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in Your Jewellery Box?
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a
page to find out what Decogirl™
friends & fans are wearing
- Lois Benes, Retired Teacher, Collector & Amateur
Photographer
- Carole Tanenbaum, Author, Colllector & Vintage
business owner
- Tracy Martin, Collectables Expert
- Juliet Hutton-Squire, Editor
- Minnie Marx, Actress
- What's in My Jewellery Box?
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- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
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Chunky
- Modern or vintage?
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1.
Definitely vintage. I'm a vintage person, my jewellery has aged with me
although I am enjoying the resurgence of big chunky plastic pieces
currently on the high street.
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
-
1.
Anything
bakelite. My passion extends to bags, carved
animals, especially bags and carved animals combined.
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
- 100+
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
-
1.
No particular designer
or brand, whatever appeals to the eye.
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
-
1.
My modern big dangly
earrings. They give me a sense of not being out of touch.
- Are they your most worn item?
-
1.
Yes, closely followed by
a selection of chunky vintage Bakelite bracelets.
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
1.
A bakelite pirate
necklace, being
one of my favourites. Not only does it tell a story but was a steal at
£5 from St Albans flea market in the mid 80's.
- What piece was the most
expensive?
- A platinum
parure, consisting of bracelet, ring and earrings. A very dainty set,
each piece decorated with three detailed flowers.
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
- Nothing. I
satisfied my cravings long ago. The only piece I vigorously pursued was
my bakelite Philadelphia bracelet. I've never hunted for particular
pieces, I've been lucky enough to fall over them.
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ABOVE TOP ROW: Butterscotch
bakelite carved hinged bracelet & matching brooch, novelty bakelite
pirate necklace, Rare Philadelphia hinged bakelite bracelet and bakelite
fruit brooch 2nd ROW: red carved bakelite parure, a selection of
bakelite bracelets 3rd ROW: Bakelite & celluloid necklaces, Carved green
bakelite bracelet and brooch, bakelite & celluloid necklace & earrings
with carved polka dot design 4th ROW: A selection of Art Deco bracelets,
a selection of Jacob Bengel and other chrome & bakelite necklaces 5th
ROW: Vintage platinum parure, a selection of Art Deco novelty brooches,
a selection of vintage Christmas tree brooches. |
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- Gill May
- South East
- Collector
- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
-
I have both styles in my
collection. Chunky bakelite bangles to dainty art deco necklaces.
- Modern or vintage?
-
1.
I would say I have more vintage than modern pieces, although I notice
Top Shop have some interesting designs just now. I am always on the
look-out for interesting bangles!
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
- Lea Stein
brooches form my largest collection by far. My other areas of collecting
include lucite handbags and art deco necklaces
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
- Many more
than 30! I am very fortunate
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
-
Lea Stein, although I have a small amount of Butler and Wilson pieces.
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
- My Grandmother's 'old gold' ring
she gave me when I was 16. It includes a gold heart in the band. I never
take it off.
- Is that your most worn piece?
-
Yes it is, along with my
gold wedding band made by my sister-in-law, Susan May, silversmith and
jewellery designer
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
1.
Never had a great
'bargain' as such! The original gold serie 'bee' was a very good price
for a rare piece. Also the first 'Valley' piece I bought from Australia
which remains my favourite Lea Stein brooch.
- What piece was the most
expensive?
- One of the
original ladybirds pictured!
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
- Rare vintage
Lea Stein pieces especially geometrics and the larger 'optical illusion'
pins like the turquoise one (pictured)
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Above: Gill's
fabulous collection of brooches by LEA STEIN PARIS. TOP ROW Picture 1:
Black Leontine, Squaw, Poulbot with hoop, Elvis & John Travolta. Pic 2:
Triple dove, BIg Beak, Double dove, Double duck, Flamingo. Pic 3: A
collection of vintage geometric design brooches. MIDDLE ROW Pic 1: Full
Corolle, Toti & 3 assorted Poulbots with Umbrellas. Pic 2: A collection
of vintage brooches from the Golden Series. Pic 3: Four vintage fox
heads. BOTTOM ROW Pic 1: A collection of geometric designs. Pic 2: Two
vintage ladybirds, eagle and Yin Yang. Pic 3: A collection of vintage
brooches with rhinestone decoration. LEFT: Optical illusion and Valley
brooches |
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- Katie Ingham
- London
- Manager,
Productionbase
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- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
-
Chunky. I love big
and bold jewellery
- Modern or vintage?
-
1.
A
mix. Vintage pieces are great for originality but the high street also
does some great fashion pieces
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
- Anything that
makes a statement. Whenever I go away I always buy unusual local artisan
pieces. Whilst in Cuba last year I bought a fantastic bracelet made out
of a fork and a silver crab ring.
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
-
Tons! It's an organised jewellery jumble! I keep everything regardless
of whether or not I wear it.
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
- I
love pieces by the Italian company Pianegonda (see ring)
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
-
Probably the simple silver pieces
like my Van de Berg fairy necklace and my Dinny Hall bracelet. I can
wear them both with anything.
- Is they your most worn pieces?
-
I
wear them a lot but my most worn piece is a 1960's three stone diamond
ring which used to be my Gran's. I never take that off.
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
1.
I love the goldtone
jangly charm necklace I bought from Hennes for a bargain £10! It has so
many stones and charms hanging from it! Whenever I wear it everyone
always wants to know where it came from
- What piece was the most
expensive?
- The most
valuable is my diamond ring
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
- I'd really
like to buy myself a beautifully hand crafted Art Nouveau diamond and
emerald ring
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PRODUCTIONBASE - the
industry's network for people working in TV, film and commercial
production
www.productionbase.co.uk
ABOVE. TOP ROW from
left:Katie at the BAFTA award ceremonies wearing an onyx & silver
bracelet loaned from Decogirl, Katie's 'organised jewellery jumble',
Katie wearing a 1950's rhinestone bib necklace from Decogirl. 2ND ROW:
One of Katie's many jewellery boxes, Van de Berg silver fairy necklace,
with Jonathon Ross at the BAFTAS wearing a favourite silver heart
necklace 3RD ROW: Crystal embellished hairband bought in Spitalfields
Market, with Ant & Dec at the BAFTAS wearing the butterfly hairband,
Pianegonda silver ring and Dinny Hall silver bracelet BOTTOM ROW: the
bracelet made from a fork bought in Cuba, the crab ring and a crab
pendant, Hennes bargain £10 charm necklace
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- Lois Benes
- California, United
States
- Retired teacher,
Amateur Photographer & Collector
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Lois Benes |
- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
-
Chunky. I want the
jewellery I wear to have something special to my “eye”. It must
compliment what I am wearing rather than clash and, if I’m really lucky,
it will start a conversation.
- Modern or vintage?
-
1.
Mostly ‘current’. Those
collected fifty years ago were current then but would be considered
vintage now. During the 1980’s I discovered my interest in
collecting jewelry which I considered art. It was upon me before I
knew it.
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
-
For the last five years I have been collecting the French artist Lea
Stein. I am particularly interested in the early work that led her to
refine her pins into today’s beauties. Before Lea Stein I collected
the work of local artists. The Falkenstein copper pin (below) is an
example. I also have pins from other artists local to me, Susie Ketchum
[low fired ceramic skeletons], Astrid Preston [landscape on aluminium],
and Dustin Shuler [hand-painted wearable airplanes].
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
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Of Lea Stein there are better than 400 pieces. Keeping an accurate
inventory is a challenge.
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
-
Actually, I have no one favourite. I do not know what attracts my eye. I
am content to live with the point of view that something is so special
and meaningful to me that it belongs in my collection.
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
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Probably the Falkenstein pin. I was
at lecture she was giving on landscape art and she was wearing it.
Figuring the worst thing that could happen was that she would say no –
I asked her if she would sell me the pin. She said yes, I wrote out a
check and wore the pin home. Claire became a friend. Making new
friends is the part of collecting I like most.
- Is that your most worn piece?
-
My most “worn” piece is
a papier mache three strand necklace of animal icons, strung on string,
that was made in Mexico. I get more compliments on it than any other
necklace I own. Once had to gently withdraw part of it from the mouth
of a rather large dog who thought it would be nice to eat. Surprise. I
won.
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
1.
I don’t know. Almost
never think about my jewelry in that way. Probably my Alison Saar pin I
bought for $50.00 and sold for $600.
- What piece was the most
expensive?
-
It would have to be a rare Lea Stein serigraphy. It really must be
special for me to pay more than $100 (and I RARELY do that). I also
must want to wear the pin, not just collect it.
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
-
Filling in holes in my Stein collection.
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Above top row from left: Lea
Stein triple Marcel brooch, Lea Stein Felix brooch with rhinestones, Lea
Stein serigraphy brooch Bottom row from left: Lea Stein prototype dragon
brooch, Lea Stein geometric brooch, Claire Falkenstein brooch circa 1984 |
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- Carole Tanenbaum
- Toronto, Canada
- Author, Collector &
Vintage Business Owner
- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
- My taste runs to the extravagant!
The bigger the better. So chunky is more my style than dainty
- Modern or vintage?
- I
am a vintage collector
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
- I
have a varied collection but I especially collect Schreiner jewelry
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
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I have over 5,000
pieces in my personal collection
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
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My favourite vintage designer is Henry Schreiner, who's work in the late
50's and early 60's is best known for it's unusual color combinations,
unusual custom crystal cuts and unorthodox settings (crystal set
upside down in crinkle cups with unique prong designs)
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
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I could not live without my collection of around 600 Henry Schreiner
pieces
- Are they your most worn pieces?
-
What
I wear most are combinations of jewelry from different periods, a chain
from the 50's together with a Victorian locket and Venetian beads. My
arms might, on any given day, sport 3 bracelets on each arm. I wear my
brooches in groups as well. I am never without a 'vignette' of vintage
jewels
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
My best ever buy, a gold overlay bakelite bracelet for $25, worth over
$2.500!
- What piece was the most
expensive?
-
My most expensive is an unusual bakelite horse necklace and bracelet
which cost $3,500
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
- I always look for Schreiners that
are missing from my collection
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You can visit Carole's
website on
www.caroletanenbaum.com
Top row from left:
Bakelite horse bracelet & necklace, Fabulous Fakes, a Passion for
Vintage Costume Jewelry by Carole Tanenbaum (see
book page
to buy). Bottom row: brooches & necklace by Henry
Schreiner
Photos:
www.caroletannenbaum.com,
www.collectorsweekly.com, www.romanialibera.ru
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- Tracy Martin
- Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
- Collectables Expert,
Author & Journalist
- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
- Definitely Chunky, statement
pieces are so on trend at the moment
- Modern or vintage?
- Mostly
modern but I do have some fabulous vintage pieces as well
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
- I
adore Butler & Wilson, Lulu Guinness and just anything that is a little
different and quirky
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
-
Gosh loads,
definitely more than 30 but probably less than 100. I'm only 38 years
old so have, hopefully many years of collecting ahead of me yet
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
-
Difficult as I love my Butler & Wilson necklaces and bracelets. However
there are so many great designers in jewellery out there that I don't
really have a favourite, just love them all
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
-
My
Great
Grandmother's Art Deco flapper girl glass beaded necklace, black and
pink and so of the time I would never be able to find another
- Is that your most worn piece?
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No,
because I worry about
losing it, my most worn piece is the Butler & Wilson multi-coloured
beaded necklace and when I cruise on ships I tend to wear my glitzy
1950's Austrian crystals which belonged to my Nan
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
Most of mine are bargains as my Mum is also a jewellery nut and buys
most of them for me as pressies. Although a recent purchase at auction
was a vintage Butler & Wilson heart necklace which only cost £30.
- What piece was the most
expensive?
-
Most of my necklaces are in the £100 bracket but the most expensive is a
gorgeous diamond and ruby vintage watch which cost £590 from a
collectors' fair
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
- At the moment it's a Holly Fulton
Art Deco style chunky necklace; at around £300 I will own one - I have
to own one.
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To find out more about Tracy
visit her website
www.collectablesexpert.co.uk
Above top row:
Butler & Wilson multi coloured beaded necklace
www.butlerandwilson.co.uk.
The lovely Tracy Martin. Middle row from left: Beaded Art Deco necklace
which belonged to Tracy's Grandmother, Tracy's Art Deco watch bracelet
shown both closed and open. Another favourite, Matisse enamelled
pendant. Bottom row from left: Lulu Guinness 20th
Anniversary charm bracelet £250
www.luluguinness.com, Holly Fulton Deco style necklace &
skyscraper earrings image
www.vogue.co.uk, Holly
Fulton Chrysler building Deco necklace £245
www.brownsfashion.com,
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Juliet
Hutton-Squire
Editor, Adorn London
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Juliet Hutton-Squire |
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- What's your style chunky or dainty?
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Both, I love statement pieces and then usually just wear the one piece. I
do also like dainty but then it would need to be a really fine
choker chain with a pendant no bigger than a 5p! I wear two delicate
eternity rings on my wedding finger - timeless and classic but then I
have carte blanche on my right hand but only ever wear one statement
ring at a time. I am full of contrasts!
- Modern or vintage?
-
Gosh both, I love contemporary styling but my favourite pastime is to
scour car boot sales and charity shops for the perfect find.
- Do you collect anything in particular?
- It
would have to be vintage clip-on earrings
- How many pieces in your jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10
- 30, more than 30
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Confession time – more than 30. I have been fortunate enough to travel
extensively and pick up treasures en route. My jewellery is not very
expensive but each piece has a story.
- Who is your favourite jewellery designer/brand?
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I love the creativity of Marni, the earthiness of Pippa Small, the
imagination of Victoire de Castellane from the House of Dior and the
industrial glamour of Mawi.
- What piece of jewellery couldn't you live without?
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Statement rings
- Is a statement ring your most worn piece?
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No, my most worn piece is a pair of vintage diamante crystal cascading
earrings that a friend gave me for my birthday years ago. I wore them
with a graphic Holly Fulton dress the other night but have also worn
them with a floor length gown.
- What has been your best ever jewellery bargain?
-
My 1960’s signed Italian clip-on earrings for £2
- What piece was the most expensive?
-
My wedding rings
- What's on your jewellery wish list?
-
A baby Astley Clarke ring and the Mawi Rose printed pearl and bow
bracelet from the India Rose collection
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"I have a glass
fronted cabinet in my bedroom full of my jewels..the beads hang on a
dowel and then I have a lot of little boxes filled with sparkly
treasures."
Adorn London is the ultimate showcase of jewellery trends and style from
High Street to Haute Couture
www.adorn-london.com
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Above: Juliet's wish list,
Baby Astley Clarke ring £1,795
www.astleyclarke.com
Mawi Pearl & Bow bracelet £230
www.mawi.co.uk |
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- Minnie Marx
- Barcelona, Spain
- Actress
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- What's your style chunky or
dainty?
- Dainty (I
think, but I like chunky sometimes…)
- Modern or vintage?
- Modern
(with a hint of vintage)
- Do you collect anything in
particular?
-
Lea
Stein,
Christopher
Clarke
and anything art deco, glitz
I
also like
- How many pieces in your
jewellery box? 1 -1 0, 10 - 30, more than 30
-
500
I
think – my god,
I
must be nuts!
- Who is your favourite
jewellery designer/brand?
-
Christopher
Clarke
(Lea
Stein
comes right alter him)
- What piece of jewellery
couldn't you live without?
-
My diamond ring
I
got for my birthday from my
Italian
friends
- Is that your most worn piece?
-
No,
Christopher
Clarke
earrings are things I
wear most
(I
only wear clips, no holes in my earlobes. Would you buy something
with a hole in it?)
- What has been your best ever
jewellery bargain?
-
A sapphire
&
platinum bracelet
I
bought from a friend who sold it to me when his mother died.
- What piece was the most
expensive?
-
The
sapphire
bracelet
- What's on your jewellery wish
list?
-
I am perfectly happy with my jewellery treasures, but
I
wouldn´t mind some vintage
Lea
Stein
ítems. And if I
see anything crazy which leaps at me and tickles my fancy,
I
will consider
if
I
can afford to buy it and probably
will
buy it…
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Top:- Actress
Minnie Marx wearing a Lea Stein Ric the terrier brooch
Above top
row from left:- Enamelled winged earrings, enamelled clamper
bracelet and pearl & bead necklace (a gift from Minnie's husband) all by
Christopher Clarke
2nd Row:-
Liquorice Allsort necklace bought on a trip to Switzerland, enamel
flower earrings by Christopher Clarke
3rd Row:- Multi coloured
square beaded necklace bought in an atelier in Switzerland, Christopher
Clarke orchid drop earrings, diamond ring, a birthday gift from Italian
friends
Bottom Row:-
Diamanté tiara bought years ago from an auction in Valencia and worn in
the film Savage Grace, the true story of the Baekeland family (Leo
Baekeland was the inventor of bakelite). A scene from Savage Grace with
Julianne Moore
Many thanks to Minnie for
her precious time and help with this interview.
The Christopher Clarke
shop & workshop in Amsterdam is no longer trading
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Above: Minnie's wish list,
more vintage Lea Stein pieces |
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What's in My Jewellery
Box?
I'm often asked
by customers what kind of jewellery I wear so I thought it was time to
satisfy everyone's curiosity. Well, first and foremost it has to be big
and chunky. I don't do stud earrings and delicate pendants unless
they're diamonds! My jewellery of choice has to be larger than life, the
kind of pieces people stop to stare at. Old or new, cheap or expensive,
designer or boot sale, I don't care. It just has to scream 'Wear me!'
Whispers or barely audible pleas just don't get heard.
If I had to chose just one
favourite piece I'd struggle. At the moment it's a cross between my big
Marc Jacobs bow ring (unfortunately a bit too big) and the big sage
green & black ball necklace but then I probably wear the big chain
necklace (or my Rottweiler necklace as I call it) more than anything
else. I very occasionally part with pieces but only VERY occasionally.
When I buy something new it's usually there to stay. I always make a
point of looking for jewellery additions on every trip I make out of the
country and many pieces hold never to be forgotten memories. I can
remember where I bought every piece I own and in most cases how much I
paid. My daughter Katie has bought me some of my best loved pieces and
Josh, my son has given me some great bargains he's picked up from
charity shops and boot sales. Feast your eyes on some of my favourites
below.
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Top row Left: Cellulose
tulip brooch by Ciléa Paris. Centre: my huge 'suit of armour' choker
with champagne coloured crystals. Right: selection of rings & bangles
(the clear perspex bangle is by Thierry Mugler and was bought on a trip
to Nice, the orange sea anemone ring is a £3 bargain from the National
Portrait Gallery)
Middle row Left: My Rottweler choker (a 25p boostale bargain), a
Deco buckle which my husband had made into a choker for me & a tribal
wood & metal choker I found in an atelier in Arles in the South of
France. Centre: A spiral charity shop bargain which Josh bought me, a
1960's Danish architectural design ring & a huge 1960's choker Katie
found in an Amsterdam Antiques market. Right: A selection of my many
rings.
Bottom row Left:
one of my favourite necklaces (an East London market bargain) & my Marc
Jacobs bow ring, Centre: Italian acrylic ball necklace. Right: My
original Myspace photo taken in 2007
If you'd like to tell me what's in
your jewellery box get in touch
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