Pet Jewelry

"Pet Jewelry"

Pet jewelry is simply beautiful jewelry for your dog or cat to wear. There are many different types of pet jewelry for both cats and dogs including beaded, glitzy or other simple pieces. Pet jewelry is really quite beautiful and they are more better accessories than collars. Other types of pet jewelry can come in the form of bracelets as well. To learn more about pet jewelry and where you can find some click here. Pet jewelry

Jade Pendants

Jade Pendants

My daughter is in the process of planning her wedding. She has always been very detailed oriented and so she is trying to think of everything to make this a special event. She is also a romantic so she wants to carry forth traditions from our family as well as her fiancé’s. She has always been intrigued by the antique jade pendant that was given to me on my wedding day. I received the jade pendant from my mother. She was also very detailed oriented and she liked the way the pendant matched the dress that my maid of honor wore.

My daughter wore the jade pendant to her first prom and several other special functions through the years. I knew that it would be a very special gesture for me to give it to her on her wedding day, but I hated to part with it because I wear it so often myself. My husband suggested looking for a similar necklace to give to our daughter.

I knew that the jade in the pendant was from Hawaii. My mother had purchased it at an antique store that has since gone out of business. Both of my parents had passed away several years ago, so I could not get additional information from them. I had never done any research into the history of the necklace, so I decided to begin with a local dealer of antique jewelry to see what I could find out about it. When I brought the jade pendant to the dealer he was very impressed with it. Without doing any research he estimated that the jade pendant was from the late 1800’s. I was surprised to find out that it could be that old. My mother was not into antiques and I new she had purchased the necklace mainly for its color. The antique dealer told me that he would do some research and let me know what he discovered. I asked him to also look for a similar jade pendant I could purchase for my daughter.


Several days later the dealer called me to see if I would bring the jade pendant back to the shop for verification. When I arrived at the shop he examined the necklace more thoroughly than he had the first time. He showed me several details in the gold setting and stone that proved that it was authentic. He then showed me a picture of the same jade pendant that he had found on the internet. My necklace had been created for the wife of a wealthy plantation owner in Hawaii in 1887. The family had lost their fortune and articles from the estate, including my jade pendant had been sold off. He estimated the value to be in the thousands of dollars. He had located a very similar necklace that had been made in the 1920’s. This necklace was one of several that had been made, copied from my original pendant. I bought the replica for my daughter.

I cannot believe that I have been wearing a necklace that is considered priceless by many. I know that one day I will leave this heirloom to my daughter or her daughter. In the mean time I know she will be thrilled with the jade pendant that I will give her on her wedding day.

Italian Costume Jewelry

"Italian Costume Jewelry"

Italian Costume Jewelry and Italian jewelery are some of the most beautiful pieces in the world. Italians in general are so passionate about art and life itself so its no wonder their costume jewelry and jewelry pieces are a reflection of that. To learn more about Italian costume jewelry and Italian jewelry including it's history, and other famous pieces click here "Italian Costume Jewelry"

Sapphire Rings

Blue Sapphire Rings

Jewelry is something almost every woman adores. Having several rings, bracelets and pendants in her wardrobe allows a woman the versatility to change her look with just the addition of an accessory. With the affordability of many types of gemstones women are now looking at higher quality jewelry pieces.
Blue sapphire rings fit right into that category. They are stunning to look at and their price can fit almost any budget.


When you are shopping for blue sapphire rings the first thing you’ll notice is how varied the selection is. There are many different designs each has its own special appeal. Depending on your own sense of style you won’t have much trouble finding one to fall in love with.

A very attractive design in blue sapphire rings is the stack ring. This is a very thin ring that generally contains several small sapphires in a row. It can also have diamonds on the band. Stack rings are so appealing because they are designed to be worn with other stack rings. Some women choose to purchase a sapphire, ruby or diamond stack rings to be worn together. Another benefit of buying stack rings is that you can change your look day to day just be alternating the rings or wearing one at a time.

Blue sapphire rings that feature a solitaire stone in the center are also a great choice. These come in many different sizes depending on your preference and your budget. A very traditional look is to have an oval shaped sapphire stone surrounded by small diamonds. These types of blue sapphire rings are often worn as engagement rings. Many brides don’t want to go with the standard diamond solitaire and instead opt for blue sapphire rings.

One of the things you want to consider when you are thinking of buying blue sapphire rings is the setting. Although most people decide on a 10kt or 18kt gold setting, there are many other choices. Sterling silver blue sapphire rings are stunning. The silver balances the deep blue of the sapphire and with the cost of silver this can be a great choice if you are looking to spend less money.

Platinum blue sapphire rings are also available. Although these are more expensive they make a wonderful gift for a special woman.

Sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September and if you are considering buying jewelry for a woman born that month than take a look at some blue sapphire rings. Not only will she love the fact that you bought her a ring she’ll be touched that you recognized it was her birthstone.

Vintage Costume Jewelry

Vintage Costume Jewelry

The price of fine jewelry made today leaves those of us with modest budgets at a disadvantage in rounding out a nice collection. Much of the discount store Vintage Costume Jewelry are poorly made of inferior materials. However, there is a middle ground, where beautiful quality pieces may be found without breaking the bank. This is the vintage jewelry market.


Some Vintage Costume Jewelry can be very expensive, but there are many beautiful pieces made with less expensive materials that are reasonably priced and a credit to any woman's jewelry box. Many women have made a sort of hobby of searching out these pieces, gathering jewelry pieces appropriate for almost any occasion.
When shopping for vintage jewelry, there are several pointers which will help you determine true value.

For our purposes, we'll look at vintage jewelry produced since the 1930's. These are the pieces most often found in today's Vintage Costume Jewelry shops.

The Art Deco jewelry style was popular in the days of Flappers and Prohibition, with multiple necklaces worn at once. Perhaps you remember seeing pictures of your grandmother in one of those fantastic short dresses with lots of fringe, and a bevy of bright necklaces “tied” in a loose knot near the end of the strands? New plastics, enamel accents and amber, along with bright colors are characteristic of the time. Chokers were another popular jewelry item.

The 1940's brought the Retro style, snapped up in Hollywood society. Large rings with large stones, precious or not became all the rage. Necklaces, bracelets and watches were large, elegant and flashy, a good backdrop to the sleek and tailored styles of the day.

In the post-World War II of the 1950's, costume jewelry provided a practical but glitzy alternative to their 1940's counterparts. Rhinestones took center stage, the faux diamond of the day, made of quartz mined from the Rhine River. Rhinestones replaced diamonds, appearing in abundance and decorating necklaces, pendants, bracelets and brooches. Gold plating meant a more affordable piece, and non-tarnishing Rhodium plating was used on silver colored pieces.

The 1960's ushered in a period of handmade jewelry by individual craftsmen, ranging from inexpensive but unusual designs of hammered over sized brass and silver earrings to Renaissance style ornate pendants and rings. Lost-wax casting was also a popular technique.

One French costume jewelry designer, Lea Stein, came on the scene in the late 1960's, making a big splash with her cellulose creations featuring cats, big and small, flower and leaf motifs, a variety of animals, music note designs and the like, formed into brooches that cinched her place in jewelry history. Her jewelry is a hot collection item, even today. Watch for these gems of your vintage jewelry searches!

So you see there's no need to settle for cheap, poor quality jewelry from a discount store. A little searching and perserverance, over time can make you the proud owner of some very classy vintage jewelry, with a fun new hobby to boot!