Thursday 13 February 2014

Vintage jewelry on Etsy



I was looking through the items in my shop on etsy today and I thought I have quite a lot of vintage jewelry so I thought nI would write a blog post about it.

I love vintage anything really though you wouldn't tell to look at me. I am not one of those chicks that looks as though she has just stepped out of a 1940's ad for washing detergent with perfectly rolled and curled hair, ample bosom and a  fabulous dress.

When I go to the brocantes and second hand markets I am always on the look out for something really cool from a bygone era. But as I am such a magpie I can't ( not allowed) to keep all of it. I get almost more pleasure hunting for others than I do myself.

So I thought I would share a few of the lovely vintage pieces I have found over the past few months.

This is a fabulous vintage millstone bracelet, also known as french bakelite or Galalith. It is a plastic that is made from milk solids and I believe originates from France. This bracelet has been made to mimic ivory with its wavy grain




This is a genuine bakelite bangle estimated from around the 1940's This butterscotch color is quite common but still really pretty. Though be aware that there are a lot of fakelites on the market apparently coming in from china, but mostly the more outlandish designs of the day, which are rarer. I am by no means a bakelite expert but be sure to look for signs of age, little nicks and scratches, if it is totally perfect perhaps you should be asking yourself some questions.



When I saw this one it was in a job lot with some other necklaces, I admit it wasn't love at first sight but it does look fabulous on.  I am estimating this to be a Murano piece. The long tubular beads have been hand blown and are exquisite. They are each different and are ever so slightly wobbly which I love. Murano glass comes from Italy and doesn't really refer to one maker but an area where a collective of glass and bead makers originate from.



Staying with Murano, here is another example. This type of bead is known as scottish agate as they have been made to resemble real stone. Scottish agate necklaces usually are seen with many different colored beads strung together, rarely just one color is found throughout the entire necklace. This is the only one I have ever come across like this with its tiny uniform sized beads that look like blood stones interspersed with small gold tone spacer beads which I believe also to be glass not metal as I had first thought. I think this would be 1920-1040c at a guess it is very long and would fit well with the era.




This is an example of the type of scottish agate more commonly found. As you can see there are many different colors strung together. I adore these beads the shape the finish and mostly the pattern as no two beads will ever be the same. I think the shape of the beads is so art deco and again each one is every so slightly different. I say these are more commonly found but I have to confess that these rectangle shaped beads are not as common as the ovals.



Moving on from Murano, I give you this little beauty. I know next to nothing about it other than it is a stunner! I bought it from someone who said it was bakelite, but after testing it with polish it did not pass the test. I think it is probably celluloid ( bakelite's predecessor ) or lucite. These beads are so much fun. it is clear that they have been hand carved as the spots on each bead are different sizes. I have searched and searched to find information or even a necklace that looks a bit like this one but to no avail. So my guess is 1940's-50's I can see this necklace on one of those buxom pin ups in her A line house dress making dinner for her husband.

All of these pieces can be found in my etsy store where I am struggling with my identity. Do I sell beads do I sell vintage? One day I will split them up but for the time being look in the vintage finds section for vintage otherwise it's beads. I hope you enjoyed my post if you love vintage jewelry please let me know what you think and if you have any information about my pieces that I have missed I would love to know more, so please comment.

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