Art for All Occasions

Vintage Art (1950-1980) jewelry seems relatively under appreciated in the costume jewelry market and there are still great buys to be found if you seek them out.  I personally LOVE Art Jewelry!  Well, I love chunky jewelry of any kind, but the Art pieces that I own are chunky and whimsical.  Filled with faux amethyst, pearls, turquoise and rhinestones Art jewelry is less intimidating but ever much the statement piece as their high society sister, the Juliana.  Vintage Art pieces can be tricky to keep and wear, the stones are typically glued and over time do fall out. I store my bracelets in their own bags that way should I lose a stone I can find it later.  However I generally don't agonize over my Art bracelets, they are so nicely embellished a missing stone here and there is rarely noticed.  I worry more about a vintage bracelet falling off my wrist since over time clasps weaken.  Art pieces have a nice safety chain which makes frantic phone calls and retracing of steps unnecessary. Today I am wearing two bracelets on the same wrist; a double strand set in gold tone metal with stars and horseshoes embellished with white, blue, green & purple rhinestones and turquoise and coral colored plastic beads, and a single stand that looks like an antique slider with turquoise cabs and pink and white rhinestones.  I've paired these bracelets with my work-at-home Mom attire, jeans.

Till Death and Diamonds Do We Part

A few months back, my husband and I were catching up on the series Damages. It was an episode in which the character played by William Hurt was asked to provide a description of his deceased wife who, by the way,  looked stunning in her designer dress lying prostrate in a kitchen that I too would die for. He proceeds to describe in detail her outfit including the gorgeous ruby and diamond ring she wore on her right hand.  My husband looked at me, "If that were you" he said, "I'd be forced to confess that the only thing I knew for sure, was that you were wearing a ring".  Funny, for a woman who humanizes inanimate objects and names her cars, I am surprisingly unsentimental when it comes to my own jewelry. I'm always switching my rings around according to my outfit or mood or the amount of water I've retained that day.  If my husband where asked to identify my lifeless form from the jewelry I was wearing, he would surely panic and end up the prime suspect.  What kind of happily married woman doesn't wear her wedding ring?  In fact, when it comes to wedding rings I know two types of women, those who would never remove their rings for fear the earth would open up and suck them into its fire filled core, and those who simply can't get their rings off their middle aged fingers.  Fortunately, my lack of sentimentality doesn't bother my husband. After all, he lost his wedding band on a rugby pitch very early in our marriage, and for years he wore a watch engraved with the names and wedding date of another couple (a story for another time). I must admit I do get tired of turning my house upside down when I can't remember where I've hidden my diamond. On those days, I swear with my naked left hand on my Warman's Jewelry book that I will never take off my wedding rings again. But who am I kidding?  Of all the jewelry I collect, I actually wear my vintage rings, like these vintage sterling silver and rhinestones.

In the 1930's and 40's Providence Rhode Island was the costume jewelry capital of the world and many of these rhinestone rings were made by Uncas Manufacturing. The rings are set in sterling (clearly marked) with either foiled or closed back rhinestones.  The amazing thing about these rings is their brilliance and color; they are usually old mine or cushion cut (by hand) and are far more natural in color to a diamond than a CZ.  Designed to capture light, these rings are stunningly beautiful in sunlight or by candle.  I often wear these rings stacked on the same finger. The older I get the larger my rings become both in actual size and girth.  I was once told by a jeweler that women of a certain age purchase large rings sacrificing quality because they can't see the inclusions in the stones. Well I won't argue that point anymore, but I did purchase these enormous rings when I was in my twenties.

These rings are made of glass and set in sterling and I must admit I can no longer see without magnification the chips in the corners.  It's difficult to find a vintage ring, especially costume, in mint condition. Women tend to wear their rings and an imperfection here and there should be expected.  Oddly enough, I'm not completely without sentiment.  When I'm tired of banging my rings against the inside of my washing machine every time I turn over a load, or knocking my dog in the face when I reach down to pet him, I'll put on the first ring ever given to me by my husband, this sapphire and diamond which now fits my pinkie perfectly.

If you suspect the stone in a ring might be loose, have a jeweler take a look.  Most jewelers will clean and  examine your ring at no expense.

A Charmed Life

Years ago at a dinner party one of my friends decided we should play a little game.  She posed a question, if we were each to write a novel what would its title be. She asked us to write the title down on a piece of paper which she collected and placed in a basket.  We each then picked a title from the basket and had to determine who was the author.  It was a surprisingly fun game and being good friends it wasn't hard to figure out who the epic novelists were among us.  The joviality came to an abrupt end when one of my closest friends picked up my title and looked across the table at me with an icy stare.  "A Charmed Life" she read out loud with disdain. The men quickly burst back into the frivolity of the game trying to determine whose life was so charmed, incorrectly assuming it had to do with one or the others athletic conquests. The women starred at me with daggers in their eyes.  My friends and I were professional career women and I had just been given the opportunity via a corporate downsizing to take a few months off from working.  We all had small children at the time and it was no secret that I enjoyed being a homemaker and that a few months might turn into a few years (twelve to be exact). Life is always greener on the other side and I realized immediately that the title of my novel implied that my life was somehow much greener than theirs.  The men were getting louder and had moved from debating athletic achievements as the basis of "A Charmed Life" to personal wealth, each of whose seemed to be increasing. With all the commotion, I guess my friends couldn't hear the rattling emanating from my side of the table every time I reached for my drink, which was frequent that night.  "A Charmed Life" I repeated shaking  my wrist, the noise could have replaced the percussion section in a small band, "like the one this woman had".  I had on my wrist the vintage travel charm bracelet shown below.

These vintage bracelets are often referred to as "Around the World"  bracelets and my epic novel would be about this bracelet and her grand tour. On one income, fiction was the the closest I would ever get to traveling around the world. I have seen several examples of travel bracelets, many are theme bracelets purchased with the charms already attached.  The charms on this bracelet are individually stamped from the counties they represent indicating that the woman who built this was quite the world traveler.  My charmed life actually includes a collection of bracelets starting with my own, which was given to me on my 16th birthday.  But I prefer to wear the stories of other people's lives, such as this Danecraft bracelet.

 The interesting thing about this piece is that the charms are removable.  Each charm clips onto the bracelet with a "C" clasp and they can be moved around or taken off completely.  Collecting charm bracelets became a passion of mine before dealers realized that they could make more money selling the charms individually.  In those days I could usually find a reasonably priced bracelet at a flea market.  I rarely find them now.  While I'm always sad to see a bracelet pulled apart, building a bracelet from scratch with vintage charms can be a rewarding experience.  My  personal hobby is the coronation crown bracelet below that I have been building from charms I find primarily on Ebay.  Being the princess I am I have set some parameters for this bracelet, the charms have to be three dimensional and can only be of crowns or carriages. 

Wearing charm bracelets requires some pre-planning. Don't wear them if you don't want to draw attention to yourself, like at a college information session with a bored 16 year old.  In those situations I like to keep it simple and often wear this sterling silver Tiffany style charm bracelet, which is generally quiet.

Vintage charms and charm bracelets can be very valuable.  It's well worth the investment to have a safety chain put on a bracelet, and to make sure all the charms are soldered.

Thank-you Veterans

In honor of Veteran's Day I would like to extend a sincere thank-you to the men and women who have served this country so valiantly here and abroad.  Veteran and Memorial days are perfect holidays to wear your patriotic jewelry, and if you don't own one there are plenty of costume pieces available for purchase at thrift shops or on-line. I think every major designer at one point or another has a produced a patriotic brooch, embellished in red, white and blue rhinestones. In the 40's, many of the great costume designers started out as fine jewelers but were forced to retool their skills in support of the war effort, and patriotic jewelry was very popular and abundant.  Sometimes a jewelry item can be far more personal.  I have always had an interest in coin jewelry like this bracelet I found at a thrift shop.

Handmade of Australian silver coins from the 1940's this bracelet is a form of of jewelry know as Tramp Art.  These coin bracelets are roughly cut and were not made by jewelers, but by servicemen during World War II. I was intrigued to learn that most of these bracelets were made by American GI's for their girlfriends state side.  But for me, the most personal piece of patriotic jewelry that I own is this POW/MIA bracelet I wore in the 1970's.

I was in high school at the time and these metal cuff bracelets were sold to support the efforts of families trying to locate their missing loved ones, who where presumed to be either Prisoners of War or Missing in Action in Vietnam.  The names of the missing serviceman and date he went missing was imprinted on the cuff.  I wore this bracelet for Major Donald Fisher throughout high school and part of college, always praying that one day he would return safely to his family. I'm not sure if Major Fisher was found (the star stamp on the bracelet does have meaning, but I can't remember what it stands for). Eventually, I stopped wearing the bracelet and forgot about it completely until just a few years ago when I found it in a box of my high school memorabilia. Today I am wearing this bracelet in honor of Major Fisher and for all Americans who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces.

Sunshine and Rhinestones

I actually began my little experiment of wearing my costume jewelry in September while I was at the beach.  Beach communities are the perfect venue to be a little experimental.  For one thing, clothing (and sometimes bathing suits) is optional and with the exception of the places like the Hampton's or Nantucket, comfort reigns.  My husband and I vacation in a community that is downright bohemian.  If there is abundant wealth, which of course there is during the summer months in most beach communities, its not visible on the beach or in town.  A memorable moment of my life was when another "tourist" took one look at my sun-kissed scrappy children with crystals of sand in their salt-water encrusted hair and ice cream dripping down their faces, and asked me if we were "locals".  My husband and I shared a knowing glance, "first timers", in their pristine perfectly matched designer outfits, strapy sandals and  Louis Vuitton bags, these fashionistas were going to hate it here where a coordinated outfit is a pair of Teva's and ripped sweatshirt!  In those days beads were a large part of my life and to be fair to these women, my uncontrollable wild curly hair was frizzing to perfection and with stacks of beaded gypsy bracelets wrapped around my wrists (not to mention the shark tooth necklaces my sons and husband were sporting), we did look like our sole income was generated from selling trinkets in town.  The beach has always been a place where I push the boundaries in my dress and accessories, or it was until my daughter tagged me in Facebook wearing a two piece. This is especially true when it comes to jewelry, contrary as it might sound, beach vacations are the prefect time to pull out the rhinestones and cubic zirconia.  That large costume diamond ring you would never wear to work, looks fantastic on the beach and since rhinestones and CZ's are easy to replace, you never have to worry about losing your valuable jewelry in the sand or water.  Believe me, frantically looking for a cherished piece of jewelry in the water with waves slapping at your face and the inconsolable crying that follows such an ordeal,  is not my idea of a memorable moment (fortunately we found my husband's watch that day).  When I pack for the beach the first items I grab are my CZ's, most of which, with the exception of a few rings, are discrete contemporary pieces.  However, this last vacation being the start of my little experiment wearing my vintage jewelry, I also threw in several of my rhinestone pieces, including these lovely bracelets.

 

The first two bracelets are vintage from the 40's, the third is a contemporary piece.  If you grew up in the 60's you might remember your own mother wearing something similar and while the majority of these white rhinestone pieces were made in the 40's & 50's they retained their popularity well into the 60's and early 70's.  I would hazard to guess that the development of cubic zirconia ended the popularity of the rhinestone.  Early rhinestone jewelry is usually prong set in silver pot metal but every so often I have found an early piece set in sterling.  The rhinestone are usually closed back or foiled.  This was not only the style of the time but was also done to give the rhinestones the appearance of genuine diamonds.  I  had decided in advance of our trip that I would wear one of these bracelets out to dinner and  I was sure I could get away with rhinestones at the trendy french bistro we were planning on trying.  Besides, I would be at the beach what did I care if I was to make a fashion faux pas, its not like the camera crew of "What not to Wear" would be there or even worse, my daughter with her cell phone.  Well, getting dressed that night it was obvious that wearing just one rhinestone bracelet made me look like I was missing something, my ball gown and tiara, so I opted to wear all three on the same wrist. I paired them with a black J Crew ruffled tank, black corduroy jean style jacket, and jeans of course. A perfect outfit for the beach bohemian.

Cubic zircona rings such as this one by Crislu, are perfect for the beach.  Just remember sand can do a number on CZ's and sharks (land and ocean) are attracted to shiny objects.

Claire and the Triple Strand Necklace

Television has finally produced a housewife I can relate to, fictional though she may be.  After years of watching stay-at-home mothers like TV's "Rosanne" portrayed as sloppy out-of-shape women festering in their overly trashy homes, to the completely opposite and very unreal "Real Housewives" who purchase their looks and rent their elaborate mansions, its nice to finally watch a homemaker on TV that seems very authentic.  If you follow the show, then of course you know I am referring to Claire in "Modern Family".  Like many stay-at-home mothers, Claire left her mid-management job to raise her family.  One gets the impression that she would have been moderately successful and confident in the corporate world, but the challenges of raising children (to include her husband) and manage a home leave her a bit on edge.  Her parental angst and insecurities are wildly entertaining in and of themselves and the writers don't have to rely on gimmicks in dress or staging, to get a laugh. Claire's lovely home is moderately cluttered yet wonderfully decorated and she, though casual in her dress, always looks great.  Claire's style is somewhere between 80's wrinkled college girl prep and a woman embracing middle age.  She is often shown in casual button down shirts (80's) that are pressed and tailored (mature woman). But what does Modern Family have to do with my blog which is supposed to be about my trials and tribulations wearing my vintage jewelry?  I'm beginning to realize that this blog is less about my actual experiences and more about how I can incorporate these very opulent pieces into my daily attire, which is decidedly "Claire" causal.  Today I pulled out this fabulous triple strand necklace which is made of turquoise foiled glass beads and crystals.

These vintage beaded necklaces from the 50's & 60's are amazing, and of the several I own I consider this one my show stopper.  That is probably the reason I never wear it, I've come to believe it needs to be on display around my neck rather than a fun accessory to an outfit. This necklace is happy hour material and looks fantastic with a classic black cocktail dress or paired with a low scoop neck blouse and jeans, but somehow I think I might look just a bit out of place wearing either one of those outfits while shopping at Target. That's where Claire came in, why not emulate her style?  I pulled out a white button down shirt, ironed it of course, paired it with my favorite jeans, and added the necklace.  It looks great! Behind the collar the necklace shines but doesn't shout "free hors d' oeuvres from 4-7pm".  I added a turquoise sweater and I was ready to begin the day of a real housewife.

Many of these beautiful double and triple strand necklaces were made in Japan and are often passed up by collectors since they cannot be attributed to a particular designer or manufacturer.  When I'm buying a piece of jewelry I always look to see if the item is signed, but only after I've decided I like the piece and that it is of quality construction.  Remember, a signature may add cost to an item but it doesn't always guarantee style, so don't pass up on that unsigned beauty if you really like it.

Bold & Beautiful Brooches

Okay, be honest, do you know anyone that wears vintage brooches? or brooches of any kind for that matter? And yet I bet every woman has one or two pins sitting in her jewelry box virtually untouched.  I actually have trays of brooches, from turn of the century (20th), to mid-century modern, to contemporary, and I never wear any of them.  Yet, when I come across a brooch I have a hard time restraining myself from buying it.  For one thing, vintage brooches are relatively available, comparatively inexpensive, and usually in perfect condition. In addition brooches are some of the most beautifully designed and detailed pieces of jewelry made.  I have found many ways to display my brooches, I've used them to accent pillows (I recommend alerting your family when you attach a brooch to a pillow) and lampshades and have even clustered them in the base of crystal bowls on my coffee table.  But the point of this blog is to share my experiences actually wearing my jewelry, so today I pulled out my favorite costume brooch, this unsigned rhinestone lion.

 I purchased this amazing lion never intending to actually wear it since it is about the size of a small toy, measuring 2 1/2" x 2 1/4", and heavy. As I later told my husband when I was attempting to justify my purchase, something about this brooch called to me; maybe it was the green rhinestone eyes and white rhinestones in the mane, but it was clear this was not something I could pass up.  After a little research I discovered that this brooch is very similar to ones made by Hattie Carnegie a designer who along with Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli set fashion trends around the world in the 40's and 50's.  All were known for their excessively bold statement jewelry designed to complete an outfit. My dilemma today was not where or how to wear this brooch but on what. In the 40's or 50's this brooch would have graced a lovely structured jacket or perhaps a fur, both of which could easily support the weight of this pin.  My structured jackets disappeared years ago along with my corporate job and its to early for fur (vintage of course).  Since the staple of my wardrobe, a thin sweater, practically stretched to the floor with this pin attached, I opted for a denim jacket.  Probably not what Hattie envisioned when she designed her brooch, but denim turned out to be the perfect choice for 2010.  Not only is it strong enough to support the weight of  a heavy brooch, but the casualness of denim provides a nice balance to this lion's opulent presence. It was a good choice.

Don't see yourself actually wearing that awesome brooch you own why not carry it? Fabric bags like this Vera Bradley micro-fiber backpack are great for attaching pins.  Always remember to make sure your brooch is fastened securely and to remove it from the garment after wearing.