Cartier love band, hi and low versions

I'm not wearing a ton of rings these days as my wedding band has eclipsed all others. Due to my own stupidity, we had to go through a few sizes before getting it right (note: my husband was right about the size). Not having been married before, I've never worn a ring on my wedding finger. I love my rose gold Cartier Love Band.

Then I saw this ring in my fave St Annes charity shop, the animal rescue one. It's a fake gold ring. Instead of diamonds, it's got these cute pink faux stones. It was a pound.

I now wear it on my right hand as a 'companion ring' to the other. Only the Grunge Queen would hi-lo her wedding band!

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The early bird catches the worm - or could they be fake?

Now I get why people buy expensive sunglasses: they just look so much better than the cheapie ones. Like these purple Coach shades I recently thrifted at my fave new thrift shop, Canadian Thrift. They're just so substantial - and they're purple to boot!

Actually, I left them there for a day to think about it before going back and scooping them up. The owner told me today numerous folk have come in asking about them. Ahem.

Now I'm not an expert in detecting designer knock-offs - though I have rather quickly passed over what must be the poorest imitations of Prada and Burberry handbags in some thrift stores - but these glasses just felt right; they had wonderful detailing and a certain weight to them that just made me want to be all movie-star poseur. The lesson I'm choosing to extract from this latest thrift venture? Don't underestimate your gut when thrifting!

Do you have any tried and true tactics for detecting fakes when thrifting? Is it a gut feeling for you, or do you have extensive knock-off knowledge? Please share!

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Would Anna Wintour approve?

This is my Anna Wintour impression with a pair of thrifted glasses I picked up for under $10 the other day (at my fave new thrift shop, Canadian Thrift) - not bad eh? I think I look somewhat serious and intimidating, like the American Vogue editor-in-chief often does in photos, at least - as though I am scrutinizing some runway collection and about to release my verdict to the shiny beautiful masses.

There. I've managed what could be termed a smile. Wintour may roll her eyes at my cheapie thrifted glasses - they say they're by Identity and are "Designed in Italy" but the make is in China - sounds a wee bit like they're trying to be something they're not, doesn't it? But I liked the shape - they made me think of Wintour right away even though her trademark shades are much larger. I thought I could perhaps summon the necessary aloofness to wear them with as she does - with heaps of 'tude.

One whimsical element (and somewhat designer-ly as I have seen similar glasses by Gucci and others online) is the floral detailing on each arm - there are even a few darling little coloured faux rhinestones too, very Italian! Darling, wouldn't you say?

I'll be wearing them in the Spring, when sunny skies warrant donning a pair of spif sunglasses. Right now it's too grey to even think of shades, and even if I did wear them it's so cold out that they'd likely freeze to my face! Here's to an early Spring!!

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Get wise to Weiss, and vintage costume jewellery knockoffs

As you may know, I'm a lover of vintage (particularly 1970s) costume jewellery and am a member (however fleeting) of the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club (which is having its semi-annual Show & Sale in exactly one week; see details here).

This brooch and clip-on earring set is def not my style. My friend Matt gave it to me to research for him and possibly sell. The name on the back is "Weiss", a highly collectible name for vintage bling hounds - and for those who make and sell fake Weiss.

Thanks to the Google Gods and a book a member lent me, I'm close to concluding that what I have is a fake, meaning the set would fetch waay less than a real Weiss (some brooches go for $150, my sources say).

One, though the jewel-like pieces have the appearance of being prong-set, they're really not. And, not pictured here, the back is textured and the pros say the authentic ones are smooth.

Weiss stopped making jewellery in 1971, which perhaps explains its popularity in collecting circles.

Sorry Matt, looks like you got a dud.

Thanks to Vintage Costume Jewels for the information on Weiss.

For an interesting article (published in 2006) on people selling fake vintage costume jewellery on Ebay, see this New York Times article.

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Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club Show & Sale, Part deux

So the second semi-annual Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club Show & Sale April 24 at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens was a resounding success; we must have had at least 600 people through the doors throughout the day.

Here's Olga, club member who also sells at Toronto's St. Lawrence Antiques Market on Sundays. She's holding a bracelet made of Lucite, an acrylic resin that was a popular vintage costume jewellery material in the 1920s to 50s. There are lots of different types of Lucite - Bakelite is a more rare form that is often carved.

Lucite vintage costume jewellery isn't uber rare, from what I can tell, but Bakelite - often called 'fakelite' because there are so many bracelets and such masquerading as Bakelite out there - is more rare, and heavier. It was developed in the early 1900s for industrial use but became popular during the war for jewellery makers as it was relatively inexpensive.

For some reason there are more Bakelite bangles out there than, say, pendants, and most are a butterscotch hue but that can also range to orange, red, and green. Bakelite, fyi, is technically a trade name as it was originally developed by the Bakelite Corporation, but now the term seems to be used to describe any vintage piece that has the same chemical composition.

Jewellery buffs have different ways of identifying the stuff. One way to determine if an item is real Bakelite is to rub the piece until it heats up, then take a whiff. If it smells like formaldehyde it's real. Another tip I've heard from the club is to run the piece under hot water to see if it smells.

Here's a truly lovely piece by Miriam Haskell, an American designer who had her own company that still exists today under the name Miriam Haskell, though the designer died in the early 1980s.

Vintage Miriam Haskell pieces are highly collectible and are known for their beautiful handcrafted details, like the tapestry beading technique you see here.

Dealer and Newmarket, Ontario retailer Karla Wilson specializes in Miriam Haskell pieces in her decor and furnishings shop, Haven Contemporary Decor.

I can't recall the price of this piece exactly but I think it was around $400-$500.

Pictured here: a collectible Sherman set for $395. Gustave Sherman was a Canadian costume jewellery designer who designed from 1947-81. His Swarovski crystal brooches, earrings and pendants were always prong-set and for that reason have stood the test of time.

Though some Sherman diehards say that all Sherman pieces are signed there is a debate raging in the bling universe over that statement. Truth is, the designer's pieces were never documented so it's hard to tell.

All I can say: bewareth the fakes. I was in Value Village a few weeks ago and was drawn to a set of clip-on earrings made in the bright hues Sherman was so well known for. They were indeed signed "Sherman" on the back in a signature I identify with Sherman, but they 'gems' were plastic beads, not Swarovski crystal, and they weren't set using a prong method but rather had what looked like along pin going through the beads. Never seen a Sherman like this so I left 'em there, even though they were only $9.99.

According to dealer Melanie this brooch is by Coro, a popular maker of vintage jewellery from the early part of the 20th century to the late 1970s - though the Canadian branch existed into the early 90s.

Coro made various levels of jewellery, Coro Craft being on the high-end. The Coro Craft and Vendome lines are most collectible.

Melanie told me this brooch wasn't signed but is still a rare and well-known Coro piece - that explains the $300 price tag.



I can't comment on the Coro signature piece as I'm still learning, but that's the thing that I've learned with collecting vintage costume bling: a signature is desirable but not not always an indicator of value, and unsigned pieces can be valuable too.

TVJC Club founder and president Patricia Gostick, pictured here with an amazing chunky Lucite necklace from the 1980s, would concur, I think. This piece isn't signed but is lovely and original.




I always heed the rule that if you love it and can see it fitting into your life (and you're not necessarily in the biz to sell), buy it.

I fell in love with this chain necklace, which is actually made of tiny tiny beads. The dealer was really eclectic and didn't have uber 'collectible' pieces per se, but she just had an eye. Everything on her table was different, and had a certain look to it, if you know what I mean.

It was only $45 and I really should have picked it up as I have never seen anything like it - and it totally suits my rocker-inspired look these days. But I left it there, sigh.

I opted for this signed bracelet and choker set from the same dealer for the same price, marked "Sperry."

Can't find a ton of info on it online, other than the maker was known as the Sperry Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island that started in 1947. No details on how long the company lasted nor how valuable its pieces are, but apparently it's hard to find a set such as this.

No matter: I love it so well I've worn it every day this week. The necklace really popped against this Kelly green turtleneck.


I couldn't resist this retro carpet bag - only $25! I have a thing about vintage carpet bags since buying one two years ago at Toronto shop The Bead Goes On (a fave shop for vintage bling and bags off Mount Pleasant Rd. in Toronto). At the November TVCJ Club sale I bought another one from Patricia Gostick. Now I have a nice little collection going. And I do use them.

It says "JR Florida" inside. I'm off to Florida for my best pal's wedding in a month so I'm taking it as a sign from the Shopping Gods that this bag was meant for me.

I'm showing my bag off with my new pal Genny Iannucci, whom I met the week previous to the sale at a media round table event for Linea Intima in Toronto. Genny's a fashion contributor and spokesperson and you can see her on the Steven and Chris show on the CBC.

As you can see, Genny found a fab 1970s leather bag at the show that was made in Vancouver, British Columbia. It's bootiful, and Genny, you look marvelous modeling it!




All in all, the Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club Show & Sale April 24, 2010 at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens was a great success. We got shout-outs in the blog and online world from local journalist Nathalie Atkinson, style writer at the National Post; personal style coach and boutique shopping tour diva Wendy Woods of The Refinery in Toronto; Toronto fashion blogger extrodinaire Anita Clarke of I Want I Got; She does the City and Torontolife.com. Yay, thanks to every one for getting the word out!

One last look at my retro purple shades picked up at the sale for $5, and my signed Sperry set.

Last week I wrote about the Toronto Bottle Show
with Rob Campbell of Toronto's Dumpdiggers, and as you can see here Rob dropped by to check out the TVCJ Club Show & Sale. He's chatting here with club member Patricia Stark.

Rob's no stranger to vintage costume bling. In fact after I found those fake Sherman clip-ons at VV I Googled "How to spot a fake Sherman" and his Dumpdiggers site came up as he did a post on Sherman. Talk about blogging Karma! Looking forward to reading his take on the show soon.

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More 1970s bling

This is becoming unofficial vintage costume jewellery week.

Here's an urban-esque shot of me wearing my latest vintage costume jewelery acquisition, picked up at the 7th annual estate sale of Toronto vintage shops Gadabout and Eclectisaurus.

I bought this 1960s-70s? necklace from dealer Angela McCool.

It isn't signed but I just love it; it's a real statement piece necklace and it has purple glass beads and faceted pieces.


Here's a closer look.

There are also tiny purple faceted pieces at the end of the gold fringe on the bottom.

The trick with a statement piece necklace is you don't want it to compete with other elements of your outfit.

The scarf may have been pushing it, but I only wore it outside as it was cool-ish the other day.


I'm not so sure this piece is 'worth' a lot but it is quite distinctive and I really do love it (have been wearing it non-stop for a few days now).

Just remember that a piece doesn't have to be 'valuable' per se for it to have value for you.

I found a couple more vintage costume jewellery pieces yesterday during a Value Village dig on my way home, and I will share them this week along with my reason for buying them - I also almost picked up something marked 'Sherman' but decided it was a fake.

Remember: vintage bling sale in Toronto this Saturday, April 24 at Leaside Memorial Gardens.

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