Sunday, July 4, 2010

Soñando de España....Dreaming of Spain!

I listed 15 (yes, 15) pieces of jewelry marked "Spain" in my online shop "Baubles & Beads & Books" today. I have been buying these pieces for the past several years - they simply appealed to me. The colors, patterns, figurals...lots of fun! These jewelry pieces are made to look like Damascene jewelry, and many dealers accidentally label them as genuine Damascene, when in fact, the vast majority of these pieces are correctly termed "Damascene-Style."

Parasol ($25)

Genuine Damascene jewelry is actually an ancient art form which dates back to the middle ages and was used by the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, becoming popular in the 15th Century in Europe.

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Genuine Damascene jewelry is made with genuine gold and silver wire inlaid into non-precious metal, and then the grooves are blackened in. This process was not only time consuming but costly, so alternatives were developed. Spain began mass-producing jewelry that was made from a piece of stamped metal, and then the raised areas were re-finished in either silver or gold-tone, while the flatter surfaces were finished in black.

Fabulous Dangle Earrings ($17)

Colorful accents can also be found on these items. I have run across a few items with original tags that proclaim they are electroplated in 24k gold - I daresay this doesn't affect the value. It pays to know whether the jewelry you are considering is genuine or costume. Costume is jewelry is great...I LOVE costume jewelry...but I wouldn't want to pay genuine jewelry prices for non-genuine jewelry...and wouldn't want you to either.

Sailboat with Billowed Sail and Lady with Parasol ($20)

Hope the article was helpful and that you enjoy the pictures!
**Most pieces pictured here are Circa 1960's**

5 comments:

Mitzi Curi said...

I just love learning something new about something old! You are so knowledgeable about vintage jewelry, I'm so glad we've connected. You always display excellent examples with first-rate photography too!

Takoma Volpe said...

Laura these are gorgeous! I just LOVE the boat with the little lady in it. :)

Hope Evey said...

Oooh, pretties and neat new stuff to learn :)

Stacey said...

What a great article! I really enjoyed learning more about this jewelry art form... Hope to see you in August- Email me so we can make plans:)

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