Vintage Jewelry

Vintage
The term "vintage" covers a wide range of pieces. Since these items are no longer in production, they have increased in value. In general, the term would cover the period from approximately 1910 to 1970, and include materials such as glass, metal, plastic (Bakelite and Lucite), and wood. Pieces made prior to 1920 would most likely be described as "antique"

Antique
While the meaning of "antique" can vary depending upon the author, a current definition is, "an item which is over 100 years old and which has
some added value due to rarity, historical association or other attribute".

Estate Jewelry
Estate jewelry refers to items that have been previously worn, and may fall into the categories of either antique, vintage, or modern. Estate
jewelry is jewelry acquired from the estate of another person, who can be living or deceased.

Bead sellers will generally let you know what they consider to be antique or vintage. While many antique beads have already been worn (and perhaps the old jewelry was taken apart and redesigned), many vintage beads can be found that are "new old", meaning that someone has found a stash of old beads that have never been used in jewelry before.

Here is an interesting article with tips on buying antique and vintage jewelry.

Amethyst Silver Natural Seed Pearl Ring (Size 7) - by Dahlia Vintage Jewelry Collection

The Amethyst in this ring were very popular in Renaissance times. The brilliant purple Amethyst is complemented perfectly by the cool lustrous white pearls in this star-burst themed amethyst ring.

Georgian Period 1714-1837
Georgian jewelry production began during the years Great Britain was being ruled by the four Georges, thus the term 'Georgian'. Jewelry of this period was entirely handmade and individualistic in design with motifs consisting of items found in nature, specifically flowers, leaves, insects, and birds. Jewelry from this period frequently includes precious stones.

Early Victorian Period (Romantic Jewelry) 1837-1850
The prominent view of nature continued into the early Victorian period with designs including floral sprays, animal themes , and scroll work. Lockets and brooches were popular during this period as were gemstones and diamonds.

Mid-Victorian Period (Grand Jewelry) 1860-1880
The Mid-Victorian period displayed bolder, and brighter jewelry, introducing both day and evening wear. Jewelry of this period largely had motifs of mosaics, sea shells, agate, jasper and amethyst. Diamonds and other sparkling colorless faceted gems were popular for evening wear. Many heavy pieces (mourning jewelry, inspired by the death of Queen Victoria's husband) were found in this period, with dark stones such as onyx and garnets,

Late Victorian Period (Aesthetic Jewelry) 1885-1900
Jewelry designs became lighter and more feminine with the use of sapphires, peridot and spinel, and of course diamonds. Elaborate hat pins became popular during this period.

Arts and Crafts Period 1894-1923
Jewelers rebelled against the mass production of jewelry and brought back a period of hand craftsmanship. Each piece of jewelry was handmade using mainly uncut and cabochon stones with an emphasis on simple functional designs.

Art Nouveau Period 1895-1914
Jewelry during this period can be characterized by natural designs such as flowers and insects in beautiful enamels. In France Rene Jules Lalique led the Art Nouveau jewelry movement, while in America Louis Comfort Tiffany was the best known jeweler. Art Nouveau pieces are in great demand and very collectible.

Art Deco Period 1920-1935
Art Deco jewelry was influenced by African, Egyptian and Japanese themes, and is known for its geometric designs, sharp lines, and bright colors. Materials such as Bakelite, celluloid, and brightly colored enamels were common during this period. Jewelry of this period was dominated by French designers such as Cartier, Bucheron, and Fouquet.

Retro Period 1935-1945
Retro jewelry is colorful, bold, and flamboyant with wide use of yellow, pink and green gold.

Modern Period 1945-Today
The jewelry of this period is often referred to as "cocktail" jewelry. Designs became more understated and traditional.

Taking Care of Vintage Jewelry
Use a soft zippered jewelry pouch, or a small zip lock plastic bag for each piece. This will protect your piece from scratches and dust (which is abrasive)and also helps protect it from tarnish.
To remove dust: use mild soapy water and a very soft toothbrush or cloth. Do not immerse rhinestone jewelry with foil backing into water and be careful not to damage the backing when cleaning the piece.
You can also try a cleaner like Windex by spraying it onto a soft clean cloth or a cotton swab (do NOT spray directly on the piece). Do not soak the piece in Windex.
To remove tarnish: First try using a jewelry polishing cloth (available at many jewelry stores, or online). This will often remove simple tarnish or
discolorations. If the tarnish is green, this means that oxidation has occurred and you will further damage the piece when you try to remove the oxidized portion. Use a toothpick and distilled water or alcohol to gently remove the oxidized areas.
Air dry your pieces before putting them away. Never put them away while wet as this can cause further destruction.

Replacing Missing Stones
To replace stones, first you need to find a stone that exactly matches the missing stone. This is most important if it is part of a group of stones, and an inexact replacement will be obvious. Sometimes there are other matching pieces
(such as earrings) that are in poor condition (not salvageable), but have the same stones that can be used. Be very careful removing these stones, and use a clear-drying epoxy or cement. H-G Hypo Cement is recommended because it has a needle nose applicator that allows for good precision. Squeeze a tiny bit of glue into the bezel (use a toothpick if necessary), let it set briefly, and set
the stone in using tweezers. Immediately wipe off any remaining glue before it dries. Avoid using glues like Super Glue as they are more brittle and the stone will eventually fall out.

For more information, read this informative eBay Guide.

Bakelite Jewelry; Good * Better * Best

The Best of Bakelite and Other Plastic Jewelry

The Bakelite Jewelry Book

I found this necklace in a thrift shop and paid only a couple of dollars for it. It is costume jewelry and probably is from the 60s or 70s. The pink "pearls" are plastic and not worth a thing unless someone is looking for old pink plastic pearls. However, it was the pink filigree beads that caught my attention. They are metal and are painted light pink. Being rather unique, and in good condition, they are ideal for incorporation into a more trendy piece.

18kt Rose Gold over Sterling Silver Square Vintage Filigree Champagne CZ Pave Drop Earring

This is only part of my selection, and I took the picture, in part, to check out the Cloud Dome for taking photos of jewelry. Wow, look at that picture and compare it to some of my other jewelry pictures! I will be posting about the Cloud Dome on my jewelry blog.

Anyway, what a great bunch of earrings. Most of them are from the 50s and 60s. In fact I remember my mom and grandma wearing some of them. A few have matching pieces, others do not.

What to do with them? Well, that's a bit tricky. While the beads on some of them can be removed, it is interesting to think about using the whole piece (removing the earring clip or post) and incorporating it into some type of pendant.

Silver Floral Natural Seed Pearl Earrings - by Dahlia Vintage Jewelry Collection

These earrings are created by two sterling silver flowers entwined at the base. The floral design is created by delicate seed pearls and leaf petals studded with marcasite.

This is a piece that I designed around some large vintage Swarovski crystals. It has red (Siam) Swarovski crystals (the large ones are vintage and have an AB coating), along with Swarovski spacers and sterling silver beads. It is available in my store.

Enjoy vintage things? Take a look at my other vintage lenses:
Vintage Campers and Trailers

Vintage Sewing and Accessories

Antique and Vintage Perfume
Bottles

Visit a Vintage Kitchen

Hey, Who Threw Out My Black Velvet Paintings?

Visit Your Childhood Toychest

What is the Isle of Squid?

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