July 8, 2009

Some time back I ran a post on the popularity of snake jewelry as I was mystified by its popularity. Since then, I’ve been amazed at how quickly we sell snake bangles when we list them in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. I had the rare Egyptian sterling silver bangle shown on the

left listed for less than 24 hours and it was sold. Of course, the price was right and the piece was a collector’s delight. You can still read up on that one by clicking on the photo.

The same has happened with all my snake bangles i.e. listed today, gone in no time. So the lure and appeal of snake bangles is obviously timeless and ongoing.

That’s why I’m thrilled to have come across the fabulous sterling silver COBRA bangle shown at the top of this blog. This isn’t just another snake bangle: this one is different! That cobra head is upright, ready to strike. It’s very flexible so it can fit any size wrist or be worn high on the arm. While I’ve never personally been a fan of snake jewelry, I warmed to this one immediately because it was so unique. Weighing just under 20 grams of sterling silver, it’s a slender 1/8″ wide, keeping it feminine and sexy! You can read all about it and see more photos by clicking on the photo at the top of this blog or HERE.

If snake bangles aren’t your thing, but you love sterling silver bangles, you might like to take a closer look at the lovely FORSTNER Sterling silver bangle shown on the right which we’ve just listed in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. We acquired this one at an estate auction about a month back. It’s in wonderful condition with beautiful etchings. Complete with safety chain, it weighs 19 grams of sterling silver and opens to a full 3 1/2″ to accomodate even a large wrist. It’s 1/2″ wide and very, very pretty. At only $49, it’s a steal!

We still have our beautiful BIRKS Sterling silver bangle on sale in our booth at BONANZLE too. It’s only $50 OBO and includes shipping! WOW! A signed Birks original for such a low price? Click on the link to check it out now too.

We’ll have more sterling silver items to list in the next while, including a TIFFANY charm bracelet and an unsigned Sterling silver multi-link charm bracelet. So be sure to subscribe to our blog to stay on top of any new additions to our online shops. HAPPY CANADA DAY everyone!

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Life has been insanely busy for me over the past 2 weeks and I’ve had little time for this blog and jewelry-related business. But thanks to one of my best customers who has purchased many rings from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, I have a very interesting video to share with you. So sit back, relax and enjoy this fascinating viewpoint on why the wedding ring is worn on the wedding ring finger. And when you’re done, if you’re looking for a lovely ring for that special someone, whether it be a wedding, eternity, or other special occasion ring, please visit us at VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE at RUBY LANE where rings, like the gorgeous ART DECO wedding set shown above are our biggest sellers. You can read all about that one and see more photos of it by clicking the photo at the top of this blog. It’s a real beauty!

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Back on January 5, 2009, while browsing through our local newspaper over breakfast, I was delighted to come across an article headed “Retro Rules: The appeal of Art Deco design endures after almost 100 years”. Accompanied by several photos of jewelry currently being made by the likes of Cartier and Kwiat, the article pointed out how today’s collectors are seeking retro pieces and how those straight lines and geometric designs continue to please jewelry lovers everywhere.

This didn’t really come as a surprise to me as I’ve noticed the art deco jewelry we have offered in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE always attracts buyers and quickly. And not all of it is expensive kind with diamonds and real gemstones. Some have been inexpensive paste or rhinestone bracelets.

According to the article in the paper the roots of Art Deco were formed in the 1800’s, but “it is now largely defined as the period between the 2 world wars.” And Art Deco didn’t just apply to jewelry: “the Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building and even the Empired State building are all Art Deco Style.” What makes a piece “art deco”? Art Deco jewelry blends straight lines with circles, rectangles … geometric shapes. You can see that in the gorgeous art deco bracelet featured at the top of this post and available from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. That particular bracelet is made of 14k and has 3.55 cts of brilliant diamonds and was appraised in February 2009 at over $10,000. You can see more photos of this bracelet and read all the lovely details by clicking the links or the photo above.

On the left is another gorgeous example of Art Deco jewelry, this time in one of our currently available rings. It contains about .75 cts of VS diamonds nestled in 14k. And just look at that fabulous design: triangular shapes and slightly curved lines housed in a circle. It’s exquisite, don’t you agree? Again, you can click on the photo to see more shots of this one and read all the details in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. This ring is very reasonably priced. Can you see yourself flashing this one at that next cocktail party?

A representative from Cartier says (in that article) that art deco continues to be an inspiration today because “it’s abstract but it’s concrete. It’s complicated geometrics … but not frou-frou” as perhaps some of the jewelry from the Art Nouveau period was seen to be. “Frou – frou” is another word for “fussy”. And yet, finding genuine Art Nouveau jewelry is also of great interest to collectors. We have one ring in RUBY LANE SHOP that harks back to Art Nouveau:

Note how different it is from the Art Deco pieces above: the stones are set in pretty little ‘buttercup” bezels and the overall design is much “fussier” or more complicated than the art deco pieces. And yet, in its own way, it’s very lovely … just not everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s certainly a rare ring and very much worth collecting. As our ad reads:

“Circa 1910, this ring features all the classics of the Arts & Crafts period during the Art Nouveau movement: Bezel set gems (diamonds & rubies in this case), dainty gold leaves & flowers, a large, high setting, and intricate, heavy gold work (14k yellow gold for this piece). And when we say “large”, we aren’t kidding! This knock-out antique ring weighs 10.32 grams, measures 24.90mm by 24.30mm wide, and the top of the ring (from finger to top diamond) sits 11.56mm tall.”

The opal/garnet ring on the right most likely belongs to the Art Nouveau period, rather than Art Deco, too. Again, the setting is fairly complicated and if you click on the photo to see more of this one, note the detailing in the band and the overall construction. Quite complex. This ring, by the way, is SALE-priced right now, and contains 4 beautiful, fiery opals and 5 garnets, all set in 14k.

If Art Deco appeals to you, we have more rings in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE along with the paste clamper bracelet shown below that is just stunning. That one is very affordable as it isn’t made from real gold and the stones aren’t diamonds. Why not slip over now and take a closer look at it too! It’s only $75!!

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