WEC: Thoughts about Jewelry

The Twelve Days of Christmas is an English Christmas carol first published in 1780 as a rhyme. In 1909 English composer Frederic Austin added the familiar music as well as the word "on" which starts each verse. Translations and versions vary around the world, so for this jewelry photo showing, I'll include the familiar gifts given as well as some less well-known gift items. Also, I'll include the faith-based symbolism of each gift. THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS On the First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREEIn most interpretations of the song, this...

Pantone's Color of the Year for 2017 is Greenery, 15-0343. It's a vibrant color and for my money, it's a great choice. Here's what it looks like: Not sure you're ready to commit to wearing a suit or dress in that color? How about accenting your current wardrobe with a splash of color by using costume jewelry. Here's some vintage jewelry that matches or compliments the 2017 color. Unsigned Copper and Enamel Necklace Unsigned Earrings Unsigned Choker Necklace Lisner Parure Unsigned Pin 1960s Pin Unsigned Earrings Unsigned Necklace Alice Caviness Set Matisse Renoir Set Unsigned Pin Unsigned Pin Marius Hammer Pin...

Dress clips and fur clips became popular in the 1920s. They are similar to brooches or pins in that they are worn to accent an outfit. The difference is the way they attach to the garment. While a dress clip was simply clipped onto an outfit, the double prongs of a fur clip were strong enough to pierce the material and then snap closed into place. This made then ideal to wear on a coat or fur. Both dress clips and fur clips are collectible and easy to wear. Be sure to see my previous post DRESS CLIPS, It includes photo...

A dress clip is a type of brooch which clips onto your outfit. They are easy to wear and like brooches, come in thousands of shapes and designs. They are easy to find in the secondary marketplace and can found in all price ranges to fit any shopper's budget. From the Collection of Cindy Deeter From the Collection of Cindy Deeter DRESS CLIP OR FUR CLIP? Where a traditional brooch has a pin stem or needle, dress clips and fur clips have different types of fasteners. A look at the clip mechanism will tell you which it is. If it...

Looking for dramatic design? How about quality construction and materials? BOUCHER (pronounced BOO SHAY) jewelry is the way to go. Marcel Boucher is one of my favorite jewelry designers. He came to the United States from Paris to work with Cartier making fine jewelry in around 1920. He left Cartier to work with the Mazer Brothers and then in 1937 opened his own business. Boucher jewelry often has layered 3-D construction with intricate patterns and designs. It was made with quality stones and materials which have maintained their integrity making Boucher extremely collectible. It can be found in the secondary marketplace and...

Plastic in various forms is a common material used in costume jewelry construction. Bakelite, Lucite and Acrylic are among the types of plastic frequently seen in vintage pieces. The photos in this blog are all of vintage plastics and depict animals. Very few of the pieces are hallmarked, but I will identify makers of pieces which are marked.     Lea Stein, Paris Lea Stein, Paris Lea Stein, Paris              Stick Pin from Czechoslovakia    Lea Stein, Paris  Forbidden Fruit  Lea Stein, Paris                    To see which plastic animal pieces are available...

Yay! It's finally fall, my favorite season. And fall means Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Thanksgiving , as I'm sure you know, is a national holiday in both Canada (second Monday in October) and in the United States (fourth Thursday in November as set by President Lincoln). It started as a celebration giving thanks for the harvest of the previous year.  Turkey and pumpkin pie are probably the most popular foods served on Thanksgiving. Traditionally, this is the point in the blog where I'd like to insert photos of jewelry in the shape of turkeys and pies. I have neither...

Faces in jewelry continues with Part 2 where I will present examples of realistic faces, comic and caricature faces, and some famous faces. Hope you enjoy the examples.  REALISTIC FACES DVB Pin Sterling Pin Art Nouveau Silver Pin Vintage Plastic Pin Large Pendant Enamel Pin Silver Pin Unger Brothers Pin Unger Brothers Pin Unger Brothers Pin Silver Pin Unsigned Earrings ABSTRACT AND CARICATURE FACES Unsigned Earrings (attributed to HAR and Schiaparelli in different reference books) AJC Clown Pin Sterling Sweater or Bib Clips Rebajes Kinetic Pendant and EarringsRebajes Pendant Novelty Ring Unsigned Pin Fimo Clay Comic Earrings Mixed Metals Pin and Earrings,...

Portrait miniatures were popular from the 16th century through the 19th century among the elite of Europe. The development of photography in the 19th saw the decline of these treasures in favor of daguerreotypes and photographs. Early portrait miniatures were done with watercolor on both vellum and ivory and later enamel over a base metal. Porcelain and mother-of-pearl were also used to create these miniatures. Faces and portraits on jewelry are abundant. I have tons of examples, so, I am dividing my blog into two parts. Part 1 will cover examples of fine jewelry as well as hand-painted portrait miniatures on ivory, porcelain,...

Peacocks are a popular jewelry motif. And it's no wonder; their big, showy feathers are an obvious inspiration for designers. So, let's talk peacocks. We should start with the basics; peacocks are the males. The collective term for the birds are peafowl, females are peahens and infants are peachicks. A family of peafowl is a bevy, a party or a pride. PEACOCK JEWELRY Boucher Pin PEACOCK TRIVIA: Peacocks are members of the pheasant family of birds. Unsigned Pin Piels Freres Buckle Antique Locket Vintage Sash Pin PEACOCK TRIVIA: Peacocks don't have showy tails at birth. Growth starts at about 3 years of age....