Wear Nothing New

In Loving Memory of Nina

Nina is a longtime family friend who passed away on Wednesday.  She has left the world a more beautiful place with all of her artwork and wonderful creations.  

These are earrings that Nina made from Shrinky Dinks (of all things).  I remember sitting in her kitchen as a kid, using colored pencils to draw elaborate illustrations onto the plastic sheets.  We would then carefully cut them out and bake them in the oven.  

I just love the rich color of these butterflies...or moths, I suppose.  The texture on the back even feels like a wing.  I will always remember Nina when I look at these earrings.

-Hannah

Blood Diamonds and Valentines: Social impacts of gemstones

By Hannah

We're finally done with all those sappy pre-Valentine's Day jewerly store ads, indicating that a woman's happiness can be bought with gold and gemstones.  However, this time of year serves as a good reminder that your jewelry may come with far heavier a price than you suspected.

Blood Diamonds

Last year, Tanya wrote a post about how she exchanged her new diamond engagement ring for a unique setting for some family diamonds.  Besides serious environmental impacts of mining, many diamonds sold around the world finance brutal civil wars and human rights atrocities in countries like Sierra Leone and Angola.  

I found a recent story on the U.N.-backed Kimberly Process--an international watchdog group that certifies "conflict free" diamonds.  In December, Global Witness--one of the group's NGO partners--pulled out, citing a controversial decision to certify diamonds from Zimbabwe's notorious Marange diamond fields. 

In a nutshell, the newly-appointed U.S. chair of the Kimberly Process--Gillian Milovanovic--is pushing to redefine the meaning of the term "conflict diamond."  The complexity of this issue and the incredible extent of corruption and violence in diamond-producing countries makes it very difficult to find untainted diamonds.  So, rather than taking a firm stand, the group is proposing to allow questionable diamonds into the market.  

What to do about blood diamonds?

This is a tough one...diamonds are a rare purchase to begin with, which makes it difficult for the average consumer to effect change through boycotts.  The important thing is to let jewelry retailers know that consumers care.  

Don't let Robert Mugabe be your Valentine. 

Other groups like Amnesty International are working on this issue.  I would also consider giving the White House a call about Ms. Milovanovic's job performance.

Pick of the Week: January 29, 2012

This stunning pendant was made by my cousin Grace.  Okay, so this is not vintage, but it is handmade.  

I hope I'm not giving away a trade secret, but the background beneath the glass is nail polish!  She was selling these on Etsy.com up until recently and I will definitely repost this if she starts selling again.

-Hannah

Found: Kate Middleton's Engagement Ring In My Vintage Jewelry Collection

By Hannah

Following my Titanic necklace blog, I found another piece of vintage jewelry with a famous look-alike!  Unless you've been living in a cave, you probably know that Prince William is engaged to Kate Middleton, and that he gave her his mother's famous sapphire engagement ring.  The ring on the left is my $1 find at an estate sale about 10 years ago, and the one on the right obviously belongs to the future princess.

 

According to a BBC documentary I recently saw, Kate is going to "shake things up" and "bring the royal family into the 21st century."  

She does have style.  Love this white coat, black boots combo.  Too bad bright white coats from thrift stores are rarer than unicorns.

Nothing New Together: Wedding without impact starts with the ring

I watched Blood Diamond years ago, and told my fiance, Jon, at that moment that I never wanted a new diamond.  Even if it's conflict free, I decided I'd rather buy used. 

While there are plenty of retailers offering conflict free diamonds, the certification process that ensures a diamond is conflict free is somewhat questionable. And the mining process, often open pit mining, destroys the existing ecology of a site.  Large amounts of earth are removed in order to expose the diamonds inside them.  Surrounding water tables are altered and polluted by the practices.  In reputable mines these "waste" piles are supposed to be returned to the site of removal so that vegetation can eventually return to the site, but in some cases the mines are abandoned, with no remediation work done. 

Diamond Mines

Even in Canada, with its conflict-free environment, diamond mines have recieved negative marks for exploiting native communities, increasing the pressures on threatened woodland caribou and disturbing traditional hunting grounds so that aboriginal susbsistence hunters are unable to continue feeding themselves as they have for generations.  Mining Watch Canada has a host of information that details the negative business and environmental practices of mining companies on Canadian soil and around the world.

When my fiance proposed on Christmas morning, he did it in an appropriately intimate moment, with an inappropriately "new" ring.  Dear God, can you blame the boy?   He knew I wanted an antique diamond, but was afraid to step into that territory alone.  He opted instead for a beautiful, simple, solitare from a reputable chain that he was able to return without hassle if needed.  (You know, in case something went wrong.) 

While I didn't say no to him, we did return the ring.  In our case his mother made my fairytale dreams come true by offering us stones from both her and her mother's rings.  (My fiance never told anyone he was even looking at rings.)  We took these stones to her jeweler, Nique, in Bellevue, where they are being set into a custom design. 

I realise that not everyone has a fairy mother-in-law-to-be offering them diamonds from the family chest, but there are many used and antique options that may be even more wonderful, and less expensive, than what you'll find in new offerings.  If considering a used ring I would consider  obtaining a independent appraisal from a reputable jeweler. 

Used and antique rings are plentiful.  In fact, one of my favorite wedding sets ever came from a pawn shop.  My friend Genevieve found her wedding set, featuring a gorgeous marquee cut diamond, 13 years ago at a pawn shop.  (Man I can't believe she's been married that long!)  I'd post a picture but she's been rather slow to get it to me (tsk, tsk) so it might have to wait until our next visit.

I plan to blog more about metals--And to share a photo of the ring!--soon.

 

-Tanya

Vintage Jewelry Picks Inspired by Movies

By Hannah

Titanic: Right now, I'm laughing about how sappy the movie was.  I mean check out how cheesy Billy Zane's character looks.  I'm also thinking about how many times I've seen it and still been entertained.  You have to admit, it left an impression.  

And who can forget the "Heart of the Ocean" necklace that Kate Winslet wore and that was tossed into the ocean at the end of the movie?  Every time I see it, a covetous twinge makes me want to shake that woman for discarding such an amazing piece of jewelry.

Luckily I have my own costume jewelry version of the Heart of the Ocean.  It came from my husband's grandmother Rachel's collection that she left with Mike's mom...

The necklace is more ornate that Kate's, maybe worth a little less.

Anne of Green Gables:  Please post a comment if you remember the part where Marilla discovers her amethyst brooch is missing and falsely confesses to losing it so she can go to her Sunday School picnic.  

My brooch (right) might not be the right color, but it makes me think of Anne.

  

 

Megs & Mo Upscale Resale: Old and new, clothes, jewelry, and shoes!

By Hannah

I had the day off Tuesday and while I was running errands in the Proctor District of Tacoma, I happened to veer off course between the post office and bank, and into Megs & Mo.

Megs & Mo is "upscale resale".  They have one large vintage rack, lots of less-than-three-years-old clothes (some with tags still on), accessories, and some new jewelry.  The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was a fur-lined coat for $69.00, but a little searching revealed a number of great items in the $5-15 range.  Lots of fun pieces, but also some solid wardrobe staples.

It looks like the gals at Megs & Mo do events from time to time.  Thursday they had local jewelry artist Heather Hansen.  I couldn't go, nor could I purchase new things, but I checked out her website and I have to say her "Let Them Eat Cake" pendant (below) looks like something Tanya should own.

 

Chris, the store manager, told me about how she decorated the store with the contents of her home (you can see photos of the interior on their Facebook page).  A display table is made out of an old door.  Shoes are arranged on a wire topiary frame.  

Shoes.  

That brings me to what I purchased Tuesday.  Check back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion of this story!

Vintage Fabric, Jewelry, and More in Hilo, Hawaii

By Hannah

As I mentioned in Sunday's pick of the week, I found some great items at KD's Gifts & Crafts of Hilo.  Check out this cute little shop, chock full of vintage beads, jewelry, fabrics, glassware, and more...

The owner, Kathy, strings together broken bead strands into fun, bright necklaces.  A chest of drawers holds hundreds of old fabric pieces for $2.00 - $5.00.

  

I love her workspace, too.

I picked up two necklaces, a couple of earrings, and some fabric (the background in the photos below).

 It was great to come back from vacation with these unique and useful souvenirs (plus a few pounds of macadamia nut chocolates!).

Pick of the Week: November 28, 2010

 

Brilliant idea!  Repurposed vintage strands strung together into a chunky necklace.  I found this at KD's Gifts & Crafts in Hilo, Hawaii last week and wore it to Thanksgiving dinner.  This great little gem of a store deserves it's own article, so I'll write more and post photos later this week!

185 Kilauea Ave., Hilo, open T-F 9-4 and Sat 10-3

-Hannah

Thrift Store Vintage Jewelry Finds

By Hannah

Most thrift stores' jewelry offerings are sparse compared to their clothing inventories, but there can be good finds if you're lucky.  I found the following items at Bargain World in Tacoma.  The earrings were bundled, several pairs to a plastic bag, priced around $2-3.  

Resin "cotton candy" earrings

 

"Rainbow-Brite" earrings

 

Pearly enamel earrings

 

Borderline hideous plastic and faux gold earrings

 

Gold thread-wrapped bead necklace

 

I saved my favorite for last...a great bracelet that could be an accessory for this "Mad Men" outfit.