At the edge of the winter solstice, dark falls before it's quite evening, jewelry tones deepen, richer colour beckons. I bring out my antique or vintage earrings, along with the thickest sweaters. What looked heavy in summer now pleases.
Browsing local fine jewelers, I'm once again led to the past, where stone quality and design endure, undiminished by a century's passage.
Pieces made in the Victorian (1840-1901) and Edwardian (1901-1915) periods are still fairly easy to find at auction or in antique jewelry shops; the workmanship is superior to most branded-jewelry lines today.
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| Garnet dangles |
Faceted garnet earrings, ca. 1910, about 40mm long, for pierced ears. Price, $990 from Isadora's. Wear with a simple sweater and pants, no longer a 'uniform', but rather an elegant frame for these sparkling antiques.
Ca. 1880 rose gold and turquoise dangles with beautiful cabochons and large teardrop stones set in gold borders. Price, $975 from
A. Brandt and Sons.
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| Turquoise and rose gold |
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| Silver and agate |
The grace and romance of these Victorian silver and Scottish agates (white, moss and carnelian) earrings would make the simplest sweater sing. From A. Brandt and Sons; price, $790.
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| Seed pearl and 18k |
Delicate seed pearl and 18k earrings with bead accents. About 1/2 inch in diameter, yet generously infused with character. From Beladora II; price, $333.75.
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| Silver acorns |
Here's a nut to squirrel away for the winter! 1st Dibs seller Glorious Antique Jewelry offer well-modeled Edwardian silver acorns, with texture and contrast.
The leaf spreads 3/4 inch wide, the hanging length, 1 1/2 inches. Price, $1,200.
Luscious Victorian carved coral drops set in 18k gold, probably French, with slight wear that would not diminish my pleasure one bit. Price, £250 from
Laurelle Antique Jewellery.
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| Coral and gold drops |
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| Elegant sapphire and diamond buttons |
If shopping for a special purchase, consider these regal beauties: Victorian sapphire and diamond earrings, ca. 1900. Total weight of the sapphires is 1.60cts, the European-cut diamonds, 1.02cts. Price, $4,085 from Isadora's.
Each piece delighted a woman a century ago, and is poised for a second life today. Victorian and Edwardian earrings mix happily with many modern bracelets and rings.
The only thing is, they do fancy a cup of tea at least daily.
Comments
small but charming...
tea twice a day is not a steep price to pay !
Susan: They are especially romantic! Yes, women are wearing jewelery too small and conventional- often b/c men just go into a dept. store.
hostess: Small means you can wear them by day :)
Rubi: I wore only white metals for years, but now enjoy both.
Alienne: Garnets are not so hard to find, though, so keep an eye on your local antique stores.
LPC: Great eye they are beauties.
materfamilias: Yes! Many husbands default to a dept. store counter, and these are so much better, both in quality and price.
Duchesse, keep educating us! We are teachable!
We have a lot of anique jewelry on the way on Beladora2 after the holidays. Be sure to check in.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011!