March On!

Progress: in my apartment currently is a box of invitations, waiting to be sent out. Sure, yes, they must still be sealed and addressed, but lo: do not rain on my parade! Also, someone is making my dress and not only that BUT I have managed to put the other dresses that I purchased but were not right for me on ebay. Exhausting just reading about this, right? Let's look at pretty things.

In the So Tiny! So Adorable! Category:

Iwona Ludyga Tiny Keyhole Ring, $135

In the So Sparkly! So Dainty! Category:

Yasuko Azuma Moonlight Diamond Necklace, $738

In the So Pretty! So Old! Category:

Vintage 1930's Rhinestone Dress Clip at Jean Jean vintage, $78

And here's a little snap of some of my babies...

I've got some new ones too! I have to look longingly at this photo until May. No more "frivolous" (how insulting to diamonds!) purchases until after the nuptials. SIGH.

And my big baby:

Don't Know How Long I've Been Missing You

I've started and stopped about a million posts these last two months and it just became easier to say, oh, it's been so long anyhow. To say, well why bother? But today I'm sick and sitting here thinking that I really should do something about this.

What's new with you? Since my last post I've:

-gone to San Fran; (more pics here)

Grace Cathedral was my favorite place...

-got food poisoning in SF;

-left SF early;

-seen Twilight, A Christmas Tale and at least one or two other movies, but still have not gotten around to Man on Wire;

Even Mathieu Amalric swoons over Mathieu Amalric in A Christmas Tale (pic from Film Detail)

-finished season 1 of Mad Men;

pic from Give Me My remote

-read a million books and liked about half;

-been sick twice;

-been recommended a no junk food diet by doctor once;

-bought boots that I love--this has been a years-long quest (omfg SO comfortable);

-made plans for a Cooperstown-style Thanksgiving.

There's been more but being sick makes me blue (or green, I guess) and I can't remember all of the surely wonderful things I've been doing. Mostly I just sit around all day resenting San Francisco's hills.

But there's been some down time and I've found some new obsessions (jewelry-wise; we don't need to go into the whole Robert Pattinson thing here).

Victorian Garnet and Seed Pearl Ring, $150

Clasped Hands Ring, $245

Edwardian Garnet and Opal Ring, $340 (That unusual style of garnet is called "mine cut" and I've grown to really love it after looking at pages and pages of Edwardian and Victorian rings. It's a much sharper cut, and called such as the stones were literally taken from old mines. The style was popular predominately through the 19th c. Really striking reminder of how history repeats itself if you look at the stud jewelry that cropped up last year, I'm thinking most about Alex and Chloe's inverted diamond ring.)

Hannah Clark Ouroborus Ring, $500 (This is modeled after the engagement ring Victoria received from Prince Albert. The snake represents infinity--eating it's own tail creates a never ending circle.)

Sapphire Dome Ring, $88 (Also reminiscent of the Victorian "starburst" style like this one, which was also mixed with something called a gypsy setting that showed the gems recessed--or set under the surface level-- in the metal. Example here.)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Do You Have the Time?

I just can't believe how quickly Christmas is approaching! I feel like I haven't got the time to do anything: cookies to be made, presents to be bought, presents to be wrapped, tree to pick out... man, I'm gonna be busy this weekend.

That got me thinking about watches, and how much I adore a good vintage watch find. There are some wonderful timepieces to be found in thrift stores, but they usually need a little work. The fully restored ones are a dream for most of us, but so lovely to look at:




Ladies 1950's Vintage Bracelet Watch, $1250




Ladies Antique Wittnauer 1940's Watch, $250





18K and White Gold (with diamonds) Bucherer Ladies Watch, $375






Deadstock Funky 1960's Ladies Croton Troparctic Watch, $99






Ernest Borel Cocktail Watch, $325





Verger Art Nouveau Watch with Pearls, Platinum and diamonds, Circa 1913 (hand painted face), $19,000
(Note: Verger was a famous Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry designer who produced pieces for many high end jewelry shops like Cartier)





1950's Pink 18K LeCoultre Watch, $1750





(Aside: My boss is laughing so hard in his office, I'm afraid he may burst something! He's been going for like, five minutes straight now.)

Charmed, I'm Sure

First off, hope everybody had a lovely holiday! Mine was full of baseball. Okay! Enough about that.

Charm bracelets have always held a certain, er, charm, for me. I love the idea of monumenting a life though jewelry in such a literal way.

Two things I will not discuss in this post:
1. Mariah Carey's album Charmbracelet
2. Those (and I'm sorry if I am offending anyone here) AWFUL Italian charm bracelet with the the cheesy flat links.



Over the years, these bracelets have had starring roles in many jewelry trends. Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets that started a fashion among the European noble classes. Later on, soldiers returning home after World War II brought home trinkets made by craftsmen local to the area where they were fighting to give to loved ones. American teenagers in the 1950s and early 1960s collected charms to record the events in their lives.

I'm not sure why these fell so far out of mainstream fashion; the bracelets are such a unique and expressive type of jewelry--of which there is not nearly enough out there.

Here's what I would put on mine:

Cable Link "Kate" 14k Gold Bracelet, $395
Love is Blind 14k Gold Charm, $90
Gamble and Weep 14k Gold Charm, $140
Fortune Cookie 14k Gold Charm, $200
Hour Glass with White Sand 14k Gold Charm, $275
Lovebirds 14k Gold Charm, $120



A charm bracelet is also a great gift; you'll never be stumped for a present after you give the starter chain. C.H.A.R.M, the site where all the above charms were sold, has a lot of wonderful new and vintage charms. It's a little expensive, but charm bracelets are traditionally known as investment pieces. Hopefully the wearer will hold on to it for a long time.


Some pre-made vintage versions:


German Glass Bracelet, $65 (1950's)



Napier Lucite "Moonglow" Fruit Bracelet




Souvenir NY Necklace, composed of vintage charms

And an interesting modern version:

Vintage Brooches: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral

*Taking a personal day tomorrow. See you Thursday!


Somebody, somewhere commented on vintage brooches and I just can't remember any of the details... This was inspired by the comment you left, whoever you are! Brooches equal my favorite way to dress up boring black winter coats.




Late 1940s Guilloche Locket Brooch, $135






Vintage Alice Caviness Daffodil Brooch, $39




1940s Lucite Reverse Painted Figure Pin, $245 (click on link to read the story behind this one)




Vintage 1948 Coro Patented Design Gold Plate Rhinestone Floral Spoon Brooch, $39.00 (Along with a copy of the patent!)




Sarah Coventry Apple Pin, $22




Jelly Belly Bird Pin, $85 (1940's, "jelly belly" refers to a style of jewelry in which a clear lucite center was used in lieu of metal/ enamel/ stone in the belly of the animal represented, whether it be a pin, necklace, or bracelet.)