LEA STEIN BROOCH - THE BLACK & RED SPOTTED LADYBIRD

Well it is X-mas in my shop at Grays Antiques and the most popular vintage jewellery items are always the Lea Steins.  People know that it will be a well liked present.  If it is one the recipient already has I would always change it for another.  The Lea Steins are not all vintage, of course.  Some are made today.  I understand Mrs. Stein is now 80 but she is still hard at work!    Taking this red and black ladybird brooch in tomorrow.  It is a little different from the ones I have had lately.  The smaller black spots are quite irregular.  This one to me looks much more like our native ladybird and I love it!  Ref: 3013 C57/41 Price £65

Lea Stein Brooch - black & red spotted ladybird

VINTAGE BRACELET - CLEAR KITE SHAPED STONES WITH LARGE AURORA BOREALIS ROUND STONES

This is a vintage bracelet on a very light goldish coloured metal.  It has large kite shaped clear stones with aurora borealis stones on the links and some round clear glass diamante stones.  It is in good condition and very well made.  It has a wrapover clasp and a safety chain.  The aurora borealis glass stones were not marketed until the middle of the 1950s.  This is quite an impressive bracelet and I love the combination of the various stones.  Because it does not have any overall colour, it would go with a variety of outfits.My guess is that it is c1960s - but I could be wrong.  Full details on my web site.  Ref: 3012 C44/41

Vintage Bracelet - clear kite shaped stones

LARGE, ELABORATE DIAMANTE EARRINGS - STUDS

I do not sell too many new items but managed to get one pair of these elaborate diamante earrings.  I do not know anything about them but they are in new condition and certainly make a statement.  I sell a lot of diamante in my shop in Vintage Modes and am always looking for different items.  Most of what I sell is vintage but I cannot always get vintage items of this size.  Full details/measurements on my web site.  Price £75 ref: 3011 C57/45

Diamante Large Elaborate Earrings - Studs

LEA STEIN BROOCHES

Lea Stein brooches seems to be the favourites Christmas Presents in my shop at Vintage Modes in Grays Antiques - especially if I have managed to fine some good examples.  I put up a Joan Crawford a couple of days ago and it sold immediately!  It had taken some time for me to get a good photo - and it sold in the shop.  I suppose it is chance - if I have the design/colour that the customer likes.  The hat and cane is the latest one to go on my web site - and I haven't had one for ages.  Reminds me of films like Dancing in the Rain!  Have just put an orange panther in the shop - which certainly stands out.  My favourite is the cicada - which I often wear - and I have one of those too in the shop.

Lea Stein Brooches

BUTLER & WILSON - CAMERA BROOCH - WHITE METAL AND BLACK ENAMEL

My customers like to give gifts that are meaningful for the recipients.  This Butler & Wilson camera brooch would be great for a photographer.  Not sure of the date but think it is vintage.  It is quite detailed and has the B & W in a circle on the back.  Hope it goes to a good home!

Butler & Wilson - camera nrooch - white metal and black enamel

TWO MORE LEA STEIN BROOCHES FOR MY SHOP AT GRAYS ANTIQUES

Trying as hard as I can to photograph the Lea Stein brooches I have just acquire before they go into my shop at Vintage Modes, Grays Antiques.  It is difficult to get everything done at this time of year!  Taking these two in for tomorrow - the Lea Stein Hedgehog brooch - in red and black - and the Dragon - in green and red.  Lea Stein is always so popular as presents for X-mas.  Ref: 3005 C56/1 and 3006 C56/3.  More Lea Steins on my web site - www.gillianhorsup.com

Lea Stein Brooches

GEOMETRIC BROOCH - TRIANGLES IN RED, GREY AND BLACK

I just love geometric designs but do not see a lot of  jewellery in good modernist shapes.  This brooch is not an expensive one - made out of relatively cheap material - in grey, red and black.  Probably made by hand.  It is just that the design is - in my opinion - so good. (not sure of the material or the age).

Resin Geometric Brooch - Red Grey Black Triangles I would be happy to wear it.  Wish I could find more like it.  Price £38 reference 3004 C39/36

BUTLER & WILSON VINTAGE AMERICAN INDIAN HEAD BROOCH - WHITE METAL WITH BLACK & WHITE DIAMANTE

I do like some of the vintage Butler & Wilson costume jewellery.  I have never seen this American Indian head brooch.  It has a very smooth face with an elaborate headdress (which has black and white square and round diamante glass stones) and a textured back with the B & W logo.  Looks 80/90s.  Very well made with a lot of detail on the headdress.Quite large at approx 2 1/2 x 2 inches.  Someone has obviously looked after it as it is in very good condition.  Ref: 3002 C52/10 Price £88

Butler & Wilson Vintage American Indian Head Brooch

WAISTCOAT STUD/BUTTON SET - VINTAGE GREY MOTHER OF PEARL - IN BOX

In my shop in Grays Antiques I do not only sell women's jewellery and accessores.  I also like to stock some men's small items - such as cuff links, studs and buttons, tie clips, badges - and anything I see that looks interesting.  Usually small items - as the shelves and cubes for display do not allow for large things!  Just got these vintage waistcoat studs/buttons set in the original box. They are gilt metal with gray mother of pearl centres with a small faux pearl.  No the box is not perfect - and the pearls have a little wear - but otherwise they are fine considering their age - the first half of the 20th century.  The backs have a fitting that the split ring goes through - allowing them to be detached for cleaning.  (full details on my web site).  Ref: 3000 C36/18

Waistcoat stud/button set - Mother of Pearl - Vintage in Box

GREEN & GOLD FOIL VINTAGE GLASS DROP EARRINGS - PIERCED

I just love glass jewellery.  These green and gold foil glass earrings are something that I would love to wear.  The colours are amazing!  Not sure if they are Venitian or Czech - or whether the lever back fittings are original.  I will take them into my shop - at Vintage Modes, Grays Antiques though - although I would love to keep them.  Full details are on my web site.  The web site does not convey the vast amount of stock I have in the shop - far too much to photograph and write about!.  Ref: 2999 C54/54 Price £65

Green foil glass vintage drop earrings - pierced

BAKELITE & CELLULOID FLOWER NECKLACE - ART DECO PERIOD

Back to one of my favourite topics - bakelite and Art Deco.  This bakelite necklace has 3 flowers in brownish bakelite with the central flower having a red centre.  (See full description on my web site).  The chains are celluloid - both cream and light brown.  Would fit up to a 17 inch neck size.  This is in such good condition for a piece that must be 70-80 years old!  I hope I will be when I reach 80!

Bakelite & Celluloid Flower Necklace - Art Deco Period

LEA STEIN BROOCH - FLOWER POT - RED & YELLOW

I have such trouble photographing Lea Stein.  I always get some bouncing light.  Must treat myself to some proper equipment some time.  This Lea Stein flower pot brooch - for example - was difficult.  Eliminated much of the light bounce but could not get the colours right.  It is one of the rarer designs.  One of the flowers is a deep red with a yellow centre - and the other is yellow with a red centre.  (Much the colour of the bottom right corner.)  It is not too big - measuring about 2 inches top to bottom. The back of the flower pot is an amazing colour but cannot be seen from the front!  Price £65 ref: 2998 C45/8

Lea Stein Brooch - Flower Pot - Red & Yellow

TRIFARI - VINTAGE BROOCH - 3 BLACK CATS IN BASKET

Love vintage Trifari jewellery - especially the older pieces.   It is such a shame that the company has been sold so many times since the 70s.  I do not even hear of it now.  This black cat brooch has a Trifari mark that I cannot date.  I am assuming it is a vintage piece - but I cannot be sure.  Cats are so popular in my shop - at Grays Antiques - that I just had to buy this piece.  The 3 black cats have emerald green glass stones for eyes and sit in a gold tone metal basket with diamante trim and a bow.  Full details - as usual - on my web site - together with sizes and price - ref: 2997 C52/4

Trifari - Vintage Brooch - 3 Black Cats in Basket

VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELLERY - DO YOU LOOK FOR A NAMED PIECE?

In my vintage jewellery shop at Grays Antiques in central London I stock any piece of jewellery that I happen to like.  I do not mind if it has a designer's name - famous or not.  I look for good design or quality.  I am totally fascinated with jewellery - and often think - who got up in the morning and designed this?  (Sometimes seriously and sometimes I simply can't imagine who would have wanted too!).  A lot of my British customers are also more concerned with whether they like the piece and would wear it.  However some of my American customers come in asking for certain designers and are puzzled when I say a lot of the jewellery simply is not marked.  (I sell mostly European jewellery).  I am now getting more Chinese visitors who also like a designer's mark on their pieces.  I do wish more European designers had marked their pieces - it would save me so much time trying to research to see if I can discover who made something.  Personally I am not very fond of pieces with a logo that can be seen on the front - such as the famous CC - but it is all a matter of choice.  What do you like???  The piece today is a pair of Ted Lapidus, marine inspired, gold tone clip earrings - price £65 ref: 2996 C42/39  full details on web site - follow the link.Ted Lapidus - marine inspired gold tone clip earrings

3 WIDE BROWN BAKELITE BANGLES

Just bought a collection of bakelite jewellery.  There are 3 brown bakelite bangles - roughly 1 inch wide.  These would look good for autumn.  They are quite wide so one would look good with a couple of contrasting spacers.  I love my bakelite bangles - the feel of them - and the 'clink' they make.  In the shop at Grays Antiques I always have a good selection of the plain ones - which are popular with my customers.  Please see my web site (follow the link) for details of each bangle.  Ref: 2995 price £48 each.

3 Wide Brown Bakelite Bangles

LEA STEIN BROOCH - RED LADYBIRD WITH BLACK SPOTS

Back to one of my favourites today - the Lea Stein ladybird brooch.  Not my best photo - the red colour is quite even - but cannot get it to look that way!  Round the sides of this particular ladybird are bands of colours - cream, mustard green etc.  These are the various layers of cellulose acetate that go into the making of a Lea Stein brooch.  They are hand made - not reproduction - so everyone is a bit different and they are not 'perfect' like a mass produced item.  The other day I went to a vintage fair and saw lots of Lea Stein copies from China - at £10 each.  In my opinion they are horrid and I would not want to own one - but I specially object to people copying the work of someone like Lea Stein.  She has spent a lifetime developing her brand and designing her jewellery.  It annoys me that another manufacturer cannot be bothered to design their own goods and develop their own brand - just to make money - and I hate it when professional dealers sell these copies!  Ref: 2994 C50/6

Lea stein Brooch - Red Ladybird with Black Spots

MULTICOLOURED CLIP EARRINGS

Not sure how old these earrings are - or what material they are made from. The plastic is clear and painted from behind in red, blue, green and yellow.  They have clip fittings and measure approx 2 1/2 inches top to bottom.  Love the vibrant colours - and they are extra light to wear.  Always have a good selection of clip earrings in the shop as so many of our customers do not have their ears pierced.  Price £55 ref: 2993 C50/48

multicoloured clip earrings

NAPIER VINTAGE GOLD TONE CHAINS BROOCH

I have recently bought Melinda Lewis's book - The Napier Co. - published by Life by Design.  The huge book charts the history of the Napier company from 1878 through to the sale to Victoria & Co. in 2012.  The wonderful thing about the book is that it also provides a history of American costume jewellery - and the pictures are wonderful.  I always by Napier jewellery when I can - especially the gold plated items - as the quality is so good.  This brooch consists of two sets of chains to look like tassels on a bar brooch. I love tasselly jewellery!  I really wish they were earrings!  Very smart and in good condition.  Ref: 2992 C46/8 Price £58.

Napier chains brooch

LEA STEIN BROOCH - THE HORSE - BLACK/GREY AND BROWN

Trying to get all my Lea Steins photographed and up on to my web site - www.gillianhorsup.com - but find them difficult to get pictures without reflection from the shiny surface!  One day I must invest in a really good light box.  This one is the Lea Stein horse brooch in a black/grey pattern with brown trim.  Horses are popular in the shop - along with most animal jewellery.  Do pay a visit - the shop is a few minutes from Bond Street underground station in central London.  Full detail about how to get there are on my web site.  Price £65 ref: 2993 C50/5

Lea Stein horse brooch

LEA STEIN BROOCH - THE HEDGEHOG - PINK SILVER & BLACK

This colouring is not my usual choice for Lea Stein brooches - but I thought it was interesting.  The body of the hedgehog is in a pinky silver glittery pattern with the head and legs in black.  Great for a night out!  I do try to have a complete range of colours/patterns/styles in my choice of jewellery for my shop at Vintage Modes.  I buy whatever I find interesting.  Would love some feedback on this piece - do you like the pattern - or do you prefer my usual choices for Lea Stein?

Lea Stein Hedgehog - pink silver black Ref: 2992 C50/3 price £65

GILLIAN HORSUP VINTAGE JEWELLERY - MAGAZINE SHOOTS

I love working with magazines and loaning my vintage costume jewellery and accessories for photoshoots.  The latest one to appear in print was some earrings I loaned for the September issue of Vogue India.  Love this shoot - photographed by Jason King and styled by Fabio Immediato (one of my favourite stylists!) - it is Sade inspired.  It is always exciting to see how my jewellery has been used in the shoots - sometimes it is quite a surprise!  It is great to meet all the stylists who come into the shop to choose - some of the young and just starting out - and some very experienced.  It livens up my day to talk to young people - full of enthusiasm and energy.  The earrings in this picture are gold tone and black.

LES BERNARD - VINTAGE CLIP EARRINGS - GOLD TONE & TURQUOISE FACETED GLASS STONES

In my shop at Grays Antiques - in central London - the most popular items of vintage jewellery are earrings.  I stock a very wide range - pierced, studs, clips and screws - of every shape and style I can find!  I love the unsual, the smart, the quacky, the casual and the 'look at me'!  This pair of Les Bernard gold tone, clip earrings with turquoise faceted glass stones have to have been made somewhere between 1963 and 1996 - as those are the years he was making jewellery.  Full details are on my website - please see the link.  Price £65 ref: 2989 C50/19

Les Bernard clip earrings

SILVER ANTIQUE VICTORIAN BELT BUCKLE - LONDON 1898

This silver, antique, Victorian belt buckle is quite unusual in that it is in 3 parts, not 2.  It has a hinge between 2 of the parts.  It has a London Hallmark for 1898 but I cannot quite read the maker's mark - which includes a 'G' and 'Co'.  This would make a wonderful belt and would be very easy to do - see the back of the buckle.  Ref: 2988 BB Price £120

Silver Antique Victoria Belt Buckle

PAVONE - FISH BROOCH - BLACK & WHITE

When something is made today from galalith it is difficult to know whether to describe it as vintage jewellery - it really is a mixture!  Marie Christine Pavone makes jewellery from vintage galalith and I love it.  This pieces is a few years old I think - it is thinner than the pieces I see now.  As I am a |Pisces I would love to keep this - but I have put it in the shop.  Must resist the temptation.  Reference 2987 C49/51 Price £58

Pavone Fish Brooch

RICHARD HUDNUT - SMALL 'GEMEY 'ROUGE BOX

Richard Hudnut Gemey rouge potStill wading through the large collection of powder and rouge boxes that I bought recently.  This small one is from the 1930s and is a Richard Hudnut 'Gemey' rouge box.  It is not perfect - but is in surprisingly good condition for its age.  It still has all the bits!  The untouched rouge, the cellophane rouge cover, the puff and a publicity leaflet for Hudnut rouge and lipstick.  The graphics is always what interests me and I love the publicity material!  It is quite small - at 1 1/2 inches.  Full details on web site as usual.  Price £24 ref: 2986 B46/44

VINTAGE PROGRAMME GLASSES - FAUX TORTOISESHELL & AURORA BOREALIS GLASS STONES

My passion is for vintage and antique jewellery but it also includes so many other accessories!  Love these glasses - which are for reading such things as programmes and menus.  So much more stylish than ordinary reading glasses.  (No good for long distance.)  They are in a faux tortoiseshell and have aurora borealis glass stones.  As these were invented by Swarovski and had mostly gone out of favour but the mid 1960s - this dates the glass nicely for us!  They fold up quite small and fit into a pocket or handbag.  Full details, as usual, on my web site.  Ref: 2985 B12336 price £65/

Faux tortoiseshell programme glasses

LEA STEIN BROOCH - THE ICONIC RED FOX

This is the most famous of all Lea Stein designs - it is the fox brooch.  This one is in a shiny, textured red colour and it has black eyes.  It is a genuine Lea Stein and has the correct pin on the back marked Lea Stein Paris.  I usually have a good selection of Lea Stein brooches in my shop at Vintage Modes, Grays Antiques in central London.  A number of them will be on my web site - www.gillianhorsup.com - but I never seem to manage to put them all on the web site - just too much work!  Price £65 ref: 2984 B121/16

Lea Stein Red Fox

GOYA - POWDER BOX - 1940S

It's back to powder boxes today - I just love them!  I learn so much just researching them.  This is by Goya and is cream on top and blue on side and back.  The colour is Rachel and the powder is unopened.  Full details as usual on my web site.  When researching I found a wonderful article by The Amersham Museum on Goya - you might like to take a look!  http://amershamhistory.info/research/trades-industries/goya/ - well worth reading!  Ref: 2983 C46/12 Price £20.

Goya powder box

TRIFARI - VINTAGE 3 ROW PEARLS & WHITE METAL BEADS NECKLACE

Trifari is a famous name in the world of vintage jewellery.  The designs and quality are usually very good.  Full details can be found on Google.  This 3 row necklace was probably made in the 1950/1960s when 2 and 3 row necklaces were very popular.  This one is more unusual as it is in white metal not gold tone.  The white metal is matt.  It has 2 different sizes of pearl and cylindrical matt white metal beads, twisted with bobbles.  Tiny white metal beads are threaded between.  The maximum length - with the extender - is about 18 inches.  Price £75 ref: 2981 C37/3

Trifari 3 row pearls necklace

VINTAGE MODES & THE RIVER TYBURN

I sell vintage jewellery at Vintage Modes in Grays Antiques - The Mews.  We are very lucky to have the River Tyburn running through Vintage Modes.  When Bennie Grays was setting up Grays Mews the basement was full of water - which turner out to be the Tyburn.  It still runs through the middle of Grays Mews and attracts a lot of visitors.  We have a small water feature in Vintage Modes - which we really love.  It gives a lovely atmosphere to the shop.  It is populated by a number of very large goldfish!  How lucky I am to have such an interesting base to sell my jewellery and accessories!  #GraysAntiques #GraysMews #GraysAntiquesRiverTyburn #VintageModesRiverTyburn #GillianHorsupRiverTyburn

Vintage Modes & the River Tyburn

BRANIA - VINTAGE GOLD TONE DANGLEY CHAINS FLOWER BROOCH

I do love jewellery that has things hanging!  This gold tone brooch made by Brania NY has gold tone tassel hangings.  It is quite large - being about 4 inches top to bottom - and is a stylized flower - which you can wear at different angles.Brania dangley chains flower brooch  It would have been made in the 1950/60s.  The gilt has aged a bit but it is not damaged.  It is marked Brania on the back.  I would be happy to wear this - it ticks all my boxes!  Full details as usual on the web site.  Perhaps I can wear it once before it goes on display in my shop at Grays Antiques in central London - where I have a large display of vintage costume jewellery.

VINTAGE CERAMIC POODLE BROOCH - GREEN

Lots of my customers at Grays Antiques like dogs - especially poodles - so was glad to get this vintage ceramic poodle brooch.  Ceramic brooch were very popular around the 1950's when not so many materials were available to make into jewellery.  Of course they can break - but this one has survived in good condition.  It is 2 inches across.  Taking it into the shop with me today.  If you haven't been to Vintage Modes at Grays Antiques - it is so easy to get to - being 3 minutes from Bond Street underground station.  Price £40 ref: 2977 C47/6

green ceramic vintage poodle brooch

BAKELITE NECKLACE - MUSTARD/AMBER COLOURED BEADS

The is a longish - 0 26 inches - row of bakelite beads in two different shapes.  They are a sort of mustard/dark amber colour - but I am not sure of the correct term.  They test positive with Simichrome cream - and I have re-threaded them.  They have a nice original clasp.  I do love bakelite beads and this would be lovely with a couple of my bangles!  Ref: 2976 Price £80

Mustard/amber coloured bakelite beads

LEA STEIN BROOCH - THE ELVIS PRESLEY

This is the Lea Stein Elvis Presley brooch - one of the more difficult ones to get.  I was lucky to get two but one sold immediately.  This one is in a turquoise/greenish colour with dark blue speckled guitar and black hair and boots.  Great for an Elvis fan!  There are ten different cellulose acetate pieces making up this brooch - some times there are many more.  Each piece is moulded and the pieces have to be carefully assembled.  This is why they cost more than a mass produced piece.The pin is correctly marked - Lea Stein Paris.  Price £78 ref: 2975 B121/6

Lea Stein Elvis Presley Brooch

PAIR c1940s GILT DRESS CLIPS WITH RED STONES

I really like dress clips!  This pair are heavier than some and would have been worn on a thick fabric.  They are made in a gold tone on brass metal and have deep red stones that have a cap on the end - to look like fruits or nuts.  There are 3 leaves on each too.  On my web site I have written some notes on ways to wear dress clips.  I would wear one of these on a chain round my neck.  I have not over cleaned this pair but you could clean them a little more if you wanted to.  I always have a good stock of different sorts of dress clips in my shop in central London - many more than is on the web site.  Price £88 for the pair.  Ref: 2974 C44/33

gilt dress clips with red stones

YARDLEY'S POWDER BOX WITH BEE MOTIVE - 1950S - SEALED

I have a great affection for Yardley's products - remembering them from my childhood.  My mother used some of them.  At the time the cream pots and powder boxes had a bee as a motive.  I still have two cream pots.  Also I lived in London's East End and was very near to the Yardley box factory at Bow Bridge.  It is still there - I believe it is to be redeveloped - but the Lavender Ladies - which are on the outside of the building - are to be preserved.  The factory was a little further away - on the site of the new Olympic Park.  I did a work experience in that area and it was well know for being very smelly!  This powder box has the bee on the front - just as I remembered it - and still has the powder inside.  Full details are on my web site - please see the link.  It also has a leaflet inside showing other Yardley products - that is quite delightful!  Ref: 2973 C46/2

Yardley powder box