Topic: Jewellery: Glass, paste, diamante, marcasite

[Frank]

Lois Sherr Dubin. A History of Beads. New York. Abrams, Inc., 1987.

Kathlyn Moss and Alice Scherer. The New Beadwork. New York. Abrams, Inc., 1992.

Glass in Jewelry: Hidden Artistry in Glass. Schiffer, 1991.

[RoynMargaret]

There has been so much to take in and so much great information and links offered that this thread is worth a bump.

I have continued my interest, although there is much else to absorb me, but I am "getting my eye in" and sold a couple of inexpensive items on eBay. There is tremendous competition in the jewellery market, much of it new, of course.

One thing I found was that the US term rhinestone (as in "Rhinestone Cowboy", of course) is probably more common and recognisable than diamante or paste. I have not yet pinned down accurate definitions, or indeed understood the differences.

I seriously believe I can identify a niche market for vintage jewellery specifically containing glass, as opposed to precious metal or gemstones. Following specific designers may be much more difficult.

As a measure of my commitment I have invested £75 in an ultrasonic cleaner and am practising my close-up photography

Thanks for your continuing interest and information.

[wrightoutlook]

I knew a high-spirited elderly woman in Toronto who had a collection of more than 700 paste clips and related objects; many of them truly spectacular works of art. In addition to clips, she had pinbacks and shoe buckles. Astonishing. She kept them in black velvet-lined boxes with glass tops. She was originally from Portsmouth, England and worked in London for a while before she and her mother and sister moved to Canada in the 1950s.

Her collection was truly amazing. At times it was staggering to take it all in. Tragically she died in a motor accident and didn't leave a will. Her evil nephew dumped the paste clip collection to a dealer for a quick buck.

To this day, I still believe the collection belonged in a museum. It was that brilliant and wonderfully eclectic with designs of incredible complexity. She cleaned them regularly, replaced missing nuggets of rhinestone - which she called paste bits - and adored her purchases.

She loved to hunt for them. Even into her seventies, she would go to flea markets and garage sales looking for her paste clips. She would visit us here in the States and eagerly agree to spend a quiet Sunday at a flea market or antique show. I loved learning about them from her. Paste clips were something I never knew about until she entered my life. They are something to see. Now they always catch my eye.

[Carolyn Preston]

Roy/Margaret, When you get to feeling expert on the subject, I have a (I think) marquesite necklace I'd love to get more information on. Gift from my grandmother (she had a habit of buying interesting bits from charity shops and then giving them as gifts.)  

Carolyn