Christmas and holiday jewellery 2011

Its nearly the end of October, time has just flown so quick and it will soon be Christmas jewellery time again - whether we are ready for it or not.
During the festive season a few years ago now, I started to wear vintage Christmas rhinestone brooches or diamante brooches and it not only brightened up a plain outfit  but it made me smile and feel more Christmasy.

Now every year I wear a different piece of vintage Christmas jewellery every day. It may be a themed piece like a vintage Christmas tree brooch or a pair of sparkling vintage earrings. Lets face it, when in the year will you get away with wearing rhinestone and diamante vintage jewellery during the day to work or out just shopping. So I make the most of this time - it makes me feel good and happier, it is also a better talking point other than the bad winter weather!

Now I did not start of with buying lots of Christmas themed jewellery in one go as far too expensive. Each year I buy one or two pieces and add them to the ones stored at home. Of course I have lots of bright sparkle jewellery that I keep for special occasions and they get a daytime airing as well.
Over the years that we have sold vintage jewellery; it has become obvious which type of jewellery is most popular.
Top is vintage Christmas tree brooches. Well you have one at home and probably in the office, they are in shops and standing in the middle of the high street. So why not one on your shoulder or bag. Putting up the tree is part of our Christmas tradition.

Floral jewellery is the next popular with white Christmas roses, poinsettia and holly with its bright red berries, being the flower choice.

Vintage brooches of Father Christmas and stocking are the next favourite with bells, garlands and toy themed jewellery coming just after in the popularity stakes.

Sparkling vintage jewellery is not just for parties and evening do's. Put on a pair of shimmering earrings and a diamante bracelet every morning in December. Or add a rhinestone necklace to several layers of plain black bead necklaces for your office outfit. You will positively sparkle every time you walk past the a lighted Christmas tree.

Now I have to stop at this point and just point out that I have been talking about jewellery for women. But there is no reason why a man can not join in the fun. Its this time of the year you can attach a Christmas vintage brooch pin to your jacket or on your tie instead of a vintage tie pin. Hats just scream to have a little Father Christmas brooch pinned over that designer logo.................okay just put it next to it then!
Now men, if your thing is sparkling necklaces and bracelets - then go for it. Who cares in this day and age, be yourself.

Why vintage Christmas jewellery - well very few firms make special Christmas themed jewellery now days, as its too expensive. Older costume jewellery was often better made and is still available in a greater variety. 
My take on life is that you only live once so make the most of it, let your confidence shine through and start a new Christmas tradition this year. Have a Happy Christmas.   

Carnival Glass or Iridescent Glass Jewellery

Little is written about the beautiful blue and black jewellery called Carnival or iridescent beads and glass pieces.

Now I call this type of jewellery - carnival. The name came from my mother and her mother, so this is part of my heritage. It is available in blue and black colours mostly and can be found in both antique and vintage necklaces, earrings, brooches, hat pins and bracelets. Also any other jewellery that used beads and glass. Now days the iridescent look is available on plastic beads.

Vintage carnival necklace 42 cm or 18 inches

Samples of "iridescent" jewellery developed from Roman glass that changed colour over time. It is produced by spraying, adding or fuming (a type of smoking pieces) metallic salts onto coloured glass. It then produces an oil on water effect. The colours and intensity depends on the base glass and amount of salts added. It would have looked enchanting by candle light and is still very pretty when reflected by electric lights today

Treble strand vintage carnival or iridescent necklace

It seems to have first come into fashion at the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Probably as a result of the changes in mourning jewellery, when people still wanted a bit of decorum and to retain the black look, but also were starting to crave a bit of colour.

Fenton in the US in around the 1908 period started to use this technique for making pressed glass bowls and glasses. Its popularity increased from the 1900s up to the 1930s, when the cheaply produced decorative bowls, plates, and glasses were prizes at carnivals fairs. Hence where the name "carnival" derived from. The decorative glass was produced in large quantities and in many different colours. The most popular colours for pressed glass were marigold, amethyst and then the much scarcer blue. The popular blue and black glass jewellery was the colours used most and the many other colours are not represented as much. Common sense tells me that it was more expensive to produce the darker colours that light, but I am not a glass making expert?
Then there was a further revival of carnival glass jewellery in the late 1970s to early 1980s and it is still produced today in lesser quantities.

The clear glass jewellery with the "Northern Lights" effect called aurora borealis (AB) was developed in the mid fifties and gained more popularity over the darker carnival jewellery.
Again common sense tells me that aurora borealis was being developed, when the second world war stopped many new innovations. After the war, the trend was for colour - hence the darker and more somber colours were forfeited for the bright cheerful AB effect.

   

 Aurora borealis clip vintage earrings (Sorry already sold)

The jewellery was produced in Bohemia in the late Victorian era. But it was also produced in the UK, USA, Germany, France and many other countries.

 West Germany vintage carnival glass earrings

The dating to the jewellery is made by reviewing the original findings, but also by the feel of the glass. Early samples are much heavier than later ones. They also have a better quality look to them.

 Vintage blue long necklace with carnival glass beads

See also Ornate clasp vintage necklace in blue carnival beads on our website.