2011 12 Days of Christmas
Friday, December 23rd, 2011On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
And . . .
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
And . . .
On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
And a . . .
April’s birthstone is the most famous of all the gems: Diamond. For more technical information about diamonds you can check out the following posts from our Gemologist:
Diamond Color
Diamond Cut
Carat Weight
Diamond Clarity
The most famous diamond in the world is probably the Hope Diamond which you can read about here:
If you are looking for the perfect birthday gift for an April Birthday you might try some of what you see below. Diamonds can of course be found in earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, watches, and every imaginable form of jewelry. You will also find beautiful diamonds in all of our designer lines including David Yurman, Konstantino, Alex Sepkus, Cherie Dori, and of course Roberto Coin, whose Cento Diamond cut is head and shoulders above the rest with 100 facets which add to it’s brilliance and fire.
Click on any picture to find out more about the item or visit our web page at bcjewelers.com for more beautiful diamond pieces.
As you may remember from our last chat , Edwardian Jewelery is jewelery that was produced during the reign of King Edward VII of England. He held the throne from 1901-1915. One often finds disparity in specific dates for the Edwardian era. Some scholars use the exact dates in which he ruled , others include the ten years prior to his coronation . Some insist that the era ends with the onset of WWI in 1914 but yet others state that it ended in 1915. As with any style there always seem to be an overlap . One does not see exact cut off dates.When dating jewelery I find the term”circa ” very useful in that it allows for an approximation of dates.
The Edwardian era is often referred to as the garland style. It is exuberantly feminine.Ribbons, bows, Garlands of roses and leaves drape the most quintessential examples of this design style.

Edwardian Ring in Platinum and Diamonds
Notice the heart shape motiff on the side of this ring . The ring is exquisite in detail and very delicate in appearance.Platinum became the metal of choice during the Edwardian era ,thanks to the advent of the oxyacetylene torch in 1900. Prior to this date jewelers did not have torches that could reach sufficient temperatures to work the metal.Platinum melts at approx.3300 F . Platinum properties being such that the most delicate models could be executed without compromising the stability of the item being produced . The density of platinum allowed for unheard of detail and long wear . The purity of the metals color combined with its’ durability provided the ideal setting medium for the jeweler.

Early 20th Century Platinum Diamond Ring
Notice the beaded border on the ring above. This millgraining is a technique that Edwardian jewelers often used .
One also finds the use of yellow gold in Edwardian jewelery as well.This bangle bracelet exemplifies the delicate and feminine nature of this era

Edwardian Bangle Bracelet with Sapphires
For more lovely examples of jewelery from this era check out our website at www.bcjewelers.com I could go on and on about the beautiful jewelery from this time period look for more on my next blog and happy hunting for your next antique or vintage piece.
I’m sure you have started thinking about doing some holiday shopping by now. To help you with your holiday shopping we have a few things to tell you about.
First, if you could use a little extra cash we are having a special Gold Buying Event on Sunday, December 6 from Noon to 5pm. Recycle your broken, or old jewelry or watches and get some quick cash to help with your holiday shopping. Gold prices are the highest they have ever been. We will be open for holiday shopping that day as well.
From now through Christmas Beauchamp Jewelers will be open every day of the week! We will be open Sunday December 6, 13, & 20 from Noon to 5pm for holiday shopping. If you can’t get in to see us during the week we’ve added one more day to help you out.
As always, we will write down a wish list of items you are interested in so you can give it to someone who may be looking for just the right gift for you, or we can keep it here in the store and you can let them know that the friendly staff at Beauchamp’s knows just what you want.
Don’t know where to hide that special item you purchased? We’re happy to keep your Beauchamp purchases in our vault until right before Christmas so you don’t have to worry about her finding that special gift.
The
Edwardian Era is named after the British Monarch Edward the VII . (See Left ) Although his reign was quite short (1901-1910) he and his Queen, Alexandra were quite influencial.
The couple were married in 1863 but Edward did not assend to the throne until after his Mothers death in 1901. His Mother, Queen Victoria ruled England from1837 untill 1901.

Queen Victoria
Victoria spent much of her public life in mourning for her late husband . As Victorian propriety demanded she dressed accordingly. Ladies in mourning were restricted to wearing black , grey or shades of greyish purple (the color being tied into specific periods) The accompanying jewels worn were often in similar tones of blacks and purples. Jewelry was generally quite massive in appearance.
Victoria still held sway even toward the later part of her reign but as she aged , Edward and Alexandria undertook many of Queen Victorias Public duties. The couple was very visible in society and had a great effect on the fashion of the day.
Alexandra was charming , beautiful and stylish. Ladies strove to immitate her style . Notice the chocker or “dog collar” style necklace that she is wearing .(see image below) This look was created by her to disguise a small scar on her neck and the style became all the rage . The “dog collar ” style is still popular with designers today.

Alexandra
Edward and Alexandra were young and influencial during a period of great prosperity for the upper classes. It was a period of political stability a well as an era of exciting new technological discovery. Gas lighting was replaced by the invention of electrical lighting.
Colors became more subtle in the ladies wardrobe. Jewelers enhanced the dress of the day by creating lighter, airy designs and utilizing pastel gemstones such as aquamarine, Montana sapphires and seed pearls. Jewels did not require mass or intensity of color to have an effect under the new electric light . Diamonds twinkled under the new lights. Seed pearls were very popular as evidenced in the following .

Edwardian Seed Pearl Brooch
Notice the delicate quality to the work in this Edwardian seed pearl brooch.

Edwardian Chocker c.1910
Today it is difficult to imagine how an individuals could so inflence their times to such an extent as to have their name applied to an era . Just mention the Edwardian age and it conjures images of lively times, beautiful clothes and the exquisite ‘Garland style of Jewelery” we now define as Edwardian. Please look for my next blog on the Jewels of the Edwardian Era.
Topaz is the Birthstone for November and the 4th and 23rd wedding anniversary stone.
The Egyptians said that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the mighty sun god Ra. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who also is the god of the sun. Legend says that it dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight. The Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make the wearer invisible. Topaz was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink and curative powers waxed and waned with the phases of the moon. It was said to cure insomnia, asthma and hemorrhages. The name comes from the same island that Peridot originally came from – Topazios or Zabarad in the Red Sea. In Sanskrit, the word topas or tapax means fire. In medieval times nobility and ruling classes were given engraved topaz as a token of loyalty and friendship.
The name for Imperial Topaz originated in nineteenth century Russian because the Ural Mountains were the leading source. Ownership of the gem was restricted to the royal family.
Today most people think of blue when they think of topaz and yellow topaz is often mistaken for the common citrine or smoky quartz.
Topaz is the state gemstone of Texas and Utah.
The Ouro Preto area of Brazil is the major commercial source of imperial and red topaz. The Ghundao Hill area of Pakistan produces a naturally pink to red topaz sometimes called “cyclamen pink”. Brazil and Sri Lanka are the most significant sources of treatable colorless topaz. Topaz comes from Australia, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria and the USA as well. The primary source of gem-quality topaz are pegmatites. Because it grows in an orthorhombic crystal structure (crystals are typically elongated with strong parallel grooves or striations, parallel to their length) it has weaker bonds between the atoms in one direction which causes cleavage. A sharp blow or extreme pressure or sharp temperature changes might cause it to split along the cleavage plane.
Synthetics – glass, synthetic spinel, flame fusion, flux, hydrothermal, Czocharalski-pulled, doublets
I just adore bracelets much as the ladies did in the 1800’s. It was not uncommon for a lady to wear multiple bracelets on each arm. The Victorian metal of choice was gold. Slide style bracelets were popular and often worn in pairs.
Slide Bracelets were adjustable so as to accommodate most any size wrist. One would slip the section of chain over the wrist and adjust it by sliding the tasseled end away from the wrist.
Mid 19th century bracelets tend to have a bold look. The bold look of the jewels balanced the large voluminous skirts that were in fashion. Although Victorian jewelery looks bold it is not heavy. It has a light weight feel .Gold was rare. Jewelers utilized a variety of methods to work the thin sheets of this precious metal so as the finished jewels would have an important look. Although gold was discovered in California in 1849 it was not untill1874 that it was discovered in the Black Hills and than as late as 1898 in Alaska. 
Later Victorian bracelets begin to take on a lighter more delicate look. The metal is pierced and visually light. Styles change as does jewelery design to enhance the newest fashions.
An era was ending and a new one was beginning.
Victorian Woven Mesh Bracelet Victorian bracelets from the 1800s are great fun to collect and wear. You do not often see exact copies of items unless they were originally made to be worn as pairs.
If you like to wear unique and usual jewelery, Victorian bracelets are for you! Happy collecting !

I heard a fabulous interview on NPR today with Madeleine Albright about her book Read My Pins. While she was Secretary of State she would wear lapel pins to all of her meetings with Heads of State and they often reflected her mood or made political statements. You can see a slideshow of some of the pins she wore and read an excerpt from her book at NPR.org.
If you would like to wear your emotions on your lapel you can check out some of the beautiful vintage pins at our web page, www.bcjewelers.com.