Shop Vintage, Shop Unique

December 5th-9th

This week in jade…

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/269559914/jade-turtle-carved-jade-turtlenephrite?ref=shop_home_active_40

A simple pair of small jade turtles 🙂 a bright and happy gift, whether it be for yourself or someone else.  Beautiful shaping and color, high quality jade, a gorgeous little piece for a side table or desk.  These are both circa 1970s/1980s and are nephrite jade.

Simple and gorgeous: our favorite combo 🙂

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/228442657/jade-bottlesjade-snuff-bottleshand?ref=shop_home_active_63

Gorgeous antique jadeite carved snuff bottle.  For the friend who truly loves the old and priceless: this is a most beautiful piece of history.  It is carved on both sides; one side (shown) is a tree and the other side is two cranes.

The color and condition of this are beautiful.  One picture doesn’t do it justice: check it out on its listing page^^for more photos.

A priceless piece for a jade collector.

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/230891281/carved-jade-in-vintagecarved-jade-in?ref=shop_home_active_21

The most beautiful and intricately carved piece of jade…this is truly a special piece.  If you love and collect old jade, please check out this item’s listing (above photo).  This is a hand-carved vase with flowers and small birds all over it. It opens as well to reveal a small compartment– seriously fantastic! This was meant to hold small valuables so that they would be out of sight and out of reach.

Just a magnificently gorgeous piece.  Clearly unique and completely priceless to someone who appreciates hand-carved jade.  Please also remember that we offer layaway on Etsy for whomever truly appreciates this piece and who like to set up a layaway plan for it 🙂

You would definitely be the only one around to have this in their home–uniquely beautiful 🙂

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/464499262/genuine-jade-and-murano-necklace-jade?ref=shop_home_active_19

Not a vintage item, but hand-crafted using real and old jade, with a real gold murano bead at center. If you know someone who loves gold and jade, this is a uniquely beautiful piece that they won’t find elsewhere. We hand-knot the jade beads ourselves and feature a gold murano for a pop of brightness among the jade.

A great piece to wear for the holidays 🙂 a fresh and authentically upscale spin on “green and gold” 🙂

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/269025220/2-jade-dolphinsdolphin-mother-baby?ref=shop_home_active_54

Two jade dolphins mounted on granite.  A truly unique piece for the home of a jade and dolphin lover 🙂 Another example of hand-carved nephrite jade to admire.

Currently for sale in the shop.

❤

This week in unique jade pieces 🙂 Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by 🙂

Shop Vintage, Shop Unique

Whether it’s for the kitchen, the garden, the dining room table, or the bookshelf in your office, uniqueness matters.  We think that vintage and antique items are always the best way to spice up even the smallest space.  Give your home or wardrobe some pieces that no one else will have 🙂

Here are some you may consider this week…

November 14th-18th:  A Week in Silver

https://www.etsy.com/listing/460931882/vintage-sterling-silver-james-avery?ref=shop_home_feat_3

This is a beautiful vintage James Avery cross pendant. It is solid sterling silver and it is signed and stamped. A very rare, unique piece. The symbol on the cross is Claddagh-like (Celtic symbol for friendship), and is beautifully done. Very intricate, very special piece. It has Celtic knots around the outer edges and on the pendant loop.

Still for sale and definitely would make an absolutely beautiful vintage friendship gift 🙂

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/269994730/cross-pendantcross-pendant-in?ref=shop_home_active_24

Another vintage James Avery piece and a GORGEOUS one. This one shows, in great detail, the picture of The Last Supper, with a dove and chalice above and below. Made by hand by James Avery, a very rare design, this would make an incredible Christmas gift.

Still for sale as of this week, and can be visited at the link above.

❤

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/458240508/sterling-silver-sugar-cube-tongs-vintage?ref=shop_home_active_47

These are a pair of Sterling Silver sugar cube tongs. They are 4 inches long. Very simple design, very unique item for the person who loves their kitchen and loves unique kitchenware. Vintage but still simple enough to be modern and minimal. Great piece.

For sale this week and perfect gift for someone you know who loves their kitchenware and also loves uniqueness 🙂

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/214990893/silver-pendantsilver-pendant-for?ref=shop_home_active_32

A very unique starburst pendant that is sterling silver around a deep red gem stone. The red stone has black striations running through it, and we have not been able to identify which stone it truly is.  If you have any good guesses, let us know 🙂

We love it because it is old, beautiful, and quality.  It makes a beautiful statement piece and would be especially great around the coming holidays because of its rich color and unique shape.

❤

https://www.etsy.com/listing/464506398/judith-jack-sterling-silver-new-york?ref=shop_home_active_17

Very hard-to-find Judith Jack Brooch that shows the New York Skyline– including the Twin Towers. Very rare. circa 1970s, hallmarked Judith Jack. A very unique piece. Marcasite and sterling silver.

A good gift for a New York lover or a Judith Jack lover 🙂 unique and simple.

❤

This week in silver 🙂 Have a week filled with uniqueness.

This Week’s Treasure: Turquoise

This week we are talking about the ever-popular turquoise!  Turquoise is an amazing stone and has been well-loved for thousands of years, in many different parts of the world.

Known as the oldest gemstone in human history, it has been abundantly popular in Native American jewelry, particularly in Navajo pieces.  It is popular not only for its rich color but also for its hardness and durability, once it has aged properly.  It is known as a stone that will stand the test of time, which is why we love it so much.  We are interested in things that last and that have a lasting impression.

Turquoise was a popular stone to work with in many Native American tribes as its color was often seen as a symbol of luck or health.  Turquoise varies in color and natural striation, depending on where it was mined and it can be very very light, like robin’s egg or sky blue, or very dark; almost teal.

It’s a gorgeous stone and we love working with it.  We’re especially excited about making new pieces with it while December approaches because it is one of the modern birthstone gems for the month.  If you love it as much as we do, or are looking for a simple beautiful gift, check these out:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/472965353/minimal-gemstone-bar-necklace-turquoise?ref=shop_home_active_10

https://www.etsy.com/listing/463010302/navajo-turquiose-necklace-real-true?ref=shop_home_active_14

(the second one is pictured above^^ it is a vintage Navajo piece and is stunning)

As always, thanks for reading and sharing and have a beautiful week! ❤

Message us with any questions or lovely conversation!

This Week’s Treasure: Lapis Lazuli

Every week we will be featuring one of our special pieces, either jewelry or a vintage/antique piece, that is unique and worth telling a bit about.

This week, we are talking about some of our Lapis pieces that we make by hand.  Lapis Lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan for thousands of years and exported to other parts of the world.  It grew in popularity because of its startling bright deep blue color.  It has been used in art and jewelry for ages.  It was also ground up and made into natural pigment for oil painting and was only used for very important depictions, like the Virgin Mary and King Tutankhamen’s burial mask.  Now, a synthetic pigment with the same chemical identity has taken its place in the market for pigments, but back in the day, Lapis Lazuli was a luxury pigment for artists.

Lapis Lazuli today is treasured for the same reasons it always has been:  its intensely beautiful color.  It is found naturally occurring with calcite, sodalite, and pyrite striations and its chemical structure is very unique, which is what accounts for its unique color.

Lapis happens to be one of the modern birthstones (along with turquoise) for December, our rapidly approaching holiday month.  If you or a friend is looking for something simple, has a stunning color, is unique, or you just love blue, check these out:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/484944873/birthstone-layering-necklaceunique?ref=shop_home_active_3

https://www.etsy.com/listing/472994183/sterling-silver-lariat-with-two-lapis?ref=shop_home_active_68

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful week! ❤

Murano Glass: In a Class of Its Own

A brief history and background on Murano Glass.  Enjoy!

Intellectual Property of Olivia Stuard Jewelry

 

The magnificence of Murano Glass was established during the 9th century in Rome, around the year 1083, and since the dawn of civilization, extraordinary glass has held a powerful appeal and mystique all its own.  For hundreds of years, the artisans of the tiny, romantic isle of Murano, nestled on Italy’s sun coast, have been hand-making Murano Glass. This glass is hand-blown by these old-world artisans and is usually infused with flecks of  24k white gold and 24k yellow gold leaf, or sterling silver leaf.  Murano Glass comes in many vibrant colors and can be blown into beads for jewelry, vases, bowls, and many other unique pieces of home decor.

This glass is the epitome of unique:  many people don’t know that each piece you see, whether it be a beaded necklace, a vase, etc, is a piece of glass that has been blown by hand by a skilled craftsperson in Italy.  The glass is quite timeless and breathtakingly beautiful.

We’ve been crafting unique jewelry pieces for people for years now that include pieces of Murano Glass. It makes beautiful holiday pieces in particular and you can always be sure you are wearing something that is entirely unique: truly a one-of-a-kind piece.  And to those that want to stand out, you’d be wearing something no one else will ever really have.  Huzzah!

Thanks for reading.

If you are interested in seeing any of our Murano jewelry pieces:  click here to view some pieces for sale currently in our shops–>

https://www.etsy.com/listing/173763588/jewelry-necklace-jewelry-necklace-in?ref=shop_home_active_6

https://www.etsy.com/listing/217102930/artisan-necklace-gold-bridal?ref=shop_home_active_3

https://www.etsy.com/listing/218107644/lariat-in-handmadegold-bridal?ref=shop_home_active_2

https://www.etsy.com/listing/474650761/minimal-gold-drop-lariat-necklace-gold?ref=shop_home_active_39

 

Pearls of Wisdom: A History

Intellectual Property of Olivia Stuard Jewelry

Enjoy the History!

Part 2 of our History on Pearls– check out our post over the weekend to see Part 1.

     There are wild pearls and cultured pearls (both fresh and sea water). Salt water cultured pearls come from oyster shells and fresh water pearls come from mollusks. Fresh water pearls are available in an array of colors including silvery white, pink, red, salmon, copper, bronze, lavender, brown, purple, blue, green, yellow and cream.  White is the most common color in fresh water pearls but the most desirable pearls are the pastel pinks, roses and lavenders. The varied colors developed as a result of the species of mussel, water quality and the position on the pearl in the shell. Generally, the pearl will take on the color of the shell in which it forms. Wild pearls are almost non-existent. The most emphasis by business is put into cultured pearls.

     Contrary to popular belief, pearls hardly ever result from the intrusion of a grain of sand. Pearls form when an irritant, such as food becomes trapped in the mollusk. The animal senses the object and coats it with layers of aragonite (ah-rag-uh-nite) and conchiolin (kon-ka-uh-lin).

     These two materials are the same substances the animal uses to build its shell. Today there exists approximately 100,000 species of mollusk. The composite material is called nacre (nay-ker) or Mother of Pearl.

     Cultured pearls go through the same process as wild pearls. The difference is the irritant is deliberately and carefully placed inside the mollusk and kept in nursery beds for a few months before they actually are placed in deeper waters for approximately 2 years. In one of the big pearl farms in Japan 50% of nucleated oysters do not produce pearls, 25% produce poor quality, 20% produce salable pearls of low to medium quality, 5% will produce top grade gem quality pearls, while perfect pearls are still exceptionally uncommon. In 1999, Japanese pearl farmers harvested approximately 430 million mollusks to produce 21 million gem quality pearls.

     Simulated pearls are made from glass, plastic or shell. Higher quality simulated pearls are generally made with a shell base. The most widely known is the Majorca pearl; they have been made for over 100 years. It is important to note that the Majorca pearl, I believe, has been very successful because they are able to simulate that inner glow that comes from the layers of nacre (nay-ker). A shell pearl is created by starting with a shell base and then dipping it into hemage (he-ma-gee).  Hemage (he-ma-gee) is usually made up of ground fish scales and oils allowing it to dry, polishing it by hand to remove lumps and blemishes and repeating the process to build up the density and uniformity of color.  The layering process goes on for 29 times.

     Glass bead pearls are sometimes dipped or sprayed with hemage (he-ma-gee), which is more expensive but lasts longer.  Plastic pearls are usually just sprayed with color.

     A natural black pearl, sometimes called South Sea pearls, is extremely rare. One in one hundred thousand will naturally come up black or grey; they are so rare that a matched 8mm, 16″ string will sell in the range of $100,000.00 without a clasp.

      Tips on buying pearls – Generally when you are buying pearls, consider several factors: Things to consider would include luster, shape, blemishes, size and color. Luster refers to the brilliance of the pearl and how the surface reflects light as well as its “inner glow” which is refracting light from the layers of nacre (nay-ker).  Blemishes relate to surface quality of the pearl. Natural pearls have blemishes, imitation pearls do not. Blemishes include holes or cracks in the surface. Shape is important, as pearls are rarely perfect spheres, which is why finding a l6″ pearl necklace with pearls that are matched can get very expensive. Color is typically white or off white, but pearls come in many colors. Color is really a matter of personal preference. Generally, the larger the pearl the greater its value but only when taking into account the other factors already mentioned.

Pearls of Wisdom: A History

    Intellectual Property of Olivia Stuard Jewelry

Enjoy the history!

     This is Part 1 of our history on pearls; stay tuned because later in the week, we will post Part 2, which includes tips on purchasing authentic pearls.

     Pearls have such a rich history because they were the oldest known “gem” according to some historians. It wasn’t until about the 16^th century that we learned how to cut and facet gem stones. One of the reasons Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC was to obtain freshwater pearls.  Since ancient times the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection, a symbol of the moon with mystical powers. In classical Rome, only persons above a certain rank were allowed to wear pearl jewelry. In Latin, the word for pearl literally means “unique”, attesting to the fact that no two pearls are identical. The word “pearl” appeared in the English language in the 14^th Century. Pearls during the 13^th and 14^th century were very fashionable in Europe as personal ornaments, however, again only a certain rank of individuals could wear them. Teachers and lawyers, for example, could not.

     Incas and Aztecs prized pearls for their beauty and magical powers. Spanish explorers found natives in possession of rich pearl fisheries. For many years, European cities like Seville and Cadiz became known as the land where pearls came from.

     Native Americans of the Atlantic coastal areas and the Mississippi River were the first to collect and use U.S. freshwater mussel pearls and shells. Throughout history certain cultures have placed little or no value on pearls and have instead valued luminescent Mother of Pearl from mollusk shells. Before the 19^th Century Japanese shell divers who found pearls did not bother to keep them, focusing instead on Mother of Pearl. Polynesian children are said at one time to have used pearls as marbles.

     During Renaissance Europe, established trade routes made pearls more available than ever before. New trade centers in Lisbon and Seville overflowed with pearls from India, the Persian Gulf and the Caribbean.

     By the dawn of the 20^th Century people in Europe and the U.S. began wearing pearls for less formal occasions – a fashion that continues today. Japanese cultured pearls first reached European and U.S. markets in the 1950s. A handful of designers, most notably Gabrielle Coco Chanel, embraced them. Cultured pearls did not become as popular until the 1950s.

The Olivia Stuard Story

This blog is for Olivia Stuard Jewelry of Southern California.  We have two shops on etsy:  MinimalDaintyJewelry:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/MinimalDaintyJewelry?ref=hdr_shop_menu

and OliviaStuardTreasure:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/OliviaStuardTreasure?ref=hdr_shop_menu

we also have our own website as well:  http://www.oliviastuard.com

We are a small business located in Southern California.  We specialize in vintage and antiques, vintage jewelry, and we also hand-make our own pieces of jewelry as well.  MDJ on etsy is a shop completely devoted to our handmade minimal designs.  Our other shop, OliviaStuardTreasure, is our older shop and includes all of our antiques, vintage treasures, and some of our handmade designs, especially our handmade jade pieces.

This blog is here to tell a little bit about our process and also to serve as a place where we can post articles that include helpful information about some of our products, materials, and other interesting things.

A note about our business:  We are committed to quality of any and every kind.  Each one of our handmade pieces is crafted by our senior artisan who has been designing and making jewelry for people for almost thirty years.  A lot of our pieces feature gemstones, pearls, jade, sterling silver, and gold.  All of it is top grade certified and genuine.  We never make anything unless our materials have this quality rating.  Our employees are a family:  they not only earn fair treatment and wages, but are considered close friends and are valued deeply.  We’re committed to running a business that is dedicated to quality, not simply quantity.  In a sea of trending, forever-cheapening minutia, we try to stand out by simply producing things that are unique, hand-picked or crafted, and that are actually going to last. Our goal is to spread beautiful quality pieces that people love and wear for a lifetime.

Please feel free to contact us anytime.  We welcome polite conversation and interest of any kind.  Thanks for stopping by!