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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Jewelry Dating (Brooches)
A few types of jewelry are so closely associated with particular eras that you hardly have to think about it, beyond checking fabrication details to confirm they're “right” for the period and seeking signs of wear to ensure they aren't reproductions.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court - Shoe Ornaments
Shoe clips became far more common than buckles in the 20th century and were produced in large numbers for about 60 years (excluding war years), giving us many wonderful Edwardian, Art Deco and Retro designs that are perfect to wear with today’s vintage-inspired fashions.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court on Evening Bags
This time we’ll take a break from discussing the jewels we wear and consider those we carry -- the antique and vintage evening bags that many fashionable women are using both day and night.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court on Hatpins
We ascend now to the lofty heights of Hair Jewelry. We can reasonably assume that, even before recorded history, women were using similarly formed (though less elegant) items to arrange their hair and secure their headgear.
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 Glitz Queen Holds Court on Caring for Antique & Vintage Jewelry
I've consulted a number of expert sources and compiled a fairly comprehensive guide to caring for your antique and vintage jewelry. It's arranged substance.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Easy Fixes
GlitzQueen talks you through some very easy fixes for your antique and vintage jewelry.
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 Glitz Queen Holds Court On Mass Clean-ups
We’re going to talk this time about MASS clean-up, rather than cleaning individual items. All too often, every piece of silver jewelry I own needs radical care at once, in which case I resort to an electrochemical process to save hours of polishing.
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 GlitzQueen holds Court on Necklaces & Earring Part I
Necklaces and earrings, the jewels that frame our faces, have developed together for about the last 10,000 years -- sharing both materials and design directions. They also have in common the fact that their fasteners are easily changed, which can make dating many of them tricky.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part II
Since around 1500 BCE, the Hittites had been smelting iron to make better tools and weapons. (Used ceremonially before then, iron cost more than gold.) Hittite advances in metallurgy enabled them to export iron items profitably, but they kept their technology secret
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part III
Like the Greeks, the Romans didn't upset local cultures at first. Their annexation of Greece in 146 BCE had no impact on Hellenistic design; and, after conquering Egypt in 31 BCE, they represented their rulers as successors of the Pharaohs, as the Greeks had done.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part IV
Crusaders and early traders sparked a huge appetite for jewels. European ladies cast off their horrible wimples and began showing off fine necklaces, along with some skin. Medieval styles had been demure, to say the least, but necklines lowered in the 14th century and jeweled “collars” became the rage.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part V
Extravagant, exaggerated and irregular are terms applied to everything baroque, from jewels to buildings to music. Art grew both more realistic and more dramatic. (Think of Rembrandt and Michelangelo.) The style spread from Rome outward, but the word comes from Portuguese, barroco.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part VI
Jewels of the Regency/Empire Period (circa 1790-1830). Now we're in Jane Austen's ballrooms – and Napoleon's palaces – where everyone wanted to look like they had just descended Mount Olympus. Ladies' high-bosomed frocks were dampened to make the drape of the fabric more sculptural
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part VII
Jewels of the Victorian Era (1837-1901). Barely 18 when crowned, Victoria wed at 21 and her life with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was idyllic. Early Victorian years are fittingly called the Romantic Period. As mentioned before, she loved her grandma Charlotte’s girandoles...
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Necklaces & Earrings , Part VIII
Jewels of the 20th Century. The real "war" from then on was between the "art" movement as a whole and the Neo-classicism that would emerge as key to Edwardian design. At the highest end, this was exemplified by Lalique and Tiffany vs Cartier and Fabergé.
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part I
Being round or almost, rings and bracelets are further linked by symbolism. The circle has always suggested perfection, completion and eternity. All ancient jewels were in fact amulets meant to benefit the wearer.
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 2
Those 75,000-year-old beads we discussed in connection with necklaces -- the oldest piece of jewelry yet discovered -- were perhaps bracelets. Experts can't tell how they were strung...
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 3
About 6,500 years ago (circa 4500 BC), bronze appeared almost simultaneously in the Middle East, Greece and Asia. It was cast to form household wares, sturdier tools for every purpose and jewelry. With bronze implements to shape and drill stones, far more precision could be achieved.
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 4
Iron from meteors was fashioned into spear tips and small ornaments in Egypt and Sumeria from circa 4500 BCE. It must have been revered by those who knew it fell from the sky. Certainly it was revered by those who tried to make some.
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 5
Jewels of the Roman Era
Hellenistic trends continued after Romans took over. In fact, little changed at first. Local populations were ruled with a light hand, provided tribute was paid and no revolts arose.
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 6
Jewels in the Age of Exploration: Late Medieval and Renaissance
In later Gothic and Renaissance times, heraldic, mythological and naturalistic forms were rife and gem-cutting advanced quickly after basic methods were found in the 14th century. Soon there were oval and square table-cuts, pyramid-cut diamonds and hog-backs
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 7
Baroque Segues to Rococo
Before the 18th century began, fashion had already lightened up. Besides wearing diamonds and clear pastes, people powdered their hair and wigs. They decided dark wigs looked forbidding and did zip for the complexion
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 8
Jewels of Georgian England
The English Georgian era lasted even longer than the Victorian, although it took three of the four Georges to exceed Vicky's reign. While France weakened, 18th century England could afford its wars.
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 9
Jewels of the Regency/Empire Period & Pre-Victorian Transition
Although at loggerheads through much of this era, England and France followed similar fashions. Menswear grew generally simpler and more sober in hue, while ladies dressed in high-waisted frocks of gauzy fabric
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 10
Jewels of the Victorian Era (1837-1901)
Just 18 when crowned, Victoria was to become the greatest single influence on international style for almost a century. Worship of Classical styles was already declining in 1840, when she married Prince Albert
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Rings & Bracelets Part 11
Jewels of the 20th Century
As the century turned, there was rivalry between the "art" movement as a whole and yet another fit of Neo-Classicism. The latter, known as Garland Style, harked back to 18th century garlands, vines, swags and scrolls
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 GLITZQUEEN Holds Court On Suffragette Jewelry
(Collecting Historical Jewels in General)
Through many decades before women got the right to vote, feminists in the United States and England signaled their desire for it by wearing jewelry that incorporated three colors.
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 GLITZQUEEN HOLDS COURT ON
Jewelry & Social Responsibility
Sometimes the worlds of politics and jewelry collide. You've probably seen the film Blood Diamond, or read enough reviews to feel that you did, but most people don't realize an even worse situation exists with rubies.
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 GlitzQueen Holds Court on
World War II Jewelry
Jewels from this era are rapidly gaining popularity, both because of cultural influences (such as many recent WWII films) and because it won't be long before the items are true antiques, by our 75-year standard.
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