Vintage Mother of Pearl Dove Pendant Necklace

I created this necklace with found vintage components.  The pendant is a mother of pearl dove that hands on a vintage brass bar link double strand chain with a rare, pink flower clasp.  The dove symbolizes the soul and the Holy Spirit.  It signifies peace, gentleness and purity.  In armory, the dove signifies loving constancy and peace.

1900's Jeweled Basket Weave Locket Necklace

1900's antique, Victorian Edwardian gold filled locket with a unique basket weave and jeweled design. The necklace is a new 14k gold filled chain with vintage clear crystal beads that accent the stones on the locket, and my signature cloisonne bead at the clasp.  

Edwardian refers to the period during the reign of Edward VII of England, but the style has it's beginnings during the final years of Victoria's reign, and continued until shortly before World War I when the more geometric influences later to be called Art Deco began to make headway.  In jewelry, this period was characterized by delicate filigree in white gold and platinum with diamonds and pearls predominating, and colored stones used less frequently, producing a light, monochromatic look.  Inside is an old photo of a special little girl that someone wore close to their heart.

1895 Art Nouveau Bird Locket Necklace

1895 Art Nouveau, gold filled locket is etched with a green stone in the center of a flower and a bird. Birds signify things of the intellect, understanding thoughts, ideas, reasonings, principles, consequently truths or falsity. The necklace is a new 14k gold filled chain, accented with vintage Swarovski green crystals, and my signature cloisonne bead at the clasp.

A New Rehab

This is an antique 1800's gold filled ornate Art Nouveau locket with crystal gems around an opal stone. I recently found this locket at an estate sale and rehabed it. Now, it hangs on a 14k gold filled chain accented with mother of pearl beads. Keep checking my etsy store for new items. 

  

Custom Jewelry Design

This is a custom order I just finished rehabing.  The buddha pendant and tigers eye stone once hung on a cheap chain with an unsecured clasp.  I made a new double chain necklace with a vintage gold filed chain and wire wrapped garnet beads to accent the pendant.  My customer loves it and wants me to fix up more of her jewelry.

Do you have a family heirloom, sentimental charm, or some other jewels laying around that you want to wear again or give to someone special.  I will custom design a piece for you.  Please contact me if you are interested and check out my Etsy store to see my other handmade, one-of-a-kind jewelry designs at vintagerehab.etsy.com!

Mother's Day SALE: 15% off Vintage Locket Necklaces

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  A locket is not merely a piece of jewelry, but and heirloom, a keepsake, and a constant reminder of your loved ones.  Last year, my siblings and I gave my mom a locket necklace for Mother's Day, and put photos of us inside.  It is very sentimental to her and will likely be passed onto generations to come.  

Since then, I started collecting vintage lockets and reworking them into one-of-a-kind necklaces.  I hope you find the perfect Mother's Day gift. All heart lockets are 15% off until May 11th.  Please check out my shop: vintagerehab.etsy.com!

Happy Earth Day - Recycled Gift Wrapping

I admit that I have a few strange habits one being collecting random things that I might later use somehow.  My stash came in handy when I was wrapping a present. I made a box out of cardboard, covered it with a wallpaper sample, and tied a lonely ribbon around it.

A New Treasure for Rehab

This is a 1895-1935 Art Nouveau gold filled locket that I just bought from an antique dealer.  It is in perfect condition and has a unique shape unlike any of the lockets I have found.   Here is what it looks like before I rehab it.  I am going to add a beautiful gold filled chain, that looks antique and pairs well with the old locket, and clear vintage crystal beads to accent the center stone. Keep checking my store for new items vintagerehab.etsy.com!

Lockets Like They Used to Make 'Em. Literally.

"As much as I don't love most keepsake jewelry, I absolutely adore vintage lockets. And if I miss anything about my younger, baby-less days it's the time I used to have to comb flea markets and tag sales for ye olde time-y jewelry on the weekends.

Hooray for Stacey Samuels who now does it for me.  Her company, Vintage Rehab, tracks down the most beautiful lockets, then fixes them up, adds fantastic chains and clasps, and turns them from someone's castoff into your own very fortunate find.  Check out her shop and you'll find goodies from a deco-era double heart necklace, to a 60's tortoise shell piece to really exquisite cloisonne flower lockets.

They are not cheap - prices range from about $130 to three times that.  An of course they're all one-of-a-kind.  So if you've got one in mind for a special mama this mother's day, grab it now.  It's not likely to end up in a flea market again any time soon." - Liz (coolmompicks.com)

1940's Raised Heart Locket Necklace

This vintage heart locket is vermeils, sterling silver, plated with 12k gold, circa 1940's.  It has a unique engraved floral design around a raised silver heart.  The necklace is a new 14k gold filled chain accented with sterling silver, square beads.

The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past also intellectual core of human being.  As the heart was once widely believed to be the seat of the human mind, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized depictions of hearts are extremely prevalent symbols of representing love.

1900's Slider Locket Necklace

This antique locket from the 1900's uniquely slides open and holds two photos.  The necklace is created with limited stock, vintage gold filled chain, and accented with 12k gold plated Swarovski crystals that are both no longer manufactured.  The locket necklace is handmade with love.  

Please check out my etsy store to see my other 0ne-of-a-kind designs at vintagerehab.etsy.com!

1950's Coro Four Picture Locket Necklace

This is a Coro gold tone locket that springs open with three hinges, unfolding four photo frames.  Coro marketed this locket in the 1950's as the "Family Album Locket." The following slogan was used: "Just picture the pleasure of wearing such a treasure."  The necklace is made with vintage chain, that is no longer manufactured, woven with tan leather, and accented with a light blue crystal antique tie pin that functions as the clasp.  

Vintage Crystal Layering Necklace

I design one-of-a-kind necklaces from chain, beads and component parts that was manufactured for CHANEL in the 1970's and 1980's.  This piece is created with three unique chains that are linked together with old chandelier crystals.  It can be worn long, doubled, or tripled around the neck and layered with one of my locket necklaces for many different looks.  Check out my shop to see all of my jewelry, vintagerehab.etsy.com!  Each one is handmade with love.

1960's Amethyst Heart Locket Necklace

This is a 1960's amethyst and 14k gold filled, etched heart locket on a new 14k gold filled chain with vintage Swarovksi purple crystals.  

Amethysts are generally worn to make the wearer have an air of gentleness and amiability. Similarly, amethysts are still commonly believed to hold powers over dreams, peace, healing, love, courage, spiritual uplifting, psychism, protection against thieves, and general overall happiness.

Vintage 'J' Locket Necklace

This is an vintage gold filled, oval locket engraved with a 'J'.  The necklace is a four strand, rare vintage chain with an antique slide, and the clasp is part of an antique watch chain that hooks into a vintage heart charm.

This is a one-of-a-kind necklace that can not be reproduced since the materials are no longer made.  I reclaimed the chain from old vintage stock.  The clasp is part of an antique watch chain I scored at an estate sale, and the slide and heart charm are rare finds.  

Vintage Blue Cloisonne Locket Necklace

This vintage cloisonne locket hangs from a very rare, 12k rolled gold plated watch chain with a unique clasp.  At one time, the swivel at the end of the chain held a watch.  

Blue flowers hold a special significance in the language of flowers.  They offer a cooling antidote to our over-stimulated lives and anxious days.  A color that is known to hold universal appeal, blue plays a significant role in many cultures' religious rituals and ceremonies.  It is said that the Western tradition of a bride wearing something blue is tied to the color's symbolism of faithfulness and loyalty.  In its dark, regal tones, blue can express trustworthiness, confidence, intelligence and unity, which explains why it's frequently the color of police uniforms, why the blue "power suit" is an icon of the business world and why winners of competitions receive blue ribbons.  And yet, in its softer hues, blue can embody the uplifting spirit of a sunny sky or soothing ocean- perhaps explaining why so many of us choose blue flowers when we want to send a message of calming beauty, tranquility and peace.

1800s Hair Locket Necklace

1800's oval, rose gold filled locket hangs form a gold and seed pearl ornament.  Necklace is a vintage gold filled watch chain with a rare heart slide with an opal stone. Inside the locket is a lock of hair from a loved one that someone held close to their heart.  The fashion of wearing a locket actually predates the invention of photography in 1839.  Early lockets were made to protect treasured keepsakes like a lock of hair from a loved one, hence the name locket.

Hair art was common throughout the Victorian era.  It was used for a variety of functions from recording family history to tokens of affection exchanged between lovers.  Naturally, hair art also became popular means to memorialize loved ones who had passed on.  Mourning jewelry created with hair was intensely popular because it did not violate the strict code of conduct Victorian society imposed upon the conduct and dress of grieving persons.  Now, hair art and hair jewelry is a collectible that may be worth a lot of money. 

1800's Egyptian Revival Heart Locket Necklace

This is an Egyptian Revival locket with a Nouveau etched design from the 1800's. Some historians argue that the heart shape originated with the Egyptian concept of the ab, "the heart...the source of good and evil within a person, the moral awareness and centre of thought that could leave the body at will, and live with the gods after death, or be eaten by Ammut as the final death if failed to weigh equally.

A Locket for Wealth and Long Life

1960's gold filled, vintage locket with tortoise shell face hangs on a long vintage gold chain, that can be layered and worn many ways. The tortoise shell symbolism dates back to ancient times when the Chinese used the shell for divination.  It represents wealth and long life.

Vintage Yellow Rose Cloisonne Locket Necklace

This is a beautiful vintage cloisonne locket with a garden scene on milk white background.  It hangs on a vintage, double stranded, brass chain, woven with brown leather that attaches a vintage bead and old charm.  The yellow rose symbolizes joy, gladness, and friendship.  The butterfly's metamorphosis from a caterpillar and emergence from it's chrysalis symbolize rebirth and resurrection.  To the Chinese and Japanese the butterfly is a sign of both immortality and joy.  In Chinese are, butterflies combined with plum blossoms symbolize long life.