Thursday, September 24, 2009

Celebrate Fall with Leaf Motif Vintage Jewelry

The first day of fall has come and gone and it seems appropriate to showcase leaf jewelry in its honor. I love fall. For a start, since I live in humid and hot North Carolina, spring and fall are much more pleasant to me outdoors than summer is. I find myself looking forward to fall all year long. Also, it reminds me of looking forward to the arrival of the JC Penny catalogue when I was a teenager in Maine (many years ago.) So, for me, the arrival of fall is a mix of nostalgia and heat relief!

Anyone who has raked a pile of autumn leaves knows what a fabulous blend of colors and shapes you will end up with. It appears that this could have been the inspiration of many of the well known vintage jewelry designers. Most of them made leaf motif pins.

Trifari is one designer that particularly comes to mind. Their brushed goldtone and silvertone leaf pins are just full of detail. Sometimes enhanced with pearls or rhinestones, like the one shown here, and as always this designer never fails to disappoint.

Adding enamel to the metal gives the color that is missing from a plain metal pin, and this has been done successfully by many designers. This pretty brooch from Liz Claiborne is a fabulous mix of muted earthtone colors mixed with rhinestones:



Other designers used rhinestones, pearls or colored cabochons to enhance the style of their leaf jewelry. With this technique, the sky is the limit when it comes to color. This pretty maple leaf design by Sarah Coventry, aptly called "Fantasy" uses a pretty mix of pearls and colored stones for a unique look.


One of my favorite leaf designs has to come from Norway. David Anderson is famous for his leaf designs set in basse-taille enamel and sterling silver with a gold vermeil wash. They are simple and elegant and very collectible. This pretty demi is a good example of this technique.



If you like nature jewelry, be sure to visit Vintage Jewelry Lane and Vintage Jewelry Mall for more great choices like the ones shown here. You can also click the pictures shown here for more details about these items.

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