I removed my earlier post after being jittery that I might have a valuable piece of jewelry sitting at home. I took it to the local high-end jeweler that deals with estate items and I'm relieved to know it is very good quality costume. Had it been real, I would have returned it to the shop of course, but then that would complicate things for them getting appraisals, trying to find the person that donated it, selling it, etc. The gemstones are real, but of poor quality, and the setting is not gold. The markings are deliberately fraudulent, and the elaborate settings and design were likely made to be deceptive. I imagine a disappointed 1960's tourist returning to Omaha with an excellent fake, and a good story about being taken. Even the jeweler at the desk was taken by it! Only when the appraiser got hold of it did the truth come out. So that's that. Thanks to everyone for their insights about the piece. Now I can keep it, and wear it happily.
Feeling relieved about the necklace, I asked Danny if he felt like trying our thrifting mojo over at New Life Thrift. We rarely go there as it takes twenty minutes to drive over instead of ten minutes to our regular haunt. Danny is getting ready to open an online shop devoted to vintage scarves and ties as he's found so many good ones for a small investment. NLThrift is almost always great for scarves and they're .98 cents. For his efforts digging through the bins he found over 50 good quality scarves including several older Veras, tourist scarves from London, Las Vegas, and Amsterdam, and a slew of beautiful silk, hand rolled scarves with everything from florals to atomic prints. After a bit we started joking, "Ho hum, another Vera." before bursting out laughing. So that's Danny's online shop sorted, now he just needs to wash, press and photograph them all.
New Life Thrift has a good selection of vintage patterns for .10 cents, and this trip I was able to bring home a pattern for a, "Culotte Ensemble." Just typing that was exciting. I also found a pattern for a nightgown which is perfect as I recently found a beautifully made antique crochet inset for one. Now, I just need to locate some good quality cotton deserving of such a beautiful yoke. On our way to the shop we noticed a local church has a "Nearly New" shop operating Thursday through Saturday which I'm interested in checking out. The more I swear I'm not spending any more money, the more these places keep beckoning me in like sirens. "Come in Goody...come in...we have
very nice polyester dresses". I feel like Odysseus (and sometimes when I get lost driving around South Omaha and it looks like I'll never find a familiar street again, I start to fear it might take a while to get home).
Outfit Particulars:
Fast fashion crappy dress via Goodwill- .99 cents (It really isn't worth .99 cents-I'm sure it will fall apart after a couple wears).
Vintage handbag-Goodwill
Vintage Naturalizer shoes-Thrift World
1950's bead earring clips-Hand-Me-Ups
Milkglass and MOP bracelet-Hand-Me-Ups
Black carved Bakelite pinky ring-Hand-Me-Ups
1950's (60's?) jet necklace-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-L' Heure Bleue (vintage formulation)
We're under excessive heat warnings for the next few days as the heat and humidity are combining to reach dangerous heat indices. I think they were saying something outrageous like 112 degrees F. which is somewhere in the 40 degrees C. range, to give those outside the US an idea of what it means. Well, what it
means is that I won't be leaving the house, we'll be sitting in the dark, and I won't be firing up the cooker! We had the same scenario last weekend, but we've had such a cool summer otherwise it would be foolish to complain. My tomato plants are pleased anyway.
Now, to figure out how to be fashionable in a heat wave. Maybe I'll just wear a swimsuit and a magnificent (albeit fake) ruby necklace.
10 comments:
An excellent piece of junque jewellery it is, indeed! And it will lend a Liz and Richard do Vallarta look to any swimsuit -- although to be completely mis en scene you should wear it with a white lacy swimsuit cover-up with no swimsuit top underneath. Woo. Hoo.
Having admired the Style Crone's scarf rack, I confess to ambitions in the direction of an expanded scarf bar for my own more modest wardrobe. Please tell Danny that Auntie Beth in the Midwest is eager to attend the Grand Opening of his online boutique!
Glad you're taking those excessive heat warnings seriously. Eat watermelon!
Danny is one very industrious young man and I like it, I like it alot and wish him all the very best with his online store. Send a link when he is up and running, you may well be able to retire and live off him!! Seriously gorgeous fake necklace and it soooooo needs to be worn with your swimsuit, with high heels, large sun glasses, floppy over sized hat and a glass of something to keep you cool!!
Reading Beth's Liz & Dick comparison made me think of Liz Taylor's Kaftan collection that went up for sale at Christie's a few years back ( Some Vicky Tiel originals as well as authentic handmade Moroccan jabaliyas). How I would have loved owning that collection & where has Kaftan 'o' the week been?
I've got a bale of pashmina & silk blend scarves sitting in my living room here that husband doesn't have room for in his shops- tell Danny if he needs a Kashmiri/Nepali shawl & scarf supplier we've got him covered here.
An interesting aside about Indian jewelry- Indians do not care about 'gem quality' only the weight of the gold in a piece. De Beers had an tv ad campaign a couple of years ago across India trying to convince Indians of the value of cut, quality & clarity of a gemstone. Nope, Indians still are largely not willing to pay more for 'quality' gemstones. (I can't say as I blame them when you live here & see all the fakery that goes on- baking stones in a kiln to increase color, special polishes & coatings to change colors, I have a gorgeous fake 3 carat diamond with fake inclusions in it to make it look 'real'). Husband has spectrometers in all his shops for gemstone verification. Never the less, rubies are still more valuable than diamonds & in India even poor quality rubies -such as in your piece- are still quite valuable (we are talking 100's of $'s not thousands though).
I do wish you hadn't removed the previous post about the necklace, it sounds like an interesting story, and doubtless the comments would have been interesting too. Sometimes I only get round to blog reading after a few days, I regret having missed it. Does it still exist in your blog memory? Now you know all is well, would you consider returning it just so the story may be followed?
@Beth
I'll let him know. If I eat watermelon, it'll put me in hospital! I developed latex allergy late in life and all the melons, mangoes, and banana-type fruit are off limits now. Something about the sap that forms on the outside being related to latex. I can however drink all the lemonade I like, and I intend too. You stay cool over there as well-ain't the Midwest great in summer?
@Sue
He'd *Better* support me. That's why we had him ;)
@Bibi
Sigh, a celebrity caftan-the stuff of dreams. Not long ago the caftan Grace Slick wore at the Monterrey Pop festival was up for auction. Mr. ETB really wanted me to bid on it, and would have been OK with forking over the dough, but I just couldn't. I have no idea what it sold for, but I did briefly consider trying to bid on it. I can't imagine what a Liz Taylor caftan would sell for (probably a whole hell of a lot more than Grace Slick's).
@Jay
I deleted it.
That is a very nice ruby necklace, and if it's all the more wearable, so much the better.
My oldest daughter (second child) is about to be married. I would love to find this dress or at least something similar to wear to her casual reception. Fast fashion/crappy dress would work just fine if the fit and print is acceptable.
The happy couple are eloping, for which I'm very happy. A wedding is a private matter in my book but, a reception should be all party! Anyhow, after tedious searching about retail hell I've found nothing to wear.
I am headed to the second hand shops next. I actually found a decent dress by Chaps which carried a hefty price tag of $95 smackers. I may have broke down and bought it, if not for the lipstick smear from the precious person who tried it on in the dressing room :( So Goodwilling I am going tomorrow.
You find far better deals in your state than what is available around here.
Also, love the new frog photograph.
@Janice
First-congratulations!
We had a simple courthouse ceremony, just us, the clerk, and about 25 shackled teenagers due for their court date from the party busted the previous weekend. I'm sure the shackling bit was a "Scare 'em straight" tactic as none of them appeared to be hardened criminals. Anyway, they opened a different courtroom just for us so we wouldn't have to get hitched under the gaze of local teenagers.
I would send you this dress except that it has a huge snag across the bust that would be visible in person. It also fits like a sack. You're taller and thinner than I am, or I'd go grab everything that looks reasonable in my closet and ship it out to you ASAP. A shift dress *should* be the easiest thing to find...unless you need one. Gah, if you needed a 70's polyester and sequined maxi-dress I could help you out, but looking respectable ain't my strong suit.
For a casual reception you could do something like a nice linen trouser suit with fab jewelry (try K Mart, they have really great necklaces, cheap), high heeled sandals, and a great hat. You'll still be able to use the trousers all summer and possibly even the jacket mixed with skirts. I like to get the most out of my purchases.
What a happy occasion! Don't worry too much over what you wear, you'll all look absurd in the photos 30 years from now anyway! Enjoy the day, and your happiness for the couple will be all anyone will notice.
Thanks Goody. We are so happy for the two of them. After 5 years of being together we are ready to see them take this next step in life. Finished with college, shared a house for a few years, It's time.
My attire is fairly low on the priority list. Comfort is always the main factor for me in everything I wear. I'm certain something is bound to turn up. How incredibly kind of you to offer clothing from your closet. You are a gem. Looking respectable and being respectable are two different things, wouldn't you agree. On that note, I could skank it up and find plenty of options at the local mall. My best bet is a simple empire waste sundress or possibly capris. When I say "casual" the word extremely should be included. It's outdoors, on a farm. Yep, she's gonna be the farmers wife!!
30 years from now, I'll be too old to care what I looked like! HA
@Janice
A farm. Well, ignore my previous advice, and wear old shoes!
Those 12 years on the farm were HARD, but at the end of a day I'd look at everything I accomplished and feel like I was doing something with my life.
I wish them well, and much happiness.
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