VINTAGE JEWELLERY RESEARCH

Once you start collecting vintage jewellery, you start to come across certain manufacturer's names again and again.

My particular area of interest is Mens Vintage Jewellery & Accessories. These are the names I come across often:

• Swank
• Krementz
• Hickok
• Baer & Wilde
• Anson
• Dolan & Bullock

There are many more, but these are the main ones I come across regularly.

Vintage Jewellery Manufacturers

Finding out more about the jewellery manufacturers from the past can be a daunting task. Some are still producing jewellery today, so they might have websites with a page about company history.

Other manufacturers may have gone out of business long ago, so it is difficult to find out more information. For instance, in the past, wars have destroyed manufacturing houses and the companies were unable to rebuild their business from scratch. Sadly, sometimes bankruptcy forces a manufacturer to close its doors.

Why Research Your Vintage Jewellery?

Curiosity remains the biggest driver in vintage jewellery research.

Knowing a little information about where your vintage piece has come from helps to fill a void. Was your item of vintage jewellery from Europe? Or America? Or somewhere else?

Sometimes knowing about the manufacturer can help to date a piece. Knowing when a manufacturer commenced making jewellery, or when they commenced a particular product line, can be very helpful.

Where To Find Out More Information

There are books about vintage jewellery manufacturers. These can be very informative and helpful.

There is always the "old chestnut" Google. A wealth of information can always be located with a Google Search.

But if you want to have some of the hard work done for you, start with the Vintage Cove Jewellery Research Centre.

As I have been researching my own vintage jewellery items, I have been collating the information into this valuable resource tool. You are welcome to benefit from my hours of research, in the hope that we don't all have to reinvent the wheel every time.

So check out the Vintage Cove Jewellery Research Centre and enjoy!

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Related posts: Gold Markings

 
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LEARN CRAFTS ONLINE

Have you ever wanted to learn a craft? A hobby? A past-time? Something to help fill your creative void?

I was searching recently for just that, and came across something great and want to share it. I was looking for something about crafts that I could learn online. But I didn't really know what I was looking for.

My find is Astarte's Mega-Zine.

Astarte is an online magazine for lovers of art and craft, covering topics such as:

• mixed media
• papercraft
• textiles
• polymer clay
• jewelry making
• and much more

The articles in the magazine are written by Arts Industry Experts. These are easy-to-read articles that are sure to leave you inspired. This is a magazine of quality and excellence, filled with great content.

Astarte's Mega-Zine is an online magazine that you download and save to your hard disk. You can read it on the screen or print it out to read at your leisure.

The magazine is great value at only $9.95(US) per issue. You can pay by PayPal, and you get the issue immediately.

Issues are available by individual issue (pick and choose) or by annual subscription.

So if you want to learn crafts online, check out the Astarte's MegaZine page and see what you think.
 
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GOLD MARKINGS

A reader recently asked about the marking "1/20 12K G.F." on a piece of jewellery. It occurred to me that others may be interested in the answer.

What does 12K mean?

Solid, pure gold is 24 Karat. Any rating less than 24K means there is another type of metal mixed into it. Pure gold is a very soft metal. Mixing with other metals helps to strengthen it. Just remember, when talking about gold purity, 24K is the pure form of gold.

The lower the number of karats, the stronger it will be. So 10K gold is stronger than 14K gold, and 14K gold is stronger than 18K gold.

For example:

• 24K has no additional metals, making it 100% pure gold.
• 18K is 18 parts gold, and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
• 12K is 12 parts gold, and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.

The mixing of other metals with the gold is how gold variations came into existance, such as rose gold and white gold.

10 Karat is the minimum number of karats that can be marketed as Gold in the US. If you come across an item that is 8 karat, it will most like be of European origin. This may, in fact, help you to date a piece if you know when your ancestors migrated from Europe.

What does G.F. mean?

G.F. refers to the term Gold Filled. An item that is labelled gold-filled means that it has a layer of gold over the top of another non-precious base metal.

Gold-filled has been a long-accepted practice of producing quality jewellery that is much more hard-wearing, and cheaper, than equivalent articles of fine jewellery. The outer layer is gold, so it has the appearance of fine jewellery, but it has the additional strength of the base metal.

What does 1/20 12K G.F. mean?

A marking that says 1/20 12K G.F. means that the gold layer is 12K gold, and that the gold makes up at least 1/20th of the item's weight. Gold-filled is typically a thicker layer of gold than in gold-plated jewellery, meaning it will last better than gold-plated jewellery.

Assuming the same number of karats and the same mix of alloy metals, gold-filled jewellery has the same appearance as non-filled jewellery because the outer layer is exactly the same.

Gold Jewellery Online

When shopping for gold jewellery online, always look for a photograph of the gold markings. Sometimes they are hard to photograph. Sellers should always try to show a photograph of the gold markings as a form of proof to potential buyers.

Gold markings can be a little confusing at first, but once you start to learn a little about them they become less of a mystery.
 
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VINTAGE CLOTHING JEWELLERY & TEXTILES SHOW - SYDNEY

Bookmark this event in your diary so you don't miss it.
 
The Sydney Vintage Clothing, Jewellery & Textiles Show, held every April and October, is a massive gathering of all things Vintage. As well as the many sellers, there will also be presentations, lectures, demonstrations and entertainment. If vintage jewellery, watches, rings and accessories are your thing, you're sure to find something of interest. Vintage womens clothing, mens clothing, baby clothes, shoes, hairstyles - its all there!
 
All the elegance and style of Vintage fashion.
 
If you're really into it, pull your favourite vintage clothes from the wardrobe. Dress for the occasion and you could win a prize!
 
The Vintage Show is held at the Canterbury Racecourse, on 15-17 October 2010. A free shuttle bus will be running from Strathfield and Canterbury train stations.
 
For more information, check here: The Sydney Vintage Clothing, Jewellery & Textiles Show.
If you're planning a trip to Sydney, see if you can make it the same weekend as the Show.
 
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JAMES MAY'S TOY STORIES - CLASSIC COLLECTIBLE TOYS

I recently had the pleasure of watching James May's Toy Stories. It's a fantastic journey through the various classic toys of our past.

It is an inspiration, and a credit to James, to see how the local communities come together to participate in his challenges. Young and old, male and female, experienced and novices. All want to be a part of it. And all want to see it through to the very end.

• Episode 1 - AIRFIX - James constructs a full-size (scale 1:1) model Spitfire. Making full-sized pieces from fibreglass comes with its own set of challenges.



• Episode 2 - PLASTICINE - Follow the Paradise In Plasticine entry into the 2009 Chelsea Flower Show. The Officials have never seen anything like it, and don't quite know what to make of it. James hopes to win a prize none-the-less.



• Episode 3 - MECCANO - Follow the design and construction of a 23m (75ft) bridge in Liverpool. With the help of Architecture students and design & engineering consultants, this is a challenge like no other.



• Episode 4 - SCALEXTRIC - A 4.4 km (2.75 mile) track along the old Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit. 400 volunteers help with this record-breaking challenge - a race between the residents of Brooklands and the "Scalextric Professionals".



• Episode 5 - LEGO - A full-sized house, built using 3.3 million lego bricks. This challenge is not only to constuct a life-sized house, but also for James to spend the night in the house.



• Episode 6 - HORNBY - James' model train layout sees a Hornby train set make its way along a 10 mile (16 km) stretch of track from Barnstaple to Bideford. The disused train site provides many obstacles to the modern model train track layout - roads, fences, water and vandals.
  Five trains set out from Barnstaple - James' own Flying Scotsman model, a passenger steam train, a passenger diesel train, a goods diesel train, and the prototype of Hornby's Hitachi Class 395 "Javelin" model. Only one of these trains makes it to Bideford.

JAMES MAY'S TOY STORIES

• BOOK - The Nile (au bookstore), Amazon UK, Amazon USA
• DVD - Fetch DVD (au), Amazon UK, Amazon USA

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Have you seen Toy Stories? What did you think?

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