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.