Green Gemstone Chip Jewellery

Time to write a jewellery blog has been too little just lately, but this beautiful May Sunday morning is the exception. So today lets look at the vintage jewellery craze from the 1970s - green vintage gemstone chip jewellery, chip brooches, earrings, necklaces and bracelets were definitely in. The idea was that the green gemstone chips were fashionable Jade. But with the price of Jade, in many cases a lower costing gemstone was used in costume jewellery or even sometimes green plastic chips.

 Chrysoprase green chip vintage brooch

Jade was one of the favourite amulet gemstones used over the centuries. It is said to have the properties of stabilizing your aura and so getting rid of dysfunctional energy and promoting relaxation, compassion and contentment.

How do you tell what gemstone was used - with difficulty, we use a gemstone tester to verify what the gem is.
Mostly the gemstone Chrysoprase was used as a Jade substitute but also Aventurine.

 Green gemstone chip vintage bracelet.

Chrysoprase is an apple green semi precious gemstone, often seen with brown earthy coloured chips with it. Now very fashionable in its own right, it is said to have the properties to bring about good luck and success. It is also an earth gemstone that conveys the harmonious energy of nature.

Aventurine can be identified by its sparkly appearance with a green ocean colour. This stone is said to calm the emotions and stabilize them. It is also said to promote spiritual growth and increase your tranquillity.

 Multi gemstone chip locket vintage necklace

So with so many green gemstone chip pieces from the 70s still around and priced reasonably. They are great to collect and have a benefit when worn.   

Washing and Rainy Days of long ago

 Jane Elizabeth Johnson (Ward) 1874 - 1950)

As I picked up the pile of washing to put away I could not help thinking on how lucky I was. What brought this on was 5 days without my tumble dryer. I do love technology unless it goes wrong!

In the late Victorian era and up to her death in 1950, my great grandmother was not so lucky. A day of washing per week. Living in back to back houses for most of her life with 8 children and a violent coal miner husband, who was either down the mine, drinking in the pub or beating the living daylights out of her. She would boil the water, wash all the clothing by hand, mangle the water out and dry. If the sun shone she would be able to dry them on the line otherwise it was on the dryer in front of the coal fire.

 Jane married Robert Ward - Stafford 6Th January 1902

Every time she became pregnant she left him and walked between Yorkshire, Shropshire, Stafford and Birmingham. Her children survived pregnancy and one day he arrived home from the pub intent on another argument. What he had not noticed was that his sons had grown up. Now able to fight back, they threw him from the house and my great nan lived her days in peace. There was no divorce in those days.

Blackpool with Jane Ward, Nell (Beatrice) Ward and my mom early 1940s

So the washing neatly stacked away and I counting my lucky stars that I was born almost a hundred years later. Here are a few jewels full of brightness and sunshine to drive away the rain and thunder storms that have made the last few days dark and dismal and an absolute pain to hang washing out to dry.

    Large angel brooch that was pre owned and modern - sorry now sold.

Above are a beautiful light blue diamante brooch, fried egg clip earrings and a real turquoise chip gemstone necklace.

Dating - The Jade Chip Rage 1970s

One of the easiest pieces of 1970s jewellery to date is the jade chip or gemstone chip ones from the seventies. However to identify whether it is actually jade or what type of vintage gemstone jewellery is much much harder!

It was all the rage in 1970s jewellery to have a ring, bracelet or necklace with bright green jade type chips in. Many were imported from China and Hong Kong but the UK jewellery company Exquisite also did a range.
This fashion craze started around the mid-1970s and lasted a couple of years before drifting through an amethyst or lavender coloured jade chip jewellery (which was not as fashionable) before finally petering out.

Gemstone chip vintage brooch in Vintage green brooches

Jade jewellery has continued being produced to today. The use of the gemstone is steeped in history, thought to have healing properties and slow aging. Brings happiness and good fortune to the owner. In particular is thought to protect the dead and connect with their spirits.

There are two forms of jade: nephrite and jadeite.
Nephrite is a tough mineral and difficult to break. Its name comes from the word kidney and so is believed to heal the kidneys.
Jadeite is a more granular form and when polished has a slight dimple form. It is as hard as quartz.

Above is a dyed quartz beaded belt. Not jade and not Carnelian or Coral - which has been dyed to imitate. 
Jade varies in colour from a bright translucent green, a turquoise green, light blue to a very pale almost white green. Black nephrite jade originates from China. Jadeite is available in green, lavender, pink, orange and brown mainly from Burma. Jade can also be dyed many other colours. Colour and clarity of jade effects the price and value. Clear, bright and even coloured jade demands high prices.  

Identifying jade is a headache as many different gemstones are used. Imitations were mostly used in costume jewellery and real jade with gold and silver settings. But again not always!

Bowenite - softer than jade and can be scratched
Grossulaar garnet - labelled "African or Transvaal jade"
Chrysophas
Prenita
Aventurine
Carnelian
Glass
Soapstone
Dyed marble
Plastic

Gemstones are colder than glass to the touch but unless you are an expert in jade, then using a gem tester makes identification easier. Interestingly some of the cheaper gemstones used then have now become collectible in their own right.