Bohmenian Jewelry - Flower Power and More

From time to time, sellers of vintage jewelry will use the word Bohemian to describe a piece of jewelry, but what does this word actually mean in the jewelry world?

Bohemian- "Boho" for short refers to an ethnic look that combines clothing and accessories similar to those worn by native people from around the world. To me, it indicates more of an attitude than a definite style, since Bohemian can be used to describe many different looks.

Think back to the late 1960's to early 1970's era of flower children and hippies. Boho jewelry was worn a lot during this time period - with layered clothing and accessories made from natural materials and big, bold chunky styles.

Throughout history, bohemian style jewelry has always been admired for its statement, weight of the pieces and the colors used. The jewelry is very organic; it uses a lot of wood and genuine stones as some of the prominent materials. Ivory and bone was also a material often used. Many of the styles can be considered "plus sized" - not because they are to be worn by larger women, but because the jewelry itself becomes the fashion statement because of the size.

Eastern Europe is credited with being the origination of Bohemian jewelry, since it these countries are normally associated with gypsies and others in nomadic populations. It is associated with free thinking, organic, individuals. This is the same reason we tend to think of Bohemian jewelry and hippies. The two went hand in hand during the 1970s. Self expression is the key to the mood and trend in Bohemian jewelry.

The Bohemian fashion trend is currently experiencing a rebirth, with many popular Hollywood stars now sporting this style of jewelry. Here are a few examples:

All pieces are available from my Vintage Jewelry Lane Shop at affordable prices. Click the pictures for more details and photos.

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 Word of the Week - What is a Bar Pin?

Today's vintage jewelry word brings up images of something you might wear to a bar on a girl's night out. Alas...this is not to be.

A bar pin a brooch or pin which is very narrow but long - quite similar in shape to a baguette stone. Bar pins are often embellished with gemstones or rhinestones and some popular styles have chain dangles. Some are actually shaped like a safety pin, although these should be correctly referred to as Kilt pins.

Bar pins had a height of popularity during the Victorian period, when many were set in real gold with semi precious or precious stones. These older styles have C clasps and are highly collectible today.The popularity of bar pins waned somewhat during the retro vintage years when larger and more ornate pins were the fashion. The older styles are the most collectible designs.

Many popular vintage jewelry designers made bar pins with Sarah Coventry designing several of them during the time period of the mid 20th century. Bar pins do seem to have had a resurgence lately, and can be found in many contemporary designs.

Here are some examples of bar pins:

Today's Vintage Jewelry Word - Baguette

Imagine a French baguette loaf of bread and then picture it as a rhinestone or gemstone. You have a baguette in mind. A baguette is a gemstone which has been cut into a long narrow rectangular shape, and the name actually comes from the French word for this type of bread.

The baguette is used in vintage jewelry in both the rhinestone and glass form of stone. A variation of it tapers so that one end is smaller than the opposite end, but in all cases, it is long and narrow. The term baguette can also be used to refer to a ladies style watch which has a thin, elongated rectangular or oval face. The shape is distinguishable by its much greater length than width.

Because of the slimness of it, it is usually found in channel settings, or with only two prongs - one on each end of the stone. I have also seen it simply glued in, but baguettes placed this way have a tendency to come loose, so look for channel or prong settings for them. The stones are available in both flat back and pointed back styles, so it is very versatile for all stone settings.

Baguettes come in all colors and sizes, but the majority of vintage jewelry designers used the clear diamante color. Sometimes the baguettes are used alone, and sometimes there are used in combination with other shapes of rhinestones. The following picture shows a lovely blue baguette style, followed by a pair of Coro earrings with clear baguettes in combination with chatons.

There is also a special finding which incorporates several baguettes in a group and encases them together so that they can be used as one piece. These are more often found on more contemporary jewelry.

Many vintage jewelers used baguettes, but Trifari was very fond of them. Many of the early patent pending Alfred Philippe designs used baguettes and the effects were stunning. This lovely A Philippe design from 1953 is entirely made from long diamante baguettes and it is set in rhodium for a wonderful effect.

This lovely Trifari Patent Pending baguette necklace is available from my Vintage Jewelry Lane site for $125.99. I've also included the patent design on the listing page for your information. The earrings pictured earlier are also availabe on Vintage Jewelry Lane.