Tag Archives: jewellery

With G for “Gemelos” (Cufflinks)

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Cufflink: A fastener made with two pieces linked to a little rod or through a small chain. It’s used to close the cuffs in a shirt.

The cufflinks are designed only to be used when the shirt has buttonholes in both cuffs but they don’t have actual buttons. These cufflinks can be single or double and you can wear them either one in front of the other (like kissing) or overlapped. The most preferred ones are the first kind.

These pieces of jewelry are tipycally used by men. However, women have also adapted them to their style.

According to the National Cufflink Society there is proof of use of cufflinks in ancient hieroglyphs found in the King Tut’s tomb. Nevertheless cufflinks as we know them today started being used during the 18th Century.

It was the invention of the stamping machine with vapor along with the  electrometallurgy and the Guilloché’s turning machine that the kind of cufflinks we know today were able to be created. As for that moment, the process was handmade.

By the middle of the 19th Century this piece was popularize when French cuff shirts were fashionable – they still are today -. In that epoque was common to save a hair lock from a missed lover within the cufflink as a sign of shame and nostalgia.

In 1880, George Krementz registered in America a device to mass-produce buttons and cufflinks. As a consequence, from the mid 19th century onwards men in the middle and upper clases wore cufflinks. All of a sudden, most businesses in the US were ordering cufflinks for advertising purposes or as a gift for their clients.

Already in the 20th Century the fashion was to wear glazed coloured cufflinks made from gemstones. Artisans from Fabergé House travelled to America and Europe trying to teach worldwide this technique to be used in men jewelry.

If you are interested in the history of cufflinks and how they evolved over the years, don’t miss the Cufflink Museum in Conway (New Hampshire) where you’ll find over 70,000 pairs. I couldn’t find the website but if I finally do it, I’ll add it here as soon as possible.

One of the most completed collections I’ve heard of is the one belonging to the English Royal Family. There are three generations of kings in just one show of cufflinks, including the Eduardo VII, Jorge V and Eduardo VIII’s regins and their heirs. Nowadays is being extended by the current Prince of Wales.

Cufflinks are an elegant, discrete and long-lasting gift. It’s a memory for a whole life, a jewel that will pass from you to your heirs. They will live on.

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Mazer & Company Inc.

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In the very early years of the 20th Century, the brothers Mazer – Joseph and Louis- began running a jewelry business in Philadelphia. It was 1917. After a few years they moved out to New York where they opened a jewelry shop that soon changed the name to Mazer&Company Inc.

From the beginning Macel Boucher was the designer of the business but in the mid 30s he abandoned them to establish his own enterprise.

Mazer&Company Inc started developing high quality jewelry using Swarovski cristal. They conquered the market with medium price pieces but today collectors consider their pieces very valuable.

In 1946 the two brothers left the nest: Joseph Mazer released Joseph J Mazer & Company (better known as JOMAZ) and Louis Mazer kept the original business until 1951 when he definitely stopped the comercial activity.

So it was Joseph Mazer who did the first Jobs for Jomaz the famous pieces dipped in gold. That was his clear emblem during the 60s.

And here’s one of those pieces; a brooch dipped in gold from the 60s. One of the pieces you’ll be able to see and enjoy in the next showroom that Lopez Linares is getting ready.

The first Mazer&Company Inc’s pieces are maked with the badge “Mazer Bros”. However, the last jewelry is already marked as “Mazer”, “Joseph Mazer” or “Jomaz”.

Jomaz had several designers along its short career: Andre Fleurida, Thierry Muglero or Sandra Miller were some of its artisans.

In 1948 an advert in the renowend Haper’s Bazaar magazine said about the brand:

“The precious look in fashion jewelry”.

Jomaz was closed in 1981.

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With “E”: for Enamel

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“E” for “Enamel”

The vitreous enamel is a material made in powdered glass mixed with metalic oxides in order to give the piece an immense variety of colors and tones. All materials must fuse at a very high temperature, which gives it more longevity and an endless beauty.

There are many types of enamel, although I’ll focus in those more used by jewellers:
Champlevé:

With this technique what we’ll do is to carve, etch, die struck or cas tinto the surface of a metal objet, creating different forms and drawings. Then we’ll fill the holes with vitreous enamel.  It’s crucial for the success that the area to fill is well prepared to let the enamel stick to it in a homogeneous way.

The enamel will stay then like “locked” within the metal. Then, like in the rest of the techniques, you’ll have to polish and glaze it.

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Cloisone:

This technique works by soldering or adhering metal wires or thin strips placed on the edge of the piece. The holes in between will be filled with enamel in beautiful colors. Afterwards, it’s up to the artisan whether to sand deeply or just a little the piece, in order to equal the levels.

Plique-à-jour:

This is the most complicated technique, the most beautiful and delicate out of them though. The enamel here is applied in cells with no backing so light can shine through it. It has a stained-glass like appearance. Jewellers use this technique over the rest and the pieces get a spectaular beauty. It requires a high level of expertise though.

Let me show you a few images with samples of the different types of enamel.

Which one do you like the most?

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With A: Aderezo (Jewelry Suite)

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“My Vintage Dictionary”

Aderezo: a harmonious set made up of various pieces, normally containing a necklace, ring, bracelets and earrings.

In France, two types of jewelry suites can be distinguished: “Grande Parure”, consisting of a tiara, brooch or jewel for the breast area, earrings, necklace and two identical bracelets; and the “Petit Parure”, consisting of a necklace, earrings and brooch.

We call any matching jewelry combination a suite, which would usually be made up of a necklace, earrings, a bracelet and a ring.

They are sets on which more work is invested than usual, seeing as gems must be found that coordinate in both color and texture.

It is more common to talk of jewelry suites for the female gender, however, we can also find masculine ones consisting of cufflinks, a tie clip, and key ring or pendant.

The last reproduction we did of a Baroque style suite consists of a necklace, bracelet and earrings. This suite is made from brass and semi-precious stones, and entirely handmade by our expert goldsmiths.

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pulsera-flickrImages: @María Vintage Photography

 

My Vintage Dictionary

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We are starting 2014 off with a project about which I am extremely excited. Since last summer, I have been going round in circles trying to think of a way to unite my passion for photography with the my passion for the world of Vintage.

For me, Vintage is a synonym for exclusivity, quality, good materials and, of course, craftsmanship. Vintage is the synonym for something well made in the past.

If I think about lace, velvet ribbons, wild flowers, old books, black and white photographs, hidden treasures in a chest, and furniture in an old attic, I am thinking about Vintage.

Vintage photography is a contagious fever. Editing in black and white, sepia or with textures is a whole art form, which takes us back to the beginning of photography when each photo was revealed without really knowing what was going to be found.

It was this passion for photography that lead me to create “My Vintage Dictionary”, a dictionary illustrated with photographs that try to recover the essence of antique, well-made pieces of jewelry.

The project will continue for a while. The idea is to create a series of photographs for each entry, special photographs with that retro air that I so love to give them, also to include a brief description which will help you understand better the origins and essence of each of the terms.

The manual work, well-made things, taste for details, and perfect finishes… these are the essences of Vintage and what I am going to try and transmit through “My Vintage Dictionary”.

I hope it will help in understanding a little more why I am so in love with this style, and also that you can join me in enjoying the magic that it transmits.

I await you all with “A” for “Aderezo” (Suite of jewelry)…

We celebrate Reyes with a very simple contest

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Follow these steps and participate in the draw to win these beautiful earrings:

  • Leave a comment on the photo of the earrings and tell us which of our online shop’s jewels you’d love to wear on New Year’s Eve?
  • If you want you can share the Facebook post with your friends, we will apreciate it very much.

Easy, fast and…one of the most directly indirect ways to your Christmas surprises!

You have until Sunday 5th at 12am to participate.

The winner will be chosen by the Internet platform Woobox, and will be announced on Facebook on Tuesday December 31th.

Many thanks for participating and wishing the best of luck to all!!

We celebrate New Year’s Eve with a very simple contest”

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Follow these steps and participate in the draw to win these beautiful earrings:

  • Leave a comment on the photo of the earrings and tell us which of our online shop’s jewels you’d love to wear on New Year’s Eve?
  • If you want you can share the Facebook post with your friends, we will apreciate it very much.

Easy, fast and…one of the most directly indirect ways to your Christmas surprises!

You have until Monday 30th at 12am to participate.

The winner will be chosen by the Internet platform Woobox, and will be announced on Facebook on Tuesday December 31th.

Many thanks for participating and wishing the best of luck to all!!

Types of earring fastenings

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With this simple blog entry we are going to review the different types of earring fastenings.

PUSH ON CLIP FASTENING

This is the most commonly used fastening due to its convenient comfort and because it is a kind of clasp that nearly everybody feels good with. The back part can be closed simply by pressing it together with the front part, either with a butterfly or screw design. The most secure is the screw, however, it is usually only found in children’s earrings. The butterfly fastening is the most common; it has a small hole that fits perfectly onto the post of the earring to ensure it does not slip.

In our shop we recommend placing small transparent silicone discs for those with slightly torn or misshaped orifices, these silicone discs are usually referred to as “magic discs”. They prevent the earring from drooping downwards and manage to keep the earring straight and tight to the ear. They really are marvelous.

THE OMEGA FASTENING

This fastening is known for its comfort and security. It is a kind of fastening more often used in heavier or larger sized earrings as it ensures a better hold. Its name comes from a similarity to its form; a letter in the Greek alphabet.

THE HOOK OR HIPPIE FASTENING

The hook fastening can be open or closed, it is very comfortable and easy to wear, and perhaps because of this it is so popular with our clients.

The only drawback is that with the passing of the years our earlobes lose definition, this could result in the earring drooping a little, hence allowing too much of the earlobe to be seen.

The other possible drawback of this kind of fastening, especially if it is an “open hook”, is that the earring could slip out in a rapid movement or become caught in the hair resulting in the loss of an earring. For this reason, I always recommend the use of the silicone caps so that the earring is securely fastened, and we avoid any possible disappointments.

This problem disappears completely in the case of the closed hook. This fastening ensures that the earring will not slip out in a moment of carelessness.

It is true that this fastening doesn’t favor everyone; however, it is very popular throughout the younger generations.

CATALAN FATSENING

The Catalan fastenings are halfway between the hook and push on clip closures. I will display a photograph depicting this kind of fastening below; it is like the push on clip fastenings but with a small lever behind.

CLIP ON FASTENING

This type of fastening is used by women that do not have pierced ears or that have worn or deteriorated earlobes.

Within this type of fastening we can find the normal clip on and the screw clip. The latter is rather difficult to come across, it was used quite a lot in the Sixties and I can also tell you that it is one of the most comfortable fastenings I have ever tried. It is a loose soft clip in which you can adjust the pressure on your earlobe to the strength you want.

Which one is your favorite?

 

Out of Africa

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“I had a house in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills…” just hearing this phrase already sounds like a melody to me.

I can’t speak about this film without getting emotional, i think I’ve seen it more than 20 times and there are some scenes that still give me butterflies in my stomach, exactly the same feeling as I had the first day I saw it. So romantic, so sad, so intense…

The film, which has just celebrated its 25th anniversary, narrates the life of Karen Blixen, a Danish writer that arrives in Kenya at the beginning of the Twentieth Century to manage a plantation alongside her husband, an incurable womanizer, to whom she is married but doesn’t love.

The relationship that Karen establishes with Africa and its people; the striking contrast between the indigenous kikuyus against the forever strict British society in one of its colonies; and, above all, Karen’s love story with the hunter Denys Finch-Hatton, these are the main driving forces behind a simply charming film.

The winner of seven oscars, amongst which, the best film and the best director (Syndey Pollack), the film was enormously successful with the public, qualifying as a “masterpiece” and “unforgettable jewel”, making it an all-time cinema classic.

For me Meryl Streep, in her role as a high society Danish lady, is magnificent. I Iiterally fell in love with her from the the first minute and since then I don’t think I have ever missed a single film appearance by her.

Not only Karen but also the majority of women we see in the film fall in love with a Robert Redford that plays the role of an attractive, well-educated, charming and gallant with a touch of liberalism and adventure.

The photography is the work of David Watkin. For me the photography and the music are the strongest success points of the film. It seems as if we were watching a National Geographic report. The  journey made in Denys’ plane by the two of them from Nairobi to Mombasa flying over the hills of Kenya is absolutely breathtaking. Who hasn’t dreamt of a similar experience accompanied by someone very special in your life? I have, of course, although I don’t think I will ever manage to make it come true. I will stick to and cherish the scene from the film that makes me live it as though the journey were my own.

There are thousands of warming, romantic and emotional scenes. however, the scene that stays with me most of all is when, in a break from the Safari, Denys washes Karen’s hair using a sheet and the water runs through her soapy hair, meanwhile she closes her eyes, freeing herself to countless pleasurable sensations… it’s a simple scene with an enormous sensual charge.

A few days after being released in the cinema in 1906 I already had the soundtrack in my possession.it was a very special gift from someone who continues to be an essential part of my life. Since then, every time I listen to it I close my eyes and can feel the breeze, visualize the colour and the aromas of the hills of Ngong…it takes me to Kenia, transporting me to a different time, to live in another period…waking up incredible, intense and marvelous memories in me. It’s a soundtrack compiled by John Barry with a wide variety of melodies that seem to flow from the different places from where the work was filmed.

I have a 22 year old daughter who still hasn’t seen the film and I thought about giving it to her this month as a gift. I am extremely curious to know what impression the film will make upon her, given that she is nearly the same age as I was when I first saw the film. I am intrigued to know if the film that I consider to be a cinematic masterpiece will awaken the same feelings in a young girl of this century, as the ones that it awoke in me.

I will let you know…

Why are all things Vintage so in Fashion?

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We have now been continuously hearing this word for years. We hear it in relation to fashion, decoration, cooking, art, crafts, floristry and design in general… From cars to electrodomestics everything can qualify under this term. Vintage sells.

However, what is so attractive about vintage items? Why has this special style of pastel tones and perfect finishes returned yet again?

For me, Vintage is a synonym for exclusivity, quality, good materials and, of course, craftsmanship. Vintage is a synonym for something well done or well made in the past.

If you think about lace, velvet ribbons, wild flowers, antique books, black and white photographs, hidden treasures in a chest, furniture stored in an old loft, you’re thinking about Vintage.

Thanks to this love for handmade things, and for unique and irreplaceable pieces, we have recovered a great deal of lost traditions. We knit and do crochet and bobbin lace making. I know various clubs and societies in which lovers of the art of knitting can get together once a week in order to share patterns and chat about wools, needles, scarves and fabric slippers.

We baked cakes and cupcakes so colourful and detailed that it was a shame to eat them, yet they had come from recipes recovered from our grandmother’s forgotten cookbooks.

The art of calligraphy has returned, we have started to write postcards and cards again, classes are given on how to write with a quill pen or on how to make wax seals. What would make you especially happy, receiving a card by post or by email? In my opinion, especially if the address of the card delivered is written by hand, it would seem as if the best present had just arrived for me.

Vintage photography is a contagious fever. Editing in black and white, sepia or with textures is all but an art that takes us back to the beginning of photography, when each photograph was revealed without really knowing what you were going to find.

Different sensations are recovered and shared. The “Do it Yourself” is in fashion and goes hand in hand with Vintage. You can disconnect, chat and exchange ideas, whether its face to face or over internet forums.

This is the secret of Vintage. You can recover human contact, passionate recoveries and values which had been buried with the passing of years. Manual work, well made things, eye for detail, perfect finishes…

It’s due to this that we like designs from the 20s, 30s, 40s… These years reunite all of the characteristics of which we had previously spoken, each and every one of them belongs to these years. It is because of this that we search for this aesthetic, and that’s why these great designers continue to look at these years when the time comes to launch a new collection.

Vintage is a style marked by the retro exclusivity and by the magic of well made things, that’s why Vintage sells. It has been selling for years and everyday it sells more and more.

We will continue enjoying this style and go with its flow…