Cameos Old & New Anna M Miller - Book Review

At the beginning of this year, I decided to buy a book a month. Each book would be to increase my knowledge about antique and vintage jewellery. So far I have brought 2 books a month - okay so I can't count LOL

The truth is I love book and can not wait for my latest purchase to arrive. So when the 4Th edition of Cameos Old and New by Anna M Miller which has been revised and updated by Diana Jarrett caught my eye - It just had to buy it.
I already have the 3rd edition and was very pleased to find the latest books on cameos contained more excellent information

The book is for anyone new to cameos, experienced collectors, jewellery dealers and also curators.
It is a fully comprehensive reference guide to:

• Where to hunt for cameos
• How to recognize - old from new, imitation and newer synthetic materials from original shell or stone cameos
• How to differentiate between ultrasonically produced and hand carved cameos

 The book has loads more pages of photographs than the last, with the new cameo's illustrated that are being made today. Extensive and well written chapters on cameos from their history, materials past and present to today's worldwide cameo designers 
Overall well worth buying if you are interested in cameos.
Taken from the book three examples that are included in the list of the twenty most common subjects of cameos:
The three muses, Medusa and profile of an anonymous female; the lady cameo that is mass produced in stone and shell.

My interest in cameos has included the twentieth and twenty first century costume jewellery type.
Particularly the one profile that is seen most often, I have christened her the popular goddess!
She does differ across productions as some vintage and second hand ones tend to be plainer, where as some ones she is molded more beautiful with flowing clothes, hair and flowers.  Some of the ones produced have a point at the end of her nose instead of round.

 

Seventies vintage cameo earrings clip on style

Notice the profile of the popular goddess is quite plain

Again the cameo on this choker - she is plain in detail

Estimate the choker is sixties to early seventies.

 

  

 

  

 

Note the last three have a sharper point to her nose

These cameos have been produced in all different types of jewellery with a variety of coloured backgrounds. From bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings and scarf clips. Even on the heel of  a shoe or front!

http://www.zazzle.co.uk/cameo+shoes
Link for above shoes

http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/collections/themes/2333/theme/2440/object/2685#2685
Elegant shoe produced by Wedgwood and information on their cameos 

Jewels and Finery Vintage Cameo Jewellery
Selection of our antique and vintage cameo jewellery. More jewels to be added soon as we have them photographed and ready to list

Just have fun collecting and wearing cameos what ever they are made of or age.

Next book review will be one about Kenneth J Lane's jewellery and life, so please feel free to bookmark this blog


 

 

Re - Enameling Vintage Jewellery Part 2

Just an update on some of the jewellery that I have now re-enameled. In my last post on this subject, I had just started to try out my enameling skills! Not the greatest painter in the world LOL
Anyhow here are a few brooches that I have since painted.
Still the only female in our local model shop and have slowly brought more colours to my enameling tin for use.

 

This is a large vintage snowdrop brooch from Exquisite. the snowdrop flower is part of the Birthday Series and this is January

 
 

The violet brooch again part of the vintage jewellery range produced by Exquisite (1914 to 1979)

 

Another vintage brooch by Exquisite. This one is the Christmas (December) flower in the Birthday Series

 
 

One of the Leaf Series with their fruit pieces of jewellery from Exquisite. The name of this brooch escapes me at the moment - having brain lag and the need to do this blog in 5 minutes flat!

 

This is the smaller version of the Snowdrop vintage brooch by Exquisite

 

This plastic brooch was an experiment. It looked as thought it had a chip out of it. So have tried painting some of the parts. Will now need to buy some flesh coloured enamel to complete.

Two coats are better, leaving to dry well in between as the colour does not chip off so easily then.

All these brooches I will be keeping for myself, but this is just to give an idea on what you can achieve - especially if you are more an artist than I - Have fun

Vintage jewellery available on Jewels and Finery that is enameled.

 
1950s/1960s Enamel vintage brooch 

Fir cone vintage brooch 

Rabbit Brooch 1960 

That's all I have time for now - off to our first jumble sale of the years. Love jumble sales, you never know what you will find, books, material for patchwork and crazy quilting, embroidered and crochet table covers and lots more.   

Dating Vintage Jewellery - Clasps on Necklaces & Bracelets

Just a quick tip for dating vintage jewellery
When you inspect a necklace or bracelet. It is useful to look at the clasp.
A circular clasp that opens with a small lever was used from the thirties to the late eighties and into the nineties.
But was more predominantly in sixties to eighties jewellery.

Obviously there is an overlap of different components used and you must bear in mind that sometimes a broken clasp will be replaced with a more modern version. Also this type of clasp is still sold today and may be used by some jewellery makers.
So you will need to date the whole necklace or bracelet generally.
Around about the late eighties to early nineties, the lobster style or claw clasp came into use.

Now used extensively on new jewellery manufactured.
Other clasps will be discussed at a later date on this blog

Newly added to jewels and Finery is this ornate vintage poison ring

 

Vintage silver onyx poison ring  

We have added several vintage brooches including a bright colourful thirties basket brooch and a vintage turtle brooch

                                            Vintage turtle black & golden brooch                                       

 

Mirella by WAP Watson

I have written several articles on Exquisite jewellery by WAP Watson and soon will publish further information
But the company also produced the Myths and Magic range as well as the lesser know range of mirrors and trinkets called Mirella.
The Mirella range was named after an employer of the company. I have only been looking for Mirella items in the last couple of months, but both the pieces I found are marked, so easy to identify.

 

  

Interesting small trinket box in a gold metal and red velvet style material. Topped with a poodle holding a faux pearl.

In very good condition and has the Mirella signature on the bottom

 

The other item is a hand held mirror

 

The mirror is decorated with faux pearl beads and a faux turquoise stone. Also in a heavy gold metal and in good condition with slight rubbing to the gold plate.

The mirror is signed "Made in England" on the top of the handle on one side.

 

And the Mirella signature on the other side of the handle.

 

This design was popular as I have had a lady previously contact me regarding Mirella pieces and this was the one she had. At the time I estimated this as being produced in the late seventies. But at present I am not sure how long this range was manufactured for?

WAP Watson also produced a range of souvenir spoons and associated items. Now I am a closeted spoon collector as well but don't tell anyone. Unfortunately I now collect so many things this house is bulging!

The spoon collecting started in the seventies when my pen friend Nancy came over from the US. We went to all the tourist places and she collected souvenir thimbles, so I started to buy a few spoons and got hooked. 

Now I just buy the occasional one or two that are special. This collection now runs into hundreds, but I have not counted for a long time. So now is the time to dig the Exquisite one's out and get photographing as some are quite old.

Been a bit slow adding more items to Jewels and Finery but here are a few...

 

To be added shortly 

Vintage faux jade bracelet Seventies

 

Diamante leaf brooch  

 

Bright wood vintage necklace

That's all for this Saturday morning. Take care

 

Valentine's Day 2010

Valentine's day is essentially for the young or unattached. The thrill of receiving your first Valentine card from an admirer is wonderful and you spend the day on a high.
As the years pass by - when you are married or in a long term relationship. It either becomes a day that is like any other and each of you take no notice of this day of love. Or it becomes a time that each shows that they still care by sending a card or flowers or a small present.

I am very lucky and my husband of 23 years, will tell me almost daily that he still loves me. He is my best friend and I would be lost without him.

Today he sent me a couple of bunches of flowers. These were added to the bunch of daffodils he gave me on Friday.

We spent the morning together as usual on a Sunday. Then back to visiting parents and completing the Sunday chores ready for work on Monday. We would much rather go out for a meal together, when it is quieter and less rushed. Also I have been increasingly tired since last week and I am hoping that I do not have another relapse. So rest is essential at the moment.

Red is the colour of attraction and it is said that if you wear red you are more likely to attract attention.

 

Rose necklace and earrings

   

 

Butler & Wilson 40th Anniversary - Jewellery Book Review

I hinted like mad that I would like the Butler & Wilson 40th Anniversary book for Christmas. But to no avail. I had told myself that if I did not receive it, I would buy it anyway in January. So I did!

No longer available on Amazon, I ordered it direct from Butler & Wilson's website. It is one of the most expensive jewellery books I have brought new to date! But some of the proceeds do go to the Breast Cancer Care Charity. The reason for this charity choice was their shop was within walking distance of a cancer unit in London. Many of the women would pop into the shop to purchase a piece of jewellery to "cheer themselves up"
It is certainly something that I have done, buying more vintage costume jewellery in the last 4 years than ever before.

The book is also one of my largest - it does not fit onto the bookcase! So I have kept it in the cardboard box and it has to go on the top shelf unfortunately.

You will not be disappointed with page after page of beautiful jewellery with each section having the history and some detail of the jewellery sold. But for me there was not enough information on the individual pieces of jewellery for dating purposes. Also the photographs are very artistic and taken by many famous photographers but they are ones for magazines and do not necessarily show the jewellery at its best.

Out of the D& E book and this one, I have to say I preferred the D & E book. However my 17 year old daughter liked the Butler & Wilson book the best. We have similar tastes and she "borrows" my vintage jewellery regularly.

I have a brooch by Butler & Wilson that has a stone missing. It is in my "to repair" box. Its from the 1990s and one that will end up in my (our) jewellery box once repaired. So if anyone has this stone I would be grateful

 

Here is a few brooches signed available on Jewels and Finery

Vintage necklace from Sarah Coventry Candlelite

 

Golden Ivy Brooch by Exquisite  

 

Copper Modernist Brooch by Julio Marsella  

More dating jewellery and book reviews soon. Also an update on Exquiste jewellery. So bye for now