Tuesday, November 17, 2009

SPARKLE & SHINE IN VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY THIS FESTIVE SEASON



There's no better time than Christmas and New Year's to bring out the glitz and put on the ritz! This is when we don't need an excuse to dress up and no-one minds if we do. In fact, they expect us to be sparklier and shinier. The stores already have their new line of evening and cocktail dresses out to tempt us. And for many of us, vintage costume jewelry is the best way to accessorize that new gown. Heck, New Year's eve is only one night of the year. Why not make the most of it and your looks!

In our SHOP AT RUBY LANE, we currently have some gorgeous glitzy costume jewelry for you, like the one shown in the photo above. This is an "unsigned beauty" as they're often called. Featuring tons of brilliant golden-colored rhinestones with a smattering of light topaz crystals, this dazzling necklace is worn choker-style but dangles down the bodice to a finished length of 10 inches. The shine is out of sight. Below, just for the sake of showing you how wonderful this one looks with evening gear, is a shot of me wearing it last year when I appeared in a stage show.



See how it sparkles! I had members of the cast, all of whom were wearing fabulous jewelry, ask me where I got this one from.  Well I purchased it at an estate sale with several Shermans. The original owner really had a great eye for beautiful costume jewelry, didn't she! See more photos of this necklace HERE.

If you're into colors in your costume jewelry, you must take a closer look at this magnificent necklace from Delizza and Elster's "Juliana" line:




No photos, no matter how good they are, can do this one justice. What our eyes see isn't picked up by a camera lens. After all, the camera uses only one eye but we see with two. Measuring 15" long, this necklace is a marvellous assortment of colors: fuschia-toned aurora borealis round-cuts lead to a dazzling centerpiece that is 7 3/4" long and is comprised of slender charcoal gray/olivine navettes played against brilliantly red 1/2" marquise cuts offset by clusters of clear white rhinestones. Do women wear this kind of jewelry every day? Well most don't but at Christmas, wouldn't this look amazing as you cosy up in front of the fireplace while the children are opening their presents? See more photos of this gorgeous necklace HERE.

Keeping with the colored stones, and just perfect for Christmas or New Year's, is this fabulous 3-piece set by vintage designer, BERGERE (shown below). I've reduced this set to an almost ridiculous price, given its quality workmanship and the fact that you get a bracelet, earrings and necklace. No trying to find something that matches your necklace or a bracelet that adds the finishing touch. I wore this set during that same show (it ran for 6 nights so I alternated my jewelry) and just like the golden beauty up top, this set caught the lights and reflected beautifully from the stage.



Quite honestly, I'm really surprised this one hasn't sold since I listed it. It's beautifully made and designer signed. The glass crystal beads are in wonderful condition and their color is unique: a kind of red/purple. The clasps on the necklace and the bracelets are so classy.  At $135, I'm giving this one away LOL. See more photos and learn more HERE.

I'd be remiss if I didn't finish this post with my favourite designer, Sherman. Sherman's designs truly amaze me. I never get enough of looking at the pieces, the designs, the choice of stones and the variety. Just when you think you've seen all the Sherman you'll ever see, you come across something unlike any you've seen. That's how I felt about this one shown here:



Now first, I must clarify: the dangling earrings shown in the photo above are not Sherman. They're by Kramer, another top American vintage costume jewelry designer. But I thought they went perfectly with this unique and dazzling clear Swarovski crystal necklace. Just look at the art deco influence in that necklace! Honestly, to see this one with your own eyes and not on a computer screen is to appreciate the beauty of Sherman jewelry. You'd swear you were looking at diamonds! The sparkle is incredible. No question about it, wear this Sherman necklace and every eye in the room will be on YOU! See more photos of this masterpiece of vintage design HERE.

Well there's plenty of other lovely pieces of vintage costume jewelry in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE, along with some of the finest of fine necklaces with real rubies and sapphires if you prefer the real thing. In my next post, I'll be featuring some of those necklaces. Now is the time to buy them if you want them in time for Christmas. Remember shipping takes time and the while the mail must go through, it often doesn't go through fast enough, does it!

Friday, November 6, 2009

LOOKING FOR A VINTAGE JABEL RING? COME AND BE "JABBLED"!

Have you been "jabbled" yet? That's the term I've coined to describe those addicted to locating jewelry by the highly regarded JABEL company. If you don't know about JABEL, it's an American company that began operating and manufacturing its exquisite die-struck jewelry back in 1916 and has earned a reputation for its superb quality and beautiful workmanship.

On the JABEL website, if you want to take the time to learn more about JABEL, you'll read that despite all the modern techniques available for manufacturing jewelry today, JABEL still hand-assembles, sets, polishes and finishes all its pieces. The company has not traded its integrity or attention to quality and detail for faster, cheaper methods. Nor do they farm out their work overseas. It's all made in the USA. The result, of course, is quality through and through.

But of course, such quality doesn't come cheap, and even second-hand or pre-loved Jabels are going to cost you a bit more, just because they're JABEL. But are they worth it? You bet! That's why my site stats are always showing people searching for Jabel jewelry: it's not easy to acquire vintage pieces because owners hold onto their Jabels.

Now all that said, I keep searching and have accumulated a lovely collection of Jabel rings. The one shown at the top of this post is one of our latest finds and definitely one of the most beautiful. While the carat weight of the diamonds is only just over 1/2 carat, what sets this Jabel ring apart is its design: I've not seen one quite like this! It's a cocktail or dinner ring with a design reminiscent of Art Deco. It has 9 top quality, brillliantly clear diamonds and typical of Jabel rings, is fashioned from 18k white gold. Isn't it gorgeous! You can see more photos or purchase this one from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE.


Now while you're in our shop, if you like sapphire and diamond rings, take a look at the one on the left. It's a JABEL too!

It's simple, elegant and perfect for those who want understated quality on their fingers. Like the cocktail/dinner ring, it too is set in 18k white gold with 2 little diamonds nestled either side of that lovely central sapphire.

The price on this one is a little less than our cocktail ring, so if your budget is tight, maybe this is YOUR Jabel. Just click the photo on the left to see more pictures and purchase this sapphire/diamond ring.

Then there's the incredible JABEL wedding set shown below. What a knockout!


Dating to the 1950's and made, in this case, from 14k yellow gold, this darling set features a large, high-clarity central transitional-cut round brilliant cut diamond adorned on either side by more crystal clear single-cut diamonds. Soldered to the engagement ring is another ring - a glistening diamond band that is a near perfect match to the Jabel. You're looking here at diamonds of VS1 and VS2 quality. Again, the Jabel quality is second to none. Check out more details and photos by clicking on the photo above.

And we still have that fabulous Jabel eternity ring shown below that's appraised at over $5000 for the person who wears a size 6.5. This is definitely one of a kind. Your purchase of this 1.20cts of diamonds Jabel ring comes with the appraisal. Take a closer look by clicking on the photo below and be "jabbled!"