Athletic Aesthetics

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Sporting Things

Just outside the window, the sun is blazing in the sky.  Finally!  And tomorrow’s forecast is calling for rain.  As the saying goes…  April showers bring May flowers.  That’s exactly the phrase that came to mind the first time I saw this sweet Art Nouveau brooch.

This cherubic fairy sitting atop a Spring daisy makes me smile.  Artfully done in pastel enamel with a delicate gold frame, it’s simply perfect.  Closer inspection reveals the true art of the piece.

Like many Art Nouveau designs, enameling is the star of show.  It’s a process in which glass is fused to a metal surface.  Glass beads (generally made from silica, quartz, borax, lead, and feldspar) are ground to a powder.  Metal oxides are added to create color.  The artist employed Peinture sur émail, a technique in which the colors are painted on, layer after layer.  The hues with the highest flowing temperature are applied first to keep one shade from melting into another.  The piece is baked after each application – sometimes firing it over twenty times!  Can you see the tiny drops of rain on the flower hat as well as the ones dripping from the daisy petals?  They are actually 3-dimensional, slightly raised from the surface of the painting…  such remarkable attention to detail!

This photo shows where the artist signed his miniature work of art…  “L Boullemier”.  I googled his name immediately ( What did I do before Google?)  and was delighted at what I found. 

His full name was Lucien Boullemier – a semi-famous English footballer (a.k.a. soccer player, in America) turned ceramic artiste.  Not finding a lot of success in his athletic career, he retired from soccer; ultimately, he followed in his father’s footsteps and began working as a designer at Mintons, Soho Pottery, and finally Maling Pottery.  

  

He was a prolific potter, many pieces are available in the market today – however, I have been unable to find another single piece of jewelry.  That makes this darling brooch quite rare.  Priced at $3300 – it’s available now in our showroom.  Make the most of these April showers and come see it for yourself!

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

An Awakening

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Thoughts of Spring

I’m a Pennsylvania girl…  all my life, I have watched the seasons change.  From those first snowflakes floating in the crisp air to witnessing the leaves turn from bright green to blaze orange and ruby red; my kids are anxious for that first 80-degree day – signaling the beginning of summer vacation… each one is special, a sign of things to come.  But I think my favorite sign is the first crocus of Spring.  After a long winter’s sleep, it’s a grand awakening.  Those delicate yellow, white, and purple petals push through the frozen ground and breach the snow.  Each one is reaching for the sun.  It’s a magical time of new beginnings.

This bracelet reminds me of those crocus petals.  Constructed of a rosy 14 karat gold, it’s a row of ten square frames, each one identical.  Four perfectly matched Siberian amethyst form a stunning flower in the middle of each link.  There are forty pear-shaped stones in all – totalling over fifty carats of gem fine amethyst. 

Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that each flower features a delicate gold center.  I love the sheer simplicity of the design. 

This little brooch is the ideal complement to the bracelet…  Made at the end of the 19th century, this Art Nouveau beauty is darling.  A duo of cushion cut amethyst flank a tiny white enameled flower; a single diamond winking from its center.  The beauty of this brooch lies in the classic clean lines.

With this bracelet looped around your wrist and the brooch pinned to your lapel, you’re sure to have a smile on your face.  Just like those first crocuses of Spring, they’ll make you happy. 

“Go to our site and look, them come to Joden and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

Ravishing Retro

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Glamorous Things

At the end of the 1930’s, the strong geometric lines of Art Deco evolved into the vivid 3-dimentional curves that Retro is known for.  Jewelry of the 1940’s-1950’s makes a bold statement, like this striking bangle pictured above.

Wide ribbons of rose and yellow gold wrap around a large emerald cut aquamarine center stone.  Bright red cabochon rubies and round diamonds add another element of color and design to this already outstanding piece.  To further heighten the appeal, this bangle is able to be converted to a pendant as well as a brooch – fashion AND function!

WWII was a powerful influence on the time.  The use of platinum was restricted making multicolor gold a popular choice…  yellow, rose, and green gold reigned during the Retro period.  Women’s apparel bore a noticeable resemblance to military uniforms – the look was handsome rather than pretty with high collars and ultra masculine lines.  To soften the effect, ladies added jewelry like this…

These oversize pieces are as audacious as they are delicious.  This large bow brooch will catch anyone’s eye – it centers on a 65 carat citrine; Retro style at its finest.  Priced at $6500, it pairs perfectly with the angular lines of this statement ring.   The hourglass shape of the ring nearly spans from knuckle to knuckle – ideally worn on an index or middle finger.  Make it yours for $4500.00.

Much of the Retro period was dedicated to trying to regain the Old Hollywood glamour of the 1930’s.  Pieces like this flaunt that designers achieved and surpassed that goal.  Go to our site and look, then come to Joden and touch.

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Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

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