Vintage Jewelry Word of the Week - Arabesque

The word arabesque is used to describe a design which has flowing repeated geometric forms and patterns that combine in a fanciful way. The designs often having low relief curlicues.

Often the design is very elaborate and consists of intertwined branches, leaves or flower patterns. The main characteristic is the flowing style or intertwining of the elements of the motif.

The technique originates from Baghdad in the 10th century. It was very popular in the Muslim world in both architecture and other design mediums.

The technique was used not only on jewelry, but also on jewelry boxes itself. The final result is a piece which is both romantic and feminine with a filigree appeal and look to it. The style is also very popular as etching on lockets. Cameos are also styles of jewelry which are set in Arabesque frames.

Here are some examples of arabesque patterns:

Vintage Jewelry Find of the Week - Pietra Dura Mosaic Brooch

Mosaic jewelry comes in a variety of forms, from the superb pieces which contain hundreds of tiny tiles to create artistic masterpieces, through the cruder styles which are lovely nonetheless. One of my favorite styles of mosaic jewelry is called Pietra Dura.

In a pietra dura piece, the inlay stones are much harder, but the surface of the finished product is smooth, which differentiates it from the other styles of mosaics which have a rougher finish.

Pietra dura is an Italian term which literally means hard stone. It refers to the various hard stones, such as chalcedony, agate, jasper, and lapis lazuli, which were used in flat slices in the type of mosaic produced in Florence during the Renaissance period. This type of jewelry production continues today, and is sometimes applied to an example of the work. Generally the background is a darker color to offset the object being depicted.

Our vintage jewelry find of the week is a lovely Pietra Dura Mosaic Brooch which is set in 800 silver and also has a bale so that you can hang it as a pendant too. The chalcedony, malachite, agate and mother of pearl stones are set in onyx and the setting has a rolled edge and the stone is bezel set. It is just lovely and perfect for spring with the flower design.

This pretty Pietra Dura Mosaic brooch is available at Vintage Jewelry Lane for $155.99. You can visit the item page for more details on the construction. Pietra dura jewelry is becoming harder to find and is sure to increase in value.

Jewelry and Astrology - Pisces

This blog post is another in my series about choosing jewelry suitable for individual star signs. Pisces is the star sign for those born between February 20 and March 20.

Those born under the sign of Pisces are said to be compassionate, devoted and imaginative. On the negative side they can be seen to be a bit oversensitive, indecisive and somewhat of an escapist.

To get a clue about what sort of Jewelry to choose for your Pisces friend let's have a look at some of these Zodiac facts:

• The primary color is Lilac or purple
• Gemstones associated with the sign are diamonds, amethyst and bloodstone
• Lucky numbers are 5 and 8
• Best locations are the seashore or coastal cities

Combining these ideas gives me lots of possibilites for choices for a jewelry gift for your Piscean friend. How about this lovely purple banded glass stone in lovely amethyst colors with a pretty filigree heart pendant? It is available in my Carolina Collections Vintage Jewelry store for only $10.75.

Since Pisces loves the water, you couldn't go wrong with any seaside themed jewelry. Does she like vintage sweater guards? Look at this sweet seahorse sweater guard with creamy faux pearls and cute little seahorses on either end. It's available in my Vintage Jewelry Mall store for only $12.99 and is just adorable.

If you are looking for something a little more extravagant for your friend, consider this stunning vintage cameo brooch. It is handcarved from genuine shell cameo and is marked 800 for its silver content, so it uses her lucky number too. This exquisite shell cameo brooch is available in my Vintage Jewelry Lane store for $96.99

Check back soon for the next chapter in this series, when I will discuss jewelry ideas for your Aries friend.

Zodiac Logo courtesy of zodiac-signs-astrology.com/