More than 3,000 pieces of vintage costume jewelry, from Spanish damascene brooches to signed rhinestone chokers, will be discounted 50% during The Estate Store’s January Clearance Sale. The sale is slated for January 2nd through 19th.The Estate Store carries vintage furniture, watches, jewelry, sterling silver, postcards, paper and old photos. It is located at 10899 Los Alamitos Blvd. in Los Alamitos. Call (562) 430-8819 for more information.
Category Archives: Jewelry
You Tube Critic Lambasts Frank's annoying interviewing techniques
An interview with Vintage Fashion Expo dealer Juliana Goitein, on the subject of Bakelite, was ecently the subject of a harsh review on You Tube. As with many of Frank’s interviews, the rather tame discussion with Juliana over the rub and smell method of testing 1930s Bakelite was almost instantly available to the public through a number of social networking sites. It quickly became apparent that Facebook is the friendliest of all when he was almost instantly attacked by a critic on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo0j7t2gDq4). After posting it on You Tube, the reviewer, Missmarie273, claimed that the interviewer was annoying due to both repetition and straying from the subject. What the critic fails to realize is that the repetition is necessary because the unedited interview will be transcribed, edited and turned into a story. The straying from the subject was referring to asking Juliana about the president at the time of Bakelite’s creation. This is one of Frank’s techniques for creating a timeline. Since the internet provides a large degree of anonymity, there is often viciousness and unwarranted harsh blitzes. Both You Tube and Amazon reviews are attack and burn due to the vast pool of virtually anonymous people with no real accountability for what they write. Dozens of these interviews have been posted on Facebook and have received no criticism. Facebook brings the internet down to size. Rather than exposing one’s self to the vast internet world, Facebook is like a gated community. One can make that community as large or small as they like and in there is a certain degree of civility since everyone in that little social sphere is accountable to one another. Juliana can be contacted at (323) 493-3903. Bakelite is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, usually with a wood flour filler. It was developed in 1907
Jewelry dealer moves into Chapman Antique Mall
Melinda Churchfield is about to bring big, over-the-top vintage jewelry into Chapman Antique Mall in Orange. The new dealer will fill space #108 in the center aisle.
Death of a Jewelry Diva
On Saturday, September 5th at 9:50 p.m., Christie Romero, “The Peacock of Gems,” jewelry book author, speaker, and overall authority on costume jewelry died of pancreatic cancer just a few days before Patrick Swayze lost his battle to the same cancer. Romero’s husband of 30 years, Jimmie, was by her side. ”Christie was not only pre-eminent in her field, but the field, itself, was her own creation,” said Norm Levine of Santa Monica. Many feel that she was a leader unlike any other
Designer & boutique items
Vintage pieces by such important costume jewelry names as Miriam Haskell, Trifari, Weiss and Eisenberg will sparkle at Fern Loicano’s Vintage Jewelry Show slated for November 21st and 22nd at the Sausalito Events Place in Sausalito. Costume, designer, estate and heirloom jewelry is only the beginning. The show brings together a group of dealers with merchandise dating from Victorian and Edwardian to Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and 1950s cocktail. Designer accessories will include purses, belts, sunglasses and scarves by Gucci, Chanel and Ferragamo. Boutique pieces will include beaded clothing, cashmere sweaters, and capes just in time for holiday parties. The following is a partial list of dealers: Vyrnie Bannatyne – Victorian Decorative Arts Julie Barton-Julestones Michael and Cheryl Burton-The Burton Collection Tessa Baer-Tessa Baer Designs Diane Been-Antique Lavaliere Laura Eavery-Antique Show Jewelry Malinda Falk and David Churchill-Angel Estates Janet Floyd-Janet,s Antiques and Collectibles Gail Gum Erica Harris-Elle of California Susan Howell-Howell’s Antiques James and Lu-Ann Hovis-Gems plus Pins Cheryl Kelly-Cheryl’s Antiques Denise Morden-Unforgettable Elizabeth Normoyle Paulette Pelissetti-Paulette’s Collectibles Ernest and Linda Portillo-JMJ Antiques Jocelyn Reynolds and Jenny Andersen-Period Pieces Candy Warmee-Heirloom Estate Jewelry April Wertz-Avenue Antiques Alex Yermus-The Estate Collection Tao Zeng-Mark and Period Jewelry repair will also be done on site by Ernest Portillo of JMJ Antique Jewelry. Admission is $6. The show is being held in the Idesst Hall at 511 Caledonia Street in Sausalito. For more information, call (415) 383-2252.
Miriam Haskell jewelry & Vintage fashion
High-end Miriam Haskell jewelry dealer Holly Murphy and vintage fashion dealer Barbie Hawk, formerly of Tippecanoe’s in Laguna Beach, have joined the Old Barn in San Juan Capistrano. Hawk, who closed her store in December of last year after 25 years in business, has two huge adjoining spaces filled with vintage surf and cruise clothing, elegant, retro, and 1930s through 1970s. Murphy deals exclusively in what Old Barn owner Sandra Lichtenstein refers to as Miriam Haskell “dazzlers.” ”Miriam Haskell is definitely the most eccentric and most prized of all the jewelry manufacturers of the 1920s through the 1950s,” said Lichtenstein. Haskell’s clients included The Duchess of Windsor, Lucille Ball, Coco Chanel, and Flo Ziegfeld, just to name a few. She could take as long as a week to create a single unique piece. Her more intricate sets sell in the thousands today, but many individual pieces are priced in the low hundreds. Old Barn is located at 31792 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano. Call (949) 493-9144 for more information.
Jewelry Idol loves the concept
Just like the days of instant night clubs, that were their one weekend and gone the next, Jewelry Idol Connie Parente has announced a new Pop-up antique show. Entitled “The Beverly Boulevard Antique Show,” it was a last minute show held at the end of February by the former manager of The Collection on Robertson, Giselle. ”It’s a great concept,” said Parente, who felt that it needed more promotion. Giselle only announced it a month before she held the show. Attendance was low, but since it is only three blocks from Parente’s house, she would be willing to give the show another try, if there is a second edition.
Blake buys massive mexican cuff from jewelry idol
Jennifer Blake dazzled with a new piece of bling at the recent Long Beach Antique Market. Just a few days before the outdoor show, she bought a sterling silver Mexican cactus motif cuff bracelet from the Jewelry Idol Connie Parente’s space at Sherman Oaks Antique Mall. It will eventually be for sale, but in the meantime she is wearing and enjoying the unsigned piece.
Parures
A circa 1830s Georgian parure dazzled for $13,000 in the space of Victorian mourning jewelry dealer Lenore Dailey at the recent Bustamante Show. While many jewelry sets include earrings, bracelet, necklace, and brooch, this set includes additional breathtaking accessories adding to its rarity. The 18 karat gold parure fit for a princess is set with matching natural amethysts. It includes the bracelet, belt buckle. bodice brooch, earrings, and tiara. ”It originally had a necklace, but that piece is now gone,” said Dailey. For more information, she can be contacted at (760) 413-9705. Parure Beyond various items of matching jewelry, a parure is an entire wardrobe, or suite, of matching jewelry. Reserved for royalty and the wealthier classes, no woman was considered socially acceptable without a complete wardrobe of jewelry that defined her status, stength and political power. A matching suite of coordinating pieces could include a necklace, a comb, a tiara, a diadem, a bandeau, a pair of bracelets, pins, rings, drop earrings or cluster stud earrings, brooch and a belt clasp that might be worn over a fine dress. Napoleon was fond of lavishing these gem suites on his beloved first wife, Josephine, to wear at state functions. Later, he gave similar sets to his second wife, Marie Louise. Clevelry, the parure was not static but modular and could be remade into more fashionable jewelry in order to stay “au courant” in the court and fashion forward for the times. Members of court and higher social ranks vied for the best jewelers to create the most imaginative and elaborate collections that would astound one another and increase their status. Some necklaces could be worn intact or temporarily disassembled into bracelets, pendants, hair ornaments or brooches with smart interchangeable components and locking systems.
Colossal cameo
The carving is so detailed that each of the female figures have nipples,” explained George Nyiri of his important 16-figure cameo depicting the Rape of Europa. There are 16 figures and an ox in the highly-detailed scene. ”To have that many figures on a cameo is very unusual,” said Nyiri. Most people are familiar with the more traditional shell or stone cameo, which is carved in layers to reveal, often in silhouette, a solitary women’s bust, either face forward or profile. This is quite a departure from the classic cameo image. Interested parties should contact Nyiri at (714) 871-4347. Mythological tale of Europa Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the continent Europe was ultimately taken. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a bull was a Cretan story. The mythographers tell the story that Zeus was enamored with Europa and decided to seduce or ravish her, the two being near-equivalent in Greek myth. He transformed himself into a tame white bull and mixed in with her father’s herds. While Europa and her female attendants were gathering flowers, she saw the bull, caressed his flanks, and eventually got onto his back. Zeus took that opportunity and ran to the sea and swam, with her on his back, to the island of Crete. He then revealed his true identity, and Europa became the first queen of Crete. Zeus gave her a necklace made by Hephaestus and three additional gifts: Talos, Laelaps and a javelin that never missed. Zeus later re-created the shape of the white bull in the stars, which is now known as the constellation Taurus. Some readers interpret as manifestations of this same bull the Cretan beast that was encountered by Hercules, the Marathonian Bull slain by Theseus (and that fathered the Minotaur). Roman mythology adopted the tale of the Raptus, also known as “The Abduction of Europa” and “The Seduction of Europa”, substituting the god Jupiter for Zeus.
