Mother's Day Party May 12, 2012

It’s almost that time…our fabulous party to honor all Mothers.  This year it is on May 12, 2012 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., at 3433 West Alabama.  We will be serving Champagne and Chocolates (from the Chocolate Bar) and featuring all of Marion’s beautiful jewelry. Come early and get the perfect gift for your mother. 

Speaking of Mothers, I want to tell you about mine.  Her name was Nitsy Rebstock.  I hear her voice in my head every day.  I hear her words coming out of my mouth every day.  Recently I told one of my co-workers, “I am going to knock you naked and hide your clothes”.  That is a “Nitsy-ism”, along with “Little kids, little problems, Big Kids, Big Problems”.  I can hear Mom saying this a thousand times.  

What I remember most about my mom and jewelry was that when she turned 60, she “gifted” each of her three daughters and two daughter-in-laws with a piece of her jewelry every Christmas until she died at 82.  She had so much jewelry and she said it was because she never turned down anything Dad purchased for her, even if it wasn’t her favorite.  Therefore, he always bought her lots of jewelry. (LADIES, this is a good hint). I loved her red beans, fried shrimp and meat balls and spaghetti.  I loved our card games and bets each week on the pro football games.  I loved all the tales she used to tell me about growing up on a plantation….

I just loved my mother. 

Downton Abbey - Part Two

The following blog is the conclusion of our Dowton Abbey blog from one  of our favorite friends of Past Era.  

These  pieces from her heyday during Victoria’s reign is a prize in Lady Violet’s jewel collection and the Grantham girls should all be nice to their gran in hopes of inheriting. 

 Early Victorian Coral and Diamond Girandole Pin/PendantVictorian Openwork Earrings with Pearl DropsNicholas II 14K Rose Gold and Demantoid Garnet Pin/Pendant

Although this piece is of much later vintage, it is just the thing for Mr. Bates to buy for his Annie for their 25th anniversary to celebrate their success in the luxury hotel business. 

Art Deco Openwork Diamond Plaque Pin

As I watched the scene where Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, expresses her concern that Lady Mary and Matthew and his fiancée not meet on the train to Downton,  “I do so hate Greek drama, all the action happens off stage.”  And I realize Downton Abbey is the Greek drama of jewelry. Most of the action takes place in the country, which as far as jewels are concerned is definitely off stage. Along with disease and various other social inequities one of the tragedies of the period was the rule of etiquette that decreed diamonds were not worn in the country; therefore, the real jewellery action is in London during the social season. We saw the Crawley’s return from the London season and we heard discussions of the balls but the tiaras and stomachers, the earrings with stones the size of small birds’ eggs were left behind safely tucked in their velvet boxes in the family’s vault in the Bank of London.  The following items from PAST ERA inventory are some of the things that we would have seen had Mr. Fellowes allowed us to attend a ball or two. 

Edwardian Circular Openwork Diamond Pendant with Scalloped Edges 

 14K White Gold Edwardian aqua negligee necklace

 Edwardian Pearl and Synthetic Ruby Target Ring

Although Marion Glober and her staff are most discreet and horrified by those dealers not so scrupulous who spin a good story to enhance the desirability of their merchandise, she will never convince me that at least some of these fabulous items did not come from the sale of the Crawley estate. Perhaps Lady Sybil sold off a few pieces to finance a political uprising.

  Anyway I shall continue to hope for better jewellery viewing —-yes I am the same woman who is sort of frustrated that John Singer Sargent did not use a really good close up camera. Luddite that I am, I even considered buying a giant screen television in hopes of a better view but decided to save my money for another PAST ERA purchase that I could savor at really close range.

Downton Abbey

The following blog was written by a “jewel” of a friend of Past Era Antique Jewelry…   

Dear Friends.

Like many of you every Sunday evening I escape to the world of Downton Abbey——that soothing Edwardian fantasy world where I,  of course, am a countess, not a cook. Julian Fellowes has beautifully captured a past era and those of us who love spending a great deal of time at PAST ERA ANTIQUE JEWELRY watch in our own special way. We sit closely to our televisions waiting for a great jewellery moment.  Our expectations are merited.  Cora, Countess of Grantham was an American heiress who would have brought a fabulous trousseau of jewels (think Consuelo Vanderbilt) with her to England in addition to daddy’s robber baron dollars that saved Downton.  Two of the most fabulous jewellery collectors and arbiters of fashion, Queen Alexandra, the beautiful, longsuffering and very much bejeweled consort of Edward VII and her daughter-in-law Queen Mary wife of George the V dominated this period.   Both Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary knew quite a lot about acquiring serious quality bling (think the Cullinan diamond and its by products which the present queen refers to as “Granny’s Chips” and the Empress Feodorovna necklace and tiara).   Alas, so far no jewellery worthy of these ladies has come into view. The lockets, the lavalieres, the negligee necklaces worn by the ladies of Downton appear historically accurate but jewellery of the period was small in scale so unless there is a long lens close up it is hard to gain more than a general impression.  Perhaps we are spoiled by the vividly photographed Edwardian jewellery on the PAST ERA website.  I have caught myself on more than one occasion wondering if the Crawleys had not sold their really good things to Marion Glober for her shop. 

Downton Abbey is such the rage there are even games on the PBS website. I have invented my own game of which Past Era piece would be worn by which character. These are some of my selections:

This wonderful diamond and emerald heart pendant would be perfect for Lady Sybil. The emerald is a secret symbol of her Irish chauffeur. 

Edwardian 14K yellow gold diamond and emerald heart locket; circa 1900 

 I really want Lady Mary to marry Matthew and be happy and I think that this fabulous moonstone and diamond ring would be a perfect wedding gift to her from her mother. It was made for Lady Cora from a stone in her beloved American father’s stickpin when she came to England to marry Lord Grantham.  I do so love the custom of close family giving good jewels to brides.   Think about it. Have you ever heard that corning ware is a girl’s best friend?  

Edwardian Platinum and 18K Moonstone and Diamond ring

  I think Lady Cora would definitely have worn this lavalier.

Edwardian diamond and green tourmaline necklace

Of course Lady Violet needs a quizzing glass. 

Victorian Enamel Quizzing Glass 

To be continued..please check back for some jewelry selections for the ladies of Dowton Abbey….

The End of the Year

Have you missed me?  I have missed you too.  It has been a crazy and wonderful past few months.  Blogs have taken a backseat to processing inventory but if you have been in the shop you have forgiven me.  Our store is so lovely and brimming with yummy pieces to wear.

Lindsay has been busy posting stuff to the website.  Frustratingly for her she has had to mark it “sold” almost as quickly as she has put it up.  Do you appreciate how torturous our jobs are?  We spend months getting an item ready only to have it sell and then we have to start all over.  Trust me, it is a lot easier when you sell something like designer jewelry that is new and you sell a ring and you can just pull out its replica from the drawer and put the copy out.  A lot easier, and a lot less interesting!

We are enjoying a few quiet days while we prepare for 2012.  Can you believe it?  2012 sounds so damn futuristic!  Why am I not traveling to work in my hovercraft?!

So what do you want for 2012?  I just ask for more of the same.  The health and happiness of my family and the joy of the hunt for interesting and lovely jewelry at work.  2011 gave me not only a new baby but a new shop to work in.  I just want time to enjoy it.  I want to share with you my favorite toast.  In Spanish we say “Salud, Pesetas y Amor: y el tiempo para disfrutarlo”.  So when midnight arrives on New Year’s Eve you can say that or the translation: “Health, Money and Love: and the time to enjoy them”.  I think that sums it up nicely, don’t you?

- Cristina

Proust Questionnaire: Melissa

I feel a bit like the proverbial groundhog that just popped out of its burrow to quest for spring.  It has been several weeks without blogging but here I am and I am not going to miss a beat from now on! (brave, heedless and probably untrue words, but hey- they sound good!)

So I return to the Proust Questionnaire with Melissa as my target.  She, as you well know, is a gemologist at Past Era and expecting a little baby boy in February.  Mel is an intriguing mixture:very child-like yet with a practical turn of mind.  She talks about Disneyworld with unbridled enthusiasm and chomps on candy all day long yet can astonish with her wordly wisdom.  

She chose a ring she loves to represent her but I couldn’t talk her into channeling it.  *sigh* Please read on for her answers!

What is your favorite virtue? Integrity

 What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being surrounded by loved ones.

 What is your current state of mind? Dreamy

What is your greatest fear? Being alone.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Indecisiveness

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Dishonesty

What is your greatest extravagance? Cars.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Chastity

What is it that you most dislike? Insects.

On what occasion do you lie? To protect the people I care about.

What do you dislike the most about your appearance? My graying hair.

What is the quality you most like in a man? Sensitivity.

In a woman? Sanity.

In your friends? Loyalty.

What is your favorite occupation? Researching.

What is your favorite color? Blue

Your favorite flower? Daisies.

Your favorite author? Honey I haven’t read enough!  Margaret Mitchell.

Your favorite hero/heroine? Susan B. Anthony

Which words of phrases do you most overuse? “Worse things have happened.” “It is what it is.”

What historical figure so you most identify with? I don’t know that I do…

What or who is the greatest love of your life? I should say Ken but I want to say my whole family.

What living person do you most admire? My dad.

When and where were you happiest? The south of France seven years ago.

Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to be athletic; you know, be picked first for the team!

What do you consider your greatest achievement? I’m going to be having a family soon.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? I would be decisive.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing what would it be? Bananas Foster.

If you could change one thing about your family what would it be? I would have brothers or sisters. A larger family.

What is your most treasured possession? My photographs.

What is your chief characteristic? I don’t thing I have anything uniquely identifying. Patience.

What is your favorite name? Marie.

What is your greatest regret? I don’t have any regrets because everything that has happened has made me who I am today.