Vintage Jewelry Collection

One of the main reasons that I try and use vintage materials is that I came to make my own jewelry through my love of vintage jewelry. From the time I was too young to be wearing jewelry, I would ask my grandmother to let me choose one piece of costume jewelry from an antique store as my birthday gift. I was very into silver cuffs for a few years, but they were interspersed with some necklaces as well. Through prep school I loved to mix these treasures with colorful pieces I made with beads or embroidery thread.

When I was at Syracuse for the last few years (I was there for a while as I went from the architecture school to the art school and changed majors there a few times) I was living in Armory Square. I lived in an awesome apartment above a huge Antiques store...ah the bliss! I could take an elevator from my floor to the store, which made furniture shopping especially easy. Anyway, I would get all inspired and just run downstairs where I would most likely find what I wanted...be it a table, vase, purse, coat, earrings...whatever! It was so wonderful, I loved it...the store and I both left Armory Square years ago, but most of my favorite things came from that time. I used to pile on the pieces back then too, always mixing vintage pieces with really bright glass and crystal pieces that I made. (hmmmm, is there a theme?)

Today I was all inspired to unearth some pieces and reminisce. I photoed a few of my favorites (on a vintage hankie!) to share and had to laugh at the amount of faceted glass, brass, lucite, chain and look at that ring! My my, I see where so much of my inspiration has come from...I have been working on some necklace ideas that would mix chain and locket necklaces with bright glass ones....I may have found what I needed to push me to the next level.