Adrian Mann - Ways to date jewellery using knitting patterns

There are many ways to date jewellery, but today I have one way that has not been covered before.  Here is a photograph of an Adrian Mann vintage brooch produced in 1984. It is in a Scottish jewellery designed in silver tone with a mock Cairngorm stone in the center of the thistle flower. Also on the page is a plain gold tone bangle.

Vintage knitting pattern for women - sweaters

The jewellery is on a vintage knitting pattern for a woman's sweater. Easy to date as the pattern has a date inside. Also they have actually put the name of the jewellery supplier. Most times on patterns the jewellery is not named or dated but occasionally I do come across one such as this.

This last week we have added over 30 new pieces to Jewels and Finery. Here are just a few..

Ceramic white anemone flower vintage brooch in white vintage brooches

Diamante clip on earrings by Pell - in our vintage clip on earrings collection.

  

1960s vintage necklace with matching screw back earrings by Coro in silver tone and mock coral coloured cabochon. 

Just a few exciting jewellery pieces - as we source the unusual and often unique style. Not found on the high street.

Well it does look as though spring has arrived early in the UK. Good weather has meant that we have been able to start a major renovation on our front garden. Taking out all the overgrown shrubbery and trees. My plan is to have a more colourful and productive front garden this and subsequent years.

Here is a photograph as to what it looks like now.

Overgrown with ivy and the soil is awful and so dry. My husband does not have a clue when it comes to gardening so he lets me carry on and he just does the clearing and some heavy stuff. I said in a blog a while back about loosing some weight. So I have joined a gym - which I enjoy using (especially the pool and jacuzzi) This gardening is also helping, along with eating better foods. Have lost weight as finding my clothes are not fitting!

Amber jewellery and Brooches

Having now almost completed our different collections. I thought I would look at amber jewellery and also amber brooches.

 Amber glass vintage bracelet attributed to Sphinx

We have included both real tree resin amber and also amber coloured items  in the collections.

So here is a little about the fossilized tree resin amber which is a natural plastic and was formed from trees that grew many million years ago.

It is used in jewellery but also in perfume and as a medicine by some cultures. 
Amber is mostly seen as a glorious orange yellow colour and material. But there are other amber colours such as blue, cherry amber to nearly black around. The shades can vary so much, which makes it interesting to collect. Occasionally the amber would have captured an insect during its liquid state. Though this is rare, but a manufacture will sometimes add an insect to raise the value of the amber as it is highly prized. It is a thermoplastic resin that can be heated to soften and then remolded many times. Tests for amber include heating a pin - which will go easily into the material, but this needs to be done in a place where it can not be seen and is not recommended.

Genuine amber vintage jewellery is now harder to find. So we sourced some new pieces that had a vintage style to them.

 Amber rhinoceros brooch in silver

Amber coloured glass and other plastics have been popular across the decades. From the 1950s to the 1980s, produced large glass stone brooches, necklaces and earrings. The colour amber is used for spacer beads as they enhance other coloured beads. In fact if you look closely - the colour amber may not be the main colour in today's jewellery but often lurking in the background.

Black and amber plastic necklace 

Amber rhinestone brooch by Jewel Craft

Large amber rhinestone brooch by Exquisite

Large amber rhinestone brooch by Exquisite 1960s.

Amber rhinestone Scottish brooch by Exquisite

Cairngorm glass stone in a grouse foot vintage brooch. A yellow amber coloured stone typical in  Scottish jewellery

Beautiful amber coloured five strand vintage necklace

 
Thankfully we leave February behind. Not a great month in more ways than one, but at least I have now lost weight with a regime of diet and exercise. Not wanting to buy any new clothes until I drop 2 dress sizes I am having difficulty finding a pair of non belted trousers that stay up!