An ultrasonic jewelry cleaner may seem like a good idea, but it does not make sense to use it for all jewelry, or to use it indiscriminately.
It is kind of similar to those who make the assumption you can throw antique and vintage textiles in the washing machine. Some things have to be hand washed using delicate detergents, and some things cannot be washed at all. In most cases you must hang the items to dry. Do not use a dryer.
When it comes to vintage and antique jewelry, sometimes it is better to just wipe the item with a damp cloth.
Certain pieces can be washed in a mild soapy water solution. It is good practice to use a small make up brush to clean, and dust the nooks and crannies.
Q-tips work well if you want to clean the metal, but do not want to damage the stones. Most glass stones can be cleaned with a spritz of Windex, and then rinsed and dried carefully with a lint free cloth.
Some things can be cleaned with a mild sterling silver cleaner. Not all sterling silver cleaners are mild. Some are extremely harsh, so much so that the entire room becomes filled with the smell of chemicals.
The liquid silver cleaners seem to be the most caustic, while the paste cleaners are milder. I usually use “Twinkle Silver Polish Kit”, which is a mild paste, and easy to apply to specific areas with a Q-tip.
An example of a liquid silver cleaner that you dip the jewelry into, is called “Hagerty Instant Silver Clean”. Beware of this one, and anything else that is described as instant, quick and easy. This silver cleaner is harsh, smells very strong, and will ruin gemstones. It might also ruin other things, especially sterling silver that has blackened areas as part of the design, or a shadow box effect.
I digress, back to the ultrasonic machine. Only a few pieces that are not fragile, not old, do not have any loose stones, are very solid, well constructed, and have hard and resilient gemstones, can withstand an ultrasonic cleaner. Personally, I would not even use one at all, after seeing the damage they can do.
Not that long ago a business man who took over his father’s jewelry store in Vancouver, and had been in the business more than fifty years, told me he used a dilute solution of Mr. Clean on diamonds, and other hard gemstones. He did not use an ultrasonic cleaner.
Ultrasonic cleaners use high frequency vibrations and shock waves to disrupt the accumulated dirt and grime, thus washing it off the item. They usually have a combination of water, and some type of cleaning solution.
They work by creating microscopic bubbles that implode and produce agitation or shock waves that strips the oil and grime away. Many people will say this is an effective way to thoroughly clean antique and vintage jewelry, as it supposedly gets into the crevices that cannot otherwise be reached.
I disagree. I have seen many things come out of an ultrasonic cleaner that are not thoroughly cleaned at all. The main reason they are used, is because it is fast, and cleans things in bulk.
I have brought sterling silver items home that were cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner, and then cleaned the item by hand, because the ultrasonic cleaner in my opinion, does not do a very good job.
In fact anything that is antique, fragile, or porous – especially amber, pearls, ivory, and coral – should never go near an ultrasonic cleaner. If you are unsure of what the item is made of, don’t throw it in there.
Softer gemstones, and all organic material should not be put in an ultrasonic cleaner. Onyx and tanzanite are also too soft and porous for such a cleaning method.
Also certain plated metals such as enamels, and antique cloisonne jewelry should not be cleaned ultrasonically. A good rule of thumb is – when in doubt, don’t do it. You cannot undo the damage it does.
The following is an example of a sterling silver Baltic amber ring that was put into an ultrasonic cleaner. I bought it because the seller just pulled it out of the machine, and I was curious to see what it would look like when photographed.
Baltic amber has a glow that comes from deep within. It is almost like sunlight is captured inside. It has a unique luminescence when placed in sunlight.
It also changes colour to a blue, white or yellowish green when placed under a blacklight. In fact it is one of the most fascinating things to examine and photograph.
When you examine this ring, you can see it has lost its’ intrinsic luminescence. As you can see by the reverse side of it, the ultrasonic cleaner did not even do a good job.
It would have been much better to use a Q-tip, and a mild silver cleaner on the silver portion, and then use a soft brush to clean the back of it. After that rinse off all the residual silver cleaner with plain water, and then dry and polish with a soft linen cloth.
If it had been cleaned by hand, without using the ultrasonic method, it would have a rich glow, and show off the bits of foliage, insect wings etc. that get trapped inside the tree resin. But alas, this one bites the dust.
The jewelry made by this designer, especially the necklaces, are few and far between. There are still a few J.L. Aldenkamp leopard brooches floating around on EBay and Etsy, and a narrow bracelet with pave crystals listed on Poshmark. But that’s about it.
The J.L. Aldenkamp maker’s mark is a triangular shape, which is known to some collectors of costume jewelry, especially those from the Netherlands and U.K.
Although I recognized the leopard necklace by this designer, is a high quality necklace, I was unable to identify the symbolic maker’s mark. It might be based on a stylistic A for the designer’s name, shaped into a triangle, with additional symbols inside of it.
Recently I received an email from Amanda Wells-Dodge, who was kind enough to provide the name of this obscure mid-century designer as J.L. Aldenkamp.
In this business, you learn something every day. Many thanks to Amanda!
Many countries do have laws surrounding hallmarking of sterling silver. For instance, in the UK a law was passed in 1973 making it illegal to call items sterling silver unless they are hallmarked. In some countries, the hallmarking is overseen by a national assayer’s office.
The UK and Ireland have among the most sophisticated and long term systems surrounding the silver hallmarking. In addition to the silver purity, there is often a symbol as well.
France has also been legally hallmarking silver since the 1800’s, and have a grading system to identify the standards such as 950, 925, and 800 silver. They also use symbols, the head of Mercury, and the shape of a lozenge, which is a diamond shape, but can also be a thin rhombus shape.
In the US the assay marks were not fixed like they were in Europe. Baltimore was one of the first to implement hallmarks in the early to mid 1800’s. In the absence of specific regulations surrounding hallmarking, several companies like Tiffany & Co., Gorham, and International Silver Co., adopted their own systems of marking and symbols.
Canada does not have any mandatory laws to hallmark silver and gold. However most jewelry makers will stamp their products with the purity of the metal, as well as with maker’s initials, in order to confirm their value. There are many exceptional pieces of Aboriginal carved artisan jewelry, in silver and gold, that is made without hallmarks.
Birks is one of Canada’s earliest known companies to hallmark sterling silver starting in 1879. Some of the earlier items are marked H.B & Co. Later the mark became Birks, or a B logo, and sometimes had a lion symbol as well. Some of the items are simply marked Birks Sterling.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Hungary adopted a complex system of marking both gold and silver. They used the symbol of a crescent moon crowned by the head of the ancient Greek heroine Diana. In addition, the way the head was framed indicates the purity.
Japan adopted a symbol of the Japanese flag as a silver hallmark in 1929.
The hallmarking of Mexican sterling silver is also very complex, and dates back to 1946 when the Eagle system was used, but proved to be inefficient. By 1979 they developed a letter-number hallmarking system.
China also stamped their sterling silver for export, often with symbols similar to the European symbols. In the more modern jewelry, you will often see 925 China on the items.
India does not have mandatory laws surrounding silver hallmarks. However people can make a request to have it stamped, in which case it is taken to the assayer’s office for testing. If it meets the regulatory standards, it will then be stamped.
Pieces from Thailand will often be marked 925 Thai.
All 925 silver should be of the same quality, at least one would think so, because the purity has been established. However, different alloys are used, which can change the sheen, durability, tarnishing etc.
In spite of all the more recent developments in hallmarking, the actual stamping and marking of precious metals began as early as 1300 A.D when Edward 1 King of England proclaimed that all silver must be tested, and stamped.
During Biblical times sterling silver was represented by sheaves of wheat symbols. A shekel of silver was a coin weighing about a half an ounce. It is estimated the value would have been equivalent to two or three days labour. Silver was used the same as money, and often land was purchased with silver.
The topic of silver hallmarking, and all the various symbols is vast, with Encyclopedias of silver marks from many locations throughout the world.
My thoughts on the topic, are to stick to what is hallmarked. However, as with all things, there are a few cases where the item is sterling silver but is not marked. In the case of pendant necklaces, sometimes just the original chain is marked, and if the two get separated, the pendant might not have a hallmark.
The separation of jewelry pieces in a set can lead to unsigned pieces. This can also happen with vintage costume jewelry, because sometimes only one or two of the items in a set are signed.
The same thing can occur with earrings. Sometimes only one earring is hallmarked, therefore some of the single earrings floating around, are sterling silver, but are not stamped.
Occasionally the sterling silver mark or maker’s mark is placed on a hang tag, that later becomes lost, or is removed.
Sterling silver and gold can be tested using a slate pad, and nitric acid. The drawbacks are that the chemicals are very toxic, and must be used with great care. In addition, at the end of the day, the buyer only has the seller’s word for it anyway.
Therefore, sterling silver that is not hallmarked is likely to be sold at a lesser value, simply because whoever makes the purchase has the same problem of authenticating it, if they try to resell it.
Over time, if the price of silver happens to increase in value, there will be a melt value for all that tests positive, similar to what it is for gold today.
But for now, most of the silver value is in the workmanship, artistry, and gemstones used by the various silversmiths over the years.
Like all things that are vintage and antique, the artistry of the silversmiths from throughout the world, is of cultural and historical importance. Therefore to see all that labour, artistry, and archival representation of their creations, go into a melting pot, would be kind of sad.
As far as dating jewelry is concerned, there is some good information on the Internet to help with this, and also some information that is false or mistaken.
Recently I read that the roll over clasp on pins was not used before the 1960’s, which I know is is not true. There are certain rollover clasp styles that were used on pins, and brooches since the late 1920’s and 1930’s.
Over time, many people have had the attitude to toss what is old, and go for what is new, and presumed to be improved. However, creativity is not new.
Plus the cost of labour, and materials, has increased exponentially in all countries over the years. Therefore, the new is not made with the same standards, time, attention to detail, etc. because anything that is labour intensive, will cost much more.
In addition, all products must go through several layers of mark-ups before reaching the consumer. There are price increases from the manufacturing and materials, to the distribution and marketing.
All the steps incurred to get the product in front of the consumer, or public, requires time and money. Therefore each of those steps increases the cost of the goods.
If we are honest with ourselves, few things are truly original. Almost all designs have been made in some capacity or another, somewhere along the line. Innovation is a rather elusive concept. Things have to be captured and nailed down, in order to become tangible.
I believe the photography does help contribute to the knowledge base of design and hallmarks, even though it may not be perfect.
In addition, many of the designs, although trendy at some point in history, were lost or destroyed due to the various wars, disasters, breakage, and concept of getting rid of things that are old, to bring on the new.
Yet we are always traversing the richness of the landscape, from what is behind us, to what is ahead of us…So we have to learn from the past, in order to increase our appreciation for all art.
It is not just the famous, or the high falutin’ well-known artists who have created beautiful art. Art comes from all locations, and all walks of life.
Giftedness is not based on fame or self importance, but rather on dedication, and the ability to contribute time and effort to a labour of love.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
As it is with the fascination for all things that are old, jewelry, especially if made of glass beads, or organic materials, is something that can be hundreds, and even thousands of years old.
Often jewelry items are the most likely to be saved, and passed down, primarily because it is easy to transport, and store jewelry and beads. These items can be kept in families forcenturies, until someone dies, and the grandchildren have no interest in it. Then it gets sold, and picked up by those who do have an interest in it.
Often when it gets sold, it is mixed in with a range of other costume jewelry, and there is no time to sort it when organizing estate sales. Also, there is a great deal of research involved to delve into it all. You have to have the interest, or it would be like me collecting nuts and bolts, of which I certainly have no interest in.
Whatever the reasons for its widespread travel and age, jewelry provides a rich insight into the adornment used in different cultures since the beginning of time. The many types of trade beads made their way around the world, since those trade routes were established, and are still circulating today.
When going though a large collection, the top two categories, are differentiating between what is organic, and what is man-made.
Man made jewelry has sub categories of glass and plastics. Glass can be as valuable, or even more valuable than many gemstones.
Under the glass category, there is much to be learned. Famous glass and bead makers have their origins in Italy, Venice, Czechoslovakia, England, Austria, Germany, France, and Africa. In Egypt they date back to 1365 BC and are considered to be the oldest, or the first, to start using the various glass making techniques.
Much of the glass making history is shrouded in secrecy. The techniques and trade secrets among glass makers were carefully guarded, and passed down from one generation to another. Anyone who left the industry, orthreatened to share the secrets would be hunted down and killed.
In addition, there is significant history stemming from the Soviet held countries, where the secrets of the techniques were never made public.
As far as antiquity is concerned, Lebanon also contributed to glass making. Although most of us think of antiquity as coming strictly from Venice, Venice is known as the “mother of modern beads”, which goes back to 1224 AD! We normally don’t think of 1200 AD as being modern. It helps to put into perspective just how ancient some of the glass beads are.
The reason the glass factories in Venice were moved to the island of Murano is because they feared that if there was a fire caused by the furnaces used to make the molten glass, it could burn the entire city of Venice down.
For around two hundred years the primary technique was called winding, where a gob of molten glass was wound around an iron rod to create the shape. Since glass is not naturally coloured, they would have to add theother elements to give it colour. Cobalt created the blue beads, copper made them green, tin made them white, and gold made them red.
Winding was not the only technique used. They also made beads out of blown glass, where they would create the shape by blowing through a glass rod. Another method was to press the glass, leaving ridges in the shape.
All of this type of glass making was before the 1400’s. When global trade began, through the shipping channels, Venetian glass beads were taken along and used for trade. It opened new doors for the industry. So beads got a trans-world status, and before long the slower methods of winding glass beads could not keep up with demand.
When demand increased they began the art of drawing beads, which involved the use of a long rod. The molten glass was formed around the rod, then cut into lengths, and then beads. This too, is quite the process, involving many chemicals and steps. Interestingly, they polished them by tumbling them in bran.
From the art of drawing beads, as demand increased, other countries got involved in the industry by the 1600’s, to include Czech, Holland, France, England and Sweden. In almost all cases, the techniques used were drawn from the Venetian guilds.
Bohemia soon became a centre for production, because they had the resources needed to mass produce this type of glass. They had plenty of quartz, which is used as the silica base for glass, labourers who were willing to work the hot furnaces, and wood to fire the furnaces. Potash is also used in glass making, and when used as a byproduct of wood burning, it did not have to be mined. Apparently by the late 1800’s Bohemia was making more glass than the Venetian guilds.
Also, apparently the American Indians preferred the Bohemian glass beads, so they became more valuable for trade.
Antique glass beads fall into categories of camphor glass, vauxhall glass, Murano glass, Bristol glass, French jet, opaline glass, depression glass, and uranium glass. Then there is all the hand painting and decorating to consider such as in wedding cake beads, which is a sub-category of Murano glass beads.
When it comes to plastics, there is bakelite, celluloid, lucite, catalin, galalith, and various other types of resin. In the 1920’s Chanel brought galalith plastic to the level of chic, by posting ads showing the little black dress accessorized with galalith plastic costume jewelry.
In addition Jakob Bengel incorporated galalith plastics into his art deco machine art designs. Bakelite also gained in popularity for costume jewelry, and was carved, colourful, and often used in whimsical pieces.
Like glass, not all plastic is created equal, and some of the vintage and antique plastics are now quite valuable. The days of considering all plastic jewelry to be junk, are long gone.
That brings us to the organic materials, which has so much to learn about, I can only scratch the surface. There is the whole range of coloured gemstones, which is one my my main areas of interest.
Shell, bone, and horn has been used since antiquity, even before the glass makers got started. Coral, ivory, amber, pearls and wood have also been used for ages, to include petrified wood and fossils.
In addition, many types of nuts and seeds were used in jewelry making throughout the ages. And in some cases, teeth of large animals have been used, as well as antlers. People are most certainly creative, and always have been.
Therefore once you define something as being organic, the next step is, but what is it? The difference between ivory and bone can be differentiated because bone has a blood supply, therefore you can see tiny dark dots on bone that are not visible on ivory.
One of the items that had me stymied is a necklace made of hair pipe beads. These can be made of many different organic materials, and were most often used by the Aboriginals. Many of them are made of buffalo bone. I should have guessed the necklace in the link below was of Aboriginal origin because they often use red and black in combination.
I knew the necklace was not porcupine quills because I grew up on a farm in Alberta, and saw a fair number of porcupine quills – mostly in the dog’s nose!
I knew some of the beads were bone, and have since looked up the other hair pipe necklaces online, and see that many of them are in the same colour range. Bone can be dyed through various techniques.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
I have to admit, I did not know the range of differences when it comes to puka shell, conch shell, and heishi necklaces. I sort of assumed all of them were hand crafted beads out of shell or stone, and nested together to make a necklace.
However, although traditionally heishi necklaces were made of shell, they are now made of all kinds of material, both organic and hand made. The main difference between heishi and puka is that traditional heishi beads are hand crafted, and the drill holes are manmade. The heishi and puka shell also have different cultural and geographical origins.
Heishi are hand made disc or tube shaped beads that originated in the Dominican Republic. New Mexico, and Arizona, going back several thousand years.
Puka shell necklaces, on the other hand, are made of shells with natural holes in the centre as part of the structure of the shell. They come from the beaches of Hawaii, and became popular in the sixties and seventies. The shells were gathered from the beaches, and then made into necklaces for the tourist and gift market.
The link at the end of this post shows an example of a vintage puka shell necklace, along with the description of a genuine puka shell necklace from Hawaii. I do have a few in the collection, as well as several heishi necklaces, so will have to go through and examine them all closely.
As it is with all things, some are more elaborate, and more beautiful than others. That can be said for both the heishi and puka shell necklaces. The older ones are by far the best.
Most of the older shell necklaces have barrel clasps, which is an indicator of age. However the barrel clasp dates back to the Victorian era, and has been used ever since.
Therefore the barrel clasp offers a wide range of dates to try and figure out. In some cases, the clasp looks very old with patina, and wear on the metal, which is usually brass. In other cases, it is quite shiny and newer looking. It does depend on how the necklace was kept, and how often it was worn as well. In some cases, older jewelry can be in mint condition, if it has been well cared for.
In my opinion, and experience though, I do not see the barrel clasp in contemporary jewelry. It most often seems to be from the Victorian era, to the 1960’s or so. In the more recently made jewelry, you are most likely to see spring or lobster clasps on necklaces.
Once I get through all the measuring and re-examining of the jewelry in the collection, I will do a more detailed blog post on the clasps from the twentieth century.
I have found quite a few websites that discuss the various types of clasps, but often they do not give any indication of dates. The clasp is a key indicator, and sometimes the only indicator of the age, so it does help to learn more about them, if you are interested in vintage and antique jewelry.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
As I go through the jewelry to measure and make some corrections after doing much more research, I find more and more interesting little known facts. We tend to think of wire wrapped jewelry and beads as being a twentieth century concept, more popular during the hippie era. Or at least that is what I thought, until I examined some very old jewelry with wire sculpted beads.
It turns out the history of wire sculpting, or wire wrapped jewelry goes back to 1446 BC and earlier. To put it into perspective, once calculated 1446 BC is more than three thousand years ago! Wire wrapped jewelry has been found in Egyptian tombs.
“The Egyptian tombs date back to more than five thousand years ago. The stony tombs date back to the Old Kingdom (c. 2700–2200 BC) and First Intermediate (c. 2181–2055 BC) eras, Egypt’s antiquities ministry.”
“1446 was 3468 years, 5 months and 14 days ago, which is 1,266,826 days. It was on a Tuesday and was in week 01 of -1446. How many months ago was -1446?”
Below is a link with an antique necklace with many types of antique beads. It is over fifty inches long, with a variety of bead shapes, and colours, many of which are wrapped in wire.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
The appreciation for antique and vintage Swarovski crystals has origins in many countries, but nothing beats the Swarovski crystals and glass making techniques from Austria. After awhile you learn to recognize the cut, clarity and sparkle that sets them apart. Austria began the use of Swarovski crystals in 1892, and in my opinion, nothing has ever superseded these brilliant remnants of the past.
Often the stones are larger and round cut, as opposed to many of the smaller square cut and round cut clear crystals that were popular during the era of glamorous costume jewelry. In the case of the incredible necklace example in this post, the stones are set with multiple prongs on each one. This sort of attention to detail is what gives an item long lasting value, because the loss of just one stone would rob it of wearability and value.
In modern day jewelry, necklaces with single or small cut Swarovski crystals often cost over $600.00. The same goes for earrings and bracelets. Three or four marquise cut genuine Swarovski crystals will be priced over $500.
There is no real way to compare some of the vintage and antique to modern day, as you cannot find anything in the modern day shops that are remotely comparable. You see crystals that are a few millimetres, or small specks, compared to .25″ rows of sparkling coloured and aurora borealis precision cut Swarovski crystals in Austrian jewelry from the early to mid twentieth century.
The following necklace is an example of a drop dead gorgeous Austrian Swarovski crystal necklace, that could only be rivalled by diamonds. Even in the vintage and antique market, this kind of elaborate necklace is seldom seen.
This necklace has been in the Quiet West collection for many years now. I am so glad it is in excellent condition, as it deserves the care, attention and preservation, in appreciation of the materials, workmanship, and creativity that went into making it seventy five or eighty years ago.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
The Royal Worcester Porcelain Company Ltd. was formed in 1862. Fortunately they have marked their creations to help give an idea about when they were made. The following is a link to a pin on the Quiet West website. I have also included a link to give the background on the markings and how they changed over the years. It is rather confusing!
The pin I am going to use in this example was one I had originally dated 1950’s. However once looking at the Boucher numbering system, it is actually 1940’s – 1946 to be exact. It has BOUCHER without a copyright symbol, and the number 2432, as well as Patent Pending stamped on the back.
It really showed a great deal of vision on the part of Boucher, to create such a numbering system, as he must have known the jewelry he created would outlive him, and could possibly be around for hundreds of years if properly cared for.
The following pin is in excellent condition, which is always a good thing. Marcel Boucher created some of the most sought after and collectible costume jewelry in existence.
This is the link to the pin I am referring to on the Quiet West website, and the numbering system, which enables me to give a more precise date on the pin.
When I embarked on putting this website together more than ten years ago, it was to photo document, set up an online store, and get a large collection of mostly vintage established and archived online.
Initially some of the online research I did, claimed an antique was anything that was at least seventy five years old. It seemed the consensus then, was about 50:50 between the definition of antique being seventy five, or a hundred years. But now, almost all sites refer to antique jewelry as being a hundred years old, or older.
As time has gone by, I have noticed fewer sites go with the seventy five year claim, and most adhere to the standard hundred years.
So because there was a discrepancy in definition, I was going with the seventy five years. But I have decided to go with the more prevalent standard of one hundred years.
Therefore all the 1930’s and 1940’s jewelry with the antique word in the title, will be removed. If something straddles the age span between 1920’s and 1930’s, I will still call it an antique in certain cases.
My apologies, if as a customer or browser, you saw things dated 1940’s described as antique. The 1940’s items are certainly approaching their “golden years” of being a hundred years old, because they are now eighty-three years old. But they still do not meet the criteria.
In some cases, especially when it comes to antique beads, the age is very difficult to pin down. Antique beads have been carried from place to place for hundreds, if not thousands of years. To make it even more complicated, often jewelry maker’s use a mix of collectible beads from different eras.
As time goes on, I realize nothing is created equally, when it comes to jewelry. Sometimes expensive coloured gemstones are put into brass settings. Some of the valuable antique beads are strung with wood, or other cheaper beads. And most of all, not all glass is created equally. Some glass is more valuable than some gemstones.
Organic materials can also be difficult to date. Obviously amber is very old. But the jewelry setting it is put into could be mid century, or any age. So one has to juggle the definitions around the materials, a mix of materials, as well as the time of the creation of the piece. The clasps, pins, and hooks, help to date the older pieces as for as when they were made.
With vintage costume jewelry, it is easier to date, because of the different signatures, and use of the copyright symbol. Typically the copyright symbol was added to jewelry after 1955.
Also patent numbers can help to date items. In addition, the rise and popularity of authentic vintage costume jewelry happened between the late twenties, and for many of those companies, they lasted into the seventies. Therefore most of those pieces fall into the mid-century range.
As I gain more experience, I am getting better at identifying the old, from the really old. Also after so many years of collecting, there are many ways to differentiate the old from the new materials. Of course most of what is in the second hand market now is 1990’s and newer, with a few old things in the mix.
As I continue to go through the collection this summer to measure, describe, and make corrections, the antique titles will be changed to reflect the hundred year range, as opposed to seventy five years.
What has driven prices up in vintage costume jewelry? Even though there are still sites selling vintage costume jewelry at low prices, the price for certain designers, and one of a kind pieces, has really gone up in recent years.
This is especially true of jelly belly, fruit salad, Swarovski crystals, Austrian glass, and figural items, like birds with elaborate detailing and enamelling.
I think the main point is, that many of the creators of vintage costume jewelry used labour intensive techniques, and high quality materials, many of which are now obsolete or cost prohibitive, is the major reason.
Another reason, is how unique and elaborate some of the pieces are, which can never be replicated today. Probably the central reason, is that these items were not mass produced, and were made during a time when quality, and attention to detail, became the stamp of the maker or creator.
Another contributing factor, is the passage of time. In recent decades, with the rise of fast fashion and mass produced cheap jewelry made in China, we exhausted the rapid turnover, and the shine wore off those items, as quickly as they were created.
Now we are in a different era, and the vintage items of high quality, with hard to find materials and exceptional craftsmanship, are moving from being trendy vintage, to being sought after antiques.
Many of the master craftsman of the high quality costume jewelry era during the forties and fifties, had their beginnings in the creation of fine jewelry using real gold, pearls, sapphires and diamonds. They then used their expertise to create fine costume jewelry to emulate the real thing. A high percentage of them apprenticed under companies like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
In addition to the long cherished glass making and jewelry techniques with origins in Europe, New York, and Montreal, they all buckled down and created fascinating high quality jewelry during the early to mid-twentieth century. It was like a boom time for creativity and craftsmanship.
The expertise and techniques in glass making actually created gemstone quality jewelry. The nacre and hand knotting of faux pearls created replicas that require a lab, and a hundred thousand dollar X-Ray machine to differentiate the real from the faux pearls.
In the case of coloured gemstones, all of the easy to access gemstones have already been mined, or collected. It is one thing to collect rocks, as well as shells. I can see why there is a fascination with the original, and raw forms of the beautiful things people find in nature.
But in addition to the materials, when it comes to jewelry making, there is a creative process, from the choice of materials, to the design, and most of all to the craftsmanship.
It has taken many years, and I will readily admit to not knowing even a small percentage of the range of jewelry craftsmanship. It would take a lifetime to learn to identify all the different types of glass and gemstones used. And even if you managed that, there are still materials made of fossilized wood, tree resins, bone, ivory, plastics, vulcanite, oak bog, enamels, and tortoise shells. Even lizard skin was used in jewelry in the past.
If it could be crafted into jewelry, it was done. Often the focus was on organic materials one could collect on beaches, in the forest, or places with an abundant supply and variety of rocks and fossils.
Everything from seeds, to nuts, coconut shells, shark’s teeth, claws, and even human hair, was used at some time or another to craft into jewelry. Such is our inclination toward creativity and personal adornment.
In many cases things are treated, dyed, and made to look like a certain stone. Turquoise is one of the most frequently altered coloured gemstones of all.
As with all things, the real special items do show their grandiosity. It shows when you examine an item closely. It shows in the way it feels, in the way it reflects and illuminates light from within, and mostly it shows in the craftsmanship involved. The human element is what makes the item what it is, and the more labour intensive, the more valuable.
For example, the micro mosaic glass jewelry that was popular in Italy and Venice in the early 20th century is absolutely phenomenal when it comes to the precision and intricacy involved. In some of the richer examples, they used real gemstones. But more often, they used tiny bits of brightly coloured glass, and arranged them into flowers, borders, and scrolling, with impeccable placement and craftsmanship. Often each bit of glass was just a couple of millimetres in size, so to place them into such intricate patterns, is something to marvel at.
In later years, the micro mosaic pieces became much smaller, and with less detail. They were very popular tourist keepsakes for those travelling to Italy and Venice.
As time goes on, especially if people do not have the inclination, the resources, or the expertise to make these beautiful works of art, the number of available pieces becomes less and less, and new creations are not being made. That is what drives up the price.
How often do you see elaborate three or four strand necklaces made of poured glass, blown glass, or hand decorated glass in the modern stores? What we see in modern jewelry might be a few Swarovski crystals, or a single tourmaline stone. But we do not see the shimmering abundance, or time and workmanship that went into creating the 1950’s art glass, and elaborate coloured gemstone jewelry. The modern day glass jewelry often has haphazardly glued glass stones. You do not see three and four strand art glass necklaces in contemporary jewelry.
The new jewelry with coloured gemstones set into sterling silver are now small, compared to what they used to be. However in the vintage and antique pieces, often the gemstones are very large and striking. The gem is framed in, and showcased with all of its natural splendour. It is not a tiny fragment of sparkle, or colour, like we see in newer items. Even the high end stores are now selling jewelry with stones you can barely see.
In the case of gemstones and master craftsmanship in sterling silver, there is probably no greater example of creativity than what has come out of Mexico. Twenty years or so ago, I picked up a collection of 1940’s Taxco jewelry with around twenty pieces or so. It has given me a real appreciation for Mexican sterling silver jewelry.
Whether the price of sterling goes up much or not, one cannot under estimate the value of the workmanship, and the gemstones used by people that clearly have an eye for design, as well as a rich history of passing on the art of silversmiths.
We cannot be dismissive of sterling silver, because since Biblical times, it has had value, and at one time, was even considered to be more valuable than gold. In the Bible, Jacob’s well was purchased with a hundred pieces of sterling silver.
On a much more sombre note, we also know the life of Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver. It goes to show how much silver was valued, and used no different than money is used to betray people.
The silver to gold ratios have fluctuated wildly throughout history, and although there are many predictions about it all, it seems plausible that there is a huge adjustment in those ratios on the horizon.
Throughout history, from ancient times, and during the Roman Empire, the silver to gold ratio ranged from 8:1 to 15:1. In recent years it has been as much as 114:1.
Currently it is around 83:1. Could it go back to the historical average of 15:1? It certainly seems possible, as precious metals and gemstones etc. often do see corrections in price when they have been undervalued.
Silver is still silver, always has been, and always will be. It has not changed. Only the manmade influences, banking and investment industry, and supply and demand, have caused it to change. The manmade influences are volatile, especially during times of inflation, and rapid global changes, as we have seen in the post covid era. Time will tell.
Also during ancient times, many coloured gemstones, like amethysts, had more value than diamonds.
We really cannot predict the future value of silver, gold, and gemstones. But we can learn to recognize the value coming from countries, and companies who carried forth expertise and master craftsmanship in jewelry making.
They did not spend a hundred hours or more making one piece of jewelry, and use junky materials that they themselves did not appreciate. If they had an eye for detail, and the ability of a master craftsman, they knew more than most of us about the materials they were using.
Not only is there the cost of materials, metals, gemstones, crystals etc. but if you consider that one item might have taken twelve to fifty hours or more to make, it really helps put things into perspective with regards to the rising cost.
For example thirty hours of work by a master craftsman today at just above minimum wage, would be labour costs of $600.00 alone. Of course the master craftsperson’s work is worth more than minimum wage, and also requires many special tools and equipment. So when you add all the materials, the antiquity, and the fact that all the major mid-century designers like Sherman, are long gone, it is understandable we are seeing an increase in value.
On the upside, the more the value increases, the greater the appreciation, and the more likely these remnants of our past will be taken care of.
The time and expense that goes into collecting, researching, and photo documenting a vintage collection is a daunting task. I can give my own personal testimony on what is involved, and the thousands of hours it has taken to reach this point.
I do believe that by taking the best of the past, and documenting it to the best of my ability, it serves to showcase part of our rich and diverse cultural heritage, and in the long term, is worthwhile.
It helps to educate, show a range of design, and bring historical perspective to things that will never again be made to the same degree of creativity and finesse.
In the coming months I will be using a USB microscope and camera to capture some of the finer details that cannot be seen with a loupe, macro lens or the naked eye. This is especially important to show off features in amber, and other gemstones, so people can see for themselves what it is.
I have noticed that with a Nikon camera, and a macro Nikon lens, it helps to rule out junk jewelry. It quickly shows stones that are haphazardly glued into place, as well as cheap metals prone to pitting. it shows where gold plating as worn off. Junk is not exactly photogenic.
In addition to the long lasting value in precious metals like silver and gold, there are also many vintage metals with exceptional coatings and rhodium plating that do not wear off. The more closely one can examine an item, the better prepared they are to choose something with lasting value. The one exception is with oxidized silver. The oxidation or patina can be cleaned, and does not detract from the value.
Although I do clean jewelry with caution, and sometimes not at all, depending on the piece, because I think detergents and warm water can affect the coating, the surface or cause rust. In many cases a fine sable makeup brush will clean out the dust. One cannot be a total perfectionist, and clean every nook and cranny with a q-tip before doing the photography.
When an item sells, I do go over it and do more cleaning if it is needed.
The entire photo documenting project also leaves some sparkling examples of things with long lasting value for future generations to study and appreciate. From an educational perspective alone, it has lasting value.
I have been working on measuring, and increasing the navigation menus on the jewelry collection to make it easier for browsers and buyers. The jewelry collection is now approaching 3000 items, so it will take all summer to get through it all. I am not quite halfway through, so the work in progress is ongoing!
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
When you delve into the dazzling range of colour and history of art glass, you cannot help but appreciate the antiquity and the techniques that have been passed down through families of master craftspeople for centuries. Italy, Austria and Czechoslovakia all have historical expertise and long lasting stories behind these decorative beads and glasswork.
One of the awesome things about these beads and intricate arrangements, and precision cuts of glass, and Swarovski crystals, is that they do stand the test of time. They have gone through the trial by fire to be made in the first place, and because jewelry, and especially beads are small and durable, they can last for centuries if taken care of. Some of the antique beads are reworked into newer necklaces, and in a few cases they remain intact from the date they were made.
As I go through the collection, measuring, and adding product descriptions, I can’t help but marvel all over again at some of the art glass. Here are some examples that will light up any room.
In addition to the famous European makers of art glass, we cannot forget the 20th century beauty that came out of North America. In Canada Gustave Sherman started a jewelry company in the 1940’s in Montreal, with the goal to make jewelry to last a lifetime. He did accomplish that goal because Sherman jewelry will be treasured for more than one lifetime. Sherman was sold through luxury retailers like Birk’s in Canada, and ceased production in the late seventies. So the age range for the Sherman collection is 1941 – 1979. It is not as old as some of the European glass makers, however it is definitely beautiful and notable in design and workmanship. Of course as a Canadian, it is a pleasure to promote and show Canadian made fashion. Once again, we have Montreal to thank for all these beautiful remnants of our rich and colourful history. To View all Sherman Jewelry:
Amber is one of the fascinating organic materials that is turned into some spectacular jewelry as well as some odd looking pieces. When you consider there are around a hundred fossil tree resins, it certainly adds to the confusion.
Another thing about amber, is that like diamonds and gold, the supply chain is not always ethical. Some of it is extracted using child labour, or in areas of extreme danger and conflicts. The 1990’s brought about a greater interest in amber following the movie Jurassic Park. There are now more concerns about the extraction, and export of amber, along with global efforts to set up guidelines for identification, and ethical supply chains.
The amber with the most scientific intrigue are the pieces that capture insects, flora and fauna, and especially full insects, like ants and spiders. The most common insect found in amber are flies. Who would have guessed it?
And even more likely, you will see bits and pieces of insects, like the legs, wings or partial bodies. When the insect gets caught in the resin, they struggle to get free. And then, if they remain trapped, they go through years and years of fossilization, so it is not like putting a fly in a jar. The insects can give information about extinct and unusual species, as well as timelines thought to go back as far as the dinosaur age.
But as with all things, in addition to unethical extraction and collection processes, there are also many fakes. Now that I have looked at and handled numerous types of vintage and antique amber jewelry, and especially in doing the macro photography, I have a better sense of what is real and what is fake. Some of the amber is truly incredible as it glows from deep within. You can see a tiny world captured in time, with many interesting organic inclusions. When photographed in sunlight it emanates a deep and captivating glow.
Today I was looking at an amber pendant necklace online that appears to have miniature daisy-like flowers inside. Although it is very pretty, and also very expensive, it seemed somewhat doubtful to me that a bouquet of daisies would be inside a three inch piece of amber. The claims are that it is certified authentic, and the seller is a member of the RJC, or the Responsible Jewellery Council.
The RJC was founded in 2005, and has members like Tiffany, Cartier and many other famous jewellery retailers. However when I looked at their website and membership prices, it was not clear to me who did the certification, or how the organization goes about the policing of certification to prevent fake pieces, or unethical supply chains. It appears that what is required, is to purchase a membership.
An article in the Guardian cast some doubt on the RJC organization, which reinforced some of what I was discerning when looking at the high ticket items. Although I cannot claim to know one way or another, it is certainly a buyer beware type of market.
The amber item that came to my attention first, with the arrangement of pretty flowers inside, came from a seller in Hong Kong. The pendant is priced around $25,000 US. Although I cannot divulge the entire listing as it could be a deterrent to their sale, and reputation. But I do think it is fair to ask the questions. The write up on the piece describes it as “Certified 187 carat natural amber”. It goes on to elaborate further. A copy and paste of the write-up states the following:
“This is a statement piece! Here is a super nice, large piece of certified natural Amber (187.18 cts). The key is that it is certified natural! A large percentage of Ambers for sale in the market are man made and not natural. The Amber is transparent to translucent with natural inclusions. The flowers in this large certified natural amber was carved by a master carver. It is absolutely spectacular. Super realistic!”
Now my question is, how can it be certified natural amber with fossilized inclusions that were carved by a master carver?! First it says a large percentage of amber on the market is manmade, not natural. Then it claims the flowers inside the amber are manmade. The ambiguity and contradiction flows from one sentence to the next. Yet, apparently this listing has passed several levels of scrutiny.
The other issue is that according to the International Gem Society amber is sold by gram, not by carat. Amber is very light and will float in salt water. The general ratio is that one gram is around five carats, but since carats are a measure of purity, it is difficult to assign it to amber.
I always thought the whole concept of finding natural amber was because it had inclusions trapped into the resin and fossilized “as is”. Otherwise how can it possibly be 100% certified natural amber, if what is inside it was made be a master carver? For twenty-five grand you also get a braided cord to go with it.
After looking at a few more very expensive necklaces on the same site, I looked at another necklace listed for a walloping $253,000.00 US. In this case the photography was not even professionally done, which is surprising given the price tag. This necklace was described as being 18K gold with diamonds, not in settings, but drilled nuggets, that were added to the chain of the necklace. It was accompanied with a notice of RJC certification.
The RJC certification was of interest to me, so I looked it up to see how they follow up on the certifications. I wanted to see if items are actually proven to be authentic, and validated by this organization. The idea of purchasing a membership, and then using the membership as a claim of certification for a $253,000 necklace, does not inspire confidence in what you are buying, unless there is a way of enforcing compliance with established standards. I have no idea one way or another about the value or authenticity of the pricey necklace, but it did make me curious, the same as the master carver inserting pretty flowers into a piece of “natural amber” also made me wonder.
The following article about the RJC will help expand our horizons on the topic:
I think from the time we are five or six years old, we will look at something in awe, and say – “But – Is it real?”
Nowmore than ever before, we are inundated with fakes; from fake news, to fake gems, fake art, and fake prophecies. You name it, out of whatever was invented, thought of, created or sold, chances are there are many fakes.
A few years ago, I went through a museum in Houston, Texas. They had transported artifacts and gold jewellery that had been stored in a vault in Western Asia, or Persia for thousands of years. It was a stunning showcase of intricately made gold jewellery and sophisticated art objects. One of the items was a large bronze bowl with carved fish swimming in a circle. It had an ingenious mechanical method built into it, to make the fish swim non-stop without having to wind it up or do anything to keep it going. The jewellery on display must have been worth a fortune, as some of the pieces were very large and elaborate.
In comparing some of the ancient, with more recent products, we certainly do not seem to be progressing that much. Perhaps the earth’s resources, and conflict laden areas have become too difficult to maintain, or pursue the opulence we once had.
It does seem that the workmanship of many antiques, and even vintage costume jewellery supersedes what is made today. Labour costs, resources, and reliability, or credibility of supply chains seems to be an increasingly complex hindrance. The earth’s natural resources have been tapped to the nth degree. Even to the extent many will opt for an illusory reproduction.
It takes us back in time, to our wide eyed childhood wonder and exclamations, “Is it real”? There is much to be learned about our natural world, and all the beauty that comes from organic materials. We end up with a blend of science and art.
Most of us think of amber as being honey coloured, but amber comes in many different colours depending on where it came from. It can be yellow, orange, red, green, brown, blue or black. Some examples of different colours:
Another one of the expensive amber necklaces I looked at online today is made of huge butterscotch coloured rock-like shapes of amber. The design was something that looked like it would be a perfect addition to Wilma’s costume for a rerun of a Fred Flintstone cartoon. If he brought the necklace home as a gift for Wilma, I can just feature her and Pebbles exclaiming “Is it real?”
The following jewellery items in the Quiet West Collection contain amber. No spiders got caught in these pieces:
Faux amber? Below is a link to an an example of faux amber, because how could an elephant be caught in tree resin? It could be carved amber, so I jest. Regardless, there are some amber jewellery items that are very difficult to be sure of because they have the glow, as well as organic inclusions. Some fakes are more obvious, some are different types of tree resins, and some are very similar to the real thing. Many smaller amber cabochons are placed into sterling silver settings, commonly the art nouveau designs with vines and leaves to accent the organic origins of amber.
This final link shows an antique necklace that I have listed as faux amber, but it is one of the more ambiguous items, and requires additional research. It has the properties of real amber, with flora and fauna inclusions as well as an antique clasp. So this one I have to admit is still an enigma:
Another intriguing resin set, which I query as being copal, because it has what I consider to be organic features, and an inner glow. I have seen a fair bit of plastic jewellery over the years, to include a range of thermoset plastics, lucite, bakelite, celluloid, and sophisticated modern day resin jewellery etc. but have not come across plastic like this set before. So it too, really piques the curiosity, as far as resins are concerned.
Another questionable blue amber pair of earrings are in the collection and left me scratching my head. They definitely have organic features, and could be from the Dominican where blue amber is sourced from. But, I cannot be sure, so these too, need more research. They are pretty cool, and the most beautiful shade of blue:
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
As an amateur photographer using a DSLR camera, I have learned, the frame size makes quite a difference. The biggest difference is in shooting full length gowns, robes, or coats.
With a Nikon D80, the room I was in was not large enough. So for long dresses and robes, I would have to back up, open the sliding door, and stand on the balcony to get the full image.
If you browse various Etsy sites, you will notice that in many cases long gowns are cut in half. You don’t see the full length in the product photo because the person does not have the space.
My initial assumption was that the distance was a lens feature, not so much a camera feature, but after switching to a larger frame camera, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to get the full frame long gowns or coats without having to stand out on the balcony, and let the flies or bees in.
The larger frame 48 megapixel camera is great for being able to take pictures in a smaller studio space. It is certainly something to consider for anyone who is taking fashion photos in smaller spaces.
The drawback though, and once again, I assumed it was a lens feature, but found out is is also a camera feature on the macro photography as well. I find it much more difficult to get really good macro photos with a large beast of a camera. Ahh – but all things in life involve a certain trade-off I suppose.
Nikon cameras developed the F mount for the various different lenses in 1959. They made the very intelligent decision to use the same F mount attachment year after year on camera bodies, as they built new and improved cameras.
Unfortunately the trusty old Nikon D80 I used for many years finally bit the dust and would no longer work with any lens. It just gave a stubborn ERR message, and would not budge.
I had to get another camera. As a result, I gained a better understanding of how the camera and lens have properties that change when you change camera bodies, even if you use the same lens.
It now makes perfect sense to me why the larger frame camera does better with full frame, and not as well with the macro close-ups. The smaller frame size camera is more geared to the close ups, with better intrinsic resolution.
In my opinion, both the larger and smaller frame cameras have very strong attributes, depending on what you are using them for. I know the Nikon D80 is no longer being made, but there are a few of them out there yet, with a fairly low price tag. You can buy the D80 camera body in the range of $100 – $350 or so.
The D80 is a great camera, especially for the macro shots. It is also fairly small and easy to manage on the tripod, even with a larger lens.
With photography, there is a fair bit of trial and error involved. I guess it depends on how much of the technical material one reads, and how much you just wing it.
The most photogenic products – in my opinion, are hand painted porcelain, colourful silk scarves, and embroidered silk textiles. Artisan sterling silver, with coloured gemstones, is also a real pleasure to photograph. The superior craftsmanships shows.
Capturing the beauty, colour, artistry, and workmanship of certain vintage items is a challenge. The camera often shows things about the product you would not otherwise notice.
I think the motifs, patterns and design get framed in, and maybe it does something overall for learning. The observation of so many different patterns, has sort of an orderly mathematical aspect to the learning curve as well.
Although many aspects of photography remain elusive, and some things are more technical weaknesses, I can certainly understand why people get hooked on it!
Jewelery, made from organic materials, in my opinion, is the most interesting of all. In previous posts, I wrote about the peak eras of resource extraction during the mid-twentieth century.
Humans tend to mine, or access what is most accessible at the time. Many of the old turquoise mines shut down long ago. Ivory, coral, and amber all have restrictions and limitations on what can be used and sold now.
It seems like we may have passed the time, when the earth’s resources were considered to be an endless supply. Once the valuables were mined or taken from the easy access locations, the further one has to go to find the valuable organic materials. The more difficult the access, the less abundant, and the more expensive things become.
In addition, the organic materials create hands-on educational opportunities. What kind of shell, nut, wood, or bead is this? It would take many years to be able to identify all the materials used, spanning a century or more of living, travel, and post-war abundance. We took things for granted.
Now, not only are the materials more “precious” should we say? For those of us who appreciate natural materials more than synthetic or manmade items, we have good reasons for our appreciation. Nothing reflects or absorbs colour like baltic amber in the sunlight. Shells and mother of pearl are beautifully iridescent. Every single gemstone is unique.
Ethically, and from a sustainable development perspective, the preservation and re-use of jewelery made from organic materials makes so much sense. How many of us, other than carpenters – know how to identify all the different types of wood? Ebony and rosewood, are among the types of wood used by higher end designers. They are often adorned with diamonds, gold, or sterling silver. Chanel, YSL and Miriam Haskell all designed some beautiful wood jewelery over the years. The array of antique and vintage wooden jewelery boxes, is staggering when it comes to attention to detail, and quality of workmanship.
Also, most of us would not know how to identify all the different types of nuts that have been used to make jewelery over the years. If we live in a location without nut trees, we have no idea what kind of nuts are on a necklace. Believe it or not, there are antique carved walnut necklaces that took hundreds of hours to make. Each walnut has carved scenes. They are antiques from China, and I believe the carved walnuts are called hediao.
“Known as ‘hediao’, fruit or nut pit carving is a folk art which became popular in China during the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911 the last imperial dynasty of China.Jan 2, 2021″.
Amber does not come with fully intact little bugs or spiders inside. There are many fakes. But with authentic Baltic amber, you can see the bits of organic material inside. More so, there is a glow that comes from deep within, so you can see the interplay between the amber and ultraviolet light, when taking macro photos. The macro photography has given me a better eye for, and a better understanding and perspective, when it comes to organic jewelery. There is nothing like amber and rock crystal, if you want to get out of a humdrum picture taking mode.
Amber is a much wider field of study than most of us realize. We tend to think of its colour as being the golden yellow that we see most often in Baltic amber. However it can also be found in red, green, blue, brown, orange, and black. In fact, there are over sixty types of fossil resins from all over the world. And guess what? The oldest fossil resins are found in Canada! Here is an excerpt from a site with a full a glossary of the types of fossil resins, and where they are found.
“There are over 60 types of fossil resin known all over the world. The youngest of them can be found in
East America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or even Europe. The oldest sources of fossil resin can be
found in Canada. It is worth remembering that many types of resin such as Arabic gum, manila copal
mastic, myrrh, sandarach, and dammar resin are artificially produced. Nowadays many chemical,
physical genetic, and paleontologic researchers are being widely conducted. Its main idea is to find the
mother trees of fossil resin types.”
Another fascinating and colourful gemstone is Ammolite. The only gemstones made of this very colourful, organic, fossilized sea creature material, came from Alberta, Canada.
“While fossilized ammonites can be found in several places around the world, a small area within the Bearpaw Formation, the name for the area leftover from where sediment settled on the bottom of sea, in Southern Alberta, Canada, is the only location where they have been turned into gemstones.” How about that? Alberta actually has some gems!
Organic adornments help us to appreciate nature. If they land up discarded in a landfill, for the most part, they will turn into compost.
We may have come to a point where we no longer take the earth’s resources for granted, including the time, labour, and energy it takes to create things.
When I think of putting together a collection that spans 20th century design, I wonder if it is a massive reflection of labour intensive materialism. We are not quite 25% into the 21st century, and already the view of the earth and its resources is changing dramatically.
As we turned the millennial corner, fast fashion became the rage, and “new is better” set the stage. Now suddenly, there are labour shortages, material and supply chain difficulties, travel and shipping restrictions, higher costs on extracting resources, etc. etc.
We defined progress, and then watched it happen. It all grew like a mustard tree. Now we regress, and the common people do not have quite as much opulence and wealth. There is more concern over food security and housing, than there is over fashion and art right now. It is totally understandable.
At a certain point, progress as we once knew it, is no longer progress. Success needs to be redefined. We pick up these remnants, and pass them on. We are only stewards of the earth’s resources. If we take care of, and protect what is already here, maybe we will have the resources to work toward, and pay for the things that matter most.
When you really think about it – will there even be a 21st century of design? I wonder…
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2022). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
It seems more and more of the upscale new jewelry is gold plated, or vermeil. Most of us know the karat markings on gold jewelery. But apparently some people have been taken in when buying what they think is gold, when it is gold-plated or vermeil.
Sometimes gold metal jewelery is described as gold plated, but it is simply gold tone metal, often brass with no gold content at all. The mark on gold plated jewelery is simply G.P. and for gold fill G.F.
The lowest quality and quickest to wear off, is gold-plated. It looks great in pictures when it is brand new, but eventually the very thin layer of gold wears off. If it is a ring or an item worn often, it may wear off within a year. The base metal underneath is often copper or a mix of metals. This type of jewelery may cause skin reactions in people who are sensitive. The reason for the reactions is likely due to a layer of nickel used in this type of electroplating.
The next on the list for appearance and longevity is gold vermeil, which is considered affordable, of good quality, and longer lasting than regular gold plating. Both gold vermeil and gold plated means the item is dipped in gold through an electroplating process. Vermeil is immersed longer and frequently uses sterling silver as a base metal. It is also hypoallergenic, and will not wear off for several years if cared for. However, it is unlikely to stand the 100 year test of time.
Gold filled is a layer of gold bonded onto a base metal, often sterling silver. It is durable, and the next best quality to the standard and much more expensive 12K or 14K gold. In this case, the hallmark indicates the karat as 1/20 14K G.F. or 1/20 12K G.F.
In the case of a G.F. beaded necklace, it means twenty of the beads would be equivalent to one 12K or 14K gold bead. The amount of gold used in the bonding process, is more than what is used for gold plated or vermeil. It is not likely to wear off on necklaces or bracelets, therefore is the best choice if you want the look of real gold without the price.
Whether it is brass, sterling silver or gold, all jewelery contains alloy metals. Often when people have reactions to jewelery, one of the alloys is the culprit. Nickel is the most common metal allergen. The plain electroplated G.P. is most likely to cause reactions for those who are sensitive to nickel alloys.
In the case of sterling silver, it is 92.5% pure silver, and usually has copper as an alloy, as opposed to nickel.
Brass consists mostly of copper and zinc, but can have a range of other metal alloys to make the colour, or sheen more interesting. Lead, tin, iron, aluminum, and manganese might be in brass metals. Some brass, especially antique brass with a copper alloy, can look very much like gold. It has been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years to emulate the look of real gold.
Antique and vintage jewelery provides an education in everything from base metals, to gemstones, designs, origins, markings, and makers. It’s a learning curve with lots of shine!
For anyone embarking on an E-Commerce store, shipping is one of the biggest challenges. Each country potentially has covid delays, and/or limits to what you can send to certain locations.
For example India restricts jewelery and textiles. I sent a pair of Chanel sunglasses to India via Canada Post without a problem. However, when I looked up what is restricted, I noticed they have more limitations on what you can send there, compared to Europe or Australia.
In other cases, with Canada Post shipments to Australia, Tasmania, and France, the order did get to the customer eventually, but in a couple of cases, it took a very long time, like two months or more.
Recently I sent a brooch to Hong Kong. Three months later, without any prior notification of a problem with the delivery, I got a parcel pick up notice from Canada Post in the mail. I was perplexed, because I had not ordered anything.
On the same day, I got a message from the customer saying she was still waiting, and the tracking number indicated it was still in Canada. So I knew what the parcel was. It actually did go to Hong Kong, and then was returned with a tick box “insufficient address”.
Canada Post did not offer a refund on the shipping, which was around $50.00. I contacted the customer to clarify the address. It was correct. So I contacted some other shippers.
There is a significant cost difference between UPS and Canada Post. For the most part I have used Canada Post without a problem. I have learned, they are most reliable when sending within North America.
In the case of sending the pin to Hong Kong, using the same address, it cost over $100.00 to send it UPS. But they managed to get it there in just a few days, which was a huge relief. What I don’t understand is why it got there okay using the same address as when I sent it via Canada Post.
Thankfully the customer was patient, and she let me know this morning, it finally arrived in good condition.
The lesson learned is for International orders, UPS is more expensive, but much quicker and far more reliable. In addition, if the item is flagged for some reason regarding customs, or the address is questionable, UPS will notify you before it even gets out of the country. They will also give a refund, minus a handling charge, if they cannot deliver it.
In another case, a customer returned a dress from the US that did not fit her. When I went to pick it up, Canada Post charged over $50.00 in customs fees. I told them its origin was Canada, and it was a returned item. But it made no difference.
When I picked up the brooch from Canada Post after its long journey to Hong Kong and back, thankfully they did not charge me an additional $50.00 customs fee, on top of the non-refundable shipping charge.
UPS uses their own planes, and a single tracking number – therefore the shipment is more streamlined, less likely to get lost, etc. They also communicate the status of the order quite often, which can be shared with the customer.
In summary, I will still use Canada Post for North American orders. But for International orders, I will take the items to UPS for delivery. Eight or nine weeks is far too long for the customer to wait for something they have already bought and paid for.
In the case of the Hong Kong order, Canada Post might have been cheaper, but they did not get it there, and they gave no refund. If you send them a support ticket, you “might” hear back two or three weeks later.
It took three months to send it to Hong Kong and back. During that entire time frame, I did not hear a word from Canada Post, and assumed the order got there okay. After retrieving it and walking over to UPS, to my surprise, it got there within a matter of days. It is a huge difference when it comes to efficiency, reliability, confirmation, and peace of mind.
The item was sent UPS on Friday June 24th, with an expected delivery date June 27th. I was skeptical, after the three month ordeal with Canada Post.
But sure enough – they delivered it just as they said they would. What a relief. It was a lovely Schreiner sunflower brooch that finally reached its destination!
Online sales of second hand goods is experiencing steady growth, which stands to reason since many brick and mortar stores of all kinds are now going online. The sales pitch for those who want to clean out their closets, and turn expensive designer purchases into cash – is an attractive concept.
Consignment sales have many legal and accounting parameters the average person may not be aware of. As a collector myself, I have always stayed away from consignment sales. I found the items were not old enough to be vintage, and often just old enough to be outdated.
However, if an item is authentic and made by a luxury brand designer (not a licensed label made in China and passed off as authentic) – then the chances are pretty good it will retain value, or may even increase in value over time.
But if you have a closet full of stuff to sell, the selling options are limited, therefore consignment might be the option you choose to go with. The consignment contracts are lengthy, and may not reflect the best interests of the sellers. The other thing to consider is the shipping.
Logistically, how are you going to ship a blouse to Toronto, then have them authenticate it, photograph it, list it on their website, go through all the parameters of the agreement with you, and then put a retail price of $50.00? If it does not sell, eight months or a year later, are they going to ship it back to you? That means the shipping cost alone will be as much as the listed retail price, without selling anything.
In addition, the accounting for large consignment stores is an absolute nightmare. The consignment agreement typically specifies a time period to keep the items listed. If they do not sell, they claim they will return them to you. There are various commission rates, based on price or other factors. The consignee or seller does not pay for or purchase the items, yet they take possession of the items, examine, authenticate, photograph and list them. Surely there is significant cost associated with doing so. Managing inventory like that has to be labour intensive and easy to lose track of.
When you factor in the complexity of accounting, the care of inventory, storage, photography, and listing – as well as dealing with customers, potential returns, and the consignor, it could easily be a recipe for disaster.
If you are considering selling on consignment, the main objective is getting paid of course. You are being offered a platform, visibility, and a vehicle for the sale of items. Nothing will sell unless it is put in front of people so they can see it, evaluate it, and decide if the price is right, or how badly they want it, regardless of the price. Therefore, on the surface, it seems like an understandable and rational choice to make, if you have a range of expensive designer items, and want to cash in on those purchases at a later date.
The first mistake many of us make is in thinking the original retail price is a reflection of what the item is actually worth. What you paid, and what it is worth, may be two very different numbers. Some things increase in value over time. Other things – not so much.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with consignment is embodied in the old adage that possession is nine tenths of the law. Does anyone really believe a flailing consignment store, in the quagmire of filing for bankruptcy – will individually package and return all items to the original owners?
This is a topic for lawyers, but common sense would tell us the original owners could easily lose what they have consigned, if the seller goes bankrupt. After all, the consignment store will have other debts to pay. In essence, they end up having possession of a huge inventory they do not own. People tend to take greater care of a business and/or inventory if they actually own it.
The buyer of consignment goods has less to worry about than the consignor, because once the item is sold, there is a legal transfer of ownership. If the item is shipped promptly, it should be fine. But due to the accounting, inventory complexities, and difficulties for large consignment stores to manage it all, means it is guesswork, as far as estimating how long they will stay in business.
If you go to the large Canadian consignment online stores, and are considering selling your goods, you are looking for a platform that does not have one-sided legalese in their contract. Plus, you want to know if they can set up and manage a long term evolving website, since that is their method of reaching the public.
If you walked into a brick and mortar consignment store and saw a disorganized mess, you would turn around and walk out. Yet, there is no way of telling how organized or capable an online store might be. Is there?
One way to tell how organized and user friendly an online store has been set up – go to the website performance site called GT Metrix. All you have to do is type in the specific web address of any website, and it will give you a detailed performance rating.
If a website is fairly new, but carries a large amount of inventory, and scores very low on the GT Metrix analysis – what is going to happen to them as things evolve and get more complex? They are likely to become exponentially convoluted as time goes on. Quite frankly, I don’t think increasing entropy creates a sustainable website model.
On the weekend I compared some large Canadian online consignment store websites. One of them has a current performance score of 27% translating to an F. The other has a score of 35% and also gets an F. It does not bode well for the longevity prospects of those websites. At the time of this writing, the quietwest.com website is over 6000 pages, and has a GTMetrix score of 98% or an A.
When you shop on a site where all inventory is owned outright by the store owner, there is much more flexibility. Prices and shipping can be adjusted. Offers can easily be made and accepted without any legal issues. Any dissatisfaction on the part of the customer can be remedied according to what the customer thinks is fair, and so on.
When dealing with a collector who has invested time and money into their products, without stringent timelines or convoluted accounting requirements, you are dealing with a seller who has flexibility as an integral part of the transaction.
Furthermore, an online store that owns all the inventory – will not go bankrupt. A well designed website requires a great deal of time and effort. When it comes to online sales, the website is a foundational cornerstone for the stability, longevity and resale of quality products.
Most of us who embark on business ventures must persevere through a number of challenges. Those challenges are compounded for women, due to a lack of financing and resources. You have to learn to do most things on your own. Research is the best and cheapest resource.
One major advantage of building and promoting individual web shops, is to expand the niche market. We are saturated with mass produced fast fashion items. It is a breath of fresh air to see some old fashioned quality and attention to detail. The online marketplace can be like an Avenue Montaigne, or Fifth Avenue, if there is enough to attract people.
Online boutiques provide endless browsing, nostalgia, obsolete designers, textiles, and one of a kind items. A collection carries the stamp of the owner in whatever it is we choose to put into our store.
I realize 1980’s ladies suits with big shoulder pads are not likely to sell. At the same time, the exhibit of what we actually did wear then, is so much a part of the arts, culture and fashion of a particular era. The individual design elements of each time frame carry a certain intrigue and attitude. At the time, those big-shouldered jackets seemed to be quite fashionable. Whether we liked them or not, such extremes have to be part of the whole.
Images of vintage and luxury brand fashion creates a resource for those in the film industry, who may have a project set in a certain time frame. One thing about vintage – there is nothing quite like the real thing.
The good news for Quiet West, other than getting an A+ on the GT Metrix performance score, is that I managed to trouble shoot a non-functioning favourite camera lens. It has had an ERR message for at least two years, so I had to switch to a mid-range Sigma lens and set the Nikon fixed portrait lens aside.
In googling possible causes for the error message, I learned the lens is not communicating with the camera. If you switch to a different lens and the other one works, you know it is a problem with the lens, not the camera. Then I read the most likely cause, is a need to clean the camera mounts. Since I have used the lens a lot, it made sense. I carefully followed the directions to clean the camera mounts, but still got the error message.
Anyway, it went back in the camera bag. The Nikon online repair site has a huge long list of things to fill out. So I finally decided to take it to London Drugs. They have a really good camera support and repair section at the London Drugs on West Broadway in Vancouver. I think all London Drug camera departments will send the lens out for repair on the customer’s behalf.
The online repair estimate was high, because of shipping, technical expertise required, assessment, etc. The Nikon 50mm lens is not a very expensive lens compared to most, so it did not seem worth it to spend 90% of the replacement cost to fix it.
One of the amazing things about DSLR cameras is that a $300.00 lens might be as good, or better than a $1600.00 lens. Overall, I do admit to being a Nikon fan, and use a Nikon camera. I would highly recommend the Nikon 50mm fixed portrait lens at the cheaper cost. Not only is it cheaper, it is much smaller, and seems to have more creative flexibility. It is also better than most other lenses in low light. I am no pro, but those are observations based on trial and error in taking product photos.
Just yesterday, I decided to google the error code on that particular lens one more time. Lo and behold, there was more info now than the last time I checked. There was more to it than just cleaning the camera mounts. Within one minute the answer was right in front of me, and I immediately knew it was the solution to my lens problem. So pathetically simple too.
Apparently, on that particular lens, you cannot have the outside aperture ring set at a certain number. Sure enough, it was dialled onto that particular number from experimenting with bokeh imagery.
After doing without that nifty little lens for two whole years, I plucked it out of the case, turned the aperture dial to a different number, and that was it. Job done. Lucky too. I love that lens. It works like a charm!
Although many of the background stories describing the origin of Valentines Day are quite tragic – there is nothing tragic about love. It is the most powerful and enduring emotion of all. Love is truly what is behind this holiday, regardless of the martyrs, legends and myth.
One of the early stories describing the origin of Valentines Day is about the Roman Emperor Claudius, who is said to have outlawed marriage for young men. He believed it would create a distraction for young soldiers who were needed in the battlefield. He did not want them to be longing or pining for a loved one when sent off to war.
In defiance of this injustice, St. Valentine performed marriages in secret until he was found out. He was imprisoned and sentenced to death. During his time in prison, he fell in love with the jailor’s daughter and just before being put to death, he sent her a love note and signed it “From Your Valentine”. There are many variations of the legends around martyred saints, to include some rather grisly accounts of these heroic and sympathetic figures getting beheaded for helping Christians escape persecution.
The many variations of the origin of Valentines Day began in the Middle Ages around 469 AD. Most stories describe a martyred saint, and in some literary circles they maintain the saint was put to death – “whose acts are known only to God”. There was a Christian feast of St. Valentine, which did not have anything to do with wooing or courtship. It took another few hundred years, for the lovebird connection to be made, with the brilliance of Chaucer, who created the most illusory and fanciful tale of all.
Chaucer wrote the best legends by far, in my opinion. It came from a dream and takes flight from the macabre martyrdom, to the mating of birds. He wrote a comical debate called “The Parlement Of Foules” or “The Parliament Of Fowls/Birds”. During the dream, the birds have sort of a squabble, with Nature as the arbitrator. As a result of Chaucer’s dream coupling, Valentines Day became popularized – leaning toward courtship, as opposed to martyrdom.
In England and France it was believed that February 14th was the beginning of the mating season for birds. Except it has been pointed out that February 14th is not actually the mating season in England. It only serves to enhance the literary or artistic license around the entire subject. Apparently several other poets soon adapted it to their own style – creating Valentines poems, ballads, and lyrics for their love interest. Chaucer takes most of the credit for transforming it into a more light-hearted and happier holiday. No wonder the earlier cards were decorated with more birds than hearts or cupids.
Another one of the oldest known Valentines was a poem written by the Duke of Orleans in 1415 while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. By 1840 the holiday was further popularized and developed as a romantic day for lovers of all ages and backgrounds, due to the mass production of Valentines Day cards. Apparently women have always purchased the majority of Valentines cards, up to 85% of the numbers sold.
By the late 1800’s the Valentines Day cards were adorned with Cupids, the adorable winged cherubs with the golden bow and arrow. The Roman myth describes Cupid as the son of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, and sometimes as the god of affection. Cupid is known to have carried two types of arrows. The one depicted on the cards shows him with a golden tipped arrow. He takes careful aim, and for those whose hearts are pierced with the arrow, they will fall deeply in love.
The other less known and undesirable arrow in Cupid’s love arsenal, has a lead tip. If the heart is pierced by one of those – it causes the person to be cursed, and fall out of love. The many tales and historical accounts of Valentines Day are a somewhat murky mix of martyrdom, flights of fancy, and love – where the folklore stems from a mixture of heroism and sacrifice.
Dating back to all the love songs, cards, candies, flowers and gifts ~ it is worthy of celebration regardless of the origin of the actual February 14th holiday. When you see the medieval wording in “The Parlement Of Foules” at first it brings to mind “The Parliament of Fools” as opposed to Fowls! There is an element of truth in the misinterpretation!
Since love has been in existence since the beginning of time – surely love is where it all begins. Best of all, love is the one thing in life – that never ends!
Mating With SymmetryCopper Heart ParureWinged Cherubs Repousse On Sterling SilverBirks Carved Sterling Silver LocketSwarovski Crystal & Enamel Kitty Clutching A HeartYves Saint LaurentHearts of Stone
Art glass in jewelery from the thirties through to the sixties left behind some stunners. When you consider they made costume jewelery sets with five strand necklaces decorated with faceted Swarovski crystals and hand made coloured beads, in today’s world, it is pretty decadent detailing – as well as being labor intensive. Often the beads were etched, hand painted or gilded with metals and other accents. From lamp work and blown glass, to the secret methods of design passed down through generations of glass makers – they added to the iconic opulence and radiance of the era.
1950’s Three Strand Art Glass Necklace
1960’s Shapely Art Glass In Lavender & WhiteCiner1960’s Milky White Art Glass1950’s In Gold Accented PastelsPrecision Cut Glass1950’s Vendome Featuring Faux Turquoise Beads & Glass
There is an old adage referring to sterling silver as being the “poor man’s gold”. But for such a title, sterling silver could not be described as the next best thing to gold, because there is such a difference between the two. Regardless of the huge difference in value, there are many reasons to choose sterling silver over gold.
Sterling silver lasts a long time and cleans up beautifully. Whereas in my opinion, the thing to avoid is gold and silver plated jewellery, because over time the plating wears off. Jewelery should not turn into junk within ten or twenty years. As a matter of fact, fine jewelery – if taken care of should last forever. For example, the new Hermes bracelets are plated with platinum, which is not a good deal for seven or eight thousand dollars each. They will not stand up to the test of time.
Sterling silver is a more relaxed medium for artists, allowing creative freedom in the design, to include clunky and large pieces, and best of all – the extensive use of coloured gemstones. You don’t see that in gold jewelery very often.
The modernist lines, open work, and carving in some sterling silver, is quite remarkable. There is time-consuming finesse in the workmanship involved. Sterling silver can be worn with any outfit, from casual to ballroom. From bold and heavy to delicate and cascading, it can be matched to the style of an outfit and the personality of the wearer. It does not have the look of being overtly gaudy or ostentatious – yet there is enough pizzazz in some of the designs to turn heads.
For a fraction of the cost of gold – you get artistic workmanship second to none. Personally I would rather buy a unique artisan sterling silver piece of jewelery over and above a platinum plated Hermes bracelet any day, regardless of how much money I had to spend.
Therefore in my humble opinion – the oxymoron in the old gold adage, is that the gold plated jewelery is really the poor woman’s gold, even though it might be very expensive.
And sterling silver? If it is well crafted, nothing beats it for everyday wear. For special occasions – there are some sterling silver gemstone statement pieces that can rival any other jewelery design or materials.
The silversmith world is full of master craftspeople who exhibit endless creativity and lasting value in the pieces they compose. In truth, there is no other metal with such an illustrious history of design.
I’m writing this early in the morning, and am not thinking too much about wearing either silver or gold. But the latest song I have enjoyed playing and singing, is the Emmylou Harris song called “Gold” from her “All I Intended To Be” album. The chorus line “No matter how bright I glitter, baby – I could never be gold…” Makes sense to me!
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2018). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Taxco Sterling Silver Metal Work & Large Onyx StonesArt Glass & Fancy Gold Tone Metal WorkGilded Czech Glass Button Style EarringsGiraffe Head With Crystals & Enamel Outlines
From tigers and leopards – to kittens and house cats, the mid century cat revival kept them coming back – in jewellery, belts, scarves, and clothing. The sixties was big on leopard statement pieces, such as the necklace and pins shown below, featuring pave crystals and stylistic poses.
Many bold fashionistas donned leopard print pantsuits and coats, often paired with a matching leopard print hat, bright bakelite bangles and rhinestone studded cat eye glasses. The look would be polished off, and fully attention grabbing – with a heads up narrow eyed nonchalance, sporting long scarlet nails, black winged eyeliner, and crimson lipstick. What mixed messages they give!
The figural creations of cats and the love of their imagery, has depicted them sauntering down the runway on the latest super model. The innate huntress, her grace and stealth, with an aloof independence – and soon, she makes us grateful to be noticed by her! Or the big cat might be snuggled front and centre on a coveted designer sweater. It just goes to show how popular the affection for cats can be.
From the scaredy cats to the scary cats – we seek ways to coexist. By incorporating them into fashion statement pieces, from the wildest cat in the jungle, to the sweetest little ball of fluff – they all seem to have at least nine lives!
Once you start examining antique and vintage beads more closely, it becomes evident that some of them are individually hand made – and are really quite spectacular. Historically, due to the small size of beads, and the fact they are non perishable – they quickly became an ideal product for barter along the various trade routes.
Since the beginning of time – beads have made their way around the world to be deposited on beaches, in attic trunks, old jewellery boxes, thrifts stores and flea markets. Like old buttons – some of the creations are obsolete and thus coveted all the more. The best of what has made its way to North America from Europe and Asia – are now treasure troves among collectors and designers.
The distinguishing features between African, Asian and European antique beads are obvious in some cases, but less distinguishable in others. The rare lamp work necklace featured in today’s post is exceptional in colour, gradation and symmetry. It would take considerable heat and finesse to make the beads so even, uniformly graduated, and smooth. The lighter coloured rods used to make the beads are visible inside each bead. Each one is joined with petal-like metal accents with a finely dispersed patina. The clasp is a unique cylindrical screw, with a small floral motif. Made In France is imprinted on one end. The bracelet appears to have had the clasp replaced at some point with a more contemporary sterling silver clasp.
Although one can assume these beads were made in Europe, I wondered if they possibly came from Czechoslovakia. But after doing some more research, and knowing this set was Made in France – I concluded the beads were probably made in France as well. Especially so, since each bead is joined with metal to the adjacent one, so the necklace is a unit as opposed to being a string of beads.
France and Italy have renowned historical and traditional lamp work techniques and artistry surrounding glass bead making that can be traced back many centuries. Master craftspeople in family owned businesses, and partnerships of the seventeen and eighteen hundreds – knew the techniques involved in this sophisticated artistry, and kept them as carefully guarded secrets.
The necklace featured in this post is somewhat difficult to date. It looks like something that would have been very fashionable in the thirties. However, the visibility and lighter colour of the glass rods inside each bead – indicates it might be earlier than the thirties. Historically, as lamp working techniques developed, the artisan had the option to use coloured glass rods. In this case it is unknown whether the whitish rods inside were an intentional element of the design, or if it was all that was available at the time.
The light is distributed so evenly in this beautiful colour of blue – it draws you into its depth. This extraordinary vignette of translucent gradient lamp work beads ~ showcases an ethereal embodiment of icy cool blue light.
Lamp Work Necklace & Bracelet Set Made in France c 1930s
For a long time, antique and vintage ivory and furs were in a different category from the new ones. It was generally considered okay and ethical to buy and sell these items if they were classified vintage or antique. I have never had much attraction to buying vintage fur, with the exception of some mink hats and headbands, and a few items with genuine fur collars. The list of banished furs includes fur from all big cats, all primate fur, and all types of bear fur. Sealskin products cannot be exported to the USA, European Union, Mexico, or Taiwan. Canada is one of the few countries that permits the sale of sealskin items.
Ivory has become a taboo product due to the poaching, endangered elephants, and the skill artisans have to make it look antique. Although it is not illegal to own inherited or antique ivory, it can no longer be exported or sold. Some of these laws are fairly recent and expanding to include other countries. The only way to identify the age of the ivory is through carbon dating. Recently an antique dealer in Toronto was fined and charged for having carved elephant tusks for sale. As it turned out, they were able to identify the age of the tusks, which placed them in the seventies when poaching was a real problem.
Over the years, I have picked up some ivory necklaces and bracelets but cannot be sure how old the pieces are. It seems the best thing is to donate them to a museum or educational institute. Different types of ivory can be identified by the pattern of the schreger lines. The location the ivory came from can also be identified because they can determine the diets of the elephants by the tusks.
One of the many sad things about the poaching, is that of all the elephants that die naturally, the ivory cannot be used because of the illegal activity associated with it. It’s too bad the elephants were not protected from poachers in the first place. There should have been a method of making sure all tusks were matched to the death of the elephant. The product made from the tusks of elephants that died naturally should have been hallmarked as such. It would be a good idea to have a method of marking during the creation of the piece, similar to what they did to help people avoid buying blood diamonds. Ivory is very beautiful, especially since it has often been combined with some of the most exquisite carving known to man.
As far as the example set in Kenya where tons of confiscated ivory was burned – on principle, I disagree with the destruction of artifacts. However, the issues surrounding the endangerment of these beautiful and intelligent creatures, the horrors of poaching, and the difficulty in accurately dating the ivory – makes the bans understandable.
There can be some confusion in terminology surrounding vegetable ivory and what is referred to as “French ivory”. Vegetable ivory is from tagua nuts and can be carved, decorated or dyed. French ivory is a type of celluloid or plastic that looks like ivory. French ivory and vegetable ivory have nothing to do with elephants or endangered species.
Now it’s time to see if any of the feathers on the hats are from endangered birds! I do have one hat with a real bird on it. It is a black hat embellished at the front with a small blackbird – dating it prior to the 1909 ban on such practices. The moral of this story is an anthropomorphic oxymoron. From an animal’s perspective – humans do some very strange things!
A few ivory sample pieces from the Quiet West collection:
Carved Ivory Necklace Featuring A Large Scarab
Carved Ivory From Hawaii
Antique Necklace Featuring Carved ivory Beads
Antique Carved Elephants From Africa 1920’s or 1930’s
Antique Asian Carved Small Bottle
Maker’s Marks
Example Of French Ivory Or Celluloid Antique Ring Box
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2018). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Similar to the extra little details that make luxury scarves stand out – beautifully crafted vintage costume jewellery will have interesting, decorative and secure clasps. In some cases the clasp is the most decorative part of the necklace. Often there is a brass hook with an extra trailing of beads or gemstones dangling from the clasp. In the case of multi-strand necklaces – there will be a decorative metal clasp, with the strands attached in rows on each side.
The hook clasps are the most common. I have seen a cylindrical bar clasp on a few bracelets, but the one shown in this post, is the only necklace I have come across that has one. It is a mix of crystal and chalcedony. The following are some examples of vintage necklace clasps on some costume – and some sterling silver necklaces. The first example is a classic vintage Oscar de la Renta very realistic string of pearls with a purple art deco clasp. A good tip to pass on for collectors and vintage enthusiasts – is to check the clasps on a rack of necklaces as a shortcut to finding the authentic vintage ones.
Oscar de La Renta Faux Pearl Necklace With Art Deco Purple & Clear Glass Clasp
Martha Sturdy Clunky 1980’s Necklace With Large Hook Clasp & Signature
Sterling Silver Square Clasp On A Wood & Amber Three Strand Necklace
Mini Glass Bead Covered Clasp On A Torsade Necklace
1950’s Faceted Crystal Three Strand Necklace
Vendome Faceted Crystal Aurora Borealis 1950’s Three Strand Necklace With Fancy Clasp
1950’s Four Strand Necklace With Flowers As Joiners
Chalcedony Powder Blue Necklace With A Unique Sterling Silver Double Hook Snake Clasp
Antique Rock Crystal Necklace Made in Spain
Multi Gemstone Vintage Necklace With A Bar Clasp
Japanese Blown Glass Necklace With Round Beaded Clasp 1950s
Panetta Vintage Necklace With Safety Chain On Clasp
This is one of the most beautifully made necklaces I have ever seen. In most cases a carved rock crystal necklace will have one flower with a couple of leaves. It may have a single faceted (or round orb) as a pendant. Other than the pendants, there are only two carved flower and foliage rock crystal necklaces that I could find on the Internet. One is by Seaman Schepps and is listed as a rock crystal, pearl and diamond silver suite to include a pair of earrings (for $97,632.00). That one depicts alternating foliage (leaves) with pearls, diamond accents, and rock crystal.
The other carved flower rock crystal necklace on 1stdibs is by Russell Trusso (sold). It features a row of five single dimension clear rock crystal flowers at the front of the necklace and is accented with clear crystal leaves. When we hear the term “pools of light” – we think of round rock crystal. The clear smooth orbs look like marbles. They do not string or wire them through the bead. The beads are either encircled in order to be held in place, or as in this example – the clear beads are attached at the tops.
What makes this necklace so outstanding and rare? The fact it is three dimensional, which captures the light like magic. Plus the entire necklace is made of carved and faceted rock crystal, to include every single flower petal. It has five large clear faceted orbs that alternate with three dimensional carved flowers, in delightfully luminescent pastel shades of carved quartz. Because it is all rock – it is fairly heavy and is strung on steel wire. It has smaller faceted quartz beads toward the top, and a round sterling silver clasp. This necklace is quite a masterpiece. It is a design that literally brings rock to life. And with great finesse – enhances the enchanting, light-catching beauty of the gemstones.
Carved & Faceted Rock Crystal & Coloured Quartz
Interplay Of Colours On Carved Flower Petals
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2017). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Trifari became one of the world’s most recognizable names in collectible costume jewelery. Italian immigrant Gustavo Trifari founded the company in New York City in 1910. In 1930 Alfred Philippe joined Trifari as the head designer. Prior to joining Trifari, he had been with Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Phillipe preferred using individually hand set imported Swarovski crystals. Similar to mid-century Ciner and Panetta jewelry – the designers first worked with precious metals and gemstones. When the glamorous era of the thirties caught on – the objective was to make costume jewelry of such a quality as to mimic the real thing.
After the war Trifari developed their own type of base metal called “Trifanium” . During the fifties and sixties the company continued to grow and thrive in the business of ritz and glitz glamour. In 1968 the legendary designer Alfred Philippe retired. Andre Boeuf (also previously from Cartier) became a lead designer. During the seventies notable designers Kenneth Jay Lane, Kunio Matsumoto, Marcells Saltz, and Jean Paris created designs for Trifari.
Trifari remained a family run business until the early sixties. It was sold to Hallmark in the seventies, and then purchased by Chase Capital (Monet Group). By 2000 Trifari was sold to the Liz Claiborne Corporation and moved production overseas. Certain luxury vintage costume jewelry will occasionally be unsigned (such as Chanel, Weiss, Sherman and some unknown early and mid-century master craftsmen and designers). One little known fact to share about Trifari – is that their pieces are always signed. The patent numbers and corresponding dates can be researched on Google.
The following are a few examples of Trifari jewelry in a range of dates prior to 2000.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2017). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Gustave Sherman of Montreal made costume jewellery from 1947-1981. The company logo was “made to last a lifetime”. He sourced out, and used the highest quality Swarovski crystals, and set very high production standards. The backing on Sherman jewellery is heavily rhodium plated, japanned, or sterling. The stones are brilliant, cut with precision, into narrow marquise stones, with cluster elements, and stunning designs. Sherman jewellery lasts to this day, and will last much longer, therefore the jewellery was made to last more than one lifetime.
Sherman jewellery has always been recognized as high end costume jewellery, and was sold through luxury retailers and jewellery stores. The jewellery continues to be highly collectible. Certain pieces, in particular full sets, and the colour Siam red, command high prices, and have set off bidding wars on Ebay. Gustave Sherman passed away in 1984. His legacy, and commitment to the highest standards in craftsmanship, has left us with sparkle and shine – to wear and to admire, for many years to come. From the Quiet West collection, the following are some fine examples of the lasting quality in Sherman jewellery.
There will always be artisans and master craftsmen who make beautiful jewelry. The biggest difference between today’s costume jewelry makers, and the early mid-century jewelry makers; is that, jewelers like Ciner, before he started making costume jewelry, was a designer and master craftsmen, who made fine jewelry using precious metals and gemstones. He was not just artsy – he knew the trade, and the commitment to task required to make high quality jewelry.
Emanuel Ciner started his jewelry making company in 1892 in New York City. In the thirties and forties, when glamorous costume jewelry became the craze; Ciner, along with several other fine jewelers (such as Panetta and Marcel Boucher), started making jewelry to emulate the real thing. They used designs and production standards on costume jewelry that is equivalent to settings in platinum and gold, replacing diamonds and gemstones with exquisite Austrian Swarovski crystals. The faux pearls were developed in Japan, using a fine nacre-like glaze, set in multiple layers, over glass beads – thus replicating the lustrous sheen of real pearls.
This level of quality and finery in adornment, attracted the celebrities, who loved the glamour and the spotlight. Ciner continues to make jewelry to this day, but apparently the vintage pieces, in particular, the necklaces, remain the most sought after by collectors. The necklace in this post was made after 1955, and is fairly heavy. The pieces in this post are most likely late fifties and early sixties.
Ciner Dramatic Mid Century Ear Clips
Ciner Ear Clips 1950’s or early 1960’s
Ciner Gold Tone Bamboo Patterned Necklace – Signed
As an update to this post – I stand corrected. I read on an antique jewellery blog, that the term for this example would be simply mosaic. I described it as micro, because it has tiny bits of glass arranged in a mosaic. The term micro mosaic actually refers to mosaics so fine, they look like a painting. The finer micro-mosaics were usually set in gold. Another term in the same genre, is pietra dura. It is the Italian term for the use of (gem)stones in a mosaic, as opposed to glass.
Pate de Verre is an art glass technique where a mix of molten glass and enamel is poured into a gold dipped frame. The method was first introduced in Paris by Maison Gripoix in 1869. The process is delicate and time consuming, however, the results are quite stunning. The jeweler has many options – such as adding a subtle opalescent shimmer, in a dynamic range of colors. Each component of poured glass encased in a gold frame, is treated as a gemstone – and polished to smooth perfection.
The Chanel Pate de Verre earrings in this post are an impressive example of poured glass artistry. They have individual flower petals, in perfect symmetry – encased in the miniature gold frames. As an extra touch – each earring has a tiny gold Chanel logo on one of the flower petals. The additional ingenuity of the design, is in how they dangle. They consist of smallish gold hoops with a rounded stopper at one end. The three dimensional Pate de Verre flowers slide onto, and dangle from the hoops.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2015). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Tesserae is the term that is used to describe one of the smallest components of stone or glass used to create a mosaic. During the Renaissance (14th-17th century) Italy – with its famous glass makers and master craftsmen, began to create micro mosaic jewelry. They created scenes and religious icons by arranging tiny bits of cut glass within a setting.
The real trend or popularity of wearing micro mosaic jewelry followed the Renaissance period into what is described as the Grand Tour between the 17th and 19th century. This promotional tour consisted of the European upper class traveling to Italy to take in the famed Italian arts and culture. During this time, the Italian peninsula became a popular tourist destination for the scenery, the enhanced social status, education and cultural adventure that was part of the Grand Tour experience.
Micro mosaics were used in other art objects in addition to jewelry. It was generally considered that the finer and smaller the tesserae, the more valuable the piece. The pin and bracelet in this post are examples of Italian mosaic jewelry. You can click on the image and then maximize it for a closer look at the tiny tesserae – as well as the detailed metal work within the setting.
Italian Mico-Mosaic
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2015). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage (2017). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West Vintage with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
