Native American Sterling Silver Ring Marked "JB"

This beautiful Native American ring is marked "JB" which I believe is a design by silversmith Julius Burbank.  It features a dark green stone which appears to be genuine turquoise.  Most Native American jewelry in the Southwest is made by the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Santo Domingo tribes.  This ring is made in the Navajo style.

Most Native American jewelry artisans create designs associated with their particular tribe, and there are major differences between those styles.  Navajo silversmiths are experts at fitting Sterling silver around particular stones such as turquoise, onyx, malachite, and blue azurite.  Conversely, Zuni craftsmen are known for cutting stones into intricate patterns to fit together into Sterling silver.  Hopi jewelry features designs in Sterling silver alone, without the use of stones.  Finally, the Santo Domingo artists use drilled stones, shells, and Sterling beads (but they are otherwise not known for their silversmithing). 

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

AAA Native Arts. Retrieved 6/28/2011 from http://www.aaanativearts.com/article1446.html

Durango Silver. Retrieved 6/28/2011 from http://www.durangosilver.com/native-american-artists.html

Trifari Goldtone Clip Earrings

Yes, another cool vintage design by Trifari.  These goldtone clip earrings feature a rope-like texture which make them extremely unique and appealing to the eye.  According to their maker mark, they were made sometime after 1954, most likely right around that time judging from their look.   

"Knots" in jewelry can have significant meanings, although I believe these earrings were not designed with any specific meaning involved.  However, these earrings resemble some of the beautiful Chinese knots which symbolize a wide variety of ideas from eternity, Buddha, marital happiness, and most often luck.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

Costume Jewelry Online. Retrieved 6/27/2011 from http://www.costume-jewelry-online.com/vintage-costume-jewelry/trifari-vintage-costume-jewelry/

Trinity London. Retrieved 6/27/2011 from http://www.trinitylondon.com/chinese-knots.asp

Vintage Aurora Borealis Flower Pin

This gorgeous vintage pin features two shades of blue Aurora Borealis rhinestones (named after the famous Northern Lights) that make up its two flowers.  The Swarovski  Company perfected this style of radiant crystal rhinestone in 1955.  The stem, leaf and pin setting are all done in textured goldtone metal.  The leaf is actually detailed with green paint.  This pin is unmarked, but I believe it is from the late 1950s.  Any additional information from my readers would be greatly appreciated as this pin is very well-made and one of my favorite vintage rhinestone pieces.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

Vintage Jewelry Lane. Retrieved 6/26/2011 from http://vintagejewelrylane.com/information/auroraborealisinfo.htm

Vintage Plastic Irish Pin

This fun pin is unmarked but appears to be fairly old, maybe from the 1950s.  It features a slivertone metal chain  attached to a metal and white plastic pin with a green plastic hat and shamrock dangling from it.  I just featured another shamrock pin here on 6/16, so today you will receive another Irish lesson.

So, why do people wear green on St. Patty's Day?  Well, surprisingly, blue was actually the color originally associated with St. Patrick.  At some point, it changed to green, and green ribbons and shamrocks were worn as far back as the 17th century to celebrate the holiday.  In the 1798 rebellion against British rule in Ireland, Irish soldiers purposely wore full green uniforms on March 17th to get attention.  Also, the phrase "the wearing of the green" was derived from a song of the same name and refers to wearing a shamrock on one's clothing.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

Wikipedia. Retrieved 6/25/2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

Metropolitan Museum of Art Sterling Silver And Enamel Brooch/Pendant

Sometimes I find pieces that I absolutely adore and this is one of them.  It is a gorgeous brooch/pendant made by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (often referred to as "The Met") that measures almost 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  It is marked "MMA Sterling" and is an example of "champleve" enameling.  Champleve enameling involves cutting a design into metal then fusing enamel into the hollow areas. 

MMA jewelry is researched and created by its staff of historians, designers, and master craftspeople.  The Met began reproducing artwork in 1871 by commissioning etchings of master paintings, soon followed by three-dimensional reproductions.  In 1921, the museum began selling products through its catalogue, and in 1999 began selling online (not only to raise funds for the museum, but to make its collections known and appreciated by a diverse audience). 

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 6/24/2011 from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ajew/hd_ajew.htm

http://store.metmuseum.org/about-the-met-store/page/aboutus/

Edgar Berebi Enamel Pierced Earrings

These sleek earrings were made by Edgar Berebi in 1983.  They are over 2 inches in length and feature ivory epoxy marbeling on textured silvertone metal.  Mr. Berebi started his company in Brooklyn, New York in 1981, designing jewelry until 1999.  Today, the Edgar Berebi collection includes high-end home decor such as picture frames, trinket boxes, flatware, religious collectibles, and architectual hardware.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

Illusion Jewels. Retrieved 6/23/2011 from http://www.illusionjewels.com/costumejewelrymarksb.html

Edgar Berebi. Retrieved 6/23/2011 from http://edgarberebi.com/index.cfm?pg=11&pgtitle=Collection

Lucinda House Pin

This colorful pin was made in Maine by Designs by Lucinda.  Lucinda Yates started this company in the early 1980s when she and her daughter became homeless due to unforeseen circumstances.  She began designing jewelry to overcome her poverty, and one day she designed a pin in the shape of a house with the idea to raise awareness of homelessness in her community.  Designs by Lucinda has grown into a cause-related business that assists non-profit organizations in their fund-raising efforts by manufacturing high-quality, handmade pins. 

Today, each pin is created and hand-assembled by a member of the artist team at Designs by Lucinda's Portland, Maine headquarters.  Designs by Lucinda includes a line of over 50 theme based fundraising pins serving non-profit clients around the world.  One of the company's mottos is "Changing the World One Pin at a Time."

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.rubylane.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

Lucinda. Retrieved 6/22/2011 from http://www.lucinda.com/shop/for/house-pins/