Top

A lady with a love for literature and shiny things discusses books & bling.

What I’m reading: Vol. 72.

What I'm reading

The Graceling Realms trilogy by Kirsten Cashore. I love love love these books – they’re some of my favorite YA fantasy since Tamora Pierce. And I do not say that lightly.

Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Author), Valentine De Landro (Artist). The election inspired me to finally read this angry feminist comics series, and it was just what the doctor ordered.

The Scoundrel and the Debutante by Julia London. Last night I was tweeting my irritation with romance novels with heroes who don’t understand that no means no, and one of my lovely twitter followers recommended Julia London. I downloaded this from my library immediately and I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far.

Internets:

Here’s what could happen to our birth control access.

The No-Brainer Purge: 20 Items to Get Rid of Right Now Without a Second Thought: I’m trying to declutter my life and I found this article pretty great.

What are the most Googled pieces of jewelry? Pretty much what you’d expect.

Thrillseeker claims Guinness World Record dunking biscuit in tea from 70-metre bungee jump.

New Agatha Christie stamps each contain a mystery of their own.

40 new feminist classics you should read.

Dictionary.com has announced their 2016 word of the year: “xenophobia.”

For more reads, check out my Amazon recommended books store. This post contains affiliate links. 

Leslie Hindman’s December Important Jewelry Auction.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers has another glorious jewelry auction coming up, and it’s right around the corner: the December Important Jewelry Auction. The Chicago preview starts on Wednesday, and the auction itself is next Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

I’ve combed through the literally hundreds of auction lots and picked out my favorite pieces to give you a starting point to decide what you can’t let get away next week when the bidding starts.

Three beautiful antique pieces from Leslie Hindman Auctioneers' December Important Jewelry Sale.I had a little help, actually: Alex, Meredith, and Jamie of Leslie Hindman’s jewelry department spent nearly an hour on the phone with me, giving me the inside scoop on the most noteworthy pieces coming up in the December Important Jewelry Auction. And oh my goodness, there are some good ones.

If you’ve never bid in a Leslie Hindman auction before, this is a great one to start with. They have a wonderful introductory page here to walk you through the particulars of getting started. There are some really great pieces spanning a variety of price points. It’s their second-biggest sale ever, which means there’s a whole lot to love.

Let’s dive in!

An antique Renaissance Revival pendant by Augusto Castellani, circa 1860. With a large oval ruby and several other gems in gold with enamel and a pearl drop.Lot 34: A Fine Renaissance Revival Gold, Silver, Multi Gem and Polychrome Enamel Pendant, Augusto Castellani, Circa 1860.

We’re starting out with this delicious jewel right here: a colorful, eye-catching specimen of Renaissance Revival jewelry crafted by a master of revival jewelry, Augusto Castellani. If that weren’t enough, this piece also bears a strong resemblance to a piece in the British Royal Collection that is also attributed to Augusto Castellani and is believed to have been acquired by Queen Mary.

Beautiful, historically significant, and dazzlingly well-preserved? Sign me up.

A pair of antique French Egyptian revival hoop earrings with micro-mosaic details.Lot 6: A Pair of Egyptian Revival Yellow Gold Micromosaic Hoop Earrings, French.

I’ve seen some cool micro-mosaic pieces in my jewelry adventures, but I’ve never, ever seen anything like these hoop earrings.

It’s even Egyptian revival micro-mosaic; look at those colorful scarabs near the top!! I love the rope detail edging on the sides, too. A fascinating, unique pair of treasures in exquisite condition.  Also…the low auction estimate is $500, which blows my mind.

A generous selection of Georgian lover's eye jewelry from Leslie Hindman's December Important Jewelry sale.

Lot 20: A Georgian Gold and Garnet Lover’s Eye Ring.
Lot 21: A Georgian Rose Gold and Seed Pearl Lover’s Eye Brooch.
Lot 23: A Georgian Yellow Gold Lover’s Eye Locket.
Lot 24: A Georgian Yellow Gold, Pink Gemstone and Seed Pearl Lover’s Eye Brooch.
Lot 25: A Georgian Glass and Seed Pearl Lover’s Eye Pendant.

One of the first things I noticed while perusing Leslie Hindman’s December Important Jewelry Auction is that there a whole lot of delicious little Georgian pieces in day 1. I know a some of my antique jewelry Instagram buddies are going to go gaga for these – and with good reason, since many of these little pretties have auction estimates that start below $1,000.

a-pair-of-antique-georgian-yellow-gold-and-emerald-convertible-pendoloque-drop-earrings-from-spain-or-portugal-can-also-be-worn-as-a-broochLot 1: A Pair of Georgian Yellow Gold and Emerald Convertible Pendoloque Drop Earrings, Spain/Portugal.

Oh, hello, you magnificent beauties.

Look at those chased, bezel settings, those rich green emeralds, that perfect articulation. Even better: one of the pendants has a removable brooch fitting, so it can be worn in more than one way.

Read More

SJ Shrubsole’s magnificent coaching brooch.

Good morning, my darlings!

I have something truly exciting to show you today. I met this piece over the summer at the New York Antique Jewelry and Watch show, but I was asked not to reveal it to you until after it made its debut at this Fall’s New York TEFAF.

It was actually hidden at the show: in the back of the booth, on a high shelf, in a closed box. But the lovely, lovely folks of SJ Shrubsole knew how exceptional it was, and knew how much I would enjoy seeing it…so they made a phone call and secured permission for me to take these pictures for you, my darlings, in exchange for my promise that I wouldn’t share anything until I got the green light.

And now that glorious day has come. Are you ready?

An incredible antique Victorian era brooch of a coaching scene, held in my hand for scale. Circa 1880, at SJ Shrubsole. In original box.

It is no exaggeration to say this coaching brooch is one of the most incredible pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen (and I have seen some jewelry). Its size, its materials, its absolutely exquisite craftsmanship…there’s no comparison. I hope I see it again someday in a museum.

This glorious coaching brooch is from the Victorian era, dating to 1880. It’s still in its original box from Steeter, on New Bond St. It’s silver over gold, set with diamonds, enamel various hardstones, and one ruby in the lantern.

In this shot, you can really see the scale: this thing is huge. You can even see the little step that the tiny, diamond passengers would have used to ascend into their conveyance.

I wish my photos had come out a little better, but there’s only so much I can do with indoor lighting – and this gorgeous thing deserves to be seen. The level of detail is incredible. Even the tiny diamond hats on the gentleman have brims.

Detail view of an incredible Victorian era brooch of a coaching scene. Circa 1880, at SJ Shrubsole.Four perfectly defined diamond carriage horses with gorgeous gold tack pulling an enameled gold carriage with red enameled golden wheels that actually turn, topped by three perfect, diamond-encrusted passengers (and one coachman).

Every detail of this coaching brooch is utterly perfect, from the lines of motion of the horses legs to the ruby light in the carriage’s hanging lamp to the ribs of the umbrella that the lady passenger is holding.

Read More

Follow along with me on Instagram