Vintage Fashion Accessories in Your Jewelry Box
What goes around, comes around, right? That is particularly true in the fashion world. It is still true that pearls go with everything, vintage pieces mesmerize and mood rings change colors.
Finding Vintage Fashion Accessories
If your mood calls for a little retail therapy, I have a few suggestions.
- Stop by your local antique mall.
- Visit estate sales.
- Look through your childhood jewelry box.
- Raid your mother’s jewelry box.
- Shop ecumenical ministry thrift stores.
My favorite vintage jewelry to search for are opals, cameos, vintage costume brooches and bracelets.
OPALS
The first piece of jewelry my parents gave me was an opal ring. On Christmas morning I slipped it on my finger and wore it every day until I got engaged. I have since passed it down to my daughter, but it is still one of my favorites.
CAMEOS
I have always loved the delicate carvings of cameos. While in China recently, we toured an cameo factory and I bought my first cameo brooch. They offered several colors but I wanted the original design carved from a carnelian shell.
The ring was a gift from my mom and I love wearing them together. This design is likely the one that caught the attention of Napoleon. It was the general who wore a cameo at his own wedding and then founded a French school of cameo carvers. And during the Elizabethan Age, cameos were used to adorn heroes and people in service to their country.
Soon after, cameos became a status symbol for the wealthy and social classes. It is the delicacy and colors that I love. In particular, I love wearing them with navy, denim, emerald green and deep purple.
VINTAGE COSTUME BROOCHES
Shopping for vintage costume brooches can be both fun and frustrating. I search for good quality with metal backings and no missing gems or stones. As mentioned earlier, antique malls, estate sales, nice thrift stores, family jewelry boxes and some flea markets offer some luck in finding good pieces. Where have you found your favorite brooch?
