Hattie Carnegie Egyptian Revival Snake Necklace

I just love over-the-top jewelry. Early Trifari Alfred Philippe designs, Miriam Haskell jewelry, Eisenberg statement brooches, even Lea Stein's celluloid acetate pins. These are some of the best. BUT it is hard to surpass the Egyptian Revival Collection introduced by Hattie Carnegie in the early 1960s. These are hard to find and highly collectible. Bracelets and brooches with scarabs, earrings and rings with bright coral, lapis and turquoise colored enamels, and necklaces with that and a lot more. We have this outlandish snake necklace. What more can be said?

Hattie Carnegie Egyptian Revival Snake Necklace ($695)

Game Boards

Years ago one of the most popular card games was Tripoli (aka Michigan Rummy). While you could buy a game box with everything in it from the likes of Milton Bradley, the lucky ones among us had Dads that made the boards themselves. Susan's Dad, Mike, made a Tripoli game board from a plywood panel reclaimed from a used crate. It really is cool! And we still have it. Take a look.

Mike's hand made Tripoli game circa 1950s

Here at Vintages we have a small selection of game boards. Some are new, some handmade, others are reproductions. But all of them are great and they are our featured product for August. Note: These are not listed online, but if you contact us, we will send further information.

Handmade Folk Art Checker Board by Peg St. Pierre 1994 ($98)

Handmade Folk Art Parchessi Board by Peg St. Pierre 1994 ($98)

Reproduction Tic-Tac-Toe Board ($59.95)

Reproduction Parchessi Board ($59.95)

Reproduction Ring Toss Board ($59.95)

Handmade Chinese Checkers Game Board ($89)

Artist created Spinning Game Wheel ($295)

Carnelian & Peridot: August's Birthstones

Carnelian, the traditional and ancient birthstone for August, is a versatile stone, comfortable in antique settings and yet popular in modernist jewelry as well. It is a form of chalcedony, which is basically quartz. Colors range from orange to blood red, the latter being the most prized color.

In jewelry, carnelian is used as beads and cabochons, or carved into wonderful shapes, like scarabs, cameos and the like. I have seen larger pieces carved into small statues, trinket boxes and handles for elaborate tools. It has been prized and used since antiquity when it was sourced off the surfaces of the Egyptian and Arabian deserts.

Carnelian intaglio with a Ptolemaic queen holding a sceptre, decorated with gemstones in a gold frame (1st century BC)

Peridot is an under-rated gemstone. It can be a beautiful bright green gem when faceted or a luscious pale green when displayed as a cabochon. In the 1830's and 1840's peridot was a favored stone, but its popularity truly rose at the end of the 19th century during the aesthetic period of the Victorian era (1890-1901) and the reign of Edward VII of England (1901-1910). The stone is still popular today, as it is a fine "substitute" for emeralds in less costly jewelry, adds an excellent sparkle to jade pieces when such glitz is desired, and is just plain pretty on its own.

Peridot, seed pearl & amethyst pendant in Suffragette colors c1910

We have a nice selection of carnelian and peridot jewelry at Vintages, both online and in the shop. Here is a sampling of our available selection.

Modernist sterling and carnelian earrings ($75)

Modernist sterling, carnelian and lapis pendant ($65)

Victorian mourning watch fob locket onyx & carnelian in 10K gold ($195)

Three carnelian rings in different settings ($49 to $69 each)

Three peridot bracelets: Top to Bottom: Sterling ($135); Sterling ($85); 14K white gold ($585)

14K gold drop earrings with peridot and jade ($245)

Three peridot rings in various settings ($69 to $99 each)

Time for the Beach!

It's July ... Beach Time! And Vintages has lots of beachy things in stock. We have shore birds and shells, sailboats and buoys, notepads and jewelry. Take a look.

Wooden oars and buoys, carved shore birds, sailboats with shell sails, shell topped toothpicks.

Hand made paper ephemera sailboats.

Carved wooden shore birds.

Sailboats and wine glasses with blown glass fish stems.

Beachy pitchers and goblets.

Shell stranded door curtain.

Wreath with sea shells and beach grass.

Silver plated sea stars and clam shells on a hand painted shell-themed table.

Reusable organic cotton totes.

Hand carved folk art fish.

Shell themed note pads.

Sterling silver fish pins and jewelry.

Copper 1950s jelly belly fish brooch.

This says it all!

Enjoy July. Walk barefoot on the beach. Feel the sand between your toes. Let the waves tickle your feet. Have fun!

Ruby: July's Birthstone

Not all red stones are rubies, but all rubies are red stones.

Ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of corundum that gets its red color from the presence of chromium in the stone.  (Other non-red varieties of gem-quality corundum are sapphires.) The brightest and most valuable rubies are called pigeon blood rubies, which command a huge premium over other rubies of similar quality.

Ruby red is such a regal color that rubies have always been a centerpiece of royal jewelry. From moghuls to French monarchs and aristocracy to movie stars, rubies hold a place of reverence in the world of gemstones. The Crown Jewels of England have some stunning rubies in their collection ... crowns and tiaras, scepters and necklaces. The most famous of these is in the Imperial State Crown, the Black Prince's Ruby.

QEI & QEII wearing the Imperial Crown.

Beautiful ruby and diamond studded tiara.

Rubies and sapphires were favorites of art deco designers like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Van Cleef & Arpels from the Set in Style exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in NYC.

Van Cleef & Arpels, also from the Set in Style exhibit.

Fabulous art deco pin from the early 1900s.

Corundum gems, both ruby and sapphire, contain inclusions called silk, which are caused by needle-like crystals in the gemstone. If these line up just right, the famed star-ruby is displayed. These cabochon cut star rubies are highly prized.

Star ruby ring.

We have several lovely pieces of ruby jewelry at Vintages. Here is a gallery of a selection of these jewels. 

Victorian 10K gold and ruby bar pin ($195)

Whimsical bug pin of jade, pearl and 14K gold with ruby eyes ($395)

Antique 22K gold earrings with rubies and onyx ($595)

Heart pendant of 18K gold with rubies, sapphires and topaz ($195)

Ruby and diamond ring set in 10K gold ($495)

Ruby and diamond ring set in 18K gold ($895)