Archive for Jewellery
The best vintage gold charms
Posted by: | CommentsBritish vintage charms from the 1960s and 1970s are most often seen in silver. The gold charm we see are sometimes smaller or less interesting than the silver ones however I am delighted to have found some truely excpetionaly vintage gold charms. These charms are all fully hallmarked as nine carat gold and are all well detailed , large and chuncky charms. Take a look, these charms realy are specilal.
gold clock charm
Antique clock charm
Heres a 1960s gold charm in the shape of an antique clock. This clock has two hands which move when you turn the knob at the back of the clock. As you can see the sided of the clock are very decorative. This clock has nine carat gold hallmarks for London 1968. The clock measures about 2.2 x 1.4 cms and comes with the O ring to add it to your own chain or bracelet.
This charm is quite heavy and would suit a chunky chain
Fairground ride charm
Fairground ride charm
A rare vintage cold charm in the shape of a fair ride. There are multi coloured horses and riders which move around the ride – they spin as in a real fairground ride. This is a nine carat gold charm which has full hallmarks for London 1969. This is a large, heavy, chunky charm which you could wear on a necklace or bracelet. It measures about 1.9 cms high and 2.2 cms diameter.
Fortune teller charm
fortune teller charm
A wonderful gold charm in the shape of a fortune teller. This is made of nine carat gold and carries full London hallmarks which date it to 1971. The fortune teller is gazing into a crystal ball which is faceted and has an aurora borealis finish and so sparkles well.
This gold charm is quite chunky and could be attached to a bracelet or a necklace. It measures about 2 cms high and 1.8 cms long. As you can see in the picture , there is an attached O ring, a chuncky and heavy gold charm
One arm bandit gold charm
One arm bandit charm
One of the most amazing vintage gold charms I have ever seen. This is a working one arm bandit charm, you click the leaver forward and the three drums actually spin just like the real thing. This charm is large and heavy and it comes complete with an O ring ready to hand from your own choice of chain or bracelet.
This one arm bandit charm measures about 2 cms high and 1.9 cms wide ( maximum dimensions. The nine carat gold London hallmarks date this unusual jewellery to the 1970s
Giant prawn charm
giant prawn charm
Heres a giant prawn charm, articulated into five sections so that it move when on your gold charm bracelet or chain. This is a vintage prawn being fully hallmarked for London 1970 and nine carat gold. This is a very large and heavy gold charm measuring about 4.5 cms long. There is lots of detail to this vintage jewellery and it is very cute
Spinner fob with coat of arms – help
Posted by: | CommentsIm always looking out for good quality vintage fobs to offer for sale. Recently I came across this Victorian spinner fob which is most unusual having a coat of arms on one side. I am keen to identify the coat of arms both out of interest and so that I can write an accurate description for the website. Ive a feeling I recognise the crest but cant remember what it is. Ive spent a couple of hours researching it on the internet but have failed to find the crest. Perhaps you can help?
coat of arms on fob
There are two figures, one each side of the central shield. The shield is crested by a stags head. The figure to the left of the fob ( to the right of the crest) is holding a caduceus. The other figure appears to be holding a gun. There is a three word motto but I can read it – most likely its Latin.
Any Ideas – I would be grateful for some help 
reverse of fob
Vintage brooch selection
Posted by: | CommentsAntiquesAvenue has a great fresh vintage brooch selection dating from antique brooches of the Georgian era through to art nouveau brooches and up to the 1970s. Here is a quick tour through the new selection starting with the oldest and working towards the 1950s / 1960s. Later in the week I will be back with a more in depth look at brooches from each era.
Georgian mourning locket brooch
Georgian brooch
I dont get many genuine Georgian brooches to offer you but here is an excellent example. This brooch is quite small so it was probably used as a lace pin. This pin has a central locket compartment containing a plait of hair. The compartment is surrounded by a row of closed back garnets, As you can see this brooch has an extended pin stem.
Victorian brooch
There is a whole section on AntiquesAvenue.co.uk dedicated to Victorian brooches. This week I have added a very colourful example and as it is costume jewellery it is very affordable at £28 including postage. This brooch has a typical Victorian frame made of gold toned metal and is set with an amethyst coloured glass stone. A great colour combination gold and amethyst.
Art Nouveau Brooch
Art Nouveau brooch
A typical piece of art nouveau jewellery from the early 1900s, This brooch shape could equally be seen as a pendant. It is made of gold and set with a real citrine gemstone and has seed pearls set into the scrolls. Seed pearls were a very popular inclusion in Art nouveau and Edwardian jewellery
Art deco era brooches
Art deco brooch
A genuine silver brooch from the art deco era set with marcasites and with a central citrine. Although a little rounded in style you can still see the art deco influence in the design its almost propeller shaped.
1950s / 1960s brooch
1950s / 1960s brooch
A birthday brooch made by Exquisite in the 1950s or 1960s. This is a costume jewellery brooch made of gold tone metal and with brightly enameled flowers
Pick up a pendant
Posted by: | CommentsSorry about the title , I just couldnt resist . Today Id like to show you a few vintage pendants. Pendants are very attractive pieces of jewellery which are very versatile. The word pendant is taken from French and means “hanging” , in other words a pendant is a piece of jewellery which hangs. Depending on its size you can wear a pendant round your neck, attached to a bracelet or brooch or if you have a matching pair ( or mismatched even ) as earrings. I believe that during the Renaissance some pendants were worn fastened to a sleeve. Mostly though when we think of pendants we are looking at items of jewellery to hang round your neck.
When hanging a piece of vintage jewellery such as a pendant round your neck you can use a chain, string of beads, cord or ribbon to suspend the pendant on. It is possible to wear multiple pendants on the chain, or cord at the same time which gives a vintage look.
There are some special types of pendant including the Lavalier, locket, cross, amulet. Smaller pendants are usually known as charms.
The Lavalier:
The lavalier was popular in the early 1900s but the term probably originates from Madame L Valliere who was a mistress of Louis XIV. The lavalier has a substantial drop and will normally have at least one gemstone in it.
Lavalier pendant
The locket containing a photograph, a lock of hair or small memento is a popular form of pendant. You can find lockets which display the contents at the front or reverse or more usual lockets have covered compartments which you see one the locket is opened.
memory locket
Cross
The cross is usually worn as a Christian religious symbol as a pendant round the neck. Crosses can be plain or ornamental. They can be made of all sorts of materials but are most popular made of gold.
Gold cross
About Jet Jewellery
Posted by: | CommentsAbout Jet
Jet is a black material which was popular during the Victorian era for making jewellery. Jet is a actually a form of coal which has been formed many thousands of years ago from ancient trees.
The most sought after form of jet vintage jewellery is Whitby jet which is made from jet found near Whitby in Yorkshire. Whitby was the countries main center of the jet jewellery industry in the 1800s until about 1875 when jet jewellery became less fashionable.
Whitby jet charm
Jet was popular because its dark black colour made it suitable for mourning jewellery , it could be carved and polished into quite intricate designs and because it is light weight large pieces were not too heavy to wear.
All sorts of pieces of jewellery were made from jet including lockets, necklace, earrings, bracelets, rings, alberts and albertinas,pendants, brooches and beads.
Jet Immitators
There are several jet imitations which are black in colour but not as highly collectible as Whitby jet. These include French jet ( black glass) and bog oak.
There are several ways of distinguishing Whitby jet from its imitations. Personally I do not recommend you try this as you may ruin the jewellery but you can insert a hot needle into the piece – real jet will smell like burning coal. Bog oak , gutta percha and vulcanite are not as shiny as jet also they tend to be slightly brownish in colour where as jet is normally a true black in normal light. French jet will often have minute chips along the facets when you look as it under a jewellers loop. Also french jet is colder to the touch than Whitby jet.
Jet Locket
Care of Jet Jewellery
This applies to jet and not to other materials which have been used to make the jewellery. Where other materials such as metal and necklace cord exist please ensure you dont get these damp.
You can carefully wipe over your jet with a damp cloth perhaps with a little washing up liquid in the water. You should wipe off all traces of the washing up liquid with clean water and then pat dry with a soft cloth. Make sure that your jewellery is dry before storingeach piece separately. Each individual piece can be wrapped in acid free tissue paper to prevent it being chipped in your jewellery box.
Jet beads have often been strung on corn which is now long past its besst. I reccomend that such necklaces and bracelets are re-strung to prevent loss if you intend to wear your jet jewellery.
Buy Jet Jewellery
As jet is frequently imitated it is necessary to buy jet jewellery from a reliable source unless you are very sure you know how to tell the various materials apart. I suggest that you buy from a reputable jeweller in this case or at least a dealer who is prepared to accept returns if you are not happy with your purchase. AntiquesAvenue usually offers one or two pieces of genuine Whitby Jet jewellery however I am finding it increasingly difficult to source and pieces do sell out quickly.
Antique silver penannular cloak pin
Posted by: | CommentsAs regular readers here know I love going to auctions and thats where I buy much of my vintage jewellery. At a recent auction I acquired a parcel of jewellery which had this unusual antique penannular cloak pin in it and Id like to find out more about this piece.
Pennanular Brooch
What I know about this Cloak pin
This cloak pin is huge compared with most you see from the Victorian era and I am thinking it is much older than that. This cloak pin is penannular in design with the fastening ring not being a complete circle having ends with do not quite join up but just touch. It measures about 16 cms long and is almost 7.5 cms wide maximum. This pin weighs about 44 grams. Due to this larger size it could have been worn on heavier fabrics or as a status symbol.
Wrigglework detail
This penannular pin is made of silver ( Ive tested it there are no hallmarks). It has been handmade by a craftsman, clearly not a mass produced piece of jewellery. There is evidence that this pin has been worn for many years indicating that it is antique, pins like this are not unusually worn regularly these days. The design is interesting with a wriggle design on the penannular ring and a two birds in tree design on the triangular end.
Birds in tree
What I would like to find out
Can anyone help me find out more? How old is this silver brooch and where would it have been made? The bird in tree decoration , I presume it is Celtic or Norse ? Does this decoration have any specific meaning ? Does the wriggle work on the ring help with dating this silver pin?
Please do get in touch if you can help and I will add all information received here.
Thanks
Anne
Jade jewellery
Posted by: | CommentsJade is a lovely gemstone which is not as appreciated here in the west as it is in China and other Asian countries.
Jade is a very hard stone and comes in shades of green ranging from emerald green to quite a pale colour. Other colours are occasionally seen including lavender, orange, pink, black, and blue. Many of the colours you see these days are a pale jade enhanced chemically by man. The stone is hard enough to have been used in the past for weapons but most often these days we see it in jewellery.
Jade pendant
There are two forms of Jade, the most sought after jade is called Jadite , this is harder than the other form of Jade which is also known as Nephrite. The most valuable form of Jadite is a bright emerald green often known as Imperial Jade.
Jade can be polished into beads or cabochons or it can be shaped into ornaments and amulets. During the art deco era strings of jade beads were very popular as it matched the colour palate of the time. Look out for vintage jewellery strings of jade beads.
Jade can be imitated by several other materials including glass, plastics, serpentine and chalcedony. Jade is harder than all of these imitations and so with a gemstone testing machine it is quite easy to distinguish real Jade from its imitations.
If you are looking to buy jade jewellery you can find new Nephrite pieces form just a few pounds. If you are looking for antique or vintage imperial jade you will need to pay a hundred pounds or more.
Reverse of Jade pendant
AntiquesAvenue has a selection of Jade jewellery in shades of green and lavender.
Bargain vintage brooches
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone loves a bargain but how can you spot a real bargain when looking for vintage jewellery? Heres a few tips for seeking out a real piece of jewellery from the past at a special price. Spotting a genuine bargain does not mean looking for the cheapest piece available. A cheap old brooch can be purchased for no more than £5 but that does not mean its a bargain if it will never be worth any more.
Gold and silver jewellery is very expensive at the moment compared to the past due to the high price of the metals involved but if you hunt carefully there are still pieces of vintage jewellery about which are real bargains . These are pieces which are not high fashion at the moment but may become so in the future. I have several ideas about pieces which are undervalued at the moment and so are real bargains. This article will be looking at bargain vintage brooches.
The gold bar brooch
Bar brooches are not as fashionable as other brooches. Todays fashion would be for figural brooches in the shape of an animal , bunch of flowers or a stylish geometric art deco brooch. The bar brooch is long and thin and is usually set with a central decorative piece such as a gemstone. These brooches original from the early 1900s and are normally found made of gold or silver. It is gold bar brooches that I think should be snapped up. They have little weight for their large size as they are long and thin. Due to the lighter weight the gold bar brooch is cheaper than a circular or figural piece. Imagine a real gold antique brooch for less than £40, they are about if you know where to look.
Here is just one example of a gold bar brooch you can find in AntiquesAvenue’s Victorian brooches section:
Vintage brooch
This antique brooch is made of 9 carat gold and set with a central amethyst glass stone. This is a very smart piece of Jewellery which would look good on a business suit or similar, I include a picture of what it would look like on emerald green as an example.
This is a genuine antique brooch dating from the Edwardian era in the early 1900s. It fastens with a simple C catch and measures about 4 cms long. What a bargain for a genuine piece of antique gold jewellery.
Vintage brooches in bulk
Coral brooch
As with most things in life you can get bargains if you buy in larger quantities. I do occasionally offer collections of vintage brooches which are at a bargain price per brooch. Another option is to go to auction and buy a whole lot of brooches, each one will be much cheaper than if you buy it individually. Another way is to ask the dealer for a discount if you buy several at once. For example my prices are fixed for just buying one or two items but ask nicely and buy more than three pieces at once and I would normally be able to offer you a small discount.
Craftsman Brooches
A third are to look for bargain vintage brooches is crfatsman made pieces. Jewellery. These are pieces of vintage jewellery which have been lovingly hand crafted and have taken many hours to make. Originally these pieces would have been quite expensive when purchesed new . Now they have become vintage and have passed between several owners their original value and cost has been forgotten.
It is possible to spot craftsman made pieces buy looking carfefully for the signs of handmade piece. Here are a two clues to look for:
- signed on the reverse even if you done recognise the signature. Here si do meqan signed rather than with a mass proiduced manufacturers mark.
- Made from silver or enamel, these tend to be the craftsmans materials of choice