MISS CONGENIALITY

People, that is friends, always ask me what I sell most of. That's not an easy question, because most of my jewelry are one of a kind pieces, so I can only sell one piece and that's it. Of course there are trends, people seem fond of my chunky copper gemstone  necklaces, turquoise and silver also seem to be a winning combination. Still for me it's very easy to define what sells most. Exactly this:

the quintessential golden bracelet

This favourite bracelet came into existence for one simple reason - vanity! Especially during the summer months I like the glow of gold jewelry. But I was lacking a nice statement bracelet to wear on my tanned wrist. I didn't want anything too chunky, because it makes my wrist looks thick, but I did want something larger than life. This was the result. As soon as a put one in my shop, I had to keep making more, because they were selling like hot cakes. One of my best friends recently panicked when she heard I had sold one again. She had had her eye on it for a while and wants me to make her a new one.
Sooner rather than later some of the vintage components in this piece will run out and that will be the end of this story.
I wonder though what is it that makes this bracelet special that it's so popular despite the not-so-perfect photo. Perhaps its the soft glow of the gold color or the luxurious feeling of a draped chain on your wrist or is it something else? Something as simple as itself.

There Is Nothing New Except What Has Been Forgotten

Marie Antoinette.

I guess she wasn't as flaky as people think. For the Marie-Antoinette Etsy European Street Team challenge on Loddelina's blog I took something that has been forgotten and made it anew.

I found a vintage Limoges plate depicting romantic courtship scenes by the famous Fragonard and I cut out its heart. It took a lot of work but by the end I had a beautiful round pendant with a picture of sweet 17th century lady in a luxurious dress, surrounded by flower blossoms.

I recently found some great cloisonne enamel beads in sweet blue and pink colors, which I incorporated in the design with some baroque shaped faux pearls.

The result is a sweet girly Marie-Antoinette necklace.



Sweet Marie Antoinette Necklace at http://www.anakit.etsy.com/



Vintage or Modern?

Real jewellery lasts for ever. The really beautiful pieces go beyond fashion. Don't you have a favourite that you wear time and time again? Or you let it rest for a few years and then rediscover it in your treasure chest? It happened to me recently when I pulled out a nice ivory cusp my dad brought back from India when I was 10! To be more specific (but not too specific!) that places it back to mid-eighties. A vintage piece so to speak and still looks great. The only difference is that back then I was able to spin it around my wrist despite its oval shape and now it just sits nice and snug on it.
I have always had a love affair with jewellery. Already as a kid I would dream of being a queen clad in huge saphires or rubies. Through the years I have accumulated an impressive collection of everything. Still the fashion has never been so much to my taste as this year. Bold, fifities, seventies, eighties styles suit me well. Only a few years back I would look ridiculous, but now I can pull off a Cleopatra, a Tzarina or a Jackie O without batting an eyelid.
In the last six months I have tapped into the world's richest resource - EBay. It's great for those unique vintage pieces that nobody has. You want a bib collar? Your wish be done. Just type in vintage bib collar, add color or metal of choice and happy shopping. You can get some really amazing bargains for nothing. I've bought chunky rings that everyone notices, even men! for less than 10 dollars. Things that used to belong to society ladies are now often up for grabs.

Another great forum and undiscovered source of great vintage jewellery is http://www.etsy.com/ It's not as popular as EBay yet, so the choice is smaller, but so are the prices. A great piece of vintage jewellery is unique, beautiful and well-made. Otherwise it's just old. The perfect fashion statement is when you wear a mix of vintage and modern, so as not to look like you've stepped out of a dusty magazine.

A great bib collar necklace will work best with sleek modern clothes. You can even wear it to spruce up a jeans and top outfit. You can choose between metals or plastic. Gold tones are especially cool this summer. The plastic of old used in vintage jewellery is lucite. It comes in different colors and shapes, it can simulate sparkly crystals or it can be found in popular ice-cream hues.

If you like being expressive with you jewellery then vintage is the way to go. The best thing about it, you won't break the bank. Although some pieces can be collector's items and if you have the misfortune of having excellent taste, so you might find yourself bidding against other fashionistas or jewelry dealers. Still the choice is so vast, you'll be damned if you don't find a steal.

http://www.anakit.etsy.com/