Unusual bead used in necklaces to wear to any occasion

Decided this bright sunny September morning to write a little about unusual vintage bead necklaces. Now we have many other types of vintage necklace, but I do like the beads the most. Now I collect beads and have many different types so that one day they will be transformed into necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other types of jewellery - but there is never enough hours in the day.

This great bead necklace from Hong Kong circa 1970s is typical of the beads that were predominately in plastic that came from Hong Kong in the 1960s to 1990s. many were unusual colours and shapes. Still around today. Damaged necklaces can be transformed into something wearable and they are just lovely beads that are not made any more.

These are clay beads with a coating of enamel. Squarish and quite unusual. Vintage and probably around the 1980s - 1990s decade. Now today we have polymer clay that can also be turned into lovely beads that will be unique as you made them yourself.

Now I have written about carnival glass bead necklaces before but I do love the colour and look. Also known as iridescent necklaces, but I will still call them carnival as that is what I grew up with.Black beads coated with this gorgeous "oil on water" effect. It gives them this shiny blue colour that reflects and changes colours when worn. Not only that they are of good well made.................glass.

Alphabet soup - G & H jewelry

For the Jewelry Ring I have compiled this vintage jewellery selection with pieces from designers/manufacturers beginning with G and H.
First I will start with Charles Horner of Halifax, UK. They also had a show room at Frederick Street in Birmingham, UK, which is why we come across a large number of their productions.

Charles Horner LTD (1860 - 1984) is renowned for its silver jewellery in Art Nouveau, Dorcas thimbles and silver hat pins. However they also made costume jewellery. Most of their silver pieces are marked and can be distinguished as belonging to the Charles Horner factory, but most of the costume pieces were not.

  
 Here are just 3 of the mock marcasite vintage brooches from Charles Horner. All are unmarked accept the pelican bird which has CH stamped on the beak's back part.It has numbers in front of the CH but we can not distinguish what they say.

Bird brooch with enamel by Charles Horner. The circles that glint like marcasite are stamped (see the reverse photo coming up) Signed vintage brooch.

  Bow vintage brooch with stamped silver metal detail. Blue enamel on the edges. Produced by Charles Horner.

 Sailing ship vintage brooch by Charles Horner Does not appear to have any enamel originally. A lot of these great pins have some enamel detail but it wears off, leaving just a little colour in the edges/circle stampings.

Back view to brooches. All have C shaped fastenings.
For more Charles Horner jewellery see our designer jewellery collection. It includes some of his other mock marcasite pieces and cameo brooches of casein. Will write another blog shortly just on Horner pieces as we have many more to show.

Hong Kong jewellery.

Some fabulous beads are still available from Hong Kong as well as other items such as earrings and bracelets. The beads are usually in plastic but come in a fabulous range of shapes and colours.  Here are just a few.

 White bead torsade necklaces signed Hong Kong.

 Three strand green bead necklace. Lots of different shapes to the beads in this one. Hook fastening where it is signed Hong Kong.

A very long green bead vintage necklace with waxy beads. The strand has fixed beads where they are attached to the string. Signed on the clasp.

For other Hong Kong jewellery on Jewels and Finery. We also have repair necklaces that need restringing on Jewels and Finery Craft that includes some Hong Kong beads.

Hollywood Jewellery.

Hollywood jewellery was produced from the early 1900s up to the 1970s by the Bloxidge Brothers in Birmingham. They made costume jewellery that was fairly cheap and cheerful. They were at one point the main supplier of jewellery for Woolworths.

Very large flower vintage brooch by Hollywood in a gold-tone metal.

Not all their pieces are signed but this one is. It is always HOLLYWOOD in block capital.

For more Hollywood jewellery.  


Germany made jewellery.

The G that we have photographed for Germany (other than what is in our designer jewellery collection) is by Christian Dior and these are big earrings.

 

All of the pieces are not for sale at present shown in this blog, but will be shortly.

Necklaces from Hong Kong

Okay when the bead necklaces from Hong Kong came out in the 1970s, they irritated me. Okay they were cheap and even at that teenage age I realised that it would damage our own jewellery industry. I was right (as always she says modestly LOL) By the eighties we had lost so many manufacturers or they changed ownership and down sized - Exquisite, Hollywood, Ciro Pearls to name a couple....
Not only in this country but world wide - cheap imports left many companies unable to compete.

 

They were very much 1950s style with their double and treble strands, which to me a youngster was a no no. However by my twenties I often wore necklace and jewellery that had been made in the 1950s. Yes there were many older women still wearing their original bead necklaces in the seventies. My mom and nan were and they did seem old to me then (even though my mother was only in her thirties!)

Anyway I digress. Looking at the beads 40 or so years on. The different and variety does not compare to beads available (unless hand made) today. The majority are made of plastic in many different shapes either dyed or coated with a bright colourful enamel

Jewellery style is what you make it. Never one to follow fashion, just wear them on their own or with several layers of necklaces.

The ones that have been damaged can be taken apart and the beads salvaged for up cycling, as they are so different. The coating can peel off and careful storage is recommended in a well ventilated jewellery box. Not hung up which can weaken the thread of strung necklaces.
Matching earrings were also made for some of the Hong Kong necklaces. Some are still source able today.