While assessing the history of antique and vintage jewelry, I found that it's creation often follows world events. Jewelry making is an art and often expresses the designer's surroundings, influences of the time and the resources at hand. The style of these miniature works of art is a function of it's historical period in time. The jewelry was created in the past and exists in the present, long after the designers are gone. This blog is a study of past jewelry designers and how their works were influenced and created.

My name is Dagney and my Rubylane store is Sorren's Blue-Scarlettshard. I would like to do a monthly blog on different types of gemstones. Gems have always been my passion and I have studied them for over 20 years. Each one holds a unique perspective to the jewelry connoisseur and maybe knowing a little more about these gems can inspire someone to take a different look and perhaps try a new type of gem in a beautiful vintage/antique piece of jewelry. There are plethora of Unique pieces to choose from on Rubylane.

There are not too many women who can't remember their first piece of jewelry, and often it was a charm or starter charm bracelet. Charm bracelets have always been popular but women are no longer just attaching charms to their bracelets. They are becoming a little more clever by using pendants, cameos, single earrings, lockets, watch fobs, religious medals, and glass beads. Some are even using bizarre "found objects" like typewriter keys and sewing buttons, single button cuff links, dice, Scrabble tiles, and even Monopoly game pieces, to create unique and one of a kind bracelets.

When fabricating jewelry, as with any creative process, having the right tools is an essential ingredient, and makes a huge difference in the results. Perhaps you are utilizing tools from the basement workshop. Yes, they get the job done, but this is a matter to rethink. In the end, quality tools are going to make your jewelry creations much more refined and just as important – save your hands!

In the early 19th century hair was used in designing jewelry. Victorian women wore the jewelry not only as a fashion statement but as a way to keep loved ones close to them. This being sentimental it brought about an interest in hair work jewelry. For many years, it was popular to carry a lock of a loved ones hair. It was often kept in a ring, in the back of a special designed brooch, or locket.

Glass beads used to produce jewelry from Czechoslovakia, or Bohemia as it was originally called, was a direct result of the famous glass making factories, beginning in the 13th and 14th centuries. The jewelry was made of glass beads and rhinestones in beautiful colors and shapes. The country has a rich history in glass making including hand-blown, molded and cut glass. In the mid 1800’s the glass produced here surpassed all other areas in quality, quantity, and diversity.

A doublet is a pretender, an assembled stone comprised of a top and a bottom, with an adhesive in the middle to fuse them together. The most commonly seen doublets today are opals, using an opal front and a black onyx backing to make the stone seem darker and more lively. Looking at the stone from the side will reveal the layers. If the stone is mounted and the mounting obstructs the sides of the opal, it is extremely difficult to positively identify a doublet. Triplets include the additional layer of glass or clear colorless quartz cap, a dome on top, to protect and add dimension.

When you sell genuine gemstone jewelry, accurate descriptions are incredibly important, especially if the item you’re selling is a high priced piece. Getting a written appraisal from a certified and accredited gemologist is always a worthwhile investment and should guarantee a smooth sale when the time comes as appraisals increase buyer confidence in both the item and the seller. But what do you do when gemologists disagree?

If you are going to invest in a piece of antique jewelry, especially in these hard economic times, it is extremely important that you educate yourself before you buy. To properly identify antique jewelry, you must become familiar with the following four items: 1) materials used, 2) types of fasteners used, 3) cuts/settings of stones used, and 4) craftsmanship/styles used in Georgian (1714-1836) and Victorian (1837-1900) times.

Let me just start this off by saying that I am no spring chicken. This is now pretty apparent to me after checking my post office box. It was over flowing with letters from AARP. Yes, I am old! Gee, thanks for the reminder guys!