Month: July 2024

What’s New – Volume 96

by

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and the Latest Things

While everyone is busy complaining about the heatwave we’ve been experiencing this summer, I’m over here relishing in the knowledge that scrumptious tomatoes will be ripening to perfection under the warmth of the July sun.  Tomorrow is my day off – amidst endless loads of laundry, cleaning and countless other tasks – I will definitely stop by my favorite farm stand.  It’s not a big market, just a small stand-alone shack laden with in-season local goodness.  The friendly woman inside is ready to answer questions and make recommendations on the best produce that day.  There might be cantaloupe, pickling cucumbers, or green peppers. 

A massive pile of early sweet corn will fill half the stand,  But the main reason I go is for the tomatoes.  These delectable fruits are still warm from the sun.  They’re unwashed, some with nutrient dense soil still clinging to the bright red skin.  This lovely lady will have pint-sized green cardboard crates filled with cherry tomatoes and oblong boxes with wire handles overflowing with perfect sandwich tomatoes.  After I make my selections, she will carefully place my purchases in a brown paper bag before she gives me a total.  She doesn’t take credit cards, it’s cash only.  After tucking my treasures behind the seat, on the way home, my car will be filled with the musky unique smell of tomatoes fresh from the vine.

These lovely earrings remind me of garden ripe tomatoes.  Made from rich, buttery 22-karat gold wire, these handmade beauties evoke feeling of summer.  Light and airy, each one depicts a four-petaled flower that dangles whimsically from a curved wire.  The shapely petals curl around the center where a tiny ring of gold beads surround a bezel-set gemstone.  Nestled within each bezel is a vibrant green tourmaline.  The color is deeply saturated, much like the dark hue of mid-summer tomato leaves.  

They’re absolutely perfect on the ear.  Pair them with your favorite overalls for early-morning gardening – those tomatoes won’t wait!  Or accessorize a wide-brimmed hat and cotton dress… the most perfect outfit for an afternoon at the local farmer’s market.  You will reach for these earrings time and again – they will become your go-to choice!  Priced at $875.00, they’re available in our showroom.  Call to claim!

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

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Hot or Not – Volume 15

by

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Curious Things

Do you have an appetite for apatite?  A phosphate mineral, this widely occurring stone is transparent or even translucent.  Found most commonly in shades of blue and green, it is a relatively soft stone.  It is ranked a five on Mohs scale.  More unusual shades include colorless, yellow, purple, pink and brown.  Intense blue varieties are the result of heat treatment.  Gem quality apatite stones are mined in Mexico, Myanmar and Brazil.  

This unique gemstone is believed to inspire learning, creativity and insight.  Many believe that wearing a piece of apatite jewelry will provide clarity, focus, acceptance and unconditional love both from oneself and others. 

A cushion-shaped apatite fills the center of this Mid Century Modern dinner ring.  This deep teal-colored gem weighs 3.50 carats.  A series of sixteen straight baguette diamonds spray out from the gemstone.  These diamonds are equally spaced without touching each other.  Held in place by two prongs, these diamonds have a total weight of approximately 1.00 carat.  The ring itself is made entirely of 18-karat white gold.  The metal fineness mark is crisp and easily read inside the shank.

This ring reminds me of a child’s painting.  It takes the form of a primitively drawn sunshine…  a roundish center with a series of rays fanning out.  It’s the perfect combination of blue skies and sunny days.  It shines with a childlike demeanor that makes me smile.  Moderately priced at $2,150.00, this ring will be added to our website soon.  Although this bold blue apatite ring appeals to me, I can’t help but wonder what you think.  Does this ring blaze hot like the sun, or is it a dud that fizzles out?  Is it hot, or not?

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

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Pastiche Mystique

by

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Pastiche Things

One of the most interesting things I do (or attempt to do) for each blog is research.  Sometimes it’s rewarding, but often it’s frustrating.  Each era is characterized by prominent themes, choice of metal, gemstones utilized and the defining details that set those years apart from all others.  These particulars are a good place to begin.  Studying the object at hand, I tick off the boxes of my mental checklist…

  • Yellow gold frame
  • Cobalt blue enamel 
  • “Made in France” written on the back side
  • Foldover bail
  • 20th century pin catch 

There are no hallmarks and no gold stamp.  Lucky for me, we have a Thermoscientific Metal Analyzer (a small x-ray machine) that gives a very specific listing of the elements contained in the metal.  I carefully placed the shiny golden edge of the frame over the eye of the analyzer and closed the lid.  The little computer cycled for about 30 seconds and then showed the result – in this case, the gold purity read 14-karat.  It wasn’t until about 1890 that 14-karat gold came into being… prior to that, higher karat gold (like 18-karat) was the standard. 

After testing the gold purity, I tested the blue enamel on the front of the piece.  The results contradicted my other findings.  The analyzer revealed that the enamel is 97% lead, with less than 1% each of gold, zinc, copper, cobalt, and iron.  Gently flipping the brooch over, I tested the shimmery copper-colored enamel on the back side.  The results were quite similar.  The screen read 95% lead, 2.3% platinum and less than 1% each of silver, zinc, copper and iron.  

Enamels made during the Renaissance period (14-17th century) had significant amounts of lead combined with opacifiers (substances that made the enamel opaque).  Small amounts of other metals were added as colorants – like cobalt to create blue enamel.  Enamels from the 18-19th century have a lead, potassium and silicon base; however, there were a few enamelists who continued to use traditional (heavily lead-based) enamels well into the 19th century.  Nothing about this brooch seems to make sense.  

As I mentioned early on, this brooch has a “locking C” clasp.  This round-hinged clasp did not appear in jewelry before the 1920’s and 1930’s.  In fact, this type of pin catch is still widely used today.  Close inspection reveals that these modern elements – the pin hinge, clasp, and foldover bail were actually soldered onto part of an older structure.  They’re definitely not original to the piece.  

My findings present a conundrum… 14-karat gold wasn’t used until the turn of the century.  Additionally, since 1838, all gold jewelry sold in France is tested and marked with an eagle’s head.  18-karat is the minimum purity that jewelry must be in order to be evaluated and appraised.  The enamel used has a high concentration of lead, another indicator of an early piece.  Finally, the pin stem, catch and bail were changed sometime after 1920.  Perhaps the enameled centerpiece was made during the Renaissance era and was remounted later on.  Or perhaps the entire piece was made at a later time by an enamelist who continued to use lead-based enamel.  

While we cannot ascertain any of these possibilities, what we do know is that this brooch is quite lovely.  The iridescent background is a glorious shade of royal blue.  The image (done almost entirely in opaque white enamel) rises slightly off the surface.  A winged cherub rides atop of the curl of a conch shell with a golden staff clutched in his right hand.  A pair of doves fly along beside him.  There are many potential inspirations for this piece…  

Each one of these famous images bears similarities to our vintage beauty.  It could be any one of them, or none of them.  Customers are always asking us where we get our treasures, who owned and wore them.  The truth of the matter is, we almost never know.  An although I love playing detective and piecing clues together, the mystery of this brooch remains.  Originally priced at $1980.00, it’s available now for just $1600.00.  If you’re as charmed by the mystique of this piece as we are, call us to claim it for yourself.

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

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