Friday 16 November 2012

TRUE FAUX VINTAGE PEARLS AND THE WAR YEARS

Always amazed when reading about the war years - rationing - imagine only being allowed one egg a week - having to register with a local shop to be able to use your ration book.  Clothes were rationed and you were allowed one bar of soap a month.  Children did not know what a banana was until after the war ended.  And in spite of all this, we still wanted to dress up and decorate ourselves - 'beauty is essential to human life' - a truism.  Bombs are falling all around you but you still get up, get dressed, apply some lipstick and put on a piece of jewellery. 

There is so much written about jewellery - books and books about expensive diamond, emeralds and other stones set in precious metals.   It appears that there is a concentration on jewellery owned by the 'better off' and the 'wealthy' but what about the vast bulk of the people - the need to feel and look good is not confined to the upper echelons of society.  I read that during the war years more than a million imitation pearl necklaces were shipped to the USA but could not find any reference to quantities shipped to the United Kingdom.  

I can only imagine what it took to be able to buy a pearl necklace during the war years - how did you do it - did you sell part of your rations to do this - what did it cost - what did you go without to be able to do this. These 1940s gals look great ...
Picture Daily Telegraph  - great article   - goo.gl/sQq1eW
 
These two invoices dated 1940 and 1941 show the  quantity of faux pearls that were shipped to one company in the UK.  The notes on the invoices state that 'no silk in the way of ribbon or thread is contained in the shipment' - silk was used for map making for the British Military Intelligence Unit known as MI 9 Source http://www.escape-maps.com/






Women were asked to forego wearing silk during the war so it could be used for parachutes.  'Because things were still being rationed after the war I used parachute silk for the under skirt of my wedding dress.'  Source http://goo.gl/0tNhD



These are the pearls that were in the boxes with the invoices....



 
Many vintage pearls available have a lot of wear and tear - these pearls are still on cotton thread and are in perfect condition. I string the pearls, to order, on silk and finish with a sterling silver lobster claw. 

My 90(now 95) year old mum has a three strand man made pearl necklace that my father gave her for her birthday in 1942 - the pearls were badly worn. I used the original clasp and replaced the pearls - it is great to see how happy this made mum.

For more information about my vintage pearls please see the website http://www.vintagepearls.co.uk

all pearls are limited in number and cannot be repeated the nature of true faux vintage stock - the Heart range started at 210 in total 

To contact me or buy direct, please email me: Helena  info@vintagepearls.co.uk 
 



Thursday 8 November 2012

JACKIE ONASSIS AND FAKE PEARLS

In 1996 Jackie O's famed three-strand fake pearl necklace fetched $211,500 at the auction. 






This is my classic three strand pearl necklace with earrings.
http://goo.gl/07lgv



For more information  http://www.vintagepearls.co.uk/#!

Information source http://goo.gl/40alq
(New York Daily News) 

Monday 15 October 2012

PEARLS, COCO CHANEL AND THE LITTLE BLACK JACKET






http://youtu.be/SIwmfGbcgRM 



A must have book .....




A must attend exhibition....


A must look at website.....

http://goo.gl/SJlLJ 

www.vintagepearls.co.uk  genuine 1940's graduated pearls


 

PEARLS SUIT ALL AGE GROUPS

When I look back at my last blog the thought that immediately springs to mind is that of a demure, petite and ultra feminine young girl. However femininity is evident at all stages of life and Audrey Hepburn is  probably our most iconic example .......



Pearls are also great FUN and a favourite way to wear mine is with a relaxed  cotton shirt and jeans.  


The pearls in this picture can be found at  www.vintagepearls.co.uk

Facebook has many pages about vintage times and products and if you are in London it is worth having a look at Vintage London:       https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-London/230533016978775












Wednesday 29 August 2012

VINTAGE ON THE INTERNET -


Prior to the 'age of the internet' it must have taken a long time to research a subject that one can now access within minutes. I have been a fan of the Forties and Fifties since a very young age and of course the internet has thousands and thousands of pictures and articles of the fashions of that era.  It is quite strange to think that the clothes my mum and sisters wore are now referred to as 'vintage clothes or jewellery or furniture'.



Cameo
  A forties hand crocheted top made by my aunt.  I can recall that everyone I knew could either crochet, knit or sew. It was always exciting to get the latest magazines specially those with dressmaking, crochet and knitting patterns.
Cameo

 Occasionally one would get something from the big shop in your nearest city but there was a special pleasure in making your own clothes. 

This stone coloured top is the perfect complement for the vintage cream coloured pearl choker necklace.  The smallest pearl diameter is  2mm graduating to a centre front pearl of 5mm -  necklace is 41cm long. 






 Many more pearls from the forties and fifties on my website http://goo.gl/SJlLJ

You might enjoy looking at one of my favourite facebook likes - many glamorous pictures of vintage fashions. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boylerpf-Antique-Vintage-Jewelry/105312012718 


Sunday 12 August 2012

SELLING VIA THE INTERNET....



 www.vintagepearls.co.uk

To make the experience of buying my pearls as personal and enjoyable as possible, I use only family owned bits and pieces as props with my photographs and in this way you will get to know me as the person who is selling to you as opposed to a faceless company selling mass produced product on the internet. The internet is a wonderful invention and yes we are able to reach a much bigger market but somehow I feel that the personal touch is missing. 

It took me ages to learn to just hold a camera before I was able to take pictures of my pearls with bits and pieces that belonged to my mum and dad.

For example this picture has my mum's 1940's clutch bag in the background with a Hermes scarf from the 60's.




......here the pearls are laid on my dad's cravat from the 50's.



A picture of my mum at a garden party in the 1950's - her name is Helena and I am proud to be called after her.