Trends and Treasures

A very beautiful white jade and antique Chinese enamel necklace.

http://forgottenluxury.com/products/white-jade-enamel-bead-necklace

Yesterday I went to the International Gem and Jewelry Show looking for bargains, things to wish for, and to spot upcoming trends. From my years of going to gem and jewelry shows, I have found that items being promoted at the show usually become the trend within the next three to six months.  This show featured a lot of fabulous large rings, much more ornate that I have seen in years. There were amazing mogul style creations of multiple gemstones or single stones surrounded by stones of an alternate color. Most were made of silver, or an alloy of gold and silver which I was told was a technique used by ancient Egyptian jewelry makers.

Another trend was enamel jewelry. I have been a big fan of enamel jewelry for a long time, being drawn to the exquisite enamel work of antique Chinese jewelry. The current enameled jewelry does not have the same delicacy of the antique pieces but it is still very attractive. I was able to snap up a few fabulous antique enamel beads.

At this show there was no particular trend toward one featured gemstone. At a past show I purchased a gemstone that was just being introduced at $1.00 per carat. I bought a one hundred carat stone. Two shows later that same stone had increased to become over $100 per carat, because of its size. Only small gemstones were left available. The one hundred carat stone made a fabulous pendant. Taking a chance on a newly introduced gemstone can be a gamble, but it can be a gamble that definitely pays off - and if you love it  you will always have a winner.

Outrageously large baroque pearls were everywhere at prices from moderate to very high. One can only cringe at what the mollusk must go through to produce such huge pearls.

Because gold prices are still very high, the trend toward using silver, silver alloy and gold plated bronze metals is likely to continue - and don’t be surprised if you see a lot of enamel and a continuation of large size jewelry for this year’s holiday season.

Antique Chinese Embroidery

https://www.etsy.com/listing/130163355/pair-antique-chinese-silk-embroidery


Chinese embroidery on silk dating from the 19th century or earlier is an exquisite work of art.  Although I have been doing needlework all my life from the age of five, I am so often amazed by the intricacy, delicacy and variety of stitches used in antique Chinese embroidery. Shown above is a beautiful pair of silk pillows featuring exquisite antique Chinese silk embroidery dating from the late 18th/early 19th century - a time when hand done needlework was at its finest. This is some of the most intricate embroidery I have ever seen with some stitches that defy definition. It would be hard enough to find a single embroidery of this quality but to find a pair is very rare.The embroidery is hand stitched to deep grayish sage green double weight corded silk with double borders of 19th century trim. The same silk fabric is on the back. 

I was so pleased  yesterday to discover a new source of exquisite Chinese embroidery being currently produced  and presented by Mulan Silk Art. I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't a painting of birch trees, but the images are created with thousands of tiny stitches. It takes hundreds of hours to produce an image and they are breathtaking. It is wonderful to learn that this amazing skill is still flourishing.


https://www.etsy.com/shop/MulanSilkArt?ref=pr_faveshops

Dare To Be Different

https://www.etsy.com/listing/152511794/vintage-rhinestone-bracelet-glamour-to


Fashion rules are so over. When I was growing up there were so many fashion rules that made no sense to me, like don't wear white after Labor Day, you can't wear navy blue with black, or black with brown, you can't mix gold and silver - or my favorite: a lady never goes out without a girdle. Thankfully, those rules are all dead and buried. We are now living in the world that Buckminster Fuller envisioned when he intuited that there would come a time when we could wear clothing across all cultures and periods of time. Unless you live in a really backwater area, you are free to mix Asian, African, European or clothing of your own creation without resulting in a call to the fashion police. Finally we are free to be who we are and to express our sense of personal style.

Diamonds and rhinestones were once thought only suitable to be worn in the evening by women over the age of 40. Another stupid rule dead and buried. Wear your rhinestones, or diamonds if you can afford them, whenever and wherever  you please. Wear a fabulous rhinestone bracelet along with your bikini? Why not? Or wear it with your torn jeans and your hair tucked into a baseball cap when you are doing chores? Again, why not? If it makes you feel beautiful and glamorous then by all means never take it off.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly". - Buckminster Fuller

Go and be that butterfly!

Hospitable Pineapples

https://www.etsy.com/listing/152513715/pair-antique-rosewood-handcarved?ref=shop_home_active



What do pineapples have to do with hospitality? Quite a bit. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and during the 19th century and earlier it was used extensively in the homes of the well to do. The concept of hospitality--the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into the home--was a central element of the society's daily emotional life and was portrayed by pineapple motifs in various locations throughout the home. This photo is of a very beautiful pair of hand carved exotic rosewood pineapple finials from the 1800s which could be used on a mantel, as bookends, or in tablescapes to carry on the tradition of the hospitable pineapple.

What Is Fortuny?

A pair of Fortuny Orsini pattern pillows from my shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/152289091/pair-fortuny-designer-pillows-orsini?ref=shop_home_active

It occurred to me that some people may not be that familiar with Fortuny's back story. So here is a  a little background. 

Fortuny fabrics are created from a secret process and are known around the world for their sumptuous luxury. There are copycats, but there is only one Fortuny....the textile of pure luxury invented by the brilliant Mariano Fortuny in 19th Century Venice.

The brilliant, enigmatic Mariano Fortuny was born into a family of renowned artists in Granada, Spain, in 1871. In 1889 the family moved to Venice, where Fortuny would establish himself for the rest of his career. He entered the fashion industry in 1907, with the introduction of one of his most notable achievements, the Delphos gown, inspired largely by Greek sculpture. It was a garment, both elegant and versatile, that seemed to achieve the impossible: simultaneous simplicity and complexity. His revolutionary garments emphasized the female body in motion so well that notable dancers, such as Isadora Duncan, coveted them. Soon after, Fortuny began work on the textiles that are still manufactured today. The production of these textiles was the culmination of his knowledge of engineering, color, design, and art, into one manifestation of pure artistic genius.

Fortuny was influenced heavily by the history and romance of the past, and his textiles borrowed designs from the Renaissance and Byzantium, from the Arabs, Persians, Copts and Indians, from the golden age of Flanders and ancient timeless and avidly sought after by connoisseurs.

Fortuny's obsessive quest for perfection led to importing only the finest natural pigments from around the world to color his textiles. He invented the industrial process for printing his designs on fine white cotton to reproduce the silky raised effect of brocade. This was an immensely complicated technique for printing superimposed colors but the result was a triumph and allowed the textiles to be made available for home decor. This painstaking process continues today.

Fortuny textiles have been compared to "woven moonlight", gracing the homes of the aristocracy worldwide.

Fortuny Mosaic Pillows

I am really enjoying designing what I term Fortuny mosaic pillows made from a variety of Fortuny fabric patterns and borders. Working in this way adds a new dimension to the beauty of Fortuny and each is completely one of a kind.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/152174433/fortuny-designer-pillow-mosaic-cimarosa?ref=shop_home_active

This pillow above is comprised of a center panel of Cimarosa pattern in terra cotta and cream with complementary borders of Glicine and Caravaggio. Custom dyed tassel trim completes the look.

Below is another Fortuny mosaic pillow created from a center panel of Lucrezia in mottled greens and metallic gold with borders of Glicine in mottled ocean blues. Custom tassel trim is the luxurious finishing touch.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150296413/reserved-fortuny-designer-pillow-cushion?ref=shop_home_active

About Amber

Amber is the fossilized sap of pine trees dating back in time about 40 million years. In the Neolithic Period (4000-1900 B.C.) people began using amber as a decorative article. Later, toward the end of the 8th Century B.C. the Greeks used amber in inlay work with gold and ivory. Amber had both decorative and medicinal uses to the ancient Romans who burned the white variety as an aromatic cure for respiratory diseases and ear infections. From ancient times, and even into today, there are people who believe that amber has magical powers because it is warm to the touch, very light in weight for its size, produces an electrostatic charge when rubbed, and exudes a sweet, piney smell when heated. Baltic amber is the most highly prized of all the amber available on today's market with egg yolk amber being high up on the desirability list. Amber should receive the same care as pearls in keeping it away from perfumes and chemicals which can damage it. Like wearing pearls, when you dress amber should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off.

This natural Baltic Amber ring shows natural sun spangle inclusions.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/151930238/vintage-baltic-amber-and-sterling-silver?ref=shop_home_active

This huge natural Baltic amber pendent is carved in an organic form and hangs from sterling silver fittings and necklace.
Coming soon to www.ElegantArtfacts.etsy.com