Monday, November 26, 2012

If I had a necklace made out of tiny suns...

"If I had a necklace made out of tiny suns, I’d only wear it at night when you could really see it. Sadly, I don’t have a necklace like that. The closest thing I have is a necklace made out of those glow in the dark stars you stick to bedroom ceilings. But I only wear that on special occasions, like bedtime."

~Jarod Kintz

Friday, November 23, 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving from Pink Astilbe!

Vintage Card design found on retronaut.com

(Is it disturbing to anyone else that there is a baby weilding a large knife, wearing nothing but an apron, running after a large turkey?)

Monday, November 19, 2012

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Talk about Vintage!


I will be showing this in my ESL classroom tomorrow as we will be off the rest of the week for the Thanksgiving holiday.  It is one of my favorite movies and we always have excellent discussions from it.  We talk about traditional foods, manners - both good and bad, and any other questions that may arise as my students watch.  They particularly like when Snoopy and Woodstock dress up like Pilgrims, AND when Snoopy gets in the fight with the folding lawn chair.

If it's been a while since you've seen it, here ya go!


Friday, November 16, 2012

The Evolution of My Product Photography

I've now had my Pink Astilbe Vintage Etsy shop for just over 2  years. During the course of that time, I've been complimented on my product photography. I try very hard to get good, crisp, bright, close-up shots of the jewelry that I list.  Now, I am by no means a professional, and if you click through my shop, you'll find some photos that are grainy, slightly blurry, and just not quite "right."  That's more a testament to the fact that I've been lazy and not wanted to re-shoot pictures than the fact that I'm not a professional.

There may be people who will read this blog post who will point out that I am not a "real" photographer. They're right.  They are absolutely right.  This posting is merely to document my evolution in how I've photographed pieces for my store than to be a tutorial. I spend roughly 2 to 3 hours a week taking photographs, compared to people who do this full time. I know that I still have LOADS that I have to learn.

If you are deliberate in your photo-taking, and willing to read, study and ask questions, I believe that anyone can take good product photography for their Etsy shops, including me.

I started out using a standard point and click camera on "macro" mode. This fact surprises people. They thought that I was using a fancy-schmancy camera.  I didn't "upgrade" to a fancy-schmancy camera until last year. I got a nice Canon Rebel DSLR camera as a combination Master's Degree graduation / birthday present. (Learning how to use that is a different blog post for the future)

What I did do, was read as much as I could on product photography. Most agreed that natural light is PERFECT.  So what did I do? I went outside and set up a little stool, with some white paper on it and placed my piece of jewelry in the center.  It wasn't perfect, but I still got great pictures like this hematite brooch to the right. (Honesty alert - I did, and still do, use photoshop to clean up the background of specks of dust and shadows)

In fact, if you look closely, you can see a reflection of me, my house and my garage in the center stone of this brooch!

The downsides were quickly apparent.  I was dealing with wind, CONSTANT wind!  I live in the Chicago area, so it wasn't just wind I was dealing with, but I was also dealing with weather.  Taking pictures outside on a stool is all fine and good when it's warm and sunny out, but what about the 9 months out of the year when it's either cold and rainy, cold and snowy, or absolutely FRIGID?  I had to find some other way of taking photos that was much more efficient and less likely to end up with piece of jewelry being violently tossed around my yard when the wind caught the paper it was sitting on and lifted it up.

So I went back to the internet and did some searching for Etsy Product Photography.  I found this great blog post from Handmadeology entitled "Simple Product Photography."  It didn't really have much technique per se, however there was one line in it that struck me as an "a-ha!"

"Next, I pulled a rickety, old, $1 table over to the open door (an open door or window are my favorite places to take product photos). "

I didn't have to go outside to get natural light!!! I could use my windows!  (I'm not really proud of this moment, but sometimes it takes an outside force to get us to have common sense sometimes...)  The problem was, getting my jewelry up near my windows.  So I brought back my stool, stacked a bunch of books on it, and set it up next to the window, with my handy sheet of white paper.

I then had my next problem to work out.  Shadows.  Harsh shadows.  Shadows that were making it difficult to get really nice shots. I went back to Handmadeology, which has MANY MANY wonderful posts about photography, and found this post: Studio Quality Product Photography with a $12 Set Up.

Following their directions, I came up with this....



Notice how much higher off the table my window is than on the Handmadeology website.  Not only did I have to drag my table over to the window, but I had to denude my bookshelves in order to do it.

Granted, it worked VERY effectively, but it wasn't efficient.  However, I continued to use this set up, or minor variations of it for at least a year, before growing discontented and wanting to "up my game" to the next level of product photography.

BACK TO THE INTERWEBS!!! (Say that in your best superhero voice!)

I found several great articles on making your own lightboxes, but this is the one that I followed the most closely: How to Create an Inexpensive Photography Lightbox


Except, technically, I didn't make it.  My husband did.  I've never been that good with razor blades, and I was getting a little frustrated.  For the fabric diffuser parts, we used worn out undershirts, which were perfect! 

This is what we came up with.  I was so excited, that I ran out to Target to get a new light to use with it!  And then gave up on it within a week.  Unfortunately, we didn't use a big enough box for me to use my necklace display on it, and I only had the one light source, so despite having the diffused light, I still got funky shadows.
 
I think if I had had the spare money for TWO lamps instead of one, and I had made the piece using a bigger box, it would have been much more effective.

So I ended up going back to a variation of the table-at-the-window-natural-light-plus-white-paper set up.  I don't have a picture of that one, though. (Sorry.)  In that case, I added a piece of light weight super thin mdf board covered with tinfoil to use as a light reflector, and two pieces of white mdf as a base and back-board in order to reduce my reliance on keeping sheets of white paper clean and unwrinkled. (I did also have a habit of using the nearest piece of paper as note paper when taking messages or jotting down ideas, often that was the paper that I was using as my backgrounds... oops).

Within the past two months, I have been getting more and more discontent with my set up as I haven't been getting home from my first job until after dark.  How can I take pictures using natural light when it's dark out?  Using just the light in my house isn't feasible as I have yellow walls, and yellow toned lights, and it's really hard to get good quality pictures when everything looks jaundiced.

So I started looking for "real" light boxes.  I finally talked myself into "splurging" for a light box.  I found one on amazon for $25 that is big enough to fit all of my jewelry paraphernalia and still get me good backgrounds. It had great product reviews and didn't break the bank.  So I bought it!

Remembering the debacle with my one little light, I also found a set of "real" mini photography lamps.  I got those too!  They were "only" $50. I justified their purchase with the knowledge that a) I didn't have 2 portable lights, b) I couldn't very well take good photographs in the dark, and c) I actually had money available from my store to pay for them - they're a legitimate business expense!

As soon as they both arrived, I couldn't wait to get them set up.  But I had to figure out WHERE!  I did not want to set up a "permanent" photography studio in my dining room.  Granted, that's where all my jewelry stuff has been for the past two years, only getting hurriedly packed up every time someone came over for dinner or for a visit.  However, I wanted to set up something a bit more permanent and less likely to make my dining room look like a disaster.

So I set them up in our spare bedroom... If you're coming to visit, know that until the few moments before you came, that room looked like a jewelry-box and photo-studio exploded.

The spare room is less likely to need to be hurriedly cleaned up, AND I get the added benefit of being able to close a door on the mess.

Here's my newest set up.  If you can't tell, it's actually set up on a couch that we have in the spare room. I re-cycled the mdf boards from my previous set up and used them as a "tabletop" across the seat of the couch, allowing the lights to be set up on either side of the light box. 



The only downside, is that it's low to the ground.  Never mind... I've improvised yet again!  I've got an old milk crate that I've topped with a couple of old bed-pillows.  Makes a nice low stool! So now, I'm getting much more consistent photos, at any time of day, and I don't feel so bad leaving it up all the time!

So that's it...how my set up has evolved over time.  To be honest, it hasn't really changed the over quality of my photos. It has changed the CONSISTENCY of my photos.  With my first set ups, I had to take 20-30 photos on average of each of my items in order to get 4 or 5 great photos for my listing.  Now, I can take fewer photos to get the same number for my listings. They're still great photos, no matter whether I used the point-and-shoot or the DSLR. They've still got great detail, no matter whether I used the pile of books next to the window, or my fancy light-box. 

For me, it has just made the process easier to have nicer, more CONSISTENT equipment. Each time I've "upgraded," taking photos has become easier, more pleasant, and something I look forward to more. 

Although, to be even more honest, I do think my quality has improved too. That has come with practice, reading blogs about product photography, and watching YouTube videos about product photography.

I still don't think I'm an expert.  In fact, I KNOW that I'm not an expert. But at least I'm still learning and sharing what I've learned!



Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Black Friday Promotion!

All our items will be 20% off starting at noon on Thanksgiving Day and running through Midnight on Monday the 26th!


Be sure to visit our Etsy store to get some fantastic deals!

 
 
 

Friday, November 2, 2012

The jewelry allows me...

The jeweler allows me to wear the sapphire blue lake on my finger, the emerald green leaves around my neck, and take the citrine sunset with me wherever I go. Jewelry has become my daytime link to nature in an office with no windows. And if I have to work late, there's nothing like diamond stars and a pearl full moon against an onyx night sky.

  ~Astrid Alauda, "Office With No Windows"

Monday, October 29, 2012

Cerrito Jewelry

I have come across only three pieces of jewelry made by a company called CERRITO. 

One was this lovely rose brooch:



Another was this Orchid brooch:


And a third was a gorgeous Dogwood blossom brooch that I gave directly to my mother and didn't take a picture of. (Pity)

According to the Illusion Jewels website, the ©Cerrito signature is for Cerrito Jewelry Limited, Inc out of Johnston, Rhode Island, and they started production in the late 1970s. The above mentioned orchid brooch is also stamped with a year (1982). 



There really is not a whole lot of information out there about Cerrito jewelry. What I have found is that Cerrito still makes jewelry and still exists. (Some business websites list their trademark as "active" while others list it as "inactive.") Although I have not seen any Cerrito jewelry advertised for sale here in the U.S, there was an old New York Times article from April 16, 1989 that discusses a trade organzation founded by "John Cerrito, president of Cerrito Jewelry Ltd." whose purpose was to cultivate foreign business.

Regardless of their current status, the jewelry that I have come across has been well made, and very realistic. The dogwood blossom brooch was so lifelike, I expected it to blow away in the breeze! (You'll have to trust me on this, as again, I didn't get pictures of it.)  The orchid brooch above also looks exactly like a Cymbidium Orchid! 


Photo from Fiftyflowers.com
I just wish that I had more information about the company, their history, and their inspiration!


Websites used as resources for this post:

IllusionJewels

New York Times

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Halloween Flea Market

I cannot wait!

This coming Saturday, October 27th, 2012 is going to be the 2nd annual Halloween Flea Market at the DuPage County Fair Grounds out in Wheaton, IL.

Hosted by Zurko Promotions, this flea market is incredibly fun. Opening at 3 pm and going until midnight, it is a night of shopping and fun. Last year, they had two (2!) haunted houses, vendors selling hot spiced cider and live music.

Here's the link for more information:

http://www.zurkopromotions.com/Latenight.htm

Monday, October 22, 2012

Swoboda Jewelry

Swoboda Tree Brooch
One of the lines of jewelry that I have thoroughly fallen in love with lately is jewelry that is marked "Swoboda" or "SWO." I absolutely adore the artistry in each piece.  There is true personality and warmth in each design. The natural feel of the pearls and the tumbled stones actually gives each piece more personality.  The hand carved leaves also add a more "human touch" to the pieces. These weren't pieces of jewelry that came out of a machine. 

Swoboda jewelry is actually termed "cross-over" jewelry because Swoboda used genuine gem stones in their designs such as: turquoise, garnet, peridot, lapis, amethyst, jade, and pearls.  I have seen some pieces that were accented with rhinestones, but those were very rare. The majority of the pieces I've seen have included jade stones, pearls, and some other gem stone.  For example, the brooch to the left features carved jade leaves, pearls, and a chunk of amethyst as the base.

"Coral" Brooch and Earring Set
Swoboda, Inc. was founded in Los Angeles, CA in 1956 by a gentleman named Edward Swoboda.  He created a "new" look in costume jewelry by using tumbled stones in his designs instead of cut and faceted gemstones or rhinestones.  His jewelry quickly became a favorite of many people, including Nancy Reagan.  In fact, Ronald Reagan commissioned Swoboda to create gemstone trees to be given away at a Governor's Conference in 1966. (I have not yet gotten a famous Swoboda Tree into my own possession yet. I keep hoping to find one at an estate sale or flea market!)

Most pieces of Swoboda were marked in two ways. ©SWOBODA, INC or ©SWO.  However, pieces made before 1966 were unsigned.  Swoboda was sneaky at where signatures were put. I've found pieces where the seller stated that the pieces were unsigned Swobodas, but I've been able to find the signature on the side of the piece in a curve of a branch or some other obscured place.

The founder, Edward Swoboda retired from the company in 1979, but a partner, Nate Waxman continued the company until 1985.  He recently re-opened a jewelry company issuing new designs and re-issuing vintage Swoboda designs.  He is very careful to indicate that these pieces are re-issues.  I have not seen a re-issued piece personally, so I do not know if the construction on the back is any different or if there is some other additional marking on the reverse of the jewelry to differentiate it from true vintage pieces.  This is something to keep aware of.

As far as I am aware, all of the Swoboda pieces that I have in my shop are true vintage, having been purchased from Estate Sales in the Chicagoland Area.  Unfortunately, I have only ever come across brooches and earrings. I can't wait until I can get my sweaty little mitts on one of their stunning necklaces or bracelets!

Additional Swoboda pieces currently for sale in my shop: (Click picture to be taken to listing)






Additional Swoboda pieces that have been SOLD already. I am including pictures and links to the Transaction for informational purposes.







Websites and References used in writing this blog post:

Book:
Carroll, Julia C. (2010). Collecting Costume Jewelry 303: The Flip Side Exploring Costume Jewelry from the Back. Paducha, KY. Collector Books (Buy it here!)

Websites:
Morning Glory Jewelry & Antiques
Aged and Opulent Jewelry
RockTumbler.com
Jewelcollect.org



Friday, October 19, 2012

Salaam

 
In my teaching job, one of the things I try to do is share an appreciation of many of the world's cultures with my students. A friend of mine posted this video which I shared with my students. The song is beautiful, the clothing is gorgeous and the jewelry! The jewelry! It's to die for!
 
My girls loved the clothing and jewelry. They loved the actress's eyes, and they especially loved her makeup. The boys, I think, just patiently watched.

 
 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A Man Has Two Shots For Jewelry....

"A man's got two shots for jewelry: a wedding ring and a watch. The watch is a lot easier to get on and off than a wedding ring."
 ~John Mayer

Monday, October 15, 2012

Take Back Halloween!

I recently came across a fanstastic website, http://takebackhalloween.org/ which is dedicated to taking back Halloween for women.  What do they mean by "Taking Back Halloween?" Taking it back from the sexy nurse, sexy doctor, sexy this, sexy that, sexy-anything options that are so prevalent for women and championing costumes representing strong women through history like Queens, Activists, and Movie Stars.

What is even more amazing, is for each listing, they include links to purchasing items to complete your costume.

But I have a suggestion.  Many of the links to various pieces of rhinestone jewelry are links to buying the pieces off of Chinese re-sellers. I personally don't think this is the best idea, as these pieces are shipped across the world, we don't know under what conditions they are made, and they aren't the most enviornmentally friendly option.

If I were them, I'd link to an Etsy search of vintage rhinestone jewelry!  Going vintage is much more environmentally friendly, not to mention, much more likely to be period appropriate. AND the quality of the pieces is going to be a lot better.

I did a quick search on Etsy and found some great pieces that could be used for many of their costumes, including Queen Victoria, Carlota of Mexico, Audrey Hepburn, Josephine Baker, or Rita Heyworth.



Looking to do costumes that are more Egyptian / Middle Eastern like Isis, Hatshepsut, Jezebel, Puabi, or Zenobia? Here are some suggestions...




Regardless, my suggestion is, before purchasing reproduction or faux-vintage rhinestone pieces off of Amazon or some other costuming website, check Etsy first for true vintage! You'll find pieces that will not hurt your wallet, and will be a little more forgiving to the environment.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Hot Nuts!



There aren't any double entendres in this song! Nooooo! Can't be! Georgia White singing "Hot Nuts, Get Em from the Peanut Man" a song written in 1935.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Exciting News!

We are now set up to accept credit card payments in person!  We just got our new SquareUP card reader and can't wait to start using it.


This means that we'll be able to accept not just cash and checks at jewelry parties. Also, if you catch me in person and want to purchase a piece you've been eyeing OR you don't trust Paypal or Etsy Direct Checkout, we can take your credit cards this way!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Run-Away Vacation

My husband has recently started his own business. Which is hard. It's hard on him; he's been putting in 13 hour days 5 or 6 days a week now for months.  It's hard on me; he's not around much anymore. It's hard on our marriage; see previously mentioned reasons.

Now don't get me wrong. So far, his business has been quite successful, and I am very proud of him.  We're just adjusting to a new reality.

Anyhow, with Monday's Columbus Day holiday, I had a long weekend.  AND hubby can set his own schedule.  We found ourselves Saturday morning, staring at each other and both desperately wanting to take work and shove it... so we did!  I got on hotwire and found a great deal on a hotel room in a small town on the other side of Lake Michigan from us.  A three hour drive later, we found ourselves far enough away from home to call it a vacation and the perfect reason for hubby to abandon his cell phone and computer.

We had NO plans.

NONE whatsoever.

And it just so happened that right near the hotel was an antique mall. And in that antique mall was a map that the local antique dealers had put together called "The Antique Trail."

I was able to bat my eyes and smile sweetly, and a good portion of our weekend was spent visiting antique mall after antique mall.

I had so much fun, and hubby tolerated it. Thankfully, all the malls had a good selection of "Man-tiques" in the form of militaria, weaponry, industrial tools, and unrecognizeable jumbles of cast iron and wood.

I made quite a few finds, and assuredly paid too much for several items.  On the whole, though, I think I got a good deal.

I am WELL aware of the fact that antique stores are not the place to buy stuff if you're planning to re-sell. They aren't my first choice of purchasing locales, as you're paying pretty close to retail there.  I much prefer estate sales (I checked, they didn't have any that weekend) and flea markets (again, I checked, none in the area.) Good deals are to be had at Antique Stores though, if you're willing to dig!

And dig I did!  I found several verified Juliana pieces that were marked WAY below retail (very surprising), some great thermoset pieces, and a Whiting and Davis bracelet.  I have the necklace and earrings that match so now I can put together a full parure!  I was also able to pick up several other fun and funky pieces!

Monday, October 8, 2012

I really think that American Gentlemen...

I really think that American gentlemen are the best after all, because kissing your hand may make you feel very very good but a diamond and a sapphire bracelet lasts forever. 

~Anita Loos

Friday, October 5, 2012

Dali Jewelry

I stumbled across a new favorite website recently: Retronaut.  It is a collection of vintage / antique photos and articles that offering tantalizing glimpses into life in the past and their visions of what the future would be like.

On particular article really interested me and that was the photo collection of jewelry designed by Salvador Dali.

photo from http://www.retronaut.co/2012/06/dali-jewellery-c-1950/
 
 
I can't tell if this one has genuine diamonds or if its rhinestone from the pictures. Either way, it's truly a work of art! 

 You should go visit Retronaut and see some of the other really interesting pieces.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Randolph Street Market Finds

This past weekend was the last full Randolph Street Market of the season, and I found some fantastic pieces!


I was able to pick up several fantastic pairs of cufflinks, from some watermelon rivolis to a set of silver toned beer steins, to  fantastic set featuring men in armor sword fighting!  I also found a gorgeous demi parur featureing topaz toned rhinestones and some amazing molded glass leaves!  The mesh thing up in the upper right corner is about 5 feet long! It makes a fantastic mesh scarf that can be tied in many ways for many looks! (It has to be my favorite find!)  There's also some amazing brooches and bracelets. Ooooh, and in the upper left corner is a bee brooch with a genuine piece of amber!

I've been on a buying spree lately, but my listing hasn't been at the same speed.  I'm hoping that within the next few weeks I'll get more things listed in preparation for the upcoming holiday season.

In the meantime, enjoy looking at my finds and let me know if anything appeals to you!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Wives and Lovers


This song popped up on my random music tonight. How 1950's is this?  Julie London: "Wive and Lovers"

Friday, September 28, 2012

If a girl says...


If a girl says not to get her a birthday present, that means "get me a birthday present and make sure it's jewelry."

-Kami Garcia

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A Visceral Reaction


Photo from flickr by Liamfm
People have long talked about how random things can trigger an emotional reaction or memory. The smell of a certain perfume or a song can stir up memories and rememberances faster than just about anything.

In my case, what usually trips a memory is a scent. Emeraude perfume was my grandmother's favorite perfume.  I still have a small bottle of it in my dresser drawer that I only open when I'm feeling really low or want a hint of comfort.  Grandma Rose gave the best hugs, and she always wore Emeraude.

Other times, music brings back memories. Randomly, I'll hear the theme song for an old 1980s cop show called Hill Street Blues and I'll be 7 years old again and tucked into bed for the night. It wasn't the T.V. I was listening to, but my father trying to teach himself to play the theme song on the piano. One note at a time. The first few bars of the song over and over and over. That memory makes me feel safe, and I tear up a little every time I think about it.

What has been fascinating to me, as I've been working with vintage jewelry more and more, are the stories that I hear from people as they've looked at the jewelry I have. 

"My grandmother had a piece just like that!" someone will exclaim and then they'll share a memory of their grandmother getting dressed up for this occasion or that.

"Oh. My. God! My mother wore something like that all the time! I wish I had kept it!"

So far, I personally haven't had a visceral reaction to a piece of jewelry...

A cross-stitch piece, nicely framed and proudly displayed at the last estate sale I went to... that's another story.

What about you? What have you come across that has caused an immediate memory or reaction?

Monday, September 17, 2012

Don't leave a piece of jewelry at his house

“Don't leave a piece of jewelry at his house so you can go back and get it later; he may be with his real girlfriend.” 

-Amy Sedaris

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

A Peek into My Normal Life

I don't know if I've told you this, but I don't do jewelry full time.  It's my hobby that pays for itself! Well, for now it's my hobby that pays for itself.  Maybe someday, in the future, I'll be able to devote more time to it.

But for now, the majority of my time will be spent here:




That wide and empty room is a classroom. 

I am a teacher.

What do I teach? Well, children mostly, but occasionally other teachers and administrators. 

Oh, what grade / subject do I teach? I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Reading and Language Arts.  My classes though are all ELL classess. (English Language Learners). I teach students who don't have a solid grasp of English yet.  A majority of my students are Spanish speakers. No, they are not all Mexican. I have students from Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Yemen.  In the past, I've taught students from Brazil, Ukraine, Poland, and Mongolia.

Why is my classroom so bare and empty? It's brand new!



This happened to my old classroom in April of last school year.

 
THAT was a whole pile of fun.

Anywho, I have a brand new classroom that is twice the size as my old classroom, has twice the technology, actually has storage in it (my old room had no book cases, cabinets or anything, just an old safe), AND has walls that I can stick things on (again, old room had brick. NOTHING sticks to brick!)



One of the reasons I've not been as good with posting or listing new items has been because I've been working and getting my school year ready to go!

Maybe soon, I'll get pictures of it set up and being used!

Monday, September 10, 2012

For those of you in the cheap seats...

“For those of you in the cheap seats I'd like ya to clap your hands to this one; the rest of you can just rattle your jewelry!” 

-John Lennon

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Grayslake Antique Market

Today I played hooky.

I didn't go to church.

I know, I know... I'm a baaaaaad girl.

But the weather was gorgeous!  It was 70 degrees, sunny, bright blue skies with cotton candy clouds, and a light breeze.  It didn't take long to talk my husband into playing hooky with me and driving up to the Grayslake IL Antique Market at the Lake County Fairgrounds. 

We got there with only 2.5 hours left before they closed for the day.  It was time for a power shop.  We quickly went through the outside vendors, skimming the tables and darting our eyes to look for items that we SPECIFICALLY wanted.  I, of course, searching for jewelry, and my husband looking for old crates and bee-keeping stuff.

I zipped by booths that normally I would have lingered at.  If I didn't see something on my first quick dig through a jumbled jewelry box full of stuff, then I moved on. Hubs started to walk ahead of me to scout out whether or not tables were "worth" looking at.  (Of course, I always went by anyway to judge for myself.

I do think I got some great deals!

Purchases from today at Grayslake
Some of the designer pieces I picked up were a Goldette Mesh Choker (Featuring the 3 graces); a Weiss white rhinestone necklace; a Florenza Demi Parure; a Kramer Enameled bee brooch; Hickock cufflinks; and a Coro Sterling Brooch!  I was also able to pick up 3 victorian brooches, and an Art Deco 1930s bird brooch!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Sold!

It's been a while since I've posted some of the items that have sold recently from my shop.  I don't know if anyone else really likes seeing this, but I think it's kind of fun to see stuff that other people buy!  I have had quite a few sales recently, so I think I'm going to limit today's post to sales for August thus far.

The pictures are linked to the transaction page so you can see additional details if you are curious.  There are more gorgeous items available for purchase in my Etsy shop! (Click Here!)

August 2:


Vintage Rhinestone Swirl Brooch
Lovely brooch features a large central rhinestone with 6 slightly smaller rhinestones surrounding it, then swirling "arms" of rhinestones radiating out. A total of 37 rhinestones forms this lovely piece.

August 3:


DESTASH - Vintage Earring Lot
Destash lot contains 8 pairs of earrings. Some screw back, most are clip earrings. 3 pairs are signed: Coro, Hobe, and Charel.

August 5:


Vintage Huge Domed Rhinestone Earrings

Stunning rhinestone earrings each feature 38 rhinestones. Baguettes, navettes and chatons are are arranged in a domed kite shape for added affect and to capture as much light as possible! Re-inforced in the back with a metal rod, these earrings are statement pieces!

August 10:


Vintage Olive Green Multi Stranded Extra Long Necklace
8 strands of olive green faceted plastic beads fill out this gorgeous vintage necklace from the 1960s. Extra long length means you can double it or even triple loop it if you want. Texturized gold toned caps finish off the strands at the clasp.


DESTASH - Lot of Vintage Brooches 
Destash lot contains 16 brooches. Most are vintage, some could be newer. Most of the brooches are still wearable, however there are some with damage, i.e. missing stones, verdesgris, finish loss, missing pin shafts. Three brooches are signed: Hobe, Giovanni, Made in Austria.

August 11:


Vintage Spiked Gold Ball Necklace and Earring Set - Designer Signed - Trifari - Double Stranded
Fun and funky double stranded necklace and drop earrings feature spikey texturized gold balls and shiney gold beads. Even the clasp is spikey! Designer signed, these are definitely attention getters! Clip on earrings also feature two sizes of spikey gold balls and a smooth gold bead.


Vintage Molded Glass AB Cufflinks and Tie Tac Set - Designer Signed - Swank
Unique cufflink and tie-tac set is reminiscent of chips of ice or little icebergs. Molded class stones are shaped like chunks of ice and shimmer with multiple shades of blues. Even the silver toned settings look like ice with their craggy texturized surface!

August 12:


Vintage Sterling Silver Siamese Bracelet and Earrings
Gorgeous Vintage Bracelet and Earring set features traditional Siamese Niello Enamelling and Silver work. The bracelet features panels held together with rings. Each octagonal panel features one of three different images:

1 - Mekkala(h), the Goddess of Lightning - shown with lightning bolts coming from her hand. A well known figure in Thai culture.

2 -Dancing Angel - depicted with a long curved garland (looks like rope) held behind the back. Were warriors who were magically turned into angels (Ramayana).

3 -Nang Fa, the Fairy of Happiness - looks like she is dropping stardust from her hand to the floor.

The bracelet is just under 7 inches long and is signed STERLING MADE IN SIAM .925.

The earrings are screw back and each feature an image of a traditional Siamese dancer. They are also signed SIAM STERLING. They have a traditional Siamese paisely shape.

Vintage Black Rhinestone Necklace and Earring Set - 1960s or 1970s
Elegant and simple necklace and clip on earring set features jet black rhinestones set into gold toned settings. The necklace has a single large open backed, unfoiled navette rhinestone on a chain of chatons. The earrings feature an open backed, unfoiled navette hanging from a chain of five chatons.

Frosted Glass Rhinestone Necklace - For UpCycle or Repair
Fun and flirty necklace features large frosted glass and aurora borealis rhnestones on a silver figure 8 chain. Hook and ball closure. Silver toned settings. I marked it for UpCycle or Repair because some of a condition issue.

August 13:


Vintage Coro Topaz & Amber leaf Necklace - Designer Signed - 1960s Mad Men Style
Lovely necklace features texturized gold leaves, faux pearls, topaz rhinestones and amber colored rhinestones. This necklace is perfect for adding a classic 60's touch to your outfit without being too costume-y.

August 14:


Vintage Rhinestone Choker Accented with Pear Shape Rhinestones
Stunning choker features 11 large pear shaped rhienstones sandwiched between two strands of rhinestones. Between each pear shaped stone are an additional 2 rhinestones. Hook fastened.


Emerald and Peridot Rhinestone Demi Parure - Brooch and Bracelet set - Vintage 1950s or 1960s
Sumptuous set features large 3/4 inch by 1/2 inch emerald green cushion cut rhinestones accented with tiny peridot chatons. All prong set into gold toned settings, these pieces are an elegant addition to your collection.

The brooch features 9 large emerald green cushions, 4 more smaller cushions (3/8 inch by 1/4 inch), and 32 peridot toned chatons arranged into a diamond shape.

The bracelet features 7 large cushions and four rows of 25 peridot stones. (That's 107 total rhinestones!)