Estate jewelry

  

Estate Jewelry usually refers to jewelry that was previously owned .Jewelry must be at least 100 years old to be considered antique, and made after the 1940s and through the 1980s to be considered vintage.

Periods of Estate jewelry

Georgian Jewelry (1714–1837)

Georgian-era jewelry is handmade and rare. This era often featured nature-inspired designs, such as leaves, birds, and precious stones. Memento Mori was a style of jewelry very popular at the time. The phrase signifies "remember that you will die" and the style is characterized heavy usage of skull and coffin motifs.

Photo on courtesy of :https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/EstateVintTreasures?ref=l2-shop-header-avatar

Early Victorian, romantic jewelry (1837–1855

Early Victorian-era jewelry also featured nature-inspired designs, similar to jewelry of the Georgian era. Frequently, these designs were delicately and intricately etched into gold. Lockets and brooches were popular in daytime jewelry during the early Victorian era, whereas colored gemstones and diamonds were worn during the evening.

Photo on courtesy of:https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/Vintageimagine?ref=pr_shop_more

Mid-Victorian, grand jewelry (1856–1880

Because the Grand or Mid-Victorian era corresponded with the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, many jewelry pieces have solemn, somber designs. Known as mourning jewelry, the pieces feature heavy, dark stones. Jet, onyx, amethyst, and garnet are frequently found in jewelry from this period. Compared to previous periods, Mid-Victorian-era jewelry feature highly creative, colorful designs using shells, mosaics and gemstones.

Late Victorian, aesthetic jewelry (1885–1900)

During the Late Victorian or Aesthetic period, jeweler used diamonds and feminine, bright gemstones such as sapphire, peridot, and spinel. Star and crescent designs as well as elaborate hat pins were also popular. Some scholars believe the aesthetic era began sooner, in 1875, and ended as early as 1890.

Photo on courtesy of:https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/JoysShop?ref=pr_shop_more

Arts and Crafts jewelry (1894–1923)

Due to the Industrial Revolution, many jewelry designers rebelled during the Arts and crafts movement, returning to intricate jewelry designs and handmade craftsmanship. It was common for jewelry of this era to be simple in pattern and made of colorful, uncut stones.

Photo on courtesy of:https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/SellitAgainVintage?ref=pr_shop_more

Art Nouveau jewelry (1895–1915)

Art Nouveau jewelry features natural designs such as flowers and butterflies and were generally considered "romantic." Art Nouveau was a style popular from about 1895 until World War I. The style actually began around 1875 in Paris, and its influence went throughout the western world. The style died out by the end of World War I but has often been revived. Art Nouveau jewelry follows curves and naturalistic designs, especially depicting long-haired, sensual women, sometimes turning into bird-like or flower-like forms.

photo on courtesy of:https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/boylerpf?ref=pr_shop_more

Edwardian jewelry (1901–1915)

The Edwardian period began upon the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, when her son Edward became King. During this period many of the Edwardian-designed pieces incorporated ₰more expensive gems such as diamonds, emeralds and rubies in elaborate designs.

Photo on courtesy of:https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/PastSplendors?ref=pr_shop_more

Art Deco jewelry (1915–1935)

 Much Art Deco design was a transition from the earlier Art Nouveau and, as with the Art Nouveau era, was inspired by the art of the native peoples of the Americas and by ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman architecture. Art Deco jewelry motifs are characterized by geometric designs, diverse combinations of color, and abstract patterns. In 1922, the opening of Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt inspired another Egyptian revival. Influences from cubism as well as African, oriental, Persian, Islamic, and ART NOUVEAU designs were common in Art Deco jewelry. The early 1920s' interest in Cubism and Dadaism as a new art form greatly influenced the Art Deco period. Additionally, the mysteries of the pyramids and a continuing revival of astrological studies lent themselves to Art Deco designs, which in turn were incorporated in the Art Moderne period following 1930.

Art-deco jewelry is one of the most sought-after jewelry categories, as demonstrated by auction results.

 photo on courtesy of:https://www.etsy.com/shop/OurBoudoir

 https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/zephyrvintage?ref=pr_shop_more  Photo on courtesy of:



References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estate_jewelery

Plastic by any other name would smell as sweet

I've been buying lots of vintage bangle bracelets lately to sell in my Etsy shop and wanted to find out more about what they are made of. They are plastic, but many Etsy shops have similar ones listed as Lucite.

from Enclyclopedia Brittanica: "Lucite, also called Plexiglas, British Perspex, is a trademark name of polymethyl methacrylate, a synthetic organic compound of high molecular weight made by the combination of many simple molecules of the ester methyl methacrylate (monomer) into long chains (polymer); this process (polymerization) may be effected by light or heat, although chemical catalysts are usually employed in manufacture of the commercial product."

Okay, so that is great for scientists, but how about the rest of us . . . I asked a veteran plastic seller on Etsy, Age Of Plastic https://www.etsy.com/shop/AgeofPlastic, for some advice. Here is her response:

"Lucite can be molded or carved. It can also have seams, although I don't know how common that is (I think I've owned one Lucite bangle with a seam). On your better Lucite pieces, even if they were molded, they will have been polished to remove any sign of mold marks. Generally speaking, collectors and sellers consider the presence/absence of mold marks and seams to be an indicator of quality, and occasionally to exclude a plastic when identifying. In some types of pieces, like Japanese celluloid floral bangles, seams are expected because of how they were constructed and have no bearing on their value."

 I also found out that although clear in its original state, Lucite can be tinted virtually any color, in ranges from transparent to opaque, with a few interesting variations along the way.

 Now, how can you tell what the plastic is? The best test is to run the piece under hot tap water, or wear the bangle while you relax in the hot tub or shower. If it smells a little like your old high school chemistry lab (formaldehyde), it's Bakelite. If it smells like Vicks Vapo-rub (camphor), it's Celluloid. If it smells like burnt milk, it's Galalith (1920's). If it smells clean, or like nothing at all, it's Lucite or acrylic.

Pooh bear and the honey tree

 Photo on courtesy of:

http://fuckyeahbookarts.tumblr.com/page/4

One day when he was out walking, he came to an open place in the middle of the forest, and in the middle of this place was a large oak-tree, and, from the top of the tree, there came a loud buzzing-noise.

Winnie-the-Pooh sat down at the foot of the tree, put his head between his paws and began to think.

First of all he said to himself: "That buzzing-noise means something. You don't get a buzzing-noise like that, just buzzing and buzzing, without its meaning something. If there's a buzzing-noise, somebody's making a buzzing-noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you're a bee ."

Then he thought another long time, and said: "And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey."

And then he got up, and said: "And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it." So he began to climb the tree

He climbed and he climbed and he climbed and as he climbed he sang a little song to himself. It went like this:

Isn't it funny

How a bear likes honey?

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

I wonder why he does?

Then he climbed a little further. . . and a little further . . . and then just a little further. By that time he had thought of another song.

It's a very funny thought that, if Bears were Bees,

They'd build their nests at the bottom of trees.

And that being so (if the Bees were Bears),

We shouldn't have to climb up all these stairs.

He was getting rather tired by this time, so that is why he sang a Complaining Song. He was nearly there now, and if he just stood on that branch . . .

Crack !

"Oh, help!" said Pooh, as he dropped ten feet on the branch below him.

"If only I hadn't--" he said, as he bounced twenty feet on to the next branch.

"You see, what I meant to do," he explained, as he turned head-over-heels, and crashed on to another branch thirty feet below, "what I meant to do--"

"Of course, it was rather--" he admitted, as he slithered very quickly through the next six branches.

"It all comes, I suppose," he decided, as he said good-bye to the last branch, spun round three times, and flew gracefully into a gorse-bush, "it all comes of liking honey so much. Oh, help!"

He crawled out of the gorse-bush, brushed the prickles from his nose, and began to think again. And the first person he thought of was Christopher Robin.

A.A Milne

Max Melton's Remarkably Efficacious Tooth Powder

Photo in courtesy ofhttp://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/eliot/technology/lessons/History_Needham/schoolhouse/graves/dr_lyon.html 

"I mixed the hot water and the cold in the basin, and I washed my face and my hands. I cleaned my teeth with the cold water. There was no toothpaste, but there was a small round tin box on which was written Max Melton’s Remarkably Efficacious Tooth Powder, in old-fashioned letters. I put some of the white powder on my green toothbrush, and cleaned my teeth with it. It 

tasted minty and lemony in my mouth. ''

Reading this on Neil gaiman's  "The ocean on the end of the lane" I wanted to find out if that tooth powder did exist. Searching the web I did not find that kind of tooth powder, but found many others.                                                                                                                           

History of tooth powder

Tooth powder was generally used by the Romans, who used many substances, such as the bones and horns of certain animals; crabs; egg-shells, and the shells of oysters . They were reduced to a powder after having been previously burnt.

Tooth powder was used to clean and whiten teeth and to and to strengthen the gums. 

The earliest mention of tooth care among the Romans comes from a poem:

"Calpurnius, I greet you with some quick verse. I sent you, just as you asked me to, clean teeth and a bright smile, the product of Araby, a little powder, noble, fine and whitening, something to reduce the swelling of your little gums, to brush away yesterday's leftovers, so that nothing dingey and nasty might be seen should you part your lips in laughter."

This same reference cites the "utterly repulsive things they do in Spain, according to Catullus: he'd be using his own urine "to brush his teeth and his red gums." 

 In modern times, baking soda has been the most commonly used tooth powder, although this has now been mostly replaced by commercial toothpastes.

The primary ingredient in a tooth powder is an abrasive to lift plaque and food from the teeth. baking soda  is a common abrasive, along with salt or chalk. A soap may be included to encourage the powder to foam. It may also include antibacterial ingredients like tea tree extract, or a flavoring such as mint. To use the powder, people measure out a small amount, dip a wet toothbrush into it, and brush their teeth.

While dental hygiene has improved immensely over the ages, tooth powder has actually been around for quite a long time. The Egyptians used it, for example, as did the ancient Asian cultures. Europeans tended to use plain toothbrushes with no water until around the 1800's, when cleaning powders became popular. Some commercial preparations were actually quite dangerous, due to the use of toxic filler ingredients. Toothpaste began to be marketed in the late 1800's, although it did not catch on immediately.

 Tooth powder can be made more exciting with the addition of food-grade essential oils and extracts. Ingredients like mint and tea tree oil can leave the mouth feeling clean and crisp, while cinnamon can help fight bacteria in the mouth and it will leave a warm feeling behind. The powder can be kept in a  jar in the bathroom. It is better to use a scoop to drop a bit of powder into their hands, rather than dipping wet toothbrushes into the container; this will help prevent contamination.

The world's oldest-known formula for toothpaste, before Colgate began, has been discovered on a piece of dusty papyrus in the basement of a Viennese museum.

An ancient Egyptian scribe has carefully described what he calls a "powder for white and perfect teeth".

When mixed with saliva in the mouth, it forms a "clean tooth paste".

According to the document, written in the fourth century AD, the ingredients needed for the perfect smile are one drachma of rock salt - a measure equal to one hundredth of an ounce - two drachmas of mint, one drachma of dried iris flower and 20 grains of pepper, all of them crushed and mixed together.

The earliest record of an actual tooth powder was in 1780 and included scrubbing the teeth with a formula containing burnt bread. (A common North American breakfast)

Other tooth powders around this time called for:

·         1 1/2 oz. dragons blood (So that's where they all went!!)

·         1 1/2 oz. cinnamon

·         1 oz. burnt alum

Beat the above ingredients together and use every second day.

The 19th Century

·         In the 19th century, charcoal became very popular for teeth cleaning purposes.

·         Most tooth pastes at this time were in the form of a powder.

·         The purpose of the tooth powder was not only to clean the teeth, but to give fresh breath.

·         The succulent strawberry (still available today) was considered to be a "natural" solution for preventing tartar and giving fresh breath.

·         In 1855, the Farmer's Almanac included this recipe for an appropriate toothpaste:
1 oz. myrrh (fine powder)
2 spoonfuls of your best honey
A pinch of green sage

Mix together and use every night on wet teeth.

·         Another tooth paste included:
2 oz. cuttlefish bone
1 oz. cream of tartar
2 drachms drop lake
15 drops clover oil

Powder, mix, sift.

The 20th Century

·         Liquid cleansers (mouth rinses) and pastes became more popular, often containing chlorophyll to give a fresh green color.

·         Bleeding gums became a concern as well as aching teeth.

·         In 1915 leaves from certain trees in South East Asia (Eucalyptus) were beginning to be used in mouthwash formulas.

·         sodium monofluorophosphate

·         color

·         flavoring

·         fluoride

·         foaming agents

·         detergents

·         humectants (prevent the paste from hardening)

·         Herbal toothpastes have gained popularity for people looking for a "natural" toothpaste or for those who don't want fluoride in their dental cleansers. Some herbal toothpastes contain:
peppermint oil
myrrh
plant extract (strawberry extract)
special oils and cleansing agents 

Hey, didn't we see these ingredients in the toothpastes of the early 19th century? 

DIY- make your own tooth powder at home:

http://nourishingjoy.com/cinnamon-clove-remineralizing-tooth-powder/

References:

http://www.toothpasteworld.com/history.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentifrice

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-tooth-powder.htm

How to make blue patina on copper -DIY

  Ancient copper can get lovely blue patina, in the right environmental conditions.

The Statue of Liberty gets its green color from the natural patina formed on its copper surface

Photo  of statue of liberty on courtesy of WIKIPEDIA.

  Photo on courtesy of: http://www.hotgluehangover.com/p/my-shop.html

   You can age a copper dish or jewelry by giving it blue patina.                                                                                                               There are commercial agents for that,but you can do it with household salt and vinegar

Vinegar is my idea of "magic potion". My family members hate the smell of it, because I use it all over.

 Tips on using vinegar: http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html

Steps of making blue patina on copper:

Cleaning the copper:

First, clean the copper using dish washing liquid and wash with tap  water .

Sprinkle some baking soda over it.

Scrub the copper with steel wool.

Wash with tap water.

Dry with paper towels. Avoid touching it with your fingers.

Vinegar and salt solution:

Mix 3 tablespoons of salt with 6 tablespoons of vinegar in a small bowl.

Most of the salt will not dissolve.

Put the copper in the liquid. It should be all covered.

Let it soak for an hour.

Drying:

Take the copper out and put on  paper towels. Do not wipe the copper. It has to be dried naturally.

Sprinkle some salt on.

Leave it to develop the patina.

If you want to enhance the process, dip a paper towel in vinegar and

lay on the copper.

Let it stay on until you are happy with the patina created.

Because some of it will not stay on, it is better to have more patina than you like it to have in the end. This might be taking a few days .

Take the paper off. Let dry.

Below you can see what I got after 24 hours of salt-vinegar treatment.

Gently rinse with water. If you want to remove more patina, use steel wool.

Let air dry. After a few days you can spray it with clear lacquer.

After a few days and washing with water 

 The other side of the same piece of copper: 

                                                                        A piece of brass going through the same treatment

HATTIE CARNEGIE

Hattie Carnegie was a fashion designer based in New York City during the period 1920s - 1960s.  She named herself Hattie, after her original trade as a milliner, and Carnegie after someone already successful, Andrew Carnegie.  Many great designers made their name here working for Hattie - Jean Louis and James Galanos to name but two

Hattie Carnegie is particularly noteable for introducing the boutique style experience to the high end fashion market.  She would design an outfit from head to toe - including hats, purses, shoes and costume jewelry to accessorise her dress and suit lines.  She cleverly marketed her own in house products against the expected Paris couture - Chanel, Vionnet and Dior. Carnegie was extremely successful, but was also compassionate and was involved in charity work and patriotic duties. She was chosen to design the Women's Amry Corps uniform in 1950. 

Hattie Carnegie designs are on display in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; and at the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Florida.

Hattie Carnegie jewelry is highly sought after and can be easily identified by her signature hallmark.  Most jewelry I have come across is signed on a cartouche.

This is the mark that was used during the period 1950 to 1979.  Pieces prior to this period are extremely rare and are stamped with the stamp shown below where her initials are directly pressed into the piece.

Here are several examples of Hattie Carnegie jewelry that our team Vintage Vogue stock.   You can admire the superb quality, the imaginitive designs and the wonderful attention to detail in these pieces.

 

Courtesy of OurBoudoir www.etsy.com/shop/OurBoudoir 

An awesome brooch for the horse lover.  Hattie Carnegie has captured the nobility of this

magnificent animal in this figural piece. Two faux baroque pearls represent the head and lower body of this tremendous brooch/pendant with an additional faux pearl for its tail. On the body there are white enamel bands rimmed elegantly with raised gold toned metal.  There are various red and green poured glass stones across the beast to bejewel him. The mane is especially well represented with the white enamel arched pieces running in a contra flow to the rest of the brooch.  On the back of the pin there is a long diagonal rollover c clasp. and a bail for a pendant. This would make the most awesome necklace. Signed Hattie Carnegie on a cartouche

                               . 

Courtesy of RedRoseLady www.etsy.com/shop/RedRoseLady

A Vintage Hattie Carnegie Seahorse or Dragon Clamper Bracelet featuring thermoplastic, gold tone, rhinestones and textured enamel. The bracelet is signed Hattie Carnegie with the copyright symbol within an oval cartouche on the inside. The enamel and shiny gold tone are in excellent condition. The bracelet open wide in order to get it on and snaps tightly. The 

 bracelet is in an oval shape and measures 7" across the inner diameter.  The condition is excellent.

                         

Courtesy of BohemianTrading www.etsy.com

This stunning large floral fantasy brooch has an incredible kite shaped smoky topaz colored glass stone as its focal point. The gold tone setting is brushed Russian gold, and is delicately detailed. The feature stone makes a statement, and it is contrasted with the use of tiny clear rhinestones set as "trembling" anthers, and accented by three larger rhinestones across the base of the flower.  The brooch is marked “Hattie Carnegie” in script on an oval plaque. It also has its original paper tag with written inventory information on the back. It is in near mint condition with all of the plating bright.  C. 1960’s. A bold and beautiful statement brooch.                                                                                                      

                        

Courtesy of AgedandOpulentJewels www.etsy.com

The textured gold tone setting is lavishly covered with dimpled ivory color synthetic pearls set with rhinestone head pins. There are white givre glass beads (they look pale gray in the pictures) and prong set clear rhinestones throughout the set.The brooch is large and makes quite a statement.  This set is in very good condition with only one pearl showing wear on the side, signed Hattie Carnegie on back.  Very sparkly and elegant.

These jewels were of course designed to accompany the exquisite elegant clothes of the early 20th century, that Hattie designed.   There are a couple of dresses available on Ruby Lane, but I wanted to share the sheer beauty of the following "museum" quality evening gowns.

 

Courtesy of Smithsonian's History Explorer Museum, the dress was donated by Mrs. Patterson, the daughter of Charles A Tilt of Chicago's Diamond T Motor Car.

Courtesy of Dividing Vintage Moments Blog Spot