Insect Jewellery - Love it or hate it?

The Victorians loved jewellery in an insect shape.During the period 1860 to 1885 the most typical motif used was the dragonfly, flies and other insects. Dragon flies continued into the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. Colorful vintage insect jewellery was produced in the thirties mostly from Czechoslovakia. Butterflies were very popular with the craze of using the wings; to produce the iridescent backgrounds on brooches, pendants and rings made famous by Thomas Le Mott in the 1930s to 1960s.

Sunflower bright yellow with a bee in the middle photograph taken in our garden.   
During the Halloween period we see a range of spider brooches and ring in costume and novelty plastic jewellery.

But with bug jewellery you either love it or just hate it. Bright red butterfly brooches above.

I do like insect jewellery and have no problem with spiders or other creepy crawlies. Recently I was out with my mother and I was wearing a large dragonfly brooch. My mother had a large spider brooch almost fastened on her jackets shoulder. Thinks it runs in our family, my teenage daughter would like a small spider tattoo.........now that's another story!

Insect photographs taken on 22nd September 2010 in our garden. All jewellery is available on Jewels and Finery

Jewellery Glossary Part E

Today the sun is shinning and I am trying very hard to resist the call of the garden. So much to do and so little time..

Husband Mark is still suffering from a very nasty chest infection. But hopefully these second lot of antibiotics will get him back on his feet.

Back to today's subject of the jewellery glossary on the letter E

Enamelling - A technique for decorating jewellery and other metal objects. In which a silicate of glass mixed with powdered metallic oxides, which produce the desired colour, is placed on metal in a prepared design and then fused until the enamel paste or powder adheres to the metal. Also can be cold enamelled where the enamel is in a paint form and applied to the metal with a brush by hand and allowed to dry.

The signed vintage jewellery from Exquisite was often hand enamelled using the cold enamel technique

Here is an Exquisite brooch of  berries

Our Christmas vintage jewellery will be on sale at the end of August.

 

En Esclavage - A necklace in which several strands start together and then separate, at an equal distance from the other

Emerald - A precious green variety of the mineral beryl. The range of colours can be from plastic looking milky grass green to the richest of transparent greens. Associated with fertility, prophecy and abundance. Originally mined in Egypt thousands of years ago. But now mined in Brazil, Columbia, Russia, Pakistan and South Africa.
High quality emeralds are used in fine jewellery and the opaque emeralds with occlusions are often used in costume jewellery. "Indian emeralds" are not real emeralds but dyed quartz.    

Eternity rings - Those in the form of a hoop, the circle being regarded as the symbol of eternity. The plain hoop of the wedding ring symbolizes eternal fidelity. Eternity rings are usually set with a continuous line of small stones.

 Vintage brooch from Exquisite Beech Leaf cold hand enamelled

Vintage insect brooch enamelled in green and blue

Vintage white enamel necklace from Jewelcraft

Gardener's World Show NEC visit

Took a day out and Mark and I went to the NEC, just a short car ride to visit the Gardener's World show.
The sun shone all day - a novelty as it has rained nearly every time I have gone previously.

Loads of stall on gardening paraphernalia, a huge marque of plants and flowers, show gardens and food stalls to taste and buy both foods and drinks

This was the first time I had not drove to the event and so it was nice to be able to sample some of the drinks - ginger beer alcoholic drink, damson gins and try some of the most tastiest sausages and cheeses.

Here are some of the gardens on show

 
The first photograph is the Gardener's World's garden Greenacre full of edible plants

The second again is Greenacre with the cottage garden planting. have always loved the informal planting in a cottage garden

The third photograph is Alice in biodiversity land designed by Solihull school pupils

The fourth is a peaceful garden with a waterfall and a natural feel

The fifth photograph is the footballers one - see those giant footballs!

The sixth is also the footballers garden with the large BBQ and an outdoor jacuzzi - didn't like the football theme but that jacuzzi oh yes.

The seventh is an Indian inspired garden of peace and tranquility - loved the floral petals and colours in this one.

The eighth photograph is by the children of Walmley junior school, Sutton Coldfield. Back to nature. the children were so excited and were showing their enthusiasm at the show.

The ninth  and last photograph of a garden called The Growing Fit Garden. At the back is a set of kettles. Now the only reason I know this is because there is one in the middle of my living room floor at the moment. Curtsy of my oldest son. Delivered the other day and too heavy for me to lift. Still when he looses interest in it, I am sure it will make a great door stopper!!

Back to Jewels - recently added vintage jewellery and pre owned contemporary jewellery

Two black love cats brooch

Enameled insect brooch

Vintage necklace bead slices and chain

insects and bugs shaped jewellery - Victorian view

The sunny weather this week has seen us rediscovering the greenhouse. We hacked through bushes and a few tree seedlings and there it was... A bit battered and in need of a good wash, but maybe this year we will have some tomatoes and a few cucumbers?

The poor old garden has been neglected over the last 3 years and I have really missed growing our own vegetables and fruit. But this year has been very different. New treatment has meant I can move a bit easier and help much more. Tomato photographs to follow...

Now to insect jewellery - very apt as the greenhouse was full of them

You either like insect designed jewellery or you do not. My mother heard an antiques expert on TV say that it was a small minority of people that wore spider brooches or butterfly necklaces. I do like insect jewellery especially dragonfly brooches and have a growing collection.

In 1860 Victorians had a passion for wearing all things insect. This description taken from "Victorian Jewellery" by Margaret Flowers (first published in 1951) says it all

"More remarkable was the vogue for insects. Mr William d'Arfey in Curious Relations mentions that in the late sixties 'Bonnets and veils were covered with every kind of beetle; that at least was the beginning of the mode, but it soon extended itself from rose-beetles with their bronze and green carapaces to stag beetles...Parasols were liberally sprinkled with ticks, with grasshoppers, with woodlice. Veils were sown with earwigs, with cockchafers, with hornets. Tulle scarves and veilings sometimes had on them artificial bed bugs...' These insects appeared on necklaces, bracelets and earrings, as well as on veils and parasols. Flies of gold, coloured with enamel, were set under crystal to form jewels. Butterflies, dragonflies and beetles in gems were worn as brooches and shoulder knots. Bees too, were fashionable, some people thought because they were the emblem of young Prince Victor Bonaparte, who was a great favourite in Paris society"

When I first read this paragraph - it just conjured up images of Victorian society. Then thought I really would not recognize half these insect species!

Here are a few insects in jewellery form on Jewels and Finery with bee brooches, ladybird brooches and dragonfly brooches available.

Maybe not on veils today but they look great on bags, jackets and hats. Also can decorate a curtain tie back or in a shadow box. Jewellery does not just have to be worn.