Articles

  Interested in Finnish silver jewellery? Check out our illustrated guide to the top jewellery designers from Finland   1) Bjorn Weckstrom/Lapponia  Bjorn Weckstrom (1935 -)  was a Finnish jewellery designer and sculptor. He originally wanted to train as a sculptor , however family opposition resulted in a change in direction. He studied at Helsinki's Goldsmith school graduating  in 1956. At first his work reflected the clean Scandinavian design ethos , however by the 1960's, Weckstrom had developed his own style which was more sculptural than tradi..

  EARLY LIFE Georg Jensen was born in Raadvad, Denmark in 1866. The town comprised a small cluster of houses situated in lovely countryside around a knife factory north of Copenhagen, His father worked as a grinder at the factory and his mother was a housemaid.  Jensen worked alongside his father at the factory from an early age. He did not have much schooling. His family recognised his talent for making things and encouraged his work. When Georg was 14 the family moved to Copenhagen so that he could train as  an apprentice goldsmith. This involved long hours and hard ..

  Interested in Danish silver jewellery? Check out our illustrated guide to the top jewellery designers from Denmark   1) ANTON MICHELSEN  Anton Michelsen was born in 1809 in Vopenhagen, Denmark. His family had been metal smiths for generations. He undertook a goldsmiths apprenticeship in 1939 before moving to Copenhagen  where he continued his training at J B Dalhoff's workshop. He was also a student at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1836 he travelled abroad and worked at some of the foremost gold smithies in Paris, France and Germany. He ..

  Interested in Norwegian silver jewellery? Check out our illustrated guide to the top jewellery designers from Norway   1) DAVID- ANDERSEN  The David Andersen company is a fourth generation family owned business. David Andersen (1843 -1901) was the son of a Norwegian tenant farmer. At 19 he became an apprentice to a Silversmith in Oslo where he studied enamelling technique. These were incorporated into designs made for English firms in London. During 1876, Andersen opened his own goldsmith workshop in Christiania (Oslo.) He became one of Norway's most r..

  What is Costume Jewellery? The phrase costume jewellery” was first used in the 1920s, however jewellery and ornamentation made out of non-precious materials have been worn since ancient times. While it is sometimes called fake or "fashion" jewellery, it often incorporates workmanship and materials on a par with, or even better than fine jewellery. The 20th century resulted in a sea change as to how jewellery was perceived and used. Before then,  women wore jewellery made of precious and semi-precious stones and metals as a way of flaunting  the wea..

DIFFERENT TYPES AND COLOURS OF MOONSTONE  Moonstone is the opalescent variety of orthoclase. Traditionally thought to be a good luck stone and linked to romantic passion, it was often offered as a gift between lovers. Moonstone can be transparent with a stong blue hue on the surface, or it can be milky with the appearance of inner light . It can have a striking cats eye or star effect.The hue is the result of the light reflecting off alternating layers of albite and orthoclase feldspar. The thin albite layers produce the desirable blue tone and the thick ort..

  All about the Amethyst Gemstone    Amethyst is known to be a purple variety of the mineral quartz and is often used to make beautiful amethyst jewellery including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. The name amethyst  comes from the Ancient Greek where it meant “not intoxicated”. This stemmed from the belief that the stone would protect the wearer from drunkenness. The amethyst is a semi precious stone and is one of several forms of quartz.   Colours of Amethyst and Where it is Found in the World   Amethyst occurs in ..

  Interested in collecting vintage and antique jewellery? Check out our illustrated guide to the top European costume jewellery brands to look out for..   1) CHRISTIAN DIOR   Christian Dior  was a very prominent and influential designer of the 1950's. His fashion designs were accessorised with opulent feminine jewellery, including asymmetrical crystal necklaces, animal pins and tremblers specially commissioned for each collection. At first he created jewellery for specific clients such as Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe, however jewellery designs wer..

The Complete  Guide to Vintage and Antique Bracelet Styles.  Check out our illustrated
guide to help you identify the different type of bracelets.

What is a Festoon, Riviere, Sautoir, or Lavalier necklace? Check out our illustrated guide to help you identify the different types of necklaces.   1) LAVALIER NECKLACE    A lavalier is a chain type necklace that ends in one large size pendant or tassel. Sometimes there may be additional smaller pendants dangling from the main stone. In the 1600's the lavalier got its name from Louise de La Vallière , a mistress of Louis XIV who often wore them.The lavalier was popular from 1900 to 1930 as the delicacy of the lavalier was a perfect match to&nbs..