citrine dream

The key to wearing citrine is wearing it large. These are some examples of how the stone really shines. Citrine is not for the shy! I hope you enjoy this collection recently seen on eBay.

small collections 2

I just love this group of what I call my dog tag collection. I wear them all summer over high necked T-shirts on dog tag length chains. My husband got me the 'Be my Valentine' tag. I found the silver tag off an 1940's charm necklace. I love the interlocking ribbon motif. And the strawberry I canabalized off a Guess necklace from Ross Dress For Less! Nothing could be cuter over casual denim shorts and Tee. I just love these three pieces together. The collection was solidified by the valentine coin my husband gave me out of season. He is such a love bird.

small collections

Imagine my surprise when I got yet another mystery box from my cousin Malinda! Few things are as exciting as an unexpected gift in the mail. The first thing I took out of this box was the cunning Italian glass mandolin broach. Suddenly I realized I had a collection going. I had the heart pin which I got at the Nifty Trifty in Portola and then I remembered I had the floral ring for ages. But somehow had never put them together before. There is something about the third object that makes three a charm and really forms a collection. Needless to say I'm thrilled to death! I want to get one of those white Mexican dresses that are all embroidered to go with this collection. Wouldn't that be sweet?

It's time for white

Okay, Ladies. Memorial Day has come and gone. Time to take out those white accessories! Above I show my milk glass beads and large white dangle. Below, from my cousin, Malinda's mystery box
is a daintier look of seed beads with a sterling clasp. Don't be afraid to use bold white earrings, and you simply must get out those white loafers!

Diamond Monday

Happy Monday! Imagine these in your jewel box. I know I certainly have! Enjoy.

coral, crystal, and pearls

Tiny coral beads, and clear rock crystals combine in this necklace that I also inherited from my sister, Nancy who loves coral but thinks it looks terrible on her. I made the earrings to match out of old bakelite screw back earrings. I can't believe how well they go with the necklace. I also show my large coral beads since I wear these with this necklace sometimes just for more drama.

branch coral

It is very dramatic to wear coral in its original form. I love mixing pink, red and orange to show the variety of color coral grows in, of course there is also black and white. My favorite complement to coral is turquoise, as seen below. Of course turquoise goes with almost anything. If I were wearing these coral necklaces, I would add another two or three strands of turquoise. Again there is the issue of whether one should ever even buy coral. And I struggle with that. Naturally you will guess that I got these pieces all second hand. At this point I just try to love and take care of them.

coral and gold

Yellow gold is back in style after many years during which white gold reigned. What could be nicer than a strand of gold beads with a strand of graduated light pink coral beads? I got both these at Mr. Coffman's store when it was in Greenville. Some of my very favorite pieces ever have come from Mr. Coffman's alluring little shops. I love shopping where I might find a surprise. Unfortunately you don't get too many surprises at most chain stores. Although if I'm in a chain store I always look. I mean miracles do happen.

coral

It's almost time to get out your coral or faux coral whatever the case may be. The pink coral here I found at a thrift store and the pearls and red coral are a necklace that I got from my sister, Nancy.
I've gained several really nice coral pieces from Nancy as she always buys them and then thinks the color looks horrible on her. How can anyone look bad in coral? Over the next few days I'll show you some other coral treasures that I have.

Ruby Monday

Rubies tend to be more pink than red, as you can see by this rather random selection from eBay. Enjoy.

opals

I've never been much on opals.
Usually they're too gaudy or too pale and featureless. But these three rings are lovely. I am attracted to the luminescence of these blue stones, and their intensity in the almost rose colored old gold settings. These remain on my wish list because of  my restrained budget, but it's always nice to have something to look forward to.

new rings

These are two new rings that I've recently added to my collection inspired by the new Great Gatsby. I like to buy rings in pairs so that they go together, one on each hand. These are large rings which I will wear on my pointers. They are such classic designs, and I don't have anything like them in my collection. By keeping up with other jewelry blogs I get a sense of what is about to come into fashion.

small change

 Here's a piece that says, "I just walked out of a department store!" The sort of random beads distract from the pendant that is made of carved bone and has possibilities. I cut the beads off and stored them with my other pieces and bits that I may be able to upcycle in the future. Then I added a plain silver chain to the pendant. Suddenly we've got an art piece. Nice.

bone

I love carved bone, from the beautiful smooth beads at the top of this page to the intricately carved pineapples just above. The pineapple is very special to me because my dad worked for Dole Pineapple many of the years while I was growing up. He always provided the free pineapples for our class luaus. In the East, beyond the Mississippi, pineapples are a symbol of hospitality. There is the issue as to whether any of this ivory is prohibited or not. I got all these pieces at the Salvation Army on Sutro St. I despise the killing of wild animals in Africa and else where around the world for the sheer vanity of man. But once a thing ends up in a thrift store someone has to take responsibility for it. I choose to be the curator of these bones.

time

Inspiration Board: Mechanical Watches, the beauty of their wheels and gears, their old numerals....

a few secrets

Aren't those vintage pearls to die for? I strung them up first thing and added the black ribbon because this bracelet with my big black diamond is something out of Vogue in the 50's! These pearls are heavy and slightly baroque. And very very white as if they've traveled to us from a cleaner world. I doubt we'll ever see pearls this white again. Next is a mid-century modern classic scarf clip. This picture doesn't do it justice. It's gold with matte and shiny finished stripes alternating to an indented matte gold circle in the center. It says "Western Germany" on the back so that tells a tale. Then there is the sweetest old plastic heart, probably a Valentine's Day trinket with the heaviest gold heart dangling freely at the center. I love these old plastic special occasion pieces because they're so rare. I collect them as you know if you saw my Easter post. And look at the great prop below! I just love it and think it deserves its own photo.

All this out of my cousin Malinda's junk drawer! And there's more! Good stuff that I have to work on and combine with pieces I already have. These are sweet, Malinda!

Mystery package

There it is! The package from my cousin Malinda. She's moving and has sent me all her, as they would be called on eBay, "Junk Drawer Finds." I just have to let the package sit while I spend time guessing what's in it. Being from my era, I would expect a lot of 1980's beads, you know those solid colored ones that go with Ivan Trump striped dresses. But here's the beauty of it: you just never know what someone puts into a junk drawer. Lots of good stuff has been found in junk drawers. I'm looking forward to opening my box. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to have the mystery solved.

Back to Italy

I can't go very long without thinking about Venetian glass! It's the prettiest stuff. I explained how it is made in my other post on this subject so here I'll just wax rhapsodic. These brighter pieces are nice for summer. The black is always sophisticated. These kinds of pieces are often overlooked in thrift stores so keep your eyes open while thrifting. Happy hunting.

articulated cloisonne fish

These ingenious articulated fish have sold for so cheaply for so long that people just overlook their beauty and cunning design. I was happy to see some of the older, more intricate pieces selling for over 200 dollars on eBay recently. If I were an investor these are what I'd be checking out. I don't believe they will be overlooked forever!