Archive for April, 2009
Flower encrusted porcelain miniatures
Posted by: | CommentsHave you seen miniature porcelain covered in tiny flowers? This was popular in the Victorian era and is quite collectable today.
Here are two examples of minitaure flower porcelain that you might like to collect:
1. Victorian Moss ware.
This takes its name from the tiny moss like pieces attached to the sides. Pieces of moss ware were made in Europe in all shapes and sizes, shoes are very popular in this moss ware. Here is an antique Victorian swan basket:
Moss ware swan
In England the great china manufacturers made tiny replicas of tea sets and covered them in hand made porcelain flowers. These are of wonderful quality. This picture shows a relatively new but still amazing little set which was made by Coalport:
Coalport floral teaset
Of course these miniatures are far too small to be used except perhaps to hold a tiny trinket or a single tiny flower, they are just small and collectable and very very dainty.
By the way do you spell it miniature or miniture? Please do leave a comment and let me have your view point.
Antiques, Vintage and Jewellery bloggers
Posted by: | CommentsI like to read blogs and regularly check on the Internet to see if I can find ones relevant to Antiques, Vintage , Jewellery and Collectables. Below are a few interesting ones I have found:
Jewellery
Antiques
Collecting
Please do leave me a comment below if you know of a good relevant blog I should add here.
10 vintage jewellery books – introductory guides
Posted by: | CommentsHaving been asked to recommend a good book for identifying vintage brooches , I thought it would be useful to put together my top ten books for identifying vintage jewellery. These are in no particular order as their usefulness depends upon what you are wanting to know:
Title- Author- Publisher
1. Starting to Collect Antique Jewellery – John Benjamin – Antique Collectors Club
Good overview of what can be found in todays market for items from the 18th Century to the 1920s. Meant to be read not just a picture book
2. Antique and twentieth century Jewellery – Vivienne Becker – NAG
A book which was recommended reading on the Retail Jewellers course I attended. Good on the history of Jewellery a few pictures
3. Costume Jewellery- Judith Miller – Dorling Kindersley
Lots of big pictures of lovely jewllery, designer profiles for main costume makers
4. Costume Jewellery how to compare and Value – Steven Miners- Millers
Introductory book – perhaps a good one to start with
5. How to be a Jewelry Detective – C. Jeanenne Bell – A.D. Publishing
Examination of the detailed parts of vintage jewellery – how to test, read registration numbers. A practical but not pretty guide. Lots of information to read.
6. Collecting costume Jewelry 101 – Julia C Carroll – collectors books
In depth on designer signed costume Jewellery bit American
6a. Collecting Costume Jewelry 202 – Julia C Carrol – collectors books
Pattern numbers, patent numbers to help you date costume Jewellery from 1935 to 1980. Not a beginners book
7. Collecting Victorian Jewelry – C Jeanenne Bell – KP Books
Identification guide – pricing a bit out so ignore that bit. Alot about clothing fashions and the jewellery which went with them
8. Questions and Answers about Old Jewelry – C Jeanenne Bell – KP Books
Black and white photos rather than colour which would have been more useful but lots of detailed pictures to help with dating 1840 to 1950
9.Warmans Jewelry Identification and Price Guide – C Romero – Warmans
I like this one – a good read and good pictures. Lots of silver artist made jewellery
10. Bradburys book of Hallmarks – Bradbury – Sheffield assay office
No collector of silver or gold jewellery can be without at least one good hallmark book.
I hope this helps – I have a list of more specialized books eg cameos, silver jewellery which I will be compiling soon
Anne x
A Vintage Brooch with a difference – three ways to wear
Posted by: | CommentsA Vintage Brooch with a difference – three ways to wear
Vintage brooch - dress clip
Have you seen a dress clip? These are unusual pieces of Vintage Jewellery which originated in the 1920s art deco era and were worn up until about the 1950s. The nice thing about these is that there is three pieces of Jewellery in the one brooch. To look at this at first it seems like a nice but standard art deco diamante brooch. Turn it over and you can see the difference – the two halves unclip and are removed from a base plate.
dress clip from rear
The two clip halves of the vintage brooch are worn as a pair on a dress or cardigan – often at the neckline. If you place a clip on either side of a neckline it will make the shape more square than round. Naturally a square shape to necklines suited the art deco ear as anything angular was popular.
The example of a dress clip brooch shown in these pictures is costume jewellery set with marcasites. you can find examples set with diamante and some of the nicest ones are made of silver. Other Dress clip brooches are made so that the base plate is studded with stones and can be worn as a brooch at the same time as the clip. Look out for ones in the shapes of flowers and animals – quite good fun to wear and dating from circa 1950s
Three parts of dress clip
Many Dress clip brooches were made by Coro who used the term “Duette” for these . Strictly it is only a Duette if it was made by Coro but the term often gets applied to any Dress clip brooch. If the word Duette appears on the back of the brooch it will have been made by Coro as they patented the term.
I think that the dress clip brooch is over due a fashion revival – buy now whilst they are still relatively cheap. There is usually one or twop available in my shop and I will be looking out for more.
Two Clips
10 vintage antiques for your home – save the planet
Posted by: | CommentsAntiquesavenue is starting a campaign to buy vintage or antique instead or new to help save the planet. A few days ago I gave you the reasons why you should buy vintage to save the planet and today here are my top 10 vintage and antique items for your home which can be bought and used instead of new. Look out at the bottom for 3 items vintage and antique items I dont recommend you buy for your home instead of new unless you really know what you are doing and desperately want the original thing.
Over the comming weeks I will take a detailed look at each of these in turn , whats a bargain and where to buy – perhaps we can make this list grow? Help me by adding your thoughts in the comments box – lets have a top 25 or even top 50. Please note I dont sell most of these items – this is my way of contributing to the environment .
In no particular order:
1. Glass Ware – drinking glasses, decanters, desert dishes
2. Table Ware – teapots, plates, cups and saucers, serving dishes
3. Lamp and Lighting ( but only if its been electrically refurbished and tested)
4. Pictures, prints, posters
5. Table Linen, table cloths and napkins
6. Mirrors,
7. Garden pots, chimney pots and plant pots
8. Antique and Vintage Jewellery – there has to be something I sell in this list
9. Occasional Furniture, when you just need one or two chairs or a small table
10. Ornaments and gifts , Lots here such a huge variety available.
And the three I would give serious thought to before buying vintage:
1. Sofas – vintage and antique ones can be so very unconfortable and have you checked the fireproofing?
2. Clocks – I love antique clocks but they need winding up all the time and time keeping isnt always as accurate as new
3. Electrical Goods – ( exception = lighting , see above) Sorry but these just dont work as well as todays items. Even if they have been electrically tested I dont want a vintage washing machine or dishwasher. A new hair dryer is better and as for a vintage computer ?
Want to help me campaign to buy vintage / antiques to help save the planet ? Do get in touch
Anne
Vintage Jewellery for your wedding anniversary
Posted by: | CommentsVintage Jewellery and Antique Jewellery for your wedding or other anniversary. I have just been asked which stone to give for a 5th wedding anniversary. Here is my guide of what vintage or antique jewellery gifts to give. Remember these are not just for wedding anniversary’s they suite all other anniversaries too and the vintage jewellery can just as easily be a gift fit a gent as for a lady. Buying vintage or antique jewellery is not only great for the giver but as you can see from this Emerald ring can be superb value too.
Emerald Ring
1st Anniversary is Paper – plain gold jewellery. A ring or a lovely brooch
2nd Anniversary is Cotton – Garnet set jewellery – a nice pendant or a pair of cufflinks for your man?
3rd Anniversary is Leather – Pearls are the traditional gift – Earrings or necklace or tie pin for men
4th Anniversary is Linen – Blue Topaz Jewellery -A lovely range of blue shades available
5th Anniversary is Wood – Sparkling Sapphires are given
6th Anniversary is Iron – Amethysts – choose a lovely deep purple one
7th Anniversary is Wool – Onyx – A Victorian Scottish Celticbrooch or dirk set with hard stone
8th Anniversary is Bronze – Tourmaline – Wonderful colours available
9th Anniversary is Copper – Lapis-Lazuli – the traditional art deco jewellery stone
10thAnniversary is Tin – Your Diamond Wedding – how about a Victorianrose cut diamond for something special?
11th Anniversary is Steel – Turquoises – one of my favourites – a ring or a charm is excellent
12th Anniversary is Silk -Jade – Jade bracelets were popular in the art deco era
13th Anniversary is Lace – Citrine – a bight yellow stone that looks good set in gold
14th Anniversary is Ivory – Opal – Black or white the choice is yours – try a brooch or cuff links
15th Anniversary is Crystal – Ruby – excellent stone for rings for both men and women
20th Anniversary is China -Emerald – a beautiful shade of green – how about a necklace with an Emerald pendant?
25th Anniversary is Silver – plain silver jewellery – appreciated by both men and women
30th Anniversary is Pearl – A better quality set than for the 3rd anniversary I think
35th Anniversary is Coral – Best to go Victorian here so that we are not damaging the environment
40th Anniversary is Ruby – Big and bold to celebrate 40 years I think
45th Anniversary is Sapphire – Sapphires come in white and pink and other colours if you dont fancy blue
50th Anniversary is Golden Jubilee – Gold and lots of it please
55th Anniversary is Emerald – 55 years – wow that deserves and Emerald ring
60th Anniversary is Diamond Jubilee – Lots and lots of them for 60 years
65th Anniversary is Blue Sapphire – Sapphires again!
70th Anniversary is Sapphire Jubilee – More Sapphires?
75th Anniversary is Platinum Jubilee – A bit heavy so make it a ring
80th Anniversary is Ruby Jubilee – Twice the size of the one you gave for a 40th anniversary
Are there more than 80? Please let me know if you do. Perhaps I will invent a few to take us up past 100 if I don’t find an official list soon.
Buy Vintage – Save the planet
Posted by: | Comments
These days we are all being urged to go green and save the planet. Switch off lights for earth hour, use nasty low emission light bulbs ( so very dull) , buy cars with reduced fuel consumption, recycle ( so much tedious washing of containers and tins) and reuse ( yes I’ve bought re-usable supermarket bags but I keep forgetting them). All of these “Green ” things mean giving something up or they are uncomfortable, unpleasant or at the very least inconvenient. But here’s a secret you can go green and indulge in a little luxury too.
vintage glass
Think about it, we who are used to handling vintage and antique items know that there is plenty of stuff available which we could incorporate into our every day life which is wonderful, stylish, not available in the shops and ( by the way) just happens to be re-cycled too. This is not your average nasty tatty re-cycled stuff you see at car boot sales, there are lots of wonderful vintage and antiques out there which are of brilliant quality, exquisite style and quite often cheaper than new too. Whats more if you buy your vintage and antiques on-line you are saving the planet a second time as on-line shopping has a lower carbon footprint than shopping in the high street.
I am not suggesting that you throw everything you own out and replace it all with antique or vintage items. You dont have to throw out your Ikea or Next furniture and replace it with nasty tatty brown stuff thats 7o years old. Just next time you need something for yourself or your home to think about if an antique or vintage item might just be be the right thing – more stylish, more unique, quite possible cheaper and greener too. Antique and Vintage items can look great in a contemporary setting, worked in with modern items to give an eclectic look and feel or select items which tone in colour to give great interest to your surroundings.
So what are these wonderful antique and vintage items which can help us save the planet? I will be taking a look at the top 10 tomorrow here on antiquesavenue antique vintage blog.
8 reasons why Vintage Jewellery makes a great gift
Posted by: | CommentsAntique Jewellery and Vintage Jewellery make excellent gifts for everyone male and female and including that special gift for yourself. There are a huge variety of pieces to buy in all materials, shapes, sizes and functions and in all prices ranges and so you should be able to find something for everyone. But why does vintage and antique jewellery make such a good gift?.
vintage brooch
Eight reasons Vintage Jewellery and Antique Jewellery make a great gift.
1. The recipient will like it
~ appeal is always the most compelling reason for buying a piece after all hopefully it will be worn time after time
2. It is more likely to be unique than a piece bought from a shop. No danger of someone else turning up with the same present or that the lucky recipient will be seen wearing the same as someone else.
3. Its a bargain / cheap
~ just compare prices with new for the same quality. Your gift of antique jewellery will look like you have spent a lot more than you really have. In these credit crunch days we all need to save a little and look like we’ve spent a lot
4. There’s a huge variety available in all shapes and sizes which means you can match the brooch, cufflinks, necklace or pendant to the taste of the individual.
5. Its more likely to be a better investment than a new piece. You will be giving a gift that will most likely appreciate in value and certainly will not devalue like new will.
6. Its green – what a better way to go green than to buy vintage – no one can accuse you of wasting the planets resources. Buy on-lin will reduce the carbon footprint even further as shopping on the internet uses less resources than buying from a high street shop.
7. Shows how much though and consideration you have put into the gift. Many who receive a gift are more interested in the time you have spent on the gift rather than the amount you spent on it. I am sure Mum or Grannie will really appreciate your special effort.
8. Vintage Jewellery for Men and for Women is high fashion this year. All the top names are wearing vintage and so can your friends too with that special vintage ort antique jewellery gift from you.
vintage ring