WEC: Thoughts about Jewelry

4/20 (pronounced four twenty) is a code phrase referring to the consumption of marijuana. Four-twenty in the afternoon, they say, is a great time to get high. And April 20th has informally become known as "Weed Day." Whether it's cannabis, opium or tobacco, smoking has a long history in the world. Cannabis use in the Middle East dates back 5,000 years and opium use in the Far East dates back 4,000 years. In the U.S., tobacco grew in the wild and was smoked or chewed during religious ceremonies over 2,000 years ago. Tobacco as an industry dates to the 1700s.The 20th century has seen...

Easter was yesterday, so I thought today would be a good day to go down the rabbit-hole and showcase rabbits in costume jewelry. And, I've posted some rabbit trivia among the photos. Enjoy. L-S Scatter Pins Mylu RABBIT TRIVIA: A male rabbit is a buck, female rabbit is a doe and baby rabbit is a kit. A group of rabbits is called a herd. Boucher Pin March Hare Pin RABBIT TRIVIA: A rabbit has 28 teeth which never stop growing. Cellini Pin Rabbit in a Magician's Hat Brooch Coro Pin RABBIT TRIVIA: Rabbits can purr. The sound is very similar to a...

Bows are simply ribbons tied into decorative knots. They are a popular design motif and have made their way into popular culture from tattoos to use as recognition of support of charitable causes. The bow symbolizes femininity, remembrance, strength, love, beauty, and union. And of course, it represents a gift! Bows are a popular motif in costume jewelry and I have a lot of examples to show; so let's get on with it. DESIGNER BOWS Weiss Pin Hobe Pin Hobe Pin Coro Earrings    Silver Pins with Russian Hallmarks GRD Coro Pin Miriam Haskell Pin Emmons Earrings Florenza Pin Grosse Pin,...

Thematic or figural jewelry in the shape of animals, people and objects is among the most challenging and fun to collect. Here I've put together a collection of figural jewelry representing modes of transportation. Hope you enjoy the photos. AUTOMOBILES and CARS Dorothy Bauer Pin Silver Charm Mercedes Benz Stick Pin AIRPLANES, JETS and ROCKETS Unsigned Pin Unsigned Pin Cuff Links Earrings TRAINS and TROLLEYS Tortolani Pin Silver Earrings Unsigned Pin SHIPS and BOATS Hjortdahl Pin Hobe Pin    Cruise Ship Silver Charms    Meldahl Pins Hand-Painted Cuff Links Silver Pin Silver Puffy Heart Charm Unsigned Pin Unsigned Pin Cuff Links...

The Feast of St. Patrick is a cultural and religious holiday during which it is said the whole world turns Irish. In honor of the day and all things Irish, I've put together a blog of costume jewelry. IRELAND St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland. Hand-Painted Silver Charm Silver Medallion HARP The harp is the national symbol of Ireland. Goldette Harp PinSilver Harp Charm Gold Harp Charm with Connemara Marble LEPRECHAUNS and RAINBOWS A leprechaun is a fairy-like creature in traditional Irish folklore. Dressed in green, a leprechaun is usually seen as a bearded old man of dwarfish proportions. He loves...

Coral is one of three organic gemstones - pearls and amber are the other two. Like pearls, coral is made of calcium carbonate.The coral most often seen in jewelry is called precious or noble coral, Corallium rubrum. It ranges in color from dark red to pale rose. The palest rose tone pieces are called Angelskin Coral. Coral is also found in tones ranging from sand to black. These corals, called Black Coral and Hawaiian Coral, have a different organic composition and are a bit less brittle than precious corals. Unfortunately, I have no examples of these to share. The hard skeleton of coral branches is...

The April birthstone is diamonds. We all know that "diamonds are a girl's best friend." While I don't have much in the way of fine jewelry to share, I do have a quite a nice collection of costume pieces. So I'm fudging a bit and sharing photos of clear rhinestone jewelry. Some are set in white metal; others in yellow metal. These pieces are of good to excellent quality and they sparkle in the light just like the real thing. Who says you need color to look fabulous? Sometimes the best color is no color.    Rhinestone Bracelets Unsigned Circle Pin...

Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras is always the first Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This year, it is on February 28th. It marks the last day of carnival season and the beginning of Lent. Mardi Gras is celebrated with the color combination of purple, green and yellow. The collectible doubloons to the left date to the 1990s.  In honor of Mardi Gras, here are a few more collectible pieces. From the Collection of Carolyn Davis    Small Chalk Pin    Puffy Heart Charms "Red Robin Antiques" on Ruby Lane Mardi Gras masks were originally used as a way to get rid of...

Kenneth Jay Lane is an American designer of beautiful jewelry. He started by bejeweling shoes for designers such as Scaasi and Dior. He sometimes made earrings and brooches to match the shoes used in runway shows. After a short stint working with jewelry designer Hattie Carnegie, Lane began his own jewelry design business in 1963. Early pieces by Kenneth Jay Lane were copies of high end jewelry designs. These pieces were popular among celebrities and notables including Jackie Kennedy, Liz Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.  With popularity came recognition and awards. Among the numerous honors he has received are the Coty Award for...

Nettie Rosenstein immigrated to the United States from Austria in the 1890s. She began her career as a fashion designer after she married Saul Rosenstein who happened to own a women's underwear business. Nettie eventually added accessories she designed, including handbags, gloves and jewelry, to her clothing line. She designed for celebrities and dignitaries including First Lady Mamie Eisenhower for whom she designed several pieces including her 1953 and 1957 inaugural gowns. Her designs were fairly expensive and many like her "little black dress" were widely copied. Rosenstein's New York City company produced from 1935 to 1975. The jewelry she created to compliment her clothing is...