A week of faux
So throughout my career as a jeweller i have been obsessed with the french unique style of jewels. I have drooled over the rolled gold, gilt metal, gold plated , white metal , platinon and gold filled metals that i have come across. It can be so undervalued . I decided this week to bring a small collection to the website so you can all see the true quality that these beautiful pieces have to offer.
Some of the rarest cameo pieces i have had the pleasure of owning have been derived from gilt metal and set in a basic frame, allowing the cameo to always take precedence. Take for example this beautiful Victorian era carved cameo brooch below set in a gilt metal basic frame but notice how the lady is dancing in front of a crescent moon face - simple frame but a rare subject .
The purest in me loves the antique jewellery as its a passion which follows me on a daily basis , its always what we look for - the creamy old antique pieces that have yet to be seen, the rare and exclusive items you’ve never held but the truth is that as much as my love for georgian, gold and diamond pieces exists there is a small section of my heart that is ruled by a love of simple antique metal jewels.
When i was a child my mother whom also works within the antiques trade would collect Limoges & general enamel which were often set in metal frames. Beautiful elaborate colourful enamel plaques, brooches, earrings - you name it she would find it. The enamels were so indulgent they were textured , bobbled, rough smooth and sometimes inlaid within a metal frame which appears like a stain glass window . As a child it was like looking at candy , you could just become lost in the crazy colourful circus knowing that each piece could tell you a story - their history becoming as important as the art that created them.
This is a love that has developed over time exploring each of the periods of history and what they had to offer. Taking time to stare at the back and front enamel victorian lockets of the world and the beautiful gilt metal engraved bracelets which would of been worn in the 1900s similar to this beautiful example:
So i thought id share with you some of my favorite most passionate pieces , i truly hope you can see the beauty in them as i have. For me this is a source of pleasure - a willingness to believe that true value isn’t held within a metal content but within the history and art that created a piece. For me it is a love and they say that true love lasts a life time so i fear it will never falter.