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assorted cameos

CAMEO JEWELLERY

Cameos are a raised relief made in stone, shell, glass, etc. and later in plastics. They are the opposite of intaglios – which are recessed images. Cameos have a long history and have been made in ivory, coral, stone, lava, shell, glass, jet etc. Later – in the 20th and 21st century plastics were used. These were not carved of course – but were moulded – usually in two pieces to get two different colours. Classical designs have always been popular – and faces. During the 19th century France and Italy were the leading makers of carved shell cameos. Later so many people visiting Italy would come back with a carved, shell cameo – some better than others! Queen Victoria was fond of them. Later costume jewellery companies such as Whiting and Davis, Avon and of course Wedgewood made them in other materials. In the picture are shell, lava, glass, Wedgewood and plastic cameos. Thanks to the authors – M.L. and P.R Clements for their Schiffer book ‘Cameos Classical to Costume’. I like this book because it includes a complete range of items – rather than just the more expensive, carved variety. I like to see the costume jewellery items!

Jean Painleve jewellery

JEAN PAINLEVE

Jean Painleve was a famous French underwater photographer who lived from 1902-1989. He led amazing life – being interested and involved in so many things. During the Deco period he started making jewellery from brass and galalith. The first pieces involved seahorses and he progressed to salamanders etc. These were sold in Parisian boutiques. These interesting items of vintage costume jewellery have become very collectible and hard to find. Sometimes they are marked JHP. There is plenty of additional information on Google.

Jewelcraft snake brooch

COROCRAFT AND JEWELCRAFT

Corocraft and Jewelcraft were the names used by the famous American jewellery company Coro for jewellery produced in the U.K from their factory in Sussex. They had got into a legal dispute with the British firm Ciro about the closeness of the names. They therefore added ‘craft’ to the names used. Their most productive period was around the middle of the 20th century. In the 1960s Corocraft was sold but did not survive. In 1970 Jewelcraft ceased trading. Thanks to Vintage Jewels Geek Blog for this information. The full article can be found on Google.

Legacy Jewellery blog

WEST PRODUCTS/LEGACY

Recently a huge warehouse of unused stock was discovered – that had been locked away since just before the year 2000. This was old, unused stock manufactured by West Products – based just outside London. They were the biggest supplier to the U.K. market – according to The Jeweller magazine. They made for shops such as Liberty, Harrods, John Lewis etc. They also made under the name ‘Legacy’ their own brand – which were not marked. Few pieces did have a mark – just a hang tag or similar. The entire contents have recently been bought and are gradually being sold. I have been able to buy some of this stock. Information from Accessories of Old and The Jewellery Magazine.

filigree brooches 2

CZECH. VINTAGE FILIGREE BROOCHES

When I started to take an interest in vintage jewellery – over 50 years ago – there were very few books on the topic available. When Sibylle Jargstorf’s book ‘Baubles, Buttons and Beads – The Heritage of Bohemia’ was published (Schiffer 1993) I immediately bought a copy. So much information – not only about the metalwork but also about the different sorts of glass stones used – such as saphiret, iris, satin, opalescent and foiled glass. Today I am playing with a box of Czech. brooches – particularly the filigree ones. There is no more room in my shop at Alfies Antiques – so they will have to wait for a space! These filigree brooches were made by craftsmen in Gablonz. These are 20th Century but the tradition goes back much further. The picture shows such a variety of shapes and colours. Of course there were necklaces, buckles, earrings, clips etc. The metals were either gilded or silvered. If any of these beautiful brooches is of interest do email me.

gilt mesh bage

WHITING & DAVIS

Most of the information below is from the official Whiting & Davis Collection.com – but there is a lot more information on the web if you need it. The company was founded in Massachusetts in 1876. In 1892 the first mesh bag was designed and all the components were formed and joined by hand. In 1912 the process was automated. It became Whiting & Davis in 1896. The early bags were beautiful creations – coloured patterns and hangings at the bottom. However these are really collectors items and I usually stock the type of bag that can be worn. After WW11 the company concentrated on items made in a very flexible mesh. This could be in the usual gold tone colour – or more unusually in a silver colour. They also made smaller items such as purses and jewellery. The company is still operating and has kept up with the times. I particularly love the kerchief necklaces and the snake bangles. There is mention on the internet of items with a Made in China label but no real information on whether these items are genuine. The items are always very high quality. Sometimes there is a mark inside the bag. Sometime on a zipper tag. The lining will be good quality too. There will always be copies of high quality items so look very carefully. Good hunting!
celluloid short hat pin

CELLULOID HAT FLASHES/CLOCHE PINS

Celluloid was invented in the 1860s – primarily to replace ivory. It was used extensively for jewellery in the Art Deco period. It was particularly suitable for making these smaller Art Deco hat pins. The majority were black and diamante but other colours were used. In present time people wear them anywhere – particularly in hats and berets of course, but they also look good on a jacket lapel etc. I always sell them with a hat pin end to prevent loss. They look great with a Deco outfit and are a low budget item that will really make a statement.