A Bit Of Victorian Jewelry .... Seed Pearl Jewelry 1800's and More

Early Victorian Seed Pearl Jewelry

Early Victorian seed pearl jewelry first appeared in the second quarter of the 19th century at the beginning of what is known as the Romantic Period. Queen Victoria's reign in England was the height of the romantic period and lasted until the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861. Jewelry reflected romance during this period and seed pearl jewelry was the epitome of this sentiment. The most popular period of time was between 1840 and 1850 in England and the United States.

Tiffany

Elegant in appearance seed pearl jewelry was associated with pureness and innocence. A gift of seed pearl jewelry was often given to a girl on her 18th birthday as her first formal piece of jewelry or to a bride before her wedding. Seed pearl jewelry was worn for special occasions throughout her married life as well. Generally, seed pearl jewelry was sold in sets, which consisted of bracelets, earrings, brooches, a collar and a corsage ornament.

The design featured below is a full parure of seed pearl jewelry given to Mary Lucile Stevens by her mother in 1836. These pearls were passed down for several generations to succeeding daughters in the family on their 18th birthdays. In 1984 the sons of the last woman to inherit the pearls donated them to the Smithsonian where they are now on display in the Museum's Treasure House.

Seed pearl jewelry was first introduced in America during the Federal period. By the mid-nineteenth century, it was considered de rigueur in the ballroom as well. President Lincoln purchased a suite of seed-pearl jewelry from Tiffany & Company for his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, to wear at his inauguration. Made from tiny pearls imported from India or China, it was at once exotic and elegant, and the fashion was said to flatter any woman.

Imported from the Madras region of India or China seed pearl jewelry was made from hundreds of tiny seed pearls. Delicate and quite ornate with scrolled, flower and foliate motifs, ranging from 1.5 mm to 5 mm in size, the pearls were hand sewn onto a delicate pierced openwork mother-of-pearl frame using white horsehair thread. Silk backing was often used on the reverse of the mother-of-pearl frame. Seed pearl jewelry is seldom found in excellent condition today because of its delicate and fragile nature, and only rarely are entire sets found intact

ABSOLUTELY EXQUISITE ANTIQUE VICTORIAN - ART NOUVEAU, c.1890 - 1900, OSTBY & BARTON TOPAZ SEED PEARL NECKLACE IN ROSE GOLD . Although the piece is not signed, the piece was made by Ostby & Barton, one of the most well-known jewelry manufacturers of the period.  firm Founded in 1879 they seem to have disappeared about 1950.  Engelhart Ostby, one of the principals, perished in 1912 aboard the Titanic, while his adult daughter survived.

Miriam Haskell used seed pearls (as well as baroque pearls) in her designs during the mid 2oth century, with great success, bringing back a short revival of the popularity of them in jewelry. However, most of her designs used artificial seed pearls, rather than genuine ones.

I hope you've enjoyed this bit of history.

Victoriana - Holiday Traditions

I love sharing history, I hope you enjoy these tidbits.

I have a small collection of these ornaments and many, many have passed through my hands in my antique business along with glass bead garlands and tree toppers.

In A.D. 336, an early Roman calendar first mentions December 25 as the date of Jesus' birth. This date was likely influenced by the year-end pagan festivals to celebrate the harvest. Celebrations included specially prepared meals, decorating of homes, gift-giving and singing. Gradually, pagan traditions became a part of the Christian celebrations. Most Christmas traditions such as the Christmas tree and ornaments came from central Europe. The earliest German Christmas trees were decorated with food; apples, onions, pears, nuts, candies, and fruits were placed on a tree.
In the 1800s, glass ornaments were first made in the Lauscha, Germany. This cottage industry involved the entire family. Generally, men did the glassblowing, women did the silvering and the children helped to paint and finish them. These beautiful new glass ornaments began to replace edible decorations.
In Victorian times, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, a German, brought the tradition from Germany to his new home in England. Soon all of England was in on it.
In the 1840s, Europeans immigrating to North America brought with them their Christmas traditions. Prior to that time, Christmas was not widely celebrated in North America. As society became more prosperous, ornaments became larger in size and the colors become more vibrant to reflect the new wealth.
F.W. Woolworth was the first North American retailer to sell glass ornaments. The story goes that he was not too sure about this new product line. However, Woolworth changed his mind by 1890 when he was selling $25 million worth of ornaments in his five-and-dime stores.
Until 1925, virtually all hand blown glass ornaments were manufactured in Lauscha, Germany. By 1935, more then 250 million Christmas ornaments were being imported to the United States. After WWII, the Lauscha area became a part of East Germany. Many glassblowers fled to West Germany and the industry declined. Around this time, Japan and Czechoslovakia began producing ornaments for the North American market
In the 1960's, glass ornaments went out of fashion when the aluminum tree adorned with ornaments of similar shape and color became the rage. Many traditional ornaments were thrown away during this period.
What to Look for in Antique Ornaments
If you're lucky enough to still have any vintage ornaments, hang on to them.
How to tell vintage versus new. Earlier ornaments were smaller than today's modern ornaments. They were usually done in soft colors with hand painted details. You'll notice that the paint may be faded or distressed in areas on vintage ornaments.
Hand blown versus machine made. Remove the stem from the base of the ornament. Ornaments that are hand blown will have an uneven base because the glass blower cannot make a clean break. Modern machine made ornaments will have a smooth even base.
Where to find vintage ornaments. Ebay, flea markets, church sales and garage sales are all good hunting grounds for vintage ornaments.
Prices
Prices can vary from $2 - $200 depending on the ornament and where you buy it.

I've been lucky enough to buy ornaments for as little as .50 cents or $1.00. I've never purchased a German Kugel. What do you collect? What has been your best find?

A little story about teeny Seed pearls

Antiques Roadshow...

believed to be once owned

by Marie Antoinette

A seed pearl is a natural pearl and weighs less than a quarter of a grain and is less than 2 mm in diameter in size. Can you imagine working with something so small to design a piece of fine jewelry? Once a cottage industry, pieces were often made by young men and women with small hands and good eyes.

Jewelers brought most seed pearls from India and China. They were strung on silk or white horsehair. In the mid 19th century, fashions became fuller and heavier. Because of the styles, seed pearl pieces became so large that that they were eventually made with metal supports.

By the 18th century and throughout the 19th century, pearls were very much in fashion. Victorians liked the delicate look, almost lace-like pieces against their skin and associated it with purity. They were often given as bridal gifts.

I hope you've enjoyed a bit of history on a style of jewelry I have always thought of as lovely. Jennifer

Please be my guest for tea.....

I adore hats - feathers

ruffles, bows and plumes

The house featured above is not mine, but I can pretend (I'm actually a cottage sort of gal - had a mega house and it never felt warm and my friends come to see me - NOT my square footage), Lavender English transfer ware is superb - as for berries, cream and scones.....YUM!

BEST EVER BRITISH SCONES

Hot scones, served as they are removed from the oven, are an English specialty. A MUST for five o'clock tea. Serve with butter and jam.
Preparation: easy. Cost: inexpensive. Preparation time: 30 minutes; total baking time 10 minutes. Oven temperature: 425 degrees middle rack.
This is what you'll need for 8 scones:
2 c. all-purpose flour2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt1/4 c. butter3/4 c. buttermilk
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter. Combine with your fingers, a wooden spoon or a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. Add buttermilk. Quickly stir to form dough.
Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. Flatten to a round. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cut each crosswise into 4 pieces but not all the way through. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. Is properly served with Earl Grey tea, of course!

Grand Opening! THE PINK POET

GRAND OPENING!

The PINK POET

COLLEEN YOUNG HAS MOVED TO A NEW HOME

AND SO HAS THE PINK POET ANTIQUES

NOW IN LAYTONSVILLE, MD.

21414 LAYTONSVILLE ROAD.

open: 11 am- 6 pm Tuesday - Sunday

closed Monday

Parking and Entrance in the Rear

GRAND OPENING

OCTOBER 24 & 25

• fine jewelry
• estate jewelry
• costume baubles
• furniture
• vintage treasures
• antiques to behold

refreshments served all weekend

additional parking across the street

Introducing The Shady Shack In The Back a shop full of fun vintage stuff for everyone!

Buttons - buttons - who loves buttons?

MMMMMM = buttons!

big ones little ones

green ones teeny ones

old ones Giant ones

round ones shell ones

black ones

orange ones

bbbbuuutttooonnnss

do you love 'em?

do you have 'em?

dohunt for them?

what kind do you like?

what kind do you want?

do you trade?

do you sew?


Buttons

Button up!

make jewelry?

what's new?

what's the scoop?

have you bought them by the scoop?

tell me more tell me all bbbbuuutttooonnns bbbuuutttooonnnssss

Victorian Hat for the birds!

WINGS, BREASTS AND BIRDS! 19th Century

"The entire bird is used, and is mounted on wires and springs that permit the head and wings to be moved about in the most natural manner." Harpers Bazaar 1875

Frank Chapman an ornithologist in 1886 spoke of what he viewed as the destruction of birds for millinery purposes. He wrote a letter to the editor of Forest and Stream to bring this to their attention. His letter listed all the species seen on two afternoons in the uptown shopping district of N.Y. city. In one afternoon, 700 hats were counted and on them 20 birds recognized. 543 hats were decorated with feathers. This was one of the most debated fashion issues during the 1900's because the use of bird feathers were used as a fashion ornament not only for hats but for fans and boas too. I still think they look cool....but I love our feathered friends!