Line 'em up

Most of these rings are in the shop and the rest will be in soon! I'm very excited about all of them. Wondering what size you are? There is a printable ring sizer and chart here - you can use it to size the rings you already own, or print a measure and wrap it around your little finger.

Friend of my youth

Here are some jewelry pairs that I've found over the course of the last six months. These long-lost friends are now reunited in my jewelry box, most of them destined for the shop. I am always surprised when I find a jewelry double, mostly because I consider most vintage pieces to be "one of a kind"- unique in their craftsmanship and usually rare. This is obviously not always the case! These doubles offer me a glimpse of the past, when jewelry like this was available at a shop downtown (or in a catalog) in a variety of sizes, colors and designs.

Winner!

I challenged readers to sign up to follow Jean Jean Vintage on Twitter in the month of April (see the Suivez-Moi post), promising this pretty drop-locket necklace to one of the lucky ladies who answered the call. I drew the names today and the winner is Scottie in a Canoe! Congratulations! And a big thank you to all you lovelies who follow my adventures via Twitter, the shop, or the Jean Jean blog. I truly, truly appreciate you.

For your fancy stamps

My new obsession is silver stamp cases.

They came into vogue around 1850 in the UK and were produced there until about the time of the first World War. Their purpose was to safely and elegantly hold stamps, which came on the scene for the first time in 1840. The wearer would keep a case on his or her person with a few stamps inside, should the urgent need to post a letter arise! This is a great example of how, in Victorian England, even the most mundane item could be transformed into an accessory. The fact that the designers of these things made them look like tiny envelopes is just too much for me. Too much perfection.

I love compartments, Victorian stuff, and little things that snap shut . . . which means I have a serious crush on these little cases. I want one! So does everyone else, apparently (i.e. they are spendy). But I'm going to be patient: I know I'll find one someday.

Lovely ring, terrible story

I found this great Art Deco ring yesterday - a shell (or maybe glass) cameo set in sterling silver. I'm not crazy about cameos, but the setting of the ring won me over. The shank of the ring near the cameo is sweetly engraved with garlands and there is a trompe l'oeil effect with the design that makes it look like the silver was buckled or thatched down. Perfect for the shop . . . . or so I thought.

While listing, I noticed two letters in front of "STERLING" on the inside of the band - "OB." It turns out that is the jewelers mark for pieces by Østby & Barton, a firm based in Rhode Island from about 1880 to the mid century. Østby & Barton was formed by Engelhart Østby - a master engraver and jeweler trained in Oslo - and a partner Nathan Barton. The firm was one of the leading manufacturers of fine jewelry at the turn of the century. Other than its fine, fine worksmanship, the jewelry is collectible (a bit morbidly) because Mr. Østby was one of the many, many passengers who died when the Titanic sank on April 15th, 1912. He was returning 1st Class from one of his buying trips in Europe with his daughter, Helene. Helene survived.

And so . . . the ring fits + longtime obsession with the Titanic + love of Art Deco = this ring is mine.

Kensington, MD

I went antiquing with my friend Mariana yesterday in Kensington, MD. There is a whole row of antique shops there, mostly stocking books, furniture and fancy breakables. But I did find a few accessories at a little lace and linen store at the end of the street, including a ridiculous pair of blue kid gloves with little leather butterflies, an adorable 1930s drawstring beaded coin-purse, and a perfect red embroidered hankie.

Erie Indulgence

My friend Mo told me about this shop in Red Hook, Brooklyn called Erie Basin. I had never heard of it before, but as soon as the first photograph of the website loaded on my screen I was a goner. The owner, Russell Whitmore, seems to be a very talented fellow indeed. He has impeccable taste in all things collectible - mirrors, furniture, stuffed animals, statues, artifacts, you name it. He also curates an amazing and constantly refreshed selection of period jewelry. He keeps a small shop of items up online but the real treasure is his brick-and-mortar shop. It seems to be equal parts luxury, sadness and creepiness - a perfect trio for an antique shop, I think. And I love the displays.

I just found out that I get to go to New York City for work in late June, and you can bet I will be stopping by this place to snap some photos and soak up the erie-ness. I hope to leave with at least one ring, too.

*All photos are from the Erie Basin blog archives.