Have I mentioned before that I love jewelry?That would be pretty much all jewelry, old and new,
and I especially love seeing antique or vintage jewelry
worn in a modern and fresh way.
Here's an example
A caftan style shift with simple lines worn with an antique necklace from Beladora2
Every time I pick up a piece of antique jewelry I wonder about many things.
Who was the original owner?
Did she get the item as a gift and if so for what purpose?
What was her life like when she was wearing the piece?
Was she happy or sad?
In some ways, holding an antique in my hand is like having one part of a story or one piece of a historical puzzle, and I can't help but want to have the rest of the pieces in order to put the puzzle together and to know the whole story.
But since that can't be done, I'll settle for wearing that antique piece now and creating a new story to go with it.
I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to go see 'The Young Victoria' in a theater or not. It seemed, at least from the trailer, more like a Masterpiece Theater production, something that I would rather order on Netflix. But since I'm fascinated with 18th and 19th Century history especially the art, architecture, furniture, clothing and jewelry of those periods, I thought that this was certainly a film to see on a big screen...at least on a cold Sunday afternoon.
Emily Blunt's performance in 'The Young Victoria' didn't have the fire of Kate Blanchett in 'Elizabeth', the gravitas of Judi Dench in 'Mrs. Brown' or the purposefulness of Helen Miren in 'The Queen' but that was due more to the script than to her acting.
And I felt that the script was incomplete in the sense that there wasn't enough back story explaining the situation in England. How many people today have an understanding of this historical period and the fragility of the British monarchy after the Revolutionary War, the madness of King George, the French Revolution, the years of war with Napoleon and the pressures of an expanding empire. The film didn't give us any of this historical context.
But what the film did give us was the importance of royal marriages in terms of strategic alliances, and what made this story extraordinary was the fact that the marriage of Victoria and Albert, was not only a brilliant strategic alliance, but a true love match.
Historical and Romantical!
But let's face it, I really saw the film for the costumes and the jewelry like these silver gilt (silver and gold) diamond earrings and diamond riviere necklace. And what isn't seen in this photo was Victoria's wedding ring, a gold snake symbolizing eternal love. Something similar to this.
Here we have the riviere again
The swagged necklace and hair ornament
The earrings either in pietra dura or cameo, I can't tell from this photo
The gemstone necklace and earrings with gold cannetille
And the all important wedding parure
The wonderful thing about well made Victorian jewelry is that much of it is wearable today, particularly the earrings and the bracelets. A week ago in Miami I was going to purchase a Victorian suite, in the original box, with natural pearls in a pair of bracelets, a necklace and a tiara...the perfect gift for a bride, but I hesitated. But now after watching 'The Young Victoria' I'd like to have more Victorian jewelry not just because it is rich in history but because it is beautiful.
For more about Victorian and other period jewelry take a look at Gemgossip.com...thanks Danielle, I snagged the photos from your post!
There's some good news for shoppers amid the economic gloom: Lower clothing prices are coming soon, and not just for sale items. Mainstream brands such as Lacoste and Coach plan to cut retail prices as much as 30% on their fall offerings. The reason: Fashion producers are trying to anticipate consumers' tighter budgets and avoid last year's drastic markdowns, which can undercut a brand's perceived strength. "The 70% discounts we saw during the holiday season are risky not just for brand integrity but brand equity," says Erwan Rambourg, luxury and sporting goods analyst at HSBC.
As a defensive action, clothing makers are tightening belts, making do with lower profit margins and passing along the cuts to consumers in the form of lower retail prices.
OK...so mid level brands are lowering their margins, which is great for consumers, but what about luxury brands?
It's highly unlikely that you will see these reductions at true luxury players such as Louis Vuitton and Cartier. "These brands offer classics, and if Cartier doesn't sell one of its watches today, they can still sell it six months from now," notes Rambourg. Roger Kowall, owner of Ohio-based men's boutique Cuffs, says suppliers such as Hermès, Loro Piana and Brioni have maintained their prices for the fall. Burberry and Bally also say prices will remain steady. "Luxury is all about perceived value," Rambourg observes. "If you lower prices you take away that 'wow' effect, which is what defines luxury."
While luxury may be all about perceived value, I have to differ with Mr. Rambourg on the price reductions on luxury goods.
While price reductions my not be published, I know that you can walk into any Cartier store in the US and get an immediate reduction on a Cartier watch. These stores desperately need to move product and manage their cash flow.
Perhaps a one of a kind piece of jewelry will never be discounted, but a stock item will be discounted 10-20%. I wouldn't be surprised if you can also get a discount on the Cartier "Love Bracelet"...although who would buy one new when you purchase one pre-owned at a discount.
Even with brick and mortar stores lowering margins, internet businesses, will continue to be the best places to shop, because you can shop at your own convenience from your own home, not be pressured by sales staff to make a purchase and avoid ridiculous retail markups.
This is what I'm liking now online. I don't need a branded item for the "wow" effect.
Antique Victorian Black Enamel Locket from Beladora2.com $895
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