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"