SCS Cure....Matchme Service Update!

Hi everyone,
After several years of providing a free vintage jewelry matching service, I've finally found a way that actually works! Thanks to my host and the photo gallery service they provide on my site, I can now offer a way for ANYONE to list pictures of the jewelry they are looking for matching pieces to.
If you have a set and want to find matching pieces, otherwise known as SCS or set completion syndrome, or if you have a single orphaned earring to which you hope to find the mate, or if you have any single piece of vintage jewelry, a brooch, bracelet or necklace, and you wish to find additional matching pieces, the Matchme Service is the place to post it.
In fact, if you have any sort of vintage costume jewelry related ISO (in search of) or WTB (wanted to buy), feel free to post to the Matchme Album, click here:
Matchme Service Album
You can add either photos and/or text. You'll need to upload a photo from your computer, and while a phot is not required, it certainly will help other looking to see what you need. Text should in include your email address in case someone has what you want and needs to contact you. Remember, the email you list will go out on the net as the album has been submitted to SE's.
You will require a login user and password to access the album, so please contact adrienne@costumejewel.com for that info.

Summer Jewelry! What vintage jewelry lovers are wearing

A survey of hundreds of vintage jewelry collectors and dealers reveals that fun and funky, lightweight, easy to wear and delicious colors are the 'must haves' of summer jewelry.

Signed 'Vogue' necklace set
Lightwieght plastic and glass beads top the list of the choice of necklaces for summer, plastic beacuse they're lightweight, glass beacuse it's cool on the skin. Yummy summery citrus colors and light, cool pastels are the colors most mentioned.

Canary yellow glass bead droplet necklace

Chunky pink lucite flowers and clear leaves necklace
Longer plastic beads necklaces worn with simple tanks

Orange and yellow plastic flower moonglow beads
and big, fun glitzy earrings worn with embellished tops are perfect in hot sticky weather when necklaces are just too much.

Pink aurora beads dangle earrings
Bangles are favored over bracelets, and anything lightweight and fun will work:

Tropical painted wood bangle

Heavily carved orange bakelite

Hot pink plastic bypass bangle
Of course, nearly everyone mentioned summer's basic staple: white. White beads are a hit, as are faux pearls this season:

White and red glass bead necklace

Faux pearl and glass bead lariat
While most metal jewelry such as copper and gold or silver plated pieces are put away in the hot weather, Mexican and Native American sterling are popular choices with summer boho fashions, especially pieces with turquose and other natural stones

Navajo turquoise sterling cuff


Rhinestones and glitz, except in earrings to go with glitzy tanks, were almost unanimously put away in favor of the more fun and lighter looks of the season. But those who love glitz and glam, don't worry, Labor Day is not too far off, and after that, out come the rhinestones, especially all those yummy fall topaz and amber colors.


Update: After seeing this article yesterday, Ginger Moro, author of European Designer Jewelry and others, contacted me and showed me this phenomenal Coppola e Toppo necklace, which she wears in the summer. Ginger describes it as 'light and frolicsome', and even with a centerpiece of glass beads measuring 6" x 10", it manages to be just that! Perhaps the quintessenial piece of summer jewelry, satisfying all the survey responders most important qualities: fun, citrus-y and/or pastel colors, glass beads and a little funky:

Ginger's Coppola e Toppo summer necklace.

July 4th: Vintage Patriotic Jewelry

The wearing of patriotic jewelry has been popular for decades. But, especially during WWII, to show support, woman not only wore jewelry depictunf patritic themes and colors, but they wore 'sweetehart' jewery. Jewelry to remember loved ones, to show support of a service or brance of the military and/or jewelry made by they men in uniform, known as trench art.
Patriotic jewelry has also been worn over the years for political reasons, such as jewelry depicting the name of a canditate, or just to show patriotisn, such as the popular red, white and blue jewelry from the 1976 bi-cenntenial.
Here are several examples of vintage patriotic jewelry:
1940's bakelite anchor:

WWII hand made Trench Art cuff bracelet:

1940's Lucite Air Force sweetheart bracelet:

Mid 1970's patriotic beads necklace set:

Patriotic pot metal dove of peace:

Patriotic bakelite bar pin, the original white has turned butterscotch, the navy turned almost black:

Hobe patriotic beads set:

To see more patriotic jewelry, just click the title of this post.
Enjoy your 4th!

Collecting Vintage Costume Jewelry: St Paddy's Day Shamrocks & other Irish jewelry

Mexican Sterling Concha Shell Clover Brooch from Illusions Jewels
And, from Sunday and Sunday:

Tara Ware Dublin Ireland Clover Shamrock Sterling Silver Enamel Bracelet

Sterling Silver Victorian English Clover Shamrock Pin

St Paddy's Day Shamrocks & other Irish jewelry

With St Patrick's Day almost upon us, it's time to showcase Shamrock and Irish jewelry.
I currently only have one shamrock to feature, so I'll need help. Email me the link to your vintage shamorck or Irish jewelry and I'll add it here.
To get the ball rolling, here's a lovely Victorian 10k gold shamrock with genuine pearls:

Don't forget....you'll be needing green jewelry so click the title of this post which will lead you to our latest additions, we added a whole lotta green!

WOW! More Valentine's Day Vintage Jewelry Hearts

First, from Carolyn of Sunday and Sunday:

Carl-Art Repousse heart locket

Krementz Art Nouveau 14k opal and diamong heart pendant


Meka Reklamegaver Denmark enameled sterling heart brooch

Dangling hearts charm bracelet


From Georjean:

Striped lucite heart

Fun! love meter pin


From Sharon:

Rhinestone heart key


From Jan:

Craft heart brooch


From Cynthia:

Mignon Faget Vine Wrapped Heart and Cupids Arrow

Gold hearts brooch and earrings with red stones

Amethyst and pearl heart pendant

What a great show of hearts! Keep 'em coming. Email me the link to your pictures, I'll add them to the Blog.

And More Valentine's Day Vintage Jewelry Hearts

These are from Terri:

The Trifari "sweetheart" pin (also in Marcia Brown's "Signed Beauties" book) -- the acrostic of the "jewel" names of the rhinestones starting at the top right spells "D-E-A-R-E-S-T":


This Barclay charm bracelet isn't just one heart, but it's also a sweetheart piece -- the heart charms are set with rhinestones that spell out DEAREST (start with the "diamond" rhinestone next to the clasp and go counterclockwise):

Still More Valentine's Day Vintage Jewelry Hearts

Cathy's hearts:

Valentine's Day Vintage Jewelry suggestions

Hi,
Looking for a Valentine's Day gift? Of course there's always jewelry, but what's better than jewelry? Vintage jewelry, of course.
There's a huge variety of vintage heart jewels available, the heart has been a popular theme for centuries.
Here are just a few examples:

Victorian mourning carved jet heart

Huge French Depose rhinestone heart fur clip

Huge, funky red plastic heart dangling earrings

1940's gold filled heart locket

Victorian micro-mosaic heart pendant

Trifari fruit salad heart brooch

Trifari rhinestone baguette heart brooch

1940's sterling vermeil double heart pins or chatelaine.

And there's many more great Valentine's Day gifts and ideas. Visit our latest additions page for more great items.

MATCHME-Jewelry Matching Service

Hi all,
By popular request, the MATCHME service from my site has been contiuned/expanded here to the BLOG where it's easier than ever for you to post your own MATCHME requests.
Simply post a link to this topic by clicking 'Creat a link'! You can add or link to pictures of your jewelry items, just type you link into the text box that appears. Please include a description of what you'll looking for, i.e. mach to orphaned earring, or whatever, and also a way someone with that match can contact you.
You can post about any item you're looking for the match too; orphan earrings, other pieces to complete a set, whatever, as long as it's jewelry.
If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.