quartz.
amethyst jewellery
The amethyst in history and legend
The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the amethyst protected from drunkenness, drinking from an amethyst bowl would keep you sober. In fact the word amethyst is derived from the ancient Greek work for intoxicated. The Legends of the Gods include variations of stories about Dionysus’s tears staining quartz purple to form amethyst.
The amethyst has been worn as a gemstone since at least Egyptian times
Is this a real amethyst or a piece of costume jewellery?
Whilst amethysts are quite abundant and not over particularly expensive as gemstones go, not every purple or violet stone you find is real. Some amethyst coloured stones are made of glass. Look deep into the amethyst with a 10 x magnifying class. Can you see round bubbles? if so it is most likely to be glass. Can you see tiger stripes? If so then your amethyst could well be real. You will need to take your gemstone to an experienced jewellery to be sure.
What makes an Amethyst valuable?
Like all gemstones the larger the better and the clearer the better. Amethysts can be quite opaque and cloudy and such stones are often turned into beads.
Care of Amethyst jewellery.
The amethyst is quite a tough material measuring 7 on Mohs scale . This means that any jewellery set with amethysts will be quite durable and it is suitable for wearing in rings. As with all jewellery you need to take a look at what the stone is set into before you decide how to clean it. If the amethyst is set into silver or jewellery and with no other stones present you may clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner without any real harm. Alternatively a quick dip in liquid jewellery cleaner should be OK ( not silver dip) . Rinse well and pat dry.
Vintage Jewellery set with Amethysts
Here are a few examples of vintage jewellery set with amethysts available from antiquesavenue:
vintage amethyst jewellery
vintage pendant pearl amethyst silver baroque
What an amazing vintage pendant and is in the antique baroque style although it actually dates from the early 1900s. This pendant is made of silver and set with a central real amethyst and baroque and round pearls (I am presuming the round pearls are cultured although I cannot test these without damaging them). The smaller “amethysts” are coloured glass. I have added a newer silver chain so that this pendant is ready to wear.
Material:Silver, amethyst and costume jewellery Size: Pendant is 4 cms long and 3.6 cms wide. The silver chain is 60 cms long-Age:Early 1900s Condition: Excellent
Antique lavalier 9 carat gold amethyst
gold ring diamond and amethysts
A wonderful antique style gold ring made of fully hallmarked nine carat gold and set with real amethysts and diamonds. This ring sparkles wonderfully. The head of the ring measures about 6 mm wide. It is UK ring size just over O, USA 7.5
Amber, Jewellery from prehistory to today
By · CommentsAmber was one of the original jewellery materials used by our ancestors since the Bronze age or possibly before. The Greeks, Romans and ancient Celts all treasured amber set jewellery. More recently into Victorian Jewellery, in the Art Deco era and of course Amber is very popular nowadays. AntiquesAvenue takes a little look Amber and how it is used in Jewellery.
About Amber
Amber is the fossilized resin of pine trees, in the main it has been under the sea for 60 million years. Amber is found in a range of colours, normally we see it in honey shades but it can vary from a pale whitish or lemon colour through to almost black. Cherry red amber is very sought after and a natural amber in shades of blue is most rare. Natural amber is cut, carved and polished into the required shapes. As it is very soft for a gemstone is is possible to carve it quite intricately or alternatively it can be faceted. Most often we see amber polished smooth.
Antique Amber pendant
Care of Amber Jewellery
As Amber is quite soft it needs to be handled with some care, store it separately or protected from other pieces of jewellery so that it does not scratch. Also avoid leaving it in direct sunlight for a long time. Solvents in perfume and hairspray can damage your amber, the best thing to do is to use these first and put your amber jewellery on after. Perhaps clean it as soon as practicable after wearing.
When cleaning your amber jewellery please do not use an ultra sonic cleaner or harsh chemicals and do not use a jewellery dip. A soft cloth and a very tiny drop of pure olive oil are often recommended. If the jewellery is set into gold or silver you could try and clean the metal without toughing the amber.
How to tell Amber from Faux Amber
As Amber is so popular these days the price is rising and so fake or faux amber jewellery is being produced. How can you tell a real piece of amber from a piece of plastic or resin jewellery? The traditional method was to make a saturated salt solution, amber will float in this where as glass or plastic would sink. This method does not work on pieces of amber which are set into metal as they would sink with the weight of the metal. I have heard that if you stick a hot needle into amber that it smells of pine trees. I am not going to try this on a piece of amber jewellery as it would be damaged.
Here are two tests that you can try on your jewellery. Rub it against a piece of wool, its electrostatic properties produce static electricity which will attract dust. Secondly amber can glow a greenish yellow under an ultraviolet lamp
Amber Jewellery
Value of Amber Jewellery
Amber Jewellery can be purchased fro about £20 upwards depending on the age, setting, size of the piece and craftsmanship. Very occasionally a piece of amber is found with an insect trapped into it and such pieces if genuine would fetch a few hundred pounds or more. Beware of fakes if the amber is set with an insect though and only buy from a very trusted source. Please pop over to my vintage jewellery shop at www.antiquesavenue.co.uk where I like to have one or two pieces of amber in stock.
Agate Jewellery, Victorian Pebble gems
By · CommentsAgate is a colourful form of Quartz gemstone which can be cut and polished into Cabochons or panels and set into jewellery. There are lots of different decorative agates which have been used for hundreds of years but became particularly popular in the Victorian era as part of the Scottish trend. Many of these agates were mined in Scotland although it is found world wide. I have made a little video which takes a look at some of the wide variety of Agates available as antique and vintage jewellery.
Value of Agate Jewellery
Agate is not a particularly expensive stone as it is quite common. The more decorative and colourful the piece the more value it has. The value in a piece of agate set jewellery (often known as pebble jewellery) can be in the setting . A silver or gold piece of jewellery set with agate is going to be more valuable than agate set into costume jewellery. The shape of the piece of jewellery is also important as is the size. A Victorian pebble brooch can cost as little as £30 rising in cost with desirability to about £150. I would not expect to see one at a much higher price than this unless it was by a famous maker, set into a heavy gold frame or had some other factor to boost the price.
Care of Agate Jewellery
Agate is quite a hard stone and so will wear well in jewellery and which is why we see so many antique pieces still in good condition. Take care not to drop the piece as I do see agates with cracks in them from time to time. Store pieces separately so that they do not rub together.
If the piece of Agate jewellery is set into gold or silver it is possible to give it a wipe with a damp cloth to clean it without any harm. Some agates have been dyed and so I would avoid cleaning chemicals if possible.
Examples of Agate Jewellery:
AntiquesAvenue.co.uk usually has a few nice agate brooches for you to choose from . Please do take a look int he Antique Brooches section.
Agate Brooch
