Kim's Closet

Kim, owner of the darling My Sister's Closet in Quincy, has a wonderful selection of vintage jewelry. I have found some extra super treasures at her store all at prices I could afford. She also sells some of Sara Conklin's beads as seen below. The store has a fine selection of consignment clothes all picked out by Kim herself and consequently reflecting her great sense of style as well as understanding of what people in this rural community need. I just bought a brand new pair of SAS sandles there today, not to mention a pair of vintage earrings and two gifts, one for my son and another for his girlfriend. If you wonder where I get my great stuff, think Kim.

fierce visages

For the longest time, back to the ancients, jewelers have liked to create fierce looking rings to lend the wearer some of the protection of the creature itself. These rings are a collection of images I gathered on eBay. The very fine hatpin is from Erie Basin. And the photo at the bottom is my very own rather timid looking lion with an old simulated ruby ring I like to wear with it.These rings tend to be for men. I guess it doesn't seem manly enough to make men's ringsout of butterflies and kittens. I must say however, I like these fierce rings too and certainly there is a trend in women's   jewelry of crocodiles and panthers.

three bracelets

I haven't posted bracelets in a while. Here are two glass ones and an enamel. The top glass one is made of beads which are primarily 'soft' glass twisted and shaped into flower-like forms and then covered with a thick layer of 'boro' glass. (Thanks Sara Conklin for the tutorial) The second is a mass produced 'God's eye' (really known as evil eye) design, and the photo above is of a vintage enameled bracelet. Enameling involves filling in a metal design with powdered color and putting it into a kiln to melt. The top and bottom bracelets look really nice together.

more beads

More of artist Sara Conklin's work. Her new webiste is at http://cremationbeadsbysara.com/. It's very nice. Check it out and enjoy.

mystery necklace

I have wondered for the longest time what this necklace was made of; here is what glass bead artist and antiques appraisor, Sara Chonklin has to say: Turtle shell is organic so maybe it would react like other organic substances, e.g., ivory.  If you take a plug-in-the-wall burning tool to ivory and it smells like you set your hair on fire, it is ivory. If it has a cloyingly sweet smell, plastic.  Maybe the turtle beads will either not melt at all and so no smell = glass or you get the hair on fire scent.  Yes, it would be easy to make fake turtle beads with several colors of brown and orange/yellow.

You can use this info in your blog, as an appraiser of scrimshaw, I have told this trick to lots of people.  If it is potentially valuable ivory, put the hot tip somewhere where it won’t mar an important surface.  It is really the smell you are going for, the whole idea of the “hot needle test” really doesn’t work.  Get your nose right down to where the burning is going to happen. 

I haven't tried the smell test yet. But after seeing Sara at work on her beads, I guess I can see how these might very well be glass beads, maybe made with a mold to get the consistant size. Anyway I love this necklace, and I love glass beads. The mystery now is why I can't seem to find anything like this on the internet. I don't have any idea of their history except that they are trade beads!

Anniversary gift

So today is my Anniversary! My husband told me to pick out something I liked at Sara Conklin, lamp worked bead maker extradinaire's, workshop. I chose these peacock colored beads because I like beads that look fluid and because I now know how these swirls were made. This picture doesn't do the piece justice. But these glass beads, just like the ceramic ones, are so hard to photograph. I was running late and didn't photograph these in the best light. What is so wonderful about these lampworked beads is that no two are alike. So every one in this necklace is a variation on a theme, like a piece of music. The problem is that now I have this one I want the piece below too! Beautiful "Boro" glass!

magical beads

Sara focuses her attention in order to create a bead made with her mother's cremains.

Some materials needed for this particular bead.

The ashes of the loved one float gently at the surface of finished cremains beads.

 I went on the most wonderful interview for my new job with Mountain Valley Living. I had the honor of meeting glass bead artist Sara Conklin. She spent several hours with me, showing me how the different techniques all come together in creating lampworked beads. Sara makes some special beads that are created with the cremains of her client's loved ones. People draw comfort from having a bit of their beloved encased in beautiful glass that can be worn. This is just a sneak preview of what my feature article with cover in detail. I hope you are as interested in this wonderful art and talented artist as I am.

more shells

The top photo is of my prized giant puka shell necklace. In Hawaiian it would be known as Lei Niho Palaoa. I love puka shells so much. When I wear this in Hawaii I always get so many compliments. The second choker is beautiful and unusal because it is irredescent and undyed. This looks nice with the white dress I have. These are the quintessencial pearly shells.

chunky necklace 2

Here's a nice piece of festival jewelry, just in time for the High Sierra Music Festival coming up here in Quincy over the weekend of the Fourth. The beads are made of processed amber--that's smaller, less desirable amber gound up into a compound that is then pressed into larger beads. Still it's pretty and is sure to give you a hippy feel at any campsite or concert.

long chunky necklaces

These are some extra long chunky necklaces I like to wear with summer dresses. As you might have guessed by now, I wear them together. I love the variety in the shapes and colors of the beads. Chunky necklaces are better in the summer because they don't add to the bulk that you already have to put on during the winter. These were both thrift store finds. The knotted twine and beads were at the Nifty Thrifty, and the lucite bead were for the Salvation Army on Sutro St.

Tasmanian shells

This picture does not do justice to these shells' luminescence. Honestly they beam gently as if hit by moonlight. They are from Tasmania and very rare these days. Nowadays the native artists who make these necklaces certify each one. But I inherited these from my Aunt Olive who got them from her great friend Clippy who probably got them when she went on a world tour in the '20's. The green shells are so fragile now that I don't want to wear them except to my son's graduation or wedding. I wish I could show you how absolutely lovely these shells are; they just glow and are undyed. They are also know as Maireener Irridescent shells.

Shell Discs

Here are two more necklaces for summer. The one on the left is really a piece of wood lacquered to look like mother of pearl. It is really beautiful on a rust and black summer dress I have. The disc on the right is made of real shell. I just got it and don't know what I will wear it with. Maybe with a green and white wrap dress that I got from Old Navy and use for a top. All my summer dresses already have shells that are designated to go with them! As you might have guessed, I'm a theme dresser.

GOLD!

 Gold! It's back in style. Here are two chains, one costume and one 14 kt. But does it matter? Just get out your old gold pieces from the early '90's and put them on. Dressed up or down, gold chains will travel well with you. I will always be a gem stone girl. But I love yellow gold!

silver

's so

Now that it's summer, I like to bring out my shells. These two silver volutes I found 3,000 miles apart. But I love them together. I like to wear them with this collection of Chinese silver rings which were imported at least 50 years ago before the Cultural Revolution. I've left the patina on both these selections because I just think it's so beautiful.

Can't get enough turquoise!

I can't get enough turquoise. I bought this collar piece in the '80's. It's sterling silver with a natural blue stone and an 18 kt. gold bezel. I have matching earrings and rings too. I haven't worn this much in Quincy since it seems a little over the top, but I wore it all the time in Honolulu, with shorts or an evening gown.

rings

I'm liking these tall vertically oriented rings. Whether in simple sterling or precious pearls, these rings have a fresh feel to them. It is trendy right now to wear tall rings and rings over the second knuckle. You might consider adopting one of these kinds of rings especially for the pointer finger.

save the jewelry

I've found a nifty little company that you can explore by going to savethejewelry.com. I really like the pictures of the people involved as well as the company's philosophy which agrees with mine entirely.
Here are some of the items I've "adopted" from this reasonably priced venture:

"You can make a difference, one ring at a time."