Necklaces coming soon . . .

These (and more!) necklaces are coming to the shop very soon. Holiday prep is almost done here at Jean Jean Vintage! There will be lots of new listings in the next few weeks and a big sale (shh!) for Black Friday and the weekend to follow. What is on your Jean Jean wishlist?

1930s glass necklaces, "Made in France"

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I didn't really know about these chunky, French glass bead necklaces until I found one in a pile of things I won at an auction earlier this year. They are serious pieces of jewelry. The one I listed in the shop weighs over 5 ounces and you can feel it sinking around your neck with the weight of all that beautiful glass. The necklaces are strung on sturdy herringbone silver chain to support the heavy beads and the clasps are often barrel style and always marked, "Made in France." So if you are out antiquing or at a flea market and you see a necklace like this, peek at the clasp. They aren't flashy in the way that some Art Deco necklaces are but they are fabulous in their own way.

New necklaces

I popped a few new necklaces in the shop this weekend and I'm hoping to get another dozen stocked in the next week or so. I'm filling up the Jean Jean Vintage necklace drawer!

Finding patents . . . oh what fun!

It is always thrilling to find a patent number on an old piece of jewelry, mostly because it often leads you back to the original patent application and drawings. That's what happened with this necklace. It dates to the late 1920s (or very early 1930s) and has a unique chain made of large, fold-over clasps. The chain design was patented in 1928. You can read the full application, and subsequent referencing patents, right here. The necklace itself is beautiful, with convincing matrix on the turquoise glass and silver plating on all the metal. I have only seen one other example of this chain in person, on a piece that I sold in 2010. It was a bracelet set with faceted pink glass. I still think about that one!

I ♥ vintage metal necklaces

These four necklaces are new in the shop! Every lady should have a few cast metal necklaces in her jewelry box, I think. They are bold and simple and they go with just about everything, from a printed blouse to a t-shirt to a cocktail dress. Just hover over the necklace to grab the listing link. 

PASTELLFARBEN

A pretty necklace update with a pastel and crystal theme. All available in the shop today.

Harbinger

This enamel bow necklace I just stocked in the shop is such a perfect harbinger of colder times to come. It makes me think of sugar cookies and black velvet and parties and tinsel and . . . all of the best holiday things. It would be such a great accessory for winter!

Bubble necklaces

"Bubble" necklaces were a thing in the late 1930s. You've probably spotted them before. They were made of impossibly thin, blown glass balls, usually suspended from celluloid with brass findings. Sometimes they had craft-store-esque things inside, like this green necklace from my shop a while back. In most cases, though, the glass bubbles are clear and it is up to the celluloid links to add color. They are fun and big and I love them. This modern version from the MOMA store is pretty great, too.

In the flesh

If you like lapis lazuli (which you must!) you will love this Art Deco necklace. It is simulated lapis - also sometimes called Czech or Swiss Lapis - which is glass mottled and colored to mimic that wonderful blue. This piece is German-made and featured in one of my favorite jewelry identification and pricing references, "Popular Jewelry, 1840-1940" by Roseann Ettinger. I am so excited to offer it in the shop! Fun fact: I sold the faux chrysoprase version of this necklace (see above!) over two years ago.

▲ Brown Paper Bicycle Giveaway ▲ {CLOSED}

My talented friend Mia makes the most gorgeous pendants at Brown Paper Bicycle and she just came out with a line of enamel charms and earrings that I am addicted to. I have the minty green triangle charm and I wear it with a vintage locket or my postcard pendant (also from Mia). These charms have become my favorite things to give as gifts, too! Can I also say that I love that she offers three types and five (five!) lengths of chains to go with the charms? So awesome.

Mia is offering one of her triangle charms or earrings (you choose the color!) to a lucky winner here on the blog! She is also offering a generous 15% discount through the end of the month with the code GIVEAWAY15, in case you see something in the shop you have to have right away. Ladies and gents - get in on this one! Here's how:

Mandatory entry:
➤ Visit Brown Paper Bicycle and leave a comment here with ideas for new charm shapes/colors AND
➤ Add Brown Paper Bicycle to your Etsy Circle!

And for a Bonus entry (separate comment, please):

➤ Tweet the giveaway! Be sure to include @jeanjeanvintage, as well as the link to this post.  

Here is a ready-made tweet you can use!

▲Win a bright enamel triangle charm to wear this summer! Visit @jeanjeanvintage to enter today || http://bit.ly/10OtyxL ▲

This giveaway is open to all readers (international folks welcome!) and closes on Sunday, April 14th at 10 PM EST. I'll announce the winner here and on Twitter next Monday. Good luck!

CONGRATULATIONS TO GRACE! YOU ARE THE WINNER!

No surprise

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that my love of chunky 1930s brass necklaces has extended to a love of retro necklaces, like this Brookraft piece I just stocked this afternoon. This is a new direction for me, both as a collector and a retailer. We'll see what comes of it!

Holiday lights

Today's shop update is my way of stringing holiday lights in the shop. The colors! I hope you enjoy. These glass beauties are all in the necklace drawer.

Seriously beautiful

     

There's just something about antique, black glass necklaces, non? They demand to be taken seriously. These four, which are all marked for or attributed to Czechoslovakia (ahh how I love that style), are newly stocked in the shop.

P.S. Do you recognize the necklace third from the left? It is the twin to the PAMPLEMOUSSE necklace that was in the shop almost two years ago.

First time

Although I've owned it for over a year, I wore this Peking Glass and baroque pearl festoon necklace for the first time yesterday. It felt so good. I paired it with a brooch from Miriam Haskell, although I ended up wearing the brooch on my coat instead of this blazer. I had a great day antiquing with a friend and then an awesome night out to dinner at this new restaurant (just the two of us!) with Mr. Jean Jean. It is amazing what an outing with a girlfriend, a little gussying up, and a nice glass of wine can do for the spirit. I feel like a new woman today. I hope everyone is enjoying un bon weekend!

10 Festoon favorites

As promised, here are a few of my favorite festoon necklaces from around the web. Some are costume and some are fine. All images are linked. Have fun! (P.S. My festoon outfit post is coming tomorrow!)