WEC: Thoughts about Jewelry

Christmas jewelry is very popular among designers and collectors. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of designs to choose from. The majority of pieces available are Christmas Tree pins but eliminate the trees from the category and there is still a bounty of designs and motifs. This post will cover some of the those categories. SANTA CLAUS Pin by Art JJ Pin    Pins by Christopher Radko Pin and Earrings by Beatrix Pin by BJ    Pin by Avon and Unsigned Pin Unsigned Pin       Pins by Art Hollycraft Pin    Unsigned Pins Unsigned Pin    Unsigned Pins Weiss Pin Unsigned...

Most teenage girls start a charm bracelet but by the time they become adults the bracelets are all but forgotten. That may be changing. There is a growing appeal of charms for collectors and they are being gobbled up at antique malls and flea markets. Among the most prized are rebus and message charms. These are often European and harder to find in the U.S. but thanks to internet shopping, they can be located. REBUS is a puzzle in which words, messages and sentiments are represented by a combination of pictures and individual letters. Thanks to some charm collector friends, I've assembled a...

Purple is the color most often associated with royalty and when combined with pink, it is associated with femininity. In my experience though purple isn't a very common color in jewelry. But given all the shades of the color, examples can be found. Here are some photos of purple jewelry in my collection. Sandor Earrings Pin from Austria Unsigned Pin Lisner Pin Hobe Pin Stanley Hagler Necklace Sandor Pin and Earrings Pin by Forbidden Fruit Weiss Pin Elizabeth Taylor for Avon Necklace Silver and Enamel Earrings by David Andersen Silver Pin from Beau Hope you enjoyed the photos. If you're...

Stick Pins are a category of jewelry that can be overlooked when you're out shopping for vintage pieces. They are small, the head or top is rarely larger than an average earring, and they are often stuffed into the back corners of the display cases. But they are worth seeking out. For their beauty and their collectibility. Stick pins were particularly popular from about 1880 to 1920. They were worn by both men and women. Usually on a jacket lapel but also on a necktie to hold in in place. A stick pin is by definition under four inches long but most I've encountered are between...

Do you know the nursery rhyme Old MacDonald Had a Farm? The song as we know it in the U.S. was first published in 1917 having come to being through oral tradition. The rest of the world knows it too. At least according to Wikipedia. In the Finnish version "Piippolan vaarilla oli talo," the song translates "Grandpa Piippola had a house." Additional samplings from around the world are scattered throughout this post. In the meantime, let's get some of Mrs. MacD's jewelry posted. SHEEP and GOATS Unsigned Plastic Lamb Pin Pin by Dorothy Bauer (it's close to being a sheep!) Kenneth Jay...

Continuing my series Color in Costume Jewelry, today's photos will show red jewelry. It's the color of sacrifice, danger and courage. Also associated with passion, love and sexuality.  Hope you enjoy the jewelry.   Pin by Meka, Denmark Bakelite Bracelet Unsigned Pin Pin and Earrings by Miriam Haskell Necklace, Bracelet, Pin and Earrings by Lisner Pin from Original by Robert Unsigned Necklace Stanley Hagler Pin Unsigned Pin Silver Earrings Pin by Trifari Eloxal (aluminum) Bracelet Unsigned Necklace Bracelet by Selro Bracelet by Regency Pin by Hollycraft Pin by Wiesner Unsigned Bracelet Cuff Links by Hickok Artisan Pin Unsigned Bracelet and...

Eisenberg Jewelry, one of the most popular and respected lines of American costume jewelry, was begun by chance. When Jonas Eisenberg emigrated from Austria to the United States, he went into business making women's ready-to-wear fashion. His company produced jewelry to adorn the displays of his clothing in department stores. Soon enough he learned that the jewelry was more popular than the garments. His son Sam saw this as an opportunity and began a jewelry line separate from his father's clothing line. By 1958, the clothing enterprise was halted and family efforts were all transferred to the jewelry business. The first...

Spiders, as you probably recall from high school biology, have 8 legs and are in a class of animals called arachnids. Scorpions and ticks are also in that class but insects are not. Insects are a 6-legged class of invertebrates.  Heidi Daus Cuff Bracelet Betsey Johnson Cuff Bracelet As kids, we loved spiders. We learned to recite Itsy Bitsy Spider and Little Miss Muffet. And as we got a bit older, we read Charlotte's Web. So when was it we started thinking of spiders as creepy and dangerous? Of the over 40,000 species in the world, only a handful of species are harmful to humans....

Continuing my series on Color In Costume Jewelry. This post will offer examples of pink. Everything from blush to hot pink. Hope you enjoy the photos. Pin by Aksel Holmsen Coro Earrings Necklace by Lisner Trifari Bracelet and Pin Unsigned Pin Unsigned Pin Unsigned Bracelet Pin by Star Vendome Earrings Unsigned Pin Silver Pin from Mexico Detail from Miriam Haskell Necklace Unsigned Pin Unsigned Necklace Silver and Enamel Set by Volmer Bahner Unsigned Set Unsigned Pin Unsigned Earrings Volmer Bahner Earrings Set by Lisner Pin by Trifari Stanley Hagler Earrings Schiaparelli Earrings Swank Cuff Links Trifari Shoe-Button Set Givenchy EarringsPin...

Looking through my collection of patriotic jewelry, I find it is roughly divided into two main categories - Patriotic and Sweetheart. Patriotic pieces, include subjects such as flags, eagles, politics, and the red, white and blue color combination. Sweetheart jewelry includes pieces given to and worn by loved ones while someone was in military service. This post will focus on examples of traditional, patriotic and political costume jewelry. Sweetheart jewelry will be covered in a future post.          TRADITIONAL THEMES IN PATRIOTIC JEWELRYAMERICAN FLAG American Flag by Stauer (available in shop)                     The two on the right are...