Category: Vintage Jewelry Talk
A Lesson On Basse-Taille Enameling For Jewelry
I learn new things about jewelry all the time. Today I learned about Basse-Taille, a jewelry design technique used to enamel jewelry. Join me as I share my research and some pretty pictures of Basse-Taille enameled jewelry.
BMCo Vintage Souvenir Enamel Charms
BMCo made a vast assortment of pretty enamel charms that are still found for sale on auction sites like eBay today. The ones I’ve seen are primarily souvenirs from Canada but there are also quite a few Caribbean Island travel charms and some from Bermuda. I decided to find out what I could about the BMCo charm maker.
What is Poured Glass Jewelry?
If you search the vintage costume jewelry listings on eBay or Ruby Lane you will no doubt see quite a few with the term “Poured Glass” in the title or description. For those new to collecting read on to find a summary of what to expect when you purchase a piece of poured glass jewelry.
Rising Silver Prices Scare Me
What scars me is that as the price of sterling silver skyrockets, and the economy stays in the tank, more and more people are scrapping their family heirlooms for quick cash. Right at this very minute there are probably hundreds of thousands of vintage charms sitting in scrap silver bins all over the country. Collectible charms made by Cini, Walter Lampl, Nuvo, and other great silver artisans ready to be melted and lost forever. This is the perfect time to start a vintage charm bracelet collection, as a matter of fact it may only get harder in the future.
August Birthstone Peridot Charms
The vibrant green colors of a peridot stone explain why, for centuries the peridot has been a symbol of nature. In ancient Egypt they were called “the gem of the sun” because of their brilliance, and early priests drank cups made of peridot stones. They believed the act connected them with Isis the goddess of nature. Another traditional belief is that when one wears a peridot, they will be protected against night terrors. This stems from the fact that the green color stays bright even at night.
Antique Chatelaines And Their History
Usually attached to a pocket or belt at the waist, chatelaines had chains with a swivel hook at the end of each to hang tools necessary to deal with problems that arose during the daily upkeep of the house. Some items typically found on a chatelaine are keys, a small notebook, pill bottles, eyeglasses, writing instruments, scissors, or a watch, to name a few.
Pearl Charms For June Birthstone Girls
If you’re lucky enough to be born in June your traditional birthstone is a pearl. What woman can resist a strand of soft, smooth, lustrous and velvety pearls? Of course being a charm collector I love charms with a pearl or two set into them.
February Birthstones – Amethyst
If February is your birth month then you’re lucky enough to have a royal purple amethyst like the one in this pendant as your birthstone. Deep purple amethyst jewels have been preferred by royalty and clergy since ancient times.
Historical and Ancient Charm Meanings
People have adorned themselves with jewelry since ancient times. Throughout history jewelry represented specific values or beliefs, and wasn’t necessarily worn for decoration. Find out what some of these ancient trinkets mean.
Egyptian Scarab Beetle Jewelry
The golden age of modern scarab beetle jewelry was the 1950′s when they were used as carved stones in bracelets, earring, pendants, and rings. The Van Dell jewelry company made a wide range of scarab jewelry which was very popular. Since that time Scarabs have fallen out of favor as a fashion accessory. Lately however [...]
Mexican Silver Jewelry
Some of the highest quality and most beautiful jewelry of the 20th century was created in Mexico and the country is still producing exceptional pieces today. The hub of silver jewelry creation in Mexico was in the city of Taxco, where many fine silversmiths fine tuned their craft. Taxco is located between Acapulco and Mexico City, and is home to one of the oldest silver mines in the Americas.
Cini Sterling Silver Vintage Charms and Jewelry
The Cini Jewelry Company makes some of the most intricate and popular vintage jewelry available. I’ve started a collection of Cini Zodiac charms and I’ve also sold a few Cini vintage silver pins so I decided to see what I could find out about them.
July Birthstones – Ruby
For those born in July, your birthstone is a ruby, which is one of the world’s most prized gemstones. A ruby is also given to commemorate a 40th anniversary, and the deep red color represents everlasting love. It is one of the hardest stones with a measure of 9 out of 10 on the Moh’s scale.
Sunshine Polishing Cloth Is The Best Jewelry Cleaner
I’ve been using Sunshine polishing cloths for a long time and love them. They are gentle enough to clean the most precious charms but strong enough to get off really tough tarnish and grime. They clean all types of metal but I use them primarily for silver jewelry.
The Carl Art Jewelry Company of Providence RI
The Carl Art company, owned by Carl Schraysshuen, a German immigrant, and American businessman Arthur Loercher, was founded in 1936 in Providence, Rhode Island. Carl had previously been employed by the Speidel Company and is reported to be responsible for creating the twist-o-flex watch band.
Cultured Pearl Treatments
All cultured pearls are cleaned and polished to enhance the luster before being sold to jewelers. There are additional treatments that are applied to lower quality pearls in order to develop a marketable product. It’s always important to at least ask, and then obtain a guarantee when purchasing pearls, in order to be sure of the investment.
Cultured Pearls and Modern Pearl Farms
Almost all of the pearls sold today are cultured pearls grown on pearl farms. The techniques developed and refined over the last century have allowed modern pearl farmers to produce pearls that conform to specific standards. Natural pearls are less than one percent of those available on the market nowadays.
Cultured Pearls – Birth of the Industry
Pearls have long been a favorite as an embellishment for jewelry and nowadays almost all pearls coming into the market are cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are formed by intentionally inserting a foreign object into a mollusk, typically an oyster, and waiting for the natural process of nacre to build up.
“Antique Sweetheart Jewelry” – A Book Review
This book is the second one written by Nicholas D. Snider on the subject of sweetheart jewelry from WW I and WW II. It is a full sized soft cover book published by Schiffer and it includes a price guide in effect as of 1997. With over 200 color photographs of jewelry, compacts, fabric and paper collectibles, the book shows the human side of war via patriotic mementos exchanged by men and women separated by historic events.
Stanhope Jewelry And How To Care For It
Stanhope ChurchJewelry was a popular theme for Stanhope manufacturers in the 19th and 20th century. Tiny peep photos that one could wear on a neck chain or bracelet entertained people of the era. There were cross pendants and rosaries that held a pinhead sized picture of The Lords Prayer, or Ten Commandments. Churches were also a popular charm Stanhope piece.
Stanhope Lenses – What Are They?
I frequently get this question from readers and customers. The short answer is that a Stanhope is a tiny peep hole, called a lens, containing a micro photograph and inserted into a novelty souvenir. The photo inside these trinkets is the size of a pinhead and has to be held up to a light and close to one’s eye to view the image.
June Birthstones – Pearl
The traditional birthstone is Alexandrite but I’m not a fan so I chose to feature the modern June birthstone, which is a pearl. Pearls are formed of course when a tiny grain of sand or mineral gets into an oyster. The oyster responds by secreting a substance called nacre, which layers on until the pearl is created.
The Correct Way To Use A Jewelers Loupe
The proper way to use a jeweler’s loupe is straightforward and easy. Start with a well lit room or natural sunlight and a place to sit down so your hands will be steady. Make sure to clean the piece of jewelry and the lens with a soft cloth to remove surface dirt before viewing. Also put a cloth underneath the work area to keep items from rolling away if you drop them.
What To Look For When Buying A Jewelers Loupe
A jewelers loupe (pronounced loop) is a small magnifying glass that folds into a metal protective case. It’s used to view small jewelry pieces and gems to detect flaws and to read marks that can’t be seen using normal vision. There are several features to consider when purchasing a jeweler’s loupe depending on individual needs.
