Zoom feature on Jewels and Finery's jewellery photographs

Yesterday saw the launch of the new zoom feature on our Jewels and Finery's website. So now the vintage jewellery photographs can be seen close up and in closer detail. Taking vintage jewellery photographs is an art in itself. Best taken outside in natural light for me. I have never been a fan of the bland jewellery pictures on a white background - they seem so flat and false. But that is my opinion, not for the many jewellery website around, but then I have always looked at life very differently.. 

Particularly like the close up detail to this second hand brooch of a silver modernist design.

This vintage jewellery set of Christmas bells in our vintage Christmas jewellery category can be viewed so close the reflection of the outdoor studio can be seen.

Look at the detail with the new zoom feature on this panther vintage bracelet.

The zoom can not be seen on these blog photographs - view them on our website - vintage jewellery from Jewels and Finery.

Now have a good weekend.

1930's filigree and rhinestone jewellery

1930s jewellery comes under the Art Deco and pre-war banner. Jewellery from that decade was a mix of graphic, luxury and very exotic. The thirties is most associated with bright colourful 1930's jewellery, usually imported into the UK from Bohemia. Art Deco and modernist machine jewellery was in evidence but also other styles flourished in the pre war boom years.

Blue rhinestone dress clip circa 1930s Bohemian

Vintage brooches of that period were often of enamel with marcasite or rhinestone encrusted of multi colours. The signature style of Czech vintage jewellery was filigree, in a few short years it was imported into this country in the thousands such was the demand. It was evident on brooches, bracelets, necklaces, dress clips and earrings. Earring mechanisms changed from pierced to the clip and screw backs; because to pierce ears required a cork and sharp needle - modern piercing equipment had yet to be invented. Dress clips became very fashionable worn on dresses and tops singular or in pairs.

Small 1930s brooch with colourful rhinestone and filigree

War in the UK saw a gradual change in material used, to sterling silver and "natural" occurring products such as shells, wood and seeds. With rationing until the 1950s, jewellery was available only in small quantities or "home made" Once again during the 30s and 40s, the UK saw the jewellery industry change to help the war effort.

Black and carved gold feature on this pair of 1930s earrings

The war brought an end to the flourishing Bohemian jewellery industry. The Jewish workers and owners either fled the country or ended up in concentration camps never to return.

A filigree effect around this tear drop shaped rhinestone on this amethyst purple pair of earrings

1930s vintage flower brooch.

Today brightly coloured rhinestone and filigree jewellery can still be found at a reasonable price. The workmanship was by far superior to today's machine made pieces. Rhinestones were prong set by hand and the filigree is in several layers. Beware when buying "vintage" filigree jewellery from Czechoslovakia as the jewellery is not real vintage but new reproductions of an inferior quality. This is very evident now on shopping channels such as eBay.        

Clown brooches for that comic circus look

There are so many kinds of brooches to choose from, that today I thought I would have a quick look at clown vintage brooches.
Circus life has diminished tremendously during the last 50 years. In my childhood I went to the circus and enjoyed not only the clowns but the lions and elephant performances. Today circuses are still around but many have complied with the times and moved to theatrical and mostly human performances.

Clowns are either loved or hated. Hated maybe because you can not see their true expression and intent behind the face paint? Loved because they are funny and wear brightly coloured clothing.

Here are a few pieces of vintage jewellery of different clowns that we have on the website at the moment.
Very retro and fun to wear on a hat, bag, clothing or as a hair decoration. Fun to collect and display in a frame or on a pillow.

So have a good weekend and don't clown around too much!!

BJL necklace lily design

Several jewellery blogs ago - I asked for any information on BJL signed designer jewellery. and information on the unsigned vintage brooches that are of the marcasite and enamel lily design. These brooches can be found in many different colours from pink, blue to green enameled ones.

The lily vintage brooches are very similar to the signed brooches by BJL, so I wondered if they were made by the same company and asked if anyone had a vintage brooch that was signed?

Thank you very much to Clare in New Zealand who recently brought this beautiful vintage necklace signed BJL

It certainly looks very similar to the lily vintage brooches. Now we know that BJL made lily designed jewellery - so there must be a signed brooch somewhere as absolute proof?

And if anyone knows who the company was that made BJL jewellery - please let me know so that I can share the information.

Is it a brooch or a pendant - just versatile jewellery?

Some forms of jewellery are very versatile. There are a few brooches that have a loop on the back to convert into a pendant. Easy to do by adding a chain necklace or even a ribbon. The loop is also handy to attach a safety chain pin, most often seen on the 1950s vintage brooches.
Here are a few available at the moment on Jewels and Finery.

We do have many more of these brooches available

Tussie Mussie Brooch for holding a flower sprig or feather

A Tussie Mussie brooches are quite rare to source nowdays. The brooches have a little "tube" area that can hold a small posy of flowers or a small feather. Popular originally during the Victorian period, where both men and women used them to stop the flower ends staining their clothing, hold a small posy and add decoration all at the same time.
Jewels and Finery has one available at the moment. Its quite small and will just about fit a small sprig of heather or a flower similar. Very collectible with this one dating to the early part of the twentieth century.

 

Rare and collectible vintage jewellery.

Pop it beads necklaces of plastic

Now who can remember Pop it bead necklaces from their childhood? They were plastic beads that you could join together to form either one necklace or several bracelets. These vintage necklaces originally began to be made in the 1950s. Firstly made for adults and then in the sixties children versions were made. Eventually after the sixties and seventies they died out of popularity and hence production.

Here are two versions of the Pop it beads necklaces available on Jewels and finery recently.

Kitsch vintage jewellery that is so fun to wear and collect. The fifties versions are now quite hard to find but the 1960s ones are still available in a wide range of bright colour.