Victoria-vintage comments on vintage jewelry

As I buy vintage jewelry, I'm noticing that many people cannot determine the newer pieces from the older, vintage pieces. Many of the old pieces had heavier, more weighty, high quality metals. The retro pieces dating in the 1940 and 1950 era, used mostly silver tone metals and a material called rhodium.

Often, in the vintage jewelry, you will find prong hand set rhinestones. Great detail and high quality workmanship.

Rhodium is a white metallic material which belongs to the platinum metal ground. It has a hard finish which has a reflective look to it. Many jewelry makers used rhodium plating in this era.

Platinum was used in the older fine jewelry. It is a heavy, silvery white metallic material that was alloyed with other metals. Often, in the art deco period, designers used platinum on their fine jewelry. I really like the art deco designed pieces of jewelry. Quite detailed with tiny pave diamonds set in platinum, with often a colored gem of ruby or emerald.

Pictured below. Jewelry lot. Here is one of the lots displaying the antique jeweled brooch and Har signed clip earrings.

Miriam Haskell Information

Miriam Haskell first began making jewelry commercially around 1924, and she designed pieces with great unqiness of design. She flew to Europe to pick "select" beads of glass for her fine designs. High workmanship and much detail, with wired construction and filigree pieces. She chose Russian gilt to cover her findings. Frank Hess joined her in the company as the lead artistic designer, and he was a master of new and technically complex production techniques that allowed their vision to become a reality. Hess worked as the lead designer until he retired in 1960, and he was succeeded by Robert Clark. Mr. Clark continued the traditions but incorporated some of his own ideas into production.

In the early years, Haskell jewelry was not marked and production was limited. Since the early jewelry was unmarked, Haskell jewelry is questionable as to authenticity. There are of course distinct characteristics an expert looks for, including the design itself which often incorporates surprises or irregularities that one looks for. Quality was always evident, with finer quality materials and all prong set in the design. Haskell jewelry is known for its use of elaborate filigree and careful wiring, all handmade with such gorgeous designs. I highly recommend your purchasing a book to educate yourself via pictures of her workmanship. The advent of World War II forced Haskell to sometimes use alternative materials including for the first time plastics, and she purchased many of her materials locally.

In the early 50s, the company started marking their jewelry. Several styles were used according to the design including an incised "Miriam Haskell" on the hook, "Miriam Haskell" in a crescent shaped cartouche, and an oval stamp "Miriam Haskell" on the clasp. Some designs during the fifties were very elaborate, combining stones, pearls, beads, and filigree in amazing designs. The company was sold to Frank Fialkoff in 1990 and the company is still producing today, making some of the older designs highly sought after.

Enchanting Spring

Here in Oregon, we had quite a winter. In December we had 4 storms, each within days of each other, dropping about 3 to 4 feet of snow!

Today was the first day of wonderful sunshine. I was ready to take a stroll in the neighborhood. How wonderful to see the daffodils coming up...and primroses. The neighbors were busy cleaning up their pots that had sat in the frigid temperatures. They were eager to get their newly purchase annual in their pots and get them out on the porches and decks to enjoy.

It felt so good to hear the birds twittering and singing. I saw all kinds of sparrows fluttering and flying all about, enjoying spring and saying to their fellow friends how happy they were to see the sunshine!