Archive for Antique Jewellery
Jewellery Rainbow
Posted by: | CommentsLooking at some of my lovely old vintage and antique jewellery earlier today I was struck by the rainbow of colours in front of me. both fine and costume jewellery can be found in every colour imaginable . Traditionally a rainbow has seven colours; Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. I always remember this by the first letters of the phrase” Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain”.
The Jewellery Rainbow
Red: Rubies and Garnets
Orange: Amber, Carnelian,
Yellow: Citrines, Gold
Green: Emeralds, Malachite,Jade, Aventurine, Chrysoprase
Blue: Aquamarine, Sapphire, Turquoise
Indigo: paler amethysts , some Lapis Lazuli
Violet, Amethyst
More Colours for jewellery
Pink: Rose Quartz, Coral
White: Silver, Platinum, Moonstone, Pearl
Brown: Smokey Quartz, Tigers Eye
Black: Jet, Hematite,
Multi colour: Opal, Mother of Pearl
Lets take a look at some colourful Antique Jewellery:
Amber Earrings
Garnet Earrings
Turquoise Brooch
Amethyst Ring
Citrine Brooch
Want more colours? There is always Antique Costume Jewellery to take a look at . How about bright Pink with these Lucite Brooches?
Lucite brooch
Antique cut steel Jewellery
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s blog is prompted by a question from one of my readers:
Hi there, Can you advise me on how to clean up an antique cut steel key belt?
Have you seen cut steel Jewellery. Its not made now but was very popular in Georgian times and Victorian times as it sparkles like diamonds in candle light. Today you might think that cut steel was a cheap for of costume jewellery but it was so highly thought of that Napoleon gave Marie Louise a cut steel parure and is one form of antique jewellery which is most collectable today. The cut steel jewellery was made by faceting tiny pieces of steel just like gemstones and then attaching the pieces to a back plate. Take a look at these two pictures. In the first you can see the front of the cut steel buckle where is is a grey silver colour. In the second picture you can see how all the pieces of cut steel have been joined individually to the backing plate.
- Cut steel shoe buckle
reverse of cut steel buckle
Later pieces were not made from individually cut rivets but rather stamped from a sheet , when you see pieces which are stamped out you can assume a mid to later Victorian age rather than Georgian.
So back to the question of cleaning Cut Steel Jewellery, an interesting one. Clearly we need to avoid getting cut steel wet as it will rust with the slightest drop of moisture. I think two different approaches are necessary depending upon the condition of the item with or without rust.
To clean cut steel jewellery in good condition I would use a dry brush such as a tooth brush. You should be able to get old dust and grime out with a little gentle rubbing. If the cut steel is already rusty we are looking more at restoration than simple cleaning, you are unlikely to ever get the piece back to bright and shiny but I think a little light clean with dry 00 grade steel wool should help. 00 grade steel wool is very fine and is sold for furniture restoration purposes. This is not household steel wool which I would definitely not advise.
Cut Steel Brooch
Victorian silver Brooches
Posted by: | CommentsVictorian Silver Brooches.
Over a year ago I wrote a little about how special Victorian brooches are as they are wearable as well as being antique. Today I am going to take a look at a few Victorian silver brooches. Silver brooches were very popular during the Victorian ear, silver was cheap compared with gold and much more workable that other metals available at the time. The range of silver brooches the Victorians made was huge , the included name brooches, Mizpah brooches, mourning brooches, Scottish brooches, Sentimental or Sweetheart brooches. A few more are religious silver brooches, good luck and friendship brooches and commemorative for large events such as Royal Jubilees.
Victorian silver brooches can be purchased from around £25 to about £140 . It is unusual for silver brooches of the Victorian era to be by named designers and also rare for them to be set with precious jewels and so although some exceptional brooches can be found they are rarely priced over this level unless set with a particularly well carved cameo (for example).
Here are a few collectable Victorian silver brooches for you to look at:
Antique Brooch hand painted porcelain bird of paradise
A genuine antique brooch set with a porcelain plaque which has been hand painted with a bird of paradise. This brooch is set into a silver frame ( tested not hallmarked) and has an attached safety chain. I have checked the painting under a magnifying glass and can confirm that the picture is hand painted .
Antique brooch Victorian name Fanny
This antique brooch dates from the Victorian era when name brooches like this were popular. Made of silver “Fanny” is entwined with leaves/ This is an unusually large antique name brooch being 6.4 cms long. As with most brooches of the Victorian era, this fastens with a simple C catch
Where do you find Victorian silver brooches?
As with any sort of vintage or antique jewellery , I suggest you have a look over at www.antiquesavenue.co.uk for your Victorian Brooch. eBay is another source of antique brooches but please do make sure that you check what you are buying and the seller to ensure that you have the genuine item and are not being sold a much newer copy. If you have the time you can take a wander around your local antique fair or antique center too.
How to care for victorian silver brooches
Silver is quite robust, after all your Victorian brooch is over a 100 years old and it will still be around in a hundred years time if you take good care of it. Check the condition of the hinge and catch before wearing the brooch. The catches were a simple C shape which comes undone much more easily than today’s safety catches. Possible a safety chain has been added to the brooch, if not you could consider adding one if it is done with care.
I suggest that you keep your silver reasonably clean without over polishing it. A light and careful clean after wearing will help to keep the salts from your fingers fro attacking the silver. Use a soft dry cloth to polish the silver rather than harsh chemicals. Perhaps a occasional wash under the tap if you have spilt perfume or make up onto the brooch but never use a washing up liquid with lemon in it as citrus attacks silver.
Dont just throw your Victorian silver brooches into a jewellery box with all your other pieces of jewellery as they can easily damage each other . You could wrap each brooch individually in a piece of Acid free tissue paper or pin them to cushions to display them.
Costume Jewellery History part 1, ancient and medieval
Posted 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 ways to care for vintage jewellery
Posted by: | CommentsHave you a collection of vintage jewellery or antique jewellery – perhaps you have just one or two pieces. These precious gems need special care and attention, Here is my ten point guide to the caring for them:
1. Keep an inventory of your vintage jewellery
Vintage Jewellery can be valuable, is difficult to replace and often has sentimental meaning to its owner. If you have an inventory of your jewellery you will be at least be able to insure in case of loss, damage or burglary. Keep all your receipts from when you purchase your jewellery, take a photograph or two of each piece as well. Jewellery is very difficult to photograph clearly but even a bad photo is better than nothing. Are there any makers markings or hallmarks? Copy these down which will help to find a replacement if necessary. Also note down the size of each piece.
vintage earrings
2. Check the condition regularly
Jewellery should be checked fairly regularly to ensure that there is no wear. The settings on rings become worn and you can loose a stone, strings of beads or pearls wear and you could loose some precious stones if attention is not paid to the wear before it becomes to late. If you do not know what to look for take the piece to your jeweller who will give your precious antiques a health check.
3. Keep your vintage jewellery clean – but do not over clean
Make sure you do not get perfume and make up onto your vintage jewellery. This will tarnish or discolour your pieces. You can clean your jewels occasionally but check that you are using the right method of cleaning for they materials and dont clean off any of the finish. Gold gilt will wear off as will paint and lacquer
4. Wear pieces seperately
If you wear more than one item of vintage jewellery at a time please do keep them separate as the pieces will wear against each other. For example two rings worn on the same finger especially if the golds are of different carats.
5. Wear pieces carefully
I suggest that you do not wear your vintage and antique jewellery every day to keep it at its best. This would especially apply to rings. Necklaces, brooches and earrings are all subject to wear and so are perhaps best kept for special occasions. Or why not just have several pieces and rotate them so no one piece gets too much wear?
6. Take care with storage
You vintage jewellery should be stored carefully – each piece should be separated from the next by lint free cloth or acid free tissue. If stored together in a box pieces will scratch and rub each other.
7. Choose your jewellery carefully
If you take a piece to be services or repaired take care when selecting your jeweller. Not every high street jewellery is experienced with vintage gems. Ask around first – you need someone with specialist knowledge so as not to destroy the piece or its value.
8. Do have pieces restored if necessary
So the worst has happened, your vintage ring has lost a stone, a clasp on a necklace is broken or the pin on a brooch. It is worth taking the time and expense to have a good piece of vintage jewellery repaired but see point 7 and ensure this is done correctly
9. Buy a Jewellery loupe
If you are buying lots of vintage and antique jewellery I suggest that you get a jewellers loupe ( a special x10 magnifying glass) this really does help to examine pieces up close. And learn how the loup properly
10.Learn about your jewellery
If you dont know what you’ve got ask an expert, buy a book or look it up on the internet. If you have a very special piece I migh take a look for you – just send me a photo in . jpg format and I will write about it here on my blog
Victorian Jewellery – how it was influenced by the Queen
Posted by: | CommentsVictorian Jewellery – Queen Victoria’s influence on the fashion of the time
Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) was a hugely popular and fashionable figure during the Victorian age. In all things, whatever she chose was quickly followed by her subjects wanting the same thing – Jewellery was no exception and whatever the Queen was seen wearing soon became the must have high fashion item of the day. When we look at Antique Jewellery today we can still see this influence in the abundance of particular types of jewellery and the dates at which they were most popular.
Snake Jewellery
From what I can find the first big influence the Queen’s Jewellery had on Victorian Society was when Prince Albert gave the young Queen an engagement ring in the form of a snake which was set with an emerald. Of course this would play to Victorian sentimentality and hidden meaning – the snake or serpent for “Eternity” and an Emerald for “Hope”. How very romantic. They married in 1840. The snake was popular in jewellery for the rest of the Victorian era – you can find ring and also bracelets , brooches and necklaces all with a snake or two. How about a stick pin with two snakes heads?
As wedding gifts Victoria and Albert exchanged wedding gifts. Victoria gave Albert a “collar of the Garter” and Albert gave Victoria a Sapphire and diamond brooch. Both the Garter motiff and the Diamond brooch became widely worn after this event although diamonds were not quite as abundant at that time as they became following the finding of diamonds in South Africa in the late 1860s.
Victoria and Albert both loved all things Scottish and during the 1840s spent a lot of time there eventually buying Balmoral Castle in 1848. This set a trend for all things Scottish and traditional Scottish Jewellery became widely worn. Much of this Scottish jewellery is made of silver or gold and set with Scottish agate hard stone panels and semi precious stones such as citrines. Much of this is of traditional design – a Scottish dirk or a kilt pin, you certainly can see the Celtic influence in many pieces.
Prince Albert died in 1861 and Queen Victoria’s mourning set the fashion for wearing black for long periods of time following the death of a loved one. Along with the black clothes came black jewellery . Victorian black mourning jewellery was made from Bog Oak, Gutta percha, black enamel and a favourite due to the way it could be carved and polished was Whitby Jet. Victorian mourning jewellery is big and bold quite different from the dainty mourning jewellery of the Georgian eras.
Victorian jet brooch
Queen Victoria celebrated a couple of important jubilee’s – 1887 and 1897 – you can fin brooches, medals, charms, fobs and stick pins all celebrating these big events in her life.
Towards the end of her life Victoria had a lesser influence on the fashion trends of her subjects. Mourning became less deep and as the fashions for clothing became lighter so did jewellery. Take a look at your jewellery from the Victorian era – can you see the Queens influence?
Many of the pieces of jewellery that Queen Victoria influenced can still be found today – genuine antique Victorian Jewellery need not cost more than the modern jewellery of today so Happy Hunting.
Antique Victorian Jewellery Symbolism and hidden meaning
Posted by: | CommentsLooking at Antique Victorian Jewellery we often see something from quite a different perspective from that of its original owner. We see a pretty little piece , quaint, decorative , interesting or valuable. A hundred and fifty years ago the original owner may have seen these things the jewellery may have had a deeper meaning. Messages were contained in jewellery, sometimes these messages were hidden and other times they were messages that the wearer wanted to convey to the world. How did the Victorians put meaning in their Jewellery ? They used symbols which were commonly understood at the time but which are largely forgotten now. It is interesting to take a look at pieces and to uncover their deeper meanings today.
Amongst other things the Victorians gave meaning to flowers, gemstones, animals and objects such as an anchor. To read a piece of jewellery and uncover its meaning you need to look at all of the elements used as they were often used in combinations
meanings in stones and flowers
In previous posts I have discussed two of the symbols which are commonly found and understood today : Faith, Hope and Charity and Mizpah. Here are a few more:
Snakes: Mean “Eternity”. Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria an engagement ring in the form of a snake. As always in the Victorian era, anything that Queen Victoria did became high fashion.
Anchor and Chain: Faith in salvation
Butterfly : Resurrection. This is taken from the three parts of a butterflies life with the butterfly being the resurrection from the chrysalis.
Clasped hands: Friendship
Heart: as today means love or devotion. Flaming heart means passion, Crowned Heart means Love Triumphant
Dog: Fidelity, Fly: Humility, Wishbone: Wish or hope
Arrows or Cupid = Love
Diamond and Ruby pin
Meanings of flowers:
Bluebells: Constancy
Mistletoe: A kiss
Lilac: the start of love
Ivy: Evergreen love or marriage
Forget-me-nots: Remembrance
Fern: fascination
Daisy:Innocence
Wiki has a comprehensive list of the meanings of flowers.
Gemstones were also given specific meanings. For example:
Ruby : Passion
Amethyst: Devotion
Emerald: Hope
Diamond: Constancy
Ruby: Passion
Pearls:Tears
Coral: Protection against evil
As I mentioned earlier, more than one of these symbols can be combines into a piece of jewellery. Here are a couple of examples:
A heart shaped pendant set with Amethysts might mean love and devotion. An antique brooch with forget me nots set with pearls would be a mourning brooch.
So, next timeyou take a look at a piece of Victorian antique jewellery why not try and find out what the original owner was trying to say? Do you know any more Victorian meanings for flowers and gemstones? Please do leave me a message here and I can update the post.
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
