Jewels and Finery - Bank Holiday Royal Wedding/early May information

As we approach the Royal wedding and another Bank Holiday weekend. Just a reminder that although Jewels and Finery is still open for purchases. Jewellery will not be sent out as we are closed from midday Thursday 28th April until Tuesday 3rd May 9 am. When we will be back to normal service.

The sun is shinning today and I hope it will be the same through out the weekend!

Until next week - here are a few pieces of vintage jewellery with some second hand and new ones with a "Royal" and "wedding" flavour.

And just a few of the latest new additions:)

Have a great weekend.

Spring jewellery for May

April has just flown by and with May just after this Bank Holiday weekend, I thought I would look at May.
Traditionally the birthstone for this month is the emerald, as well as used for the astrological signs of Taurus and Cancer.

The flower of this month is the white Lily of the Valley (association - making the right choice). For W. A. P. Watson and the Exquisite Birthday jewellery - they used the flower pansy (association - you are in my thoughts and the sacred sign of the Holy Trinity).

Vintage jewellery often depicts flowers. So looking around my garden blue Forget-me-nots (association - loyalty) are everywhere.

Purple Honesty (association - fascination) and the yellow tree peony (association - anger, indignation and shame) are out.

The garden Bluebells (association - constancy and humility) are also still in full bloom. Spring flowers of daffodils (association - respect, regard and chivalry), tulips (association - wealth and importance) and iris (association - passionate and love) can be seen along the roads.

So its quite easy to wear jewellery that is in season or give to someone who was born this month.
     

 Have a good Royal Wedding day and enjoy the May Bank Holiday.

Have a Happy Easter weekend

Vintage rabbit jewellery - chattering animal brooch!

Time just flies lately. Can not believe that it's over a week since my last blog. It does not help to have a spring cold that put me in bed for a couple of days and slow recovery. Unfortunately with this MS lark, any simple virus knocks the stuffing out of you.

 Edwardian antique jewellery - daisy brooch

It has been wonderful weather for Easter, sunny and warm. I can not remember when I have had to water the garden pots so early because they have dried out. The cherry tree is spreading its blossom all over the garden - maybe we will have another bumper years of fruit. The apple trees are also heavily laden with blossom, which means we will have a good apple year I hope. Haven't even looked at the grapevine to see if it survived yet!! Its been in now about 2 years and last year had a very small bunch of grapes. Was hoping for a better year but the number of plants and trees that we have lost is unbelievable.

Our fish, however, are being terrorized by the heron. Although they are securely netted, the constant stalking around the pond in the early hours does not help. So they have stayed at the bottom of the pond only venturing up later in the day and then so nervous!!

No, our fish are not this colourful. Mostly gold, white and very large black ones.

So this Easter weekend we will be mostly in the garden trying to make it look a bit nicer. So whatever you are doing have a good one. Happy Easter.

Jewellery Sarah Coventry Collection 1976 Part 9

After a glorious summer weekend in April! I thought I would complete another part of the Sarah Coventry Collection from the Spring 1976 catalogue. To help name and date some of the vintage jewellery produced by the company over that season. Photographs will enlarge when clicked on.

Page 32

A = Sarahlite Earrings in sterling silver
B = Saralite Pendant 16" - 18" in sterling silver.
C = Diamond Accent pendant 16" - 18" adjustable in gold tone.
D = Cultured Treasure Ring in gold tone.
E = Cultura Pearl Pendant 16" - 18" (simulated) 12K gold filled chain.
F = Cultura pearl Earrings (simulated) in gold tone.
G = Sterling Chai Pendant 16" - 18" adjustable in sterling silver. Rhodium plated chain.
H = My Love Pendant 16" - 18" (Cultured pearl) in gold tone.
I = Silvery Moonstone Earrings in silver tone.
J = Silvery Moonstone Pendant 16" - 18" silver tone.
K = Genuine Ivory Pendant 16" - 18" gold tone.
L = genuine ivory earrings in gold tone.
M = Jade and Pearl pin in gold tone with a cultured pearl.
N = Jade n' Pearl Pendant 16" - 18" adjustable in gold tone.
O = Tiger Eye Butterfly Pin in gold tone.
P = Jade n' Pearl Ring ( cultured pearl)

All posts 14K overlay and all for pierced ears.

Page 33

A = Filigree Jet Bracelet in silver tone.
B = Sterling Faith Cross 16 - 18" in silver tone.
C = Filigree Jet Pendant 16 - 18" in silver tone.

Sterling Birth Chain 22" in sterling silver with beads of gemstones for each birth sign (D - I).

Sterling silver charms  with gemstones for birthday months (J - O).

D = January  - Garnet.
E = February - Amethyst.
F = March - Aquamarine.
G = April - White Sapphire
G = May - Emerald.
H = June - Alexandrite.
I = July - Ruby.
J = August - Peridot.
K = September - Sapphire.
L = October - Rose Zircon.
M = November - Golden Topaz.
O = December - Blue Zircon.

Have a look at the other pages from this brochure on this blog. Showing more vintage Sarah Coventry jewellery from the seventies. We also have many different pieces of Sarah Coventry jewellery photographed that have actually been in our possession at one time or other.

Beautiful buttons and beads

We have a second website - Jewels and Finery Craft that is slowly being stocked. It has vintage buttons and beads, as well as other vintage and second hand craft material.

Here are some of the unusual buttons and beads available in single or small amounts.

  Vintage police buttons. Officer or the superintendents would wear these. Old style with a pin. This allowed the buttons to be removed for washing the garment or if promoted there was not need to give the man another jacket (waste not, want not of old)!

1960s vintage beads in plastic. Bright pink and white in mixed sizes and shapes.Love plastic beads as the 1970s Hong Kong beads are gorgeous as well as many of the unusual shapes and colours that are not available today. Our beads come from damaged jewellery or craft beads that someone no longer has use for, they are cleaned and packed for use straight away.

We have called these lumpy vintage beads. They are made of glass with a lumpy surface. There is probably a technical term for this technique!

Vintage buttons made in England still on the original card. They are quite thin and slightly irregular in shape.
This card has buttons of caramel or toffee colours. Made of an early plastic, which we have not tested.There are a few of these cards available in different colours.

Now here is our gallery of beads for Monday...

We will be adding more over the whole Jewels and Finery Craft website this week.

Emmons & Sarah Coventry Jewelry Fashion Show - Book Review

This morning thought I would review the book Emmons & Sarah Coventry Jewelry Fashion Show by Deborah A Robinson

I love collecting some of the Sarah Coventry brooches and matching clip earrings. The jewellery was well made and in a huge variety. Here in the UK, a lot of the range can still be found. This book has been very valuable. It has allowed me to find most of the pieces, name and date them.

 
It has over 1,200 items in clear colour photographs. Along with an invaluable reference guide, accessories, original catalogues, advertisements and the awards given.Company information and when the home parties came to the UK and Canada.

Excellent reference book to buy, especially if you are collecting or selling vintage jewellery.
My only gripe is that this is an American book, and so I still find some pieces of jewellery specific to the UK that I can not name.
Would I buy this book again - yes definitely.

In January 2010, I decided to buy a book a month on jewellery, to help us identify and reference items we sold or collected. Now I know I said one a month but sometimes I could not help sneaking in another book. Hence I have managed to build up quite a large library of over 50 book. That's not counting the 3 on order for March/April 2011. Each I will review - as and when I remember to include them for photographing.

So have a Happy Mothering Sunday.