Antique ‘En Tremblent’ Gold Brooch

At Richard Ogden Gold Bird Brooch ‘En Tremblent’ with turquoise stones and rubies

Oh I just had to share this brooch with you fine folks, as it is just such a sweet and beautifully made piece of jewellery, circa 1880, so a late Victorian piece.  The style is referred to as En Tremblent, which obviously is French and means to tremble.  The name comes from the gemstones and sections of the piece being set so that they have some beautiful movement to them.  As an example, in this brooch the bird is set on a gold spring, which makes it tremble when it is moved around.  The ruby in its beak is only fastened with a small bit of gold, so it gives an extra dimension of movement to the piece.  It is so well made, which was also pointed out by one of the most skilled antique style jewellery craftsmen that I know here in London – he if anyone would know what quality when it comes to antique pieces!

The back of the brooch, which is just about as beautiful as the front!

They started creating en tremblent jewellery in the late 18th century, as the movement of the gemstones so cleverly caught the light and attracted the eye.  They would mainly create floral sprays with the main flower en tremblent, to make it look like it was swaying in the wind.  We already know that these old cut diamonds were especially stunning in candle light, as the light would be reflected across the room in the most soft and romantic manner.

Richard Ogden Gold Bird Brooch En Tremblent with turquoise and rubies

So how would you style it, since brooches are making such a wonderful comeback?

Looking back at our February Brooch Wearing Challenge

Opal and Diamond Brooch from Richard Ogden in the Burlington Arcade – we adore!

What a lovely month February has been!  I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into when I started the Brooch Wearing Challenge a month ago, but it turned out to be such a wonderful little jewellery journey, with so much positive feedback – and so many fabulous brooches!

Vintage SIlver and Marcasite Brooch, Decades of Elegance

A friend of mine who is a beautiful opera singer was really excited to hear about it, and said that she always struggles to find brooches that will go with her performance outfits.  “A brooch is perfect to fasten a scarf with over an evening gown, but you just don’t see them around these days!”  Fortunately I was able to direct her to the vintage fairs and antique shops for some stunning brooches that are just waiting to start a new life with a new owner!

One of our lovely readers shared her vintage cameo brooch with us, from Decades of Elegance

Another way to wear a cameo brooch 

It has also been lovely to talk to vintage and antique dealers who sell brooches, as they often have an abundance of brooches and know so much about them – and can give you great tips as to how they could be worn!

Vintage Brooches from Arabella Bianco

And this little experiment has also reinvented a bunch of my own outfits, as they go through such a transformation when a brooch is added!

My woollen dress got a whole new life when I added this Scottish vintage brooch from the Decades of Elegance collection

A Romantic Gold Coloured Vintage Brooch with a Pearl

From the blog post Day 2 of the Brooch Wearing Challenge – Vintage Chanel Brooch And what better way to revive some old Hollywood glamour, than wearing a vintage Chanel brooch and red lipstick – as shown here by another one of our lovely readers?

So thank you all for taking part in this lovely challenge in so many different ways.  And it doesn’t of course stop here – feel free to send over your photos of you wearing a brooch whenever you like so that we can all enjoy a bit of beautiful jewellery and get some new style ideas!

How to wear an Onyx brooch

And so we have reached the last day of our February Brooch Wearing Challenge – except that I will prolong it by making a compilation of all the styles in Wednesday’s post!

Black Onyx Brooch worn with a Blouse

These photos of a brooch worn with a blouse were sent to us by our lovely Indian Princess S, who previously modelled some glorious pieces for us: Your Secret Jewellery Collection – the Indian chapter part I and Your Secret Jewellery Collection – the Indian chapter part II.

A closeup of the lovely brooch worn with a Peter Pan-collar blouse

She is wearing a black Onyx brooch in a cluster design, a brooch style that was very popular in the 1950s.  You will be able to see for yourself the next time that you visit a vintage fair, as there will be cluster brooches covering the jewellery stalls!  Just to give you an idea, this is a snapshot that we have seen before, from Arabella Bianco – and you can count the brooches that resembles the one above:

Vintage Brooches from Arabella Bianco

As for the stone Onyx, it is believed to help relieve fears and worries, and to make you feel comfortable in yourself and in your surroundings.  It is also thought to keep strong emotions and passions at bay, as it promotes self control (1).  Furthermore, it helps give a positive outlook on life – how wonderful indeed!

An Onyx cluster brooch worn with a Peter Pan-collar blouse

So my dear, take out those old brooches that have been sitting at the back of your jewellery box, and reinvent them!  On Wednesday we will take a look at all the different styles that we have seen here on the blog throughout February, and hopefully you will get buckets of inspiration on how to wear your own in the most fabulous way!

Sources:

1.  Crystal Wellbeing  

A Vintage Cameo Brooch from Sweden

 

Vintage Cameo Brooch worn with a white blouse

We are continuing to overindulge in beautiful brooches this February and the photo above came in to us from the lovely Lady M in Sweden, who has joined our brooch wearing challenge!  You might recognise the cameo from an earlier post: A Romantic Cameo Bringing Us A Love Poem and we have seen it like this on the blog before:

Vintage Cameo Brooch

Our Lady M said that it was a given accessory with her outfit to the Swedish antique art exhibition Antikmässan last week, and added that she loves how beautifully it goes with a crème coloured outfit – and I couldn’t agree more!

It is just wonderful that you guys are getting involved in this, keep sending your fabulous photos of brooch-decorated outfits so that we can spread the love!  Now happy weekend sweetheart, I look forward to seeing you again on Monday!

Arabella Bianco joins our Vintage Brooch Wearing Challenge

 

 Vintage Gold Plated Bird of Paradise Brooch from Arabella Bianco

And so the Vintage Brooch adventure continues, and today we are joined by Arabella Bianco, who is sending us some vintage brooch-inspiration from the golden days of Hollywood:

Hedy Lamarr wearing a beautiful brooch just below the collar of her blouse

Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr’s Hollywood-career spanned the 1930s, 40s and 50s.  She was discovered by Louis B. Mayer – film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) – and Louis and the studio cast her as “the world’s most beautiful woman”.  In the photo above she is wearing a spray brooch, which sits beautifully just below the collar of her blouse.  This is a lovely way of wearing a brooch, as it adds a sweet little detail to a blouse that might not be so exciting to start with!

I wore a cameo brooch in a similar way the other day in the antique shop:

Vintage cameo brooch worn on the collar of a blouse

Joan Crawford wearing a brooch

Above we can see another imaginative way of accessorising an outfit with a brooch; in this instance an LBG worn by Joan Crawford.  She signed a motion picture contract, also with MGM, in 1925, and starred in many successful movies during the Great Depression – often portraying hardworking women who eventually found success and love.  Her career took a few hits after a strong start, but recovered an reached an all time high in 1945, when she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in Mildred Pierce.

We simply love the way the brooch becomes a part of her outfit.  Brooches with a prominent centre stone set in an beautifully designed mount just have such a classic look to them.

Vintage brooches from Arabella Bianco, Grays Antique Centre

… and here is a selection of Arabella Bianco‘s beautiful brooches, so that you can recreate your favourite iconic styles of these Hollywood starlets!

Day 2 of the Brooch Wearing Challenge – Vintage Chanel Brooch

Our first contribution to February’s Brooch Wearing Challenge has arrived in the Decades of Elegance inbox!

A vintage Chanel brooch worn with a white shirt and red lips – and we adore!

It comes to us in the shape of a glorious vintage Chanel brooch, and is modelled by the lovely Lady N who you might remember from the blog post: The 1920s sparkling bracelet that started it all…

Red lips are just the most fabulous way of adding a touch of class to your look

I just love the style: for blondies red lips are ALWAYS a good idea!  And coupled with the Chanel brooch it looks even more fabulous, as this is how the starlets would accessorise their outfits back in the golden days of Hollywood.  The pink blouse, red lips and the brooch below made me immediately think of Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, such a classic style that would take you from a day in the office to a cocktail party in the evening!

Vintage Chanel brooch and a pink blouse – doesn’t this immediately make you think of Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?

I am starting to get some wonderful inspiration for a party next week..!  But I can’t decide whether I love her white or the pink outfit more – which one is your favourite dear?

Day 1 of the Brooch Wearing Challenge – Scottish Vintage Brooch

So February is here and we are all bringing out our favourite brooches and coming up with new ways of making them work with our outfits.  They have been out of fashion for quite some time, but believe me – once you start wearing them you will notice how versatile they are.  I will tell you in a later post how I reinvented a knitted hat the other day that was far too big for me, by using a lovely brooch!  That’s another story though – this is what I am wearing for the first day of the Challenge:

I am wearing this Scottish vintage brooch with a beautiful green stone for the first day of the Brooch Wearing Challenge!

Here you can see the whole outfit – a dress from All Saints where the draped collar was perfect for fastening the brooch.  This is the famous Ring Room at Richard Ogden by the way!  

So for my first day of wearing a brooch in the shop, I have chosen this little beauty, that you might recognise from previous posts:

Green Scottish Vintage Brooch from Decades of Elegance

It it most like a Scottish design and has a beautiful paste stone with a foiled back, which the clever designers tend to add to give the stone more colour and sparkle.  I have also worn it as a hairpiece before, it is just important to secure it properly so that it doesn’t fall off!

Hairdo with a Green Scottish Vintage Brooch from Decades of Elegance

And so many of you have gotten in touch, sharing your thoughts on wearing brooches and telling me how inspired you are to wear your own that have been tucked away in a drawer for years, so I am really looking forward to getting your photos!  Please send them to info@decadesofelegance.com

Happy Brooch Wearing February y’all!

My February Brooch Wearing Challenge

 

Vintage Brooch in Silver with Blue Topaz

Good morning my dear, I hope you are having a fabulous week so far!  So I have been thinking about brooches a lot lately, as customers at the antique shop bring in their antique and vintage brooches on a regular basis and want to break them apart, because “no one wears brooches anymore!”  Well, fashion comes and goes, right?  I am certain that brooches will make a comeback, and how sad will we be when we have broken them all apart and turned them into eternity rings, necklaces and earrings!?

Vintage Silver Brooch with Marcasites

So I have taken on the challenge of wearing brooches twice a week in the shop, to hopefully inspire our customers to keep their beautiful pieces in their original design.  One day I saw this stunning 1920’s Art Deco diamond brooch, that the owner just didn’t know what to do with!  Let’s stop this nonsense and bring them back into fashion, shall we?

Vintage Cameo worn as a hairpiece

And please feel free to join me!  Do you have any brooches lying around?  If you do, then please wear them and send me a photo, as I would love to share it with all you other readers.  Also, do you have any suggestions as to how I can wear my brooches at work throughout February?!  I am thinking fastening my scarves with them and also wearing them as hairpieces.  I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

Vintage Brooch worn as a hairpiece

Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair, 10-12 October 2014

Happy Friday dearest!  I know that some of you guys live out in Surrey and so I wanted to let you know about a lovely antiques fair which is on next weekend, 10-12 October at Esher Hall.  The reason why I am extra excited about the fair is that Richard Ogden, where I am currently working, will be exhibiting there for the first time – and they will be bringing some glorious pieces along:

Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair, 10-12 October

The fair was launched in 2008, and features around 30 specialist exhibitors who will bring us the finest town and country furniture, jewellery, silver, paintings, oriental carpets, glass, mirrors, and lots of other decorative works of art!

Vintage aquamarine and diamond brooch Harvey & Gore

I was delighted to see that one of my favourite pieces from the Harvey & Gore collection that we showcase here at Richard Ogden is featuring on the front page of the exhibition brochure!  It is an exquisite 75 carat (!) aquamarine and diamond clip brooch, where the aquamarine displays an exceptional colour.  The brilliant cut diamonds and graduating tapered baguette diamonds are also doing their best to woo us with their incredible sparkle and fire and the back of the brooch reveals an intricate platinum mounted honeycomb structure, which acts like a grid to hold the diamonds.  The origin is almost certainly 1950s America.  We swoon!

So I do hope to see you at the fair, I for one can’t wait to see what else it holds!  And the admission is £5 or you can print your own free ticket from their website here: The Esher Hall Antiques Fair.  I do hope to see you there!

Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair

Esher Hall, Sandown Park Racecourse
Esher
Surrey, KT10 9AJ

Victorian Pearl Necklace with a Diamond Clasp

“You can’t ever go wrong with pearls. Perhaps pearls are a girl’s best friend after all.” 

– Ki Hackney

Mid-Victorian pearl necklace with a diamond brooch as a clasp at Richard Ogden

Oh dear oh dear, yesterday was such a dream-day in the antique shop!  I was able to look closer at this Mid-Victorian pearl necklaces with a diamond clasp, and some of you will recognise the photo above from Instagram yesterday.

Mid-Victorian pearl necklace with a diamond brooch as a clasp

What I just love about Victorian jewellery is that the pieces are so often two-in-one, with the most clever little functions that you never would have expected.  With this necklace the secret is that the diamond clasp, which the ladies would wear so beautifully to the side, is detachable!  Since mass-productions hadn’t been invented yet, everything was handmade and very well thought through, and people didn’t own hundreds and hundreds of pieces of jewellery, so if a piece could double as two it would have been a very welcome addition to someone’s jewellery collection.

A close up of the diamond brooch which also functions as the clasp here

This pearl necklace is circa 1870 and again I am just so taken by the amazing condition of it, even after 150 years!  The pearls are so beautiful and the clasp is intact.  If you look a little closer at the centre diamond in the photo above, you will see that it is an old diamond because there is a teeny tiny “hole” in the middle of the stone.  It looks like a round dot, can you see it?  This is such a typical characteristic of an old diamond which I just love, as it brings an air of history and romance.

This “dot” in the middle of the diamond is there because the bottom point of the diamond has been polished flat, instead of pointy – (you get pointy in modern diamonds).  Hundreds of years ago the diamond cutters didn’t have the same advanced technology as we do today when it came to polishing diamonds, so instead of risk losing a piece of the diamond by trying to make a pointy culet, they reverted to making them flat.  So when you look into the stone from above the flat culet at the bottom will look like a little dot in the middle of the stone!

The design at the back of the brooch

Here is the back of the clasp, which you can see is very well designed with all diamonds in place and a complicated mechanism to detach it from the necklace.

The clasp can be turned into a brooch thanks to the mechanics on the back

We are going to look at the difference in Clasps and Brooch Centre Motifs in the next post, because I thought that they were the same thing, but this beautiful sapphire and pearl necklace decided to prove me wrong:

Pearl necklace with a diamond and sapphire centre motif