Think Inside The Box

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Square Things

The corners have worn off the vintage red leather.  The ivory satin lining is tinged with age, rendering the gold lettering barely legible.  The crushed velvet is perfectly contoured to the piece it was created for. 

box-worn-edge     box-lining

Each box is nestled into the plush lining of the showcase; many of these boxes are as valuable as the heirlooms they hold.

The antique cases are juxtaposed with rows of sleek, modern black boxes; the Joden name is stamped in brilliant gold Copperplate lettering on the lid.  They are pristine in their newness, filling the shelves beneath the cases – waiting to be filled. 

box-with-joden-2

Each of these boxes are an essential element of the Joden charm, meant to intrigue and delight customers, but neither is as critical to our business as the cardboard boxes.  If you have visited our shop, perhaps you know what I’m talking about.  Ordinary looking from the outside, each box has a handwritten label that identifies its contents: Bracelets, Pins, even Antique.  Virtually every one has been repaired time and again.  The paper coverings are worn to a soft patina…  the result of passing through our hands thousands of times.  These boxes are the heart of Joden Jewelers.

box-stack-3     box-stack

We encourage customers to sort through them…  “Dig in!”  It’s like sifting through your grandmother’s jewelry box.  Every piece is more appealing than the last, Victorian carved cameos, delicate filigree brooches, and hundred-year-old engagement rings.  It’s a miniature treasure hunt, a feast for the eyes.  Imagine stacks of cardboard boxes, splitting at the seams with fine antique and modern treasures.  Something is waiting for you to discover it.

box-contents-2     box-contents

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

Written by Carrie Martin

It’s the Little Things

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Converted Things

Gone are the days of women wearing suits to work every day.  Casual apparel has become commonplace.  As a result, brooches and pins have been abandoned to the bottom of jewelry boxes everywhere.

Many women mistakenly think that brooches are for dressing up…  Not true!  In fact, in the 1800’s, pins were worn every day, although they weren’t always visible.  Women’s undergarments have come a LONG way, but the basic structure is still very much the same – straps worn over the shoulders.  In Victorian times, these straps were secured with a tiny pair of decorative pins.  Lingerie pins, like these:

At Joden, we have several pair of lingerie pins…  and they are all enchanting.  There are Art Deco filigree styles with tiny sapphires, Edwardian designs with pearl centers, and Art Nouveau sets enameled in shades of pink, blue, and black.

With bar necklaces popping up all over the place, we decided to start converting our little pins into necklaces, two are pictured below.  Aren’t they are fabulous? In fact, they sold so quickly, we had to make more.

new-blog-photo

So, dig out those brooches, and get inspired!

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

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Carla Leight

Beam Me Up

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Celestial Things

Ancient folklore claims that if a man presents his lover with a moonstone necklace by the light of a full moon, their union would be blessed with a great passion that would never subside.  Perhaps this piece was created with these amorous intentions…

moonstone-pendant

Yet another legend dubs moonstone to be the “Traveler’s Stone,” a talisman for protection, health, and good fortune.  Roman and Hindu beliefs clam that the lustrous stone is actually made from solidified moonbeams – a gem created by the tears of the moon.  Whatever the reason for crafting this late Victorian pendant, the fruition is stunning.  It’s sure the inspire passion in anyone who wears it.

The much-fabled moonstone is perfectly showcased in the center of this hand-crafted necklace.  This particular one has been cut and polished in classic cabochon style allowing its two most desirable properties to shine:  adularescence and chatoyancy.  Each of these phenomena are created when light hits the surface of the stone, making it shimmer and glow.  Borders of multicolor enamel and hand cut azures complement the center to complete this exquisite design.

Wear it under the light of the moon, if you dare…

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

Written by Carrie Martin

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