Working through the alphabet looking at vintage jewellery materials , there seems to be little for me to say around the letter F.

Of course both Fur and Feathers have been used in vintage jewellery these are both natural materials which have disintegrated easily and there is very little vintage jewellery left made from these. You may find a fur brooch from the 1950s and 1960s or perhaps a pair of earrings set with peacock feathers. I admit I would not want jewellery made from animal fur but if it takes your fancy I suggest that you don’t get it wet or it will spoil.

Foil has been used in jewellery since at least the Georgian age when it was used to back gemstones and artificial paste stones to add brilliance and sparkle.  Foil is very thin, perhaps thinner than paper . Foil backed Jewellery from the Georgian and Victorian eras can be identified by looking for pieces with a closed back setting and then looking deep into the stone. Often the foil has begun to deteriorate and you will see crack lines or at least you will see the light reflecting from the foil in a way it would not do otherwise.

foiled glass necklace

My favourite use of foil is in vintage costume jewellery where is has been added to glass beads to as a metallic inclusion. There are some very attractive glass necklaces  from the 1920s and later with foil inclusions. Look at this necklace, the blue beads glitter with silver which is included foil. Beads can have gold, silver or copper coloured foil inside. and the glass can be of any colour. Other places you can find foil in costume jewellery is on the back of diamante where the stones are in an open setting. Again the foil is used to reflect the light out of the stone and give added sparkle.