Victorian cut steel jewelry is made from faceted and polished steel studs that are riveted to a backing plate.  Originally made in Woodstock, England, these became a fashion in France as a replacement for the fine diamond jewelry the French monarchy confiscated to pay for the Seven Years' War in 1759.  The earliest pieces were made from recycled steel nails machined to have up to 15 facets.  Later production was more mechanized, used less facets and ultimately gave way to stamped pieces embellished with a few actual studs.  The tendency for early steel to corrode or rust has limited the availability of good quality examples today. Modern marcasite, or pyrite, jewelry are successors to the cut steel jewelry of the 18th and 19th century.  One easy way to distinguish the old from the new is that, while the old cut steel was riveted to the base plates, the marcasites are set into place using either prongs or glue. Shoe buckles came into fashion during the mid-17th...

It's mid-summer and Vintages has brought in a whole lot of new items. We always have loads of paper, ribbons, millinery and vintage doo-dads.  Recently we got in these lovely small chandeliers.  Perfect for that little nook or powder room or child's area.  They only use a small wattage light, but the effect is subtle and casts a nice glow to any corner. We have seen these fantastic decorated bottles for some time now and we finally found an artist who makes these in truly unique designs.  And she makes them at an affordable price!  Lisa has a real knack for balance, sparkle and just enough bling.  The crowns and crosses play with light and reflections in a marvelous way.  The sea fans, really intricate coral formations, are delicate yet large enough to really make a splash. The antique bottles she uses are all dug up right here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Vintage blocks, boxes and cricket cages are wonderful starting points for your imagination to...

We love all variety of memory books -- autograph books, journals and diaries, scrapbooks and photo albums.  It's hard to say what it is that draws us to these old tomes.  Sometimes its the graphics.  Other times the content is just too precious or important to pass up.  We love some of the poems, drawings and always the fancy penmanship.  Sometimes just the color and texture of the pages are beautiful, even without any writing.  There are so many, many ways to love these little books.  They give us a little glimpse into the personal history and sentiment of days gone by. This book is an Ideal Album from 1884.  It was a gift from a husband to his wife on their 25th wedding anniversary.  His love poem is wonderful: Twenty-five short years have fled, Since you and I, dear wife, were wed; And as our Silver Stage appears, It comes to Crown sweet happy years. But would we call them back? Oh no, For brighter still our love should glow, Till in o...

The summer session of An Artful Journey is just about here (July 18 - 22).  Cindy O'Leary does a great job organizing these events, and last I checked there were a few spots left.  As usual, we welcome all the attendees to come on over to Vintages while in town.  Vintages will be open late, until 8pm, on Tuesday, July 20th.  Look forward to seeing all of you. Susan & Bob

The Pantalette Doll is a wonderful little story by Patten Beard.  It's about an old trunk from an old attic, two little girls -- Mallory and Jane -- and lovable little rag doll named Minerva Ida Adams.  Filled with wonder and excitement, love and lessons, the story begins with Mallory finding the pantalette doll in the old trunk and ends with Minerva being donated to the Metropolitan Museum in New York.  The book is beautifully pictured by Eleanore Mineah Hubbard using a wonderful cross-stitch pattern and lots of animation in both full-color and black-and-white drawings. Patten Beard also wrote another wonderful little book What Happened After . This book was published in 1931 by Albert Whitman and Company, Chicago, Ill., USA. There is a note on the copyright page: The doll, trunk and dinner set in this story are now in the Eudora Collection in The Metropolitan Museum, where anyone who asks may have access to it and see it. I believe this means the New York Metropolit...