Art Nouveau Enamel Jewelry

This necklace is made from beads that I took from an old Miram Haskell necklace that had fallen apart. I saw it in an antique store and even though it wasn’t in the greatest shape, I saw potential. So, I deconstructed that, and another necklace to create this design. It’s one of my longest pieces, so it can be worn several different ways. It wraps around the neck up to three times, and can also be worn as a bracelet.
The larger white beads are enameled, a popular technique used by Art Nouveau jewelry designers. Enamel is a glass-like mixture of silica, quartz, borax, feldspar, and lead. Metallic oxides are added to produce different colors and the materials are ground into a fine powder that is then applied to the bead.
Enamel jewelry dates as early as 1800 BCE, where it was discovered in Egyptian tombs. It was made popular by the fact that it could produce a variety of effects in jewelry, and it was durable enough for everyday wear. There are several different enameling techniques, but the most popular is known as cloisonné.
“ For cloisonné, a design is drawn on the article and traced with fine gold wire. This wire forms partitions into which the enamel mixture is poured. Since powdered enamel tends to shrink when fired, several firings are sometimes necessary for each color. After all the colors are fired, the enameling is polished-off even with the top of the wire.” (Bell p. 146).
Enamel jewelry is highly collectible, and can be very expensive. The process to create enamel jewelry requires a lot of time and effort. I have a lot of respect for the artists who use enamel because I know how hard it is to do. Enamel jewelry dates as early as 1800 BCE, where it was discovered in Egyptian tombs. It was also found in burial sites in Northern Greece, where it combined precious and semi-precious stones such as emeralds, amethysts, garnets, and pearls.
The modern use of enamel began around 1920, during the Art Nouveau period. Some of the most famous enamel art was designed by the Evans Case Company, and came in the form of compacts, cigarette cases, and lighters. The company later went on to design some of the most collectible Art Nouveau jewelry in the world.

This necklace is sold.

Reference Sources:
Bell, C. Jeanenne G.G. Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry. 7th ed. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2008.

Signed Vintage Jewelry

I love this necklace because it is simple and easy to wear. Like many of my pieces, this one was also inspired by 1920s fashion jewelry. The style is still relevant today and can be worn with just about anything.

When I’m shopping for materials to use in my jewelry, I try to pay attention to signed pieces. The most common form of signing is usually found in engravings on clasps, hooks, and tags. Costume jewelry can be very difficult to identify, so these engravings are important indicators of value.

“If you have two pieces that were obviously made from the same mold, one has a signature on the back but the other does not, it is easy to assume that the signed piece is the most valuable…But it takes a “trained eye” to tell if an ordinary piece by a common company which is signed is more valuable than a striking, well-made piece of unsigned jewelry.” (Bell p. 324).

Most people would be shocked to know how valuable costume jewelry can be. There are so many factors that go into determining the value of old jewelry; so engraved logos are only part of it. Vendome, a superior jewelry manufacturer that started in the 1950s, signs the clasp I used in this necklace. They became very popular during the 1960s, as a subsidiary of Coro. Vendome is known for its high quality craftsmanship and the beautiful designs of its principle designer, Helen Marion. She had rhinestones imported and used only the best faceted crystal beads.

This necklace sells for $185. Please contact me by email to discuss purchasing my work at KellyEFielding@gmail.com

Reference Sources:
Bell, C. Jeanenne G.G. Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry. 7th ed. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2008.

Lucite Tie Necklace

This is my absolute favorite necklace design. It was inspired by a trip to Venice with my family, where I researched ideas for my new collection. It is made out of vintage Lucite, from the 1950s and beads I took from an antique lampshade.
Glassmaking in Venice dates as early as the 8th century. In 1291, the government of Venice banned glass furnaces from the central islands, confining them only to Murano. It is thought to have happened due to fear of the fires glass furnaces might cause. The prevailing theory, however, suggests that isolation would ensure secrecy for master glassblowers, and prevent them from sharing information with foreigners. Artisans were practically forced to stay there so they would not have contact with international competitors.
Venice ultimately came became the leading source for fine glass in Europe, and served as a main source of trade. In 1921 Ciacomo Cappellin and Paolo Venini founded their glassworks company, Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Cappellin, Venini & C. Their focus on modern design techniques took fashion trends into consideration and catapulted the glasswork industry into the 20th century.
As the glass industry of Venice continues to evolve, contemporary firms still rely on traditional skills. This means that glassblowers work as artisans rather than artists, a distinction that defines the history of their work. Today, tourists are given the opportunity to go inside these once forbidden factories to watch live glassblowing demonstrations. I was fortunate to experience this first hand and I could hardly believe my eyes when the artisan turned a large globular form of matter into an intricate horse sculpture.
The success of Murano’s glassblowing industry is largely due to its location. Throughout the Renaissance period, travelers would stop to visit the glass workshops on their way to the Holy Land. Italy is home to some of the most important religious relics in the world, so Murano experienced a lot of traffic during this time.
Reference Sources:
Carl I. Gable. Murano Magic: Complete Guide to Venetian Glass, Its History and Artists . Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2004
Austin, Jamie Sue. “A History of Murano Glass.” LifeinItaly.com. Murano, 8 April 2010. Magazine on-line. Available from http://www.lifeinitaly.com/murano/murano-history-1.asp. Accessed 8 April 2010.