What is a brooch that is said to be vintage?

This is a quick coffee break guide to what is a brooch that is vintage?
So to be an original and genuine vintage is to do with its age rather than its good looks. It can either have been produced between the 1920s to the 1990s, or be at least 20 to 25 years old. Not an easy thing to distinguish as there are many brooches on the market, with many of them not being vintage at all but new ones in the style of a vintage brooch and pin. Any piece of jewellery that was made between the Art Deco years of the 1920s and 1930s right up to the last decade of the twenty first century. Is said to be true and real vintage. It is actually easier to look at decades rather than splitting it up into years. Because dating can be difficult - unless you have an advert dated or a brochure or company catalogue.   

We have many original vintage brooches available on Jewels and Finery. Here are just a few:

There are many different styles of brooches and the above are just a small selection that we have. Along with antique, modern and small brooch pins available.
 

Clips for holding a scarf in place

Clips for holding a scarf in place - "Scarf Clips"

There has been a revival of using clips for holding a scarf in place. We have plenty and more to add as we go along. Popular from the 1950s and reaching a peak in the 1980s, scarf clips are just irresistible to wear. Plenty of different styles and eras to choose from.

Above is an Eloxal modernist vintage scarf clip circa 1970s.

Flower vintage scarf clip with a pearl bead centre.

Cameo vintage scarf clip in red and white.

Scarf clips 1960s fashion brochure from Style A Scarf

I do love collecting old brochures and adverts for vintage jewellery. This one is for scarf clips and I estimate its from the 1960s or early 1970s. Called "Style A Scarf" and produced by Bernard Shaffer Ltd, England. This 8-panel brochure shows how to use a scarf clip and also some of the styles from the sixties.

Love the eyeliner on this lady with the scarf and clip creating a classical bow look.

Three styles for using a scarf clip and scarf continues on the inside page. A cowl neck style that uses a scarf clip with a bar brooch as well. The Ascot Bow ha just an ornate clip with a long scarf that tightens to form a big bow at the front. Now the last how-to is a fabulous turban look. So very sixty hippy chick!

The middle section covers four panels. It shows how to have a beach or summer house look. A great way to keep your hair in place on holiday. Bow Babushka with a square scarf. Western with the scarf fastened to one side. Gipsy creating a hat from a scarf that would be ideal for the beach. Butterfly Bow and Cravat for different looks around the neck.

   
This panel shows a further way on how to fold a scarf called the Smoke Ring (circular scarf) and how to use a scarf clip with a bar brooch. There are 7 different vintage scarf clips with antique and modern 1960s fashion styles. This is ideal for dating vintage jewellery.

Last back panels that explain about the British brand Style-a-scarf and gives two more ideas about using a clip as a pendant and a bracelet.

Last page has another 8 different ways, so who said vintage scarf clips were limited in use?  

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.

Light weight jewellery of a type of aluminum called Eloxal

Tuesday Topic of the day on the jewelry ring was for Eloxal jewellery. Apparently it is light weight aluminum that is very shiny and does not tarnish. This rang a bell that I have come across many pieces especially in vintage bracelets and vintage scarf clips. These were made in West Germany and usually marked as such and date from the 1950s to the 1970s. Eloxal stands for electrolytic oxidation of aluminum.
Already realized that several bracelets and scarf clips listed on Jewels & Finery fit this description. I went hunting for a bracelet that seemed to be similar to one shown. This is what I found:

Not a brilliant photo but this is very shiny in a gold tone vintage bracelet that is light weight dated to the 1970s. Unsigned.

Bit better photo of the segments of the bracelet.

The back - shows how shiny it is.

This was the vintage bracelet I had in mind. Again very light weigh with a pictorial covering of orange fish. No idea what this is called, but its "bubbles" in translucent and coloured orange and black that make up the design.

Close up photograph of one of the fish. Again this one is unsigned and probably dates to the 1960s. the bracelet is quite wide and fits like a cuff.

Back of the vintage fish bracelet - shiny and lightweight.

Found quite a few vintage scarf clips - this one photographed well some did not! The front piece is very shiny and light weight but the clip mechanism and plate is in a different metal and heavier probably a brass alloy.

Unsigned back of the above scarf clip.

All the above vintage scarf clips have light weight aluminum type fronts all quite shiny with brass clip mechanisms. The last scarf clip is signed West Germany the others are not.

And lastly this vintage bracelet.

This vintage bracelet would be a souvenir type circa 1960s/1970s. In a light weight gold tone. Again very shiny with motif of a swallow with a letter, a mushroom, a man in a Dutch type of clothing with a ladder carrying something?, a horse shoe and clover leaf and lastly a pig. Have no idea what this all means and the bracelet is unsigned.

I think they are all of Eloxal or part Eloxal.They are waiting to be photographed properly and will be added to the website later this year.

Dating necklaces, earrings and bracelet Sarah Coventry p16

Haven't completed the next part of the Spring 1976 catalogue from Sarah Coventry jewelry for a while. So this is part 16, just a single page number 49 that contains vintage necklaces with matching vintage earrings and a Melody vintage bracelets.
One of the best ways to date any vintage jewellery is to get hold of a catalogue, brochure or advertisement that is clearly dated from a company. Sarah Coventry produced several catalogue per year to show to women at their home parties. Some still survive today and are an excellent source of dating material. I have collected quite a few and this autumn intend to start showing more on this blog. The reason this part 16 will just have just one page is because the next two pages are for vintage mens jewellery so will have that as a separate blog post.

So back to page 49.

Now it should enlarge a bit when clicked onto the above page to get a better view.

A = 8749, Silvery Cascade necklace 16 inch.  Silvery cascade necklace 18 inch (not shown)
B = 7239, Silvery Cascade earrings  (clip on )
C = 8208, Lilac Time necklace 50 inch with a removable 16 inch choker.
D = 8341, Timely necklace 36 inch.
E = 9586, Melody bracelet shown here in silver tone.

Now I do remember the silvery cascade earring style as I had some in the late 70s. Not by Sarah Coventry but they were a popular design which continued into the 80s in various forms. The bold lettering relates to the actual name of the Sarah Coventry jewelry. How they managed to give a different name to the thousands of different designs is so neat. I have trouble thinking up a few names LOL. But I think that's something to do with my age and also my brain!
Will be posting information shortly on my blog on Ciro and also scarf clips. Think I will also have to go back to my jewellery book reviews as the bookcase and bedside table is now groaning under the weight of lots of different ones, but all on jewellery in some form including vintage beads and vintage button books.       

Do you collect or wear bird brooches?

Now I know there are many people that collect bird brooches. Not as unusual as it sounds as the number of bird brooch particularly owl brooches have been flying of the virtual shelves. We have recently made it easier to view the vintage brooches collections with a new look to Jewels and Finery. So bringing the bird brooches collection to the main page.

Along with owls, other birds are peacocks, kingfishers, parrots, swan, dove, ducks, swallow, eagle and vultures. there are those birds that can not be identified and due to designer artistic inspiration.

Vintage swallow brooch with diamante circa 1970s.

Swan brooch in flight. Vintage swan brooch 1970s by Sphinx.

Partridge pin in pewter by A R Brown

King fisher vintage bird brooch 1960s

Humming bird brooch circa 1990s.

Two bird brooch pins

Bright parrot brooch in plastic

Penguin brooch pin in clay

Attach a bird brooch to a jacket's lapel, hat or bag. Even to a hair band or evening bag to have a different look to anyone else.