swaye2010
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2015
- Messages
- 1,194
I have always been a lover of vintage jewelry and grateful for the pieces that have been left to me over the years. I always wonder when looking at old pieces in antique shops or on ebay how those pieces got there? Especially when you see engravings on bands with wedding dates or huge cocktail rings. I wonder what the parties must have been like a 100 year’s ago that called for these huge & ‘blingy’ rings....??
Recently I redid a sapphire wedding ring that I inherited from my English MIL. I kind of feel bad pulling it apart but the band had completely worn thin and it was just too small to size properly. I also inherited some clip on sapphire and diamond earrings that she wore on her wedding day that I plan to redo into a station necklace at some point. I would never sell these pieces but I like to give them new life so they can be worn and enjoyed rather than just sitting in my jewelry box. The piece that interests me the most has been a vintage bracelet that my MIL had told me had been her mother’s. I graciously accepted it back in 2005 but it has mostly been sitting in my jewelry box since then too. I never asked her anymore about it probably because I was young and just didn’t think that way. She passed away 2 years ago Christmas and I recently pulled it out of my jewelry box thinking how pretty it was and I should wear it more often.
I was curious so I googled ‘peridot/amethyst/pearl bracelets’ and was surprised to find out that these are tied to the women’s suffrage movement in England. She had lived and my husband grew up in NW London. The green was to equal = give, the white was to = women and the violet was to = vote. My MIL was born in the late 1920’s so it is possible to believe that her mother had been part of the movement in London at the time. I have found examples on Ruby Lane and Lang Antiques but there are a lot of reproductions in circulation that are not truly vintage. This piece does not appear to be machine made but I have no doubt it is from the early 1900’s and it is in very good condition. It looks to be 9ct gold. I have linked an article about the suffragette movement at the time and it has a complicated history that I still find fascinating. I wish I had asked more questions about the history of this piece before she died.
For now, and especially during these times, I like to wear it and think about the strength off women coming together. If anyone else has suffragette pieces in these colors, I would love to see them.
https://diamondsinthelibrary.com/jewels-for-votes-for-women-lets-talk-suffragette-jewelry/
Recently I redid a sapphire wedding ring that I inherited from my English MIL. I kind of feel bad pulling it apart but the band had completely worn thin and it was just too small to size properly. I also inherited some clip on sapphire and diamond earrings that she wore on her wedding day that I plan to redo into a station necklace at some point. I would never sell these pieces but I like to give them new life so they can be worn and enjoyed rather than just sitting in my jewelry box. The piece that interests me the most has been a vintage bracelet that my MIL had told me had been her mother’s. I graciously accepted it back in 2005 but it has mostly been sitting in my jewelry box since then too. I never asked her anymore about it probably because I was young and just didn’t think that way. She passed away 2 years ago Christmas and I recently pulled it out of my jewelry box thinking how pretty it was and I should wear it more often.
I was curious so I googled ‘peridot/amethyst/pearl bracelets’ and was surprised to find out that these are tied to the women’s suffrage movement in England. She had lived and my husband grew up in NW London. The green was to equal = give, the white was to = women and the violet was to = vote. My MIL was born in the late 1920’s so it is possible to believe that her mother had been part of the movement in London at the time. I have found examples on Ruby Lane and Lang Antiques but there are a lot of reproductions in circulation that are not truly vintage. This piece does not appear to be machine made but I have no doubt it is from the early 1900’s and it is in very good condition. It looks to be 9ct gold. I have linked an article about the suffragette movement at the time and it has a complicated history that I still find fascinating. I wish I had asked more questions about the history of this piece before she died.
For now, and especially during these times, I like to wear it and think about the strength off women coming together. If anyone else has suffragette pieces in these colors, I would love to see them.
https://diamondsinthelibrary.com/jewels-for-votes-for-women-lets-talk-suffragette-jewelry/
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