MUSINGS & MOMENTS

As summer is in full steam, let’s take a look at how sailing and mariner themes have been used in fashion. Besides the typical Breton French blue and white striped shirts, or Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel breaking tradition by radically wearing sailor pants in 1928, this seafaring theme also applies to jewelry. This amazing unsigned large ship necklace in our collection was probably made for a runway or costume in the 1970s.

The wedding day tradition of having “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” came from the 19th Century English belief that if you carried small tokens representing these good-luck symbols you would ward off the evil eye. For brides, they were meant to protect them from spells that stopped their fertility. A bride wore a blue vintage ring from our collection with her emerald engagement ring from Greenwich St. Jewelers. Photo by Sylvie Rosokoff.

Flowers always cheer me up, whether they are real or depicted in jewelry. The bright rhinestones and colors of vintage costume jewelry always lend themselves to a pretty pick-me-up for design. A vintage 1950s Stanley Hagler pin available for purchase on our website.

Religious symbols such as crosses have been worn as sacred adornment for centuries. If you were lucky enough to see the Heavenly Bodies show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in 2018, the entire exhibit was about the influence of the Catholic Church on fashion throughout the ages. A signed ART clear glass, faux pearl and turquoise bead cross pendant necklace that has sold from our collection.

Are you getting tired of the cold and planning a warm vacation? Or do you have a favorite place to escape to the country or beach? Historically, jewelry and decorative items have acted as mementos to remember special trips.  Shop mini manicure sets and charms in the Objects page of our website.

Like other art forms, fashion and jewelry are influenced by the discoveries and news of the day. One recurring theme of fashion is ancient Egypt and the heroine Cleopatra.

The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s-60s brought nuclear bomb drills to elementary schools and a race to dominate space and be the first to reach the moon. This competitive science had a heavy influence on the fashion and jewelry of those periods.

On an Instagram stories quiz, I asked my followers to try to date when the following drawing in my collection was from: 1929, 1968, or 1985. This was a trick question, as each of these time periods actually influenced the next.

Confetti is everywhere now: Funfetti cakes and sparkle manicures bring a celebration to everything from food to fashion. This party vibe has been around for quite a while in jewelry with confetti glass.