Sherman Jewelry

When you think of North American costume-jewelry centers, glamorous cities like New York, L.A., and Chicago probably come to mind. But one of the top-notch costume jewelers in the 1950s was actually located in Montreal, Canada. Gustave Sherman’s Jewish parents immigrated to Canada to escape persecution in Eastern Europe. Once in Montreal, young Gustave took a job as a jewelry salesman, which sparked his interest in the trade.

Even though he had no schooling in business or jewelry-making, Gustave founded his Montreal manufacturing company, Sherman Costume Jewelry, in 1947. He started with one employee, Hungarian jeweler Jimmy Koretza, an expert craftsman who help make Sherman’s exquisite designs a reality. By the 1950s, Sherman had established himself as Canada’s foremost costume jeweler, and his work was starting to appear on runways in Paris and New York.

Sherman, whose slogan was “made to last a lifetime,” demanded the highest level of quality in workmanship and material. Using Swarovski crystals, special ordered to his exacting specifications, Sherman often copied examples of fine jewelry. He was willing to pay for the best materials, so his pieces always featured Swarovski’s top-of-the-line stones, often with shimmering aurora borealis coating, which he then put in sturdy japanned, rhodium-, and gold-plated prong settings.

Naturally, this meant his costume jewelry was some of the most expensive on the market—even in the early days, his pieces could go for as much as $50. His less elaborate and more affordable items sold at Canadian department stores and through the major jewelry shop Birks. The finest pieces of Sherman jewelry, however, sold at exclusive jewelry boutiques across the country.

Sherman was particularly enamored with luminous crystals cut into navettes and elongated marquis shapes, which could be arranged in flowing designs. Exploiting this fluid quality, he would set these crystals in monochromatic schemes, exploring the different hues and tones of a single color. His necklaces and bracelets would move from champagne to topaz (golds), sapphire to robin's egg (blues), fuchsia to pink (reds), and emerald to peridot (greens).

Sherman came up with thousands of color schemes, some of which were only produced for one season. Collectors are especially interested in his pieces with deep red crystals set on japanned backing. Sherman figural brooches, shaped like owls, cats, baskets, hearts, bows, and the like are highly sought by collectors.

Marks include “SHERMAN” in caps, “Sherman” in script, and “SHERMAN STERLING.” His bracelets often featured safety chains and hidden clasps, with the mark stamped on the backside of the clasp; many of his crystal bead pieces, such as necklaces and earrings, are unmarked.

In the 1970s, luxurious and glamorous rhinestones fell out of fashion in favor of angular, geometric pieces made out of fake gold and silver, which caused Sherman’s business to decline. He refused to produce cheap, low-quality pieces, and instead entered the fine-jewelry market just as the price of gold and other precious metal was skyrocketing. Sherman had to close up shop in 1981, and he passed away in 1984.

Labradorite Definition

Labradorite is a very unusual colored and iridescent semi precious stone. It is an iridescent gemstone with a fascinating metallic luster when viewed from certain angled. The ground color of Labradorite is a dark smoky gray, but when light strikes the stone in a particular direction, it displays striking rainbow colored reflections.

Labradorite is thought to be a power stone, allowing you to see through illusions and determine your real dreams and goals. It is said to be excellent for strengthening intuitions and quick relief from anxiety, hopelessness and depression, replacing them with enthusiasm, self-confidence and inspiration.

According to a Canadian Eskimo legend, the Northern Lights were once trapped in the rocks along the coast of Labrador, and then a wandering Eskimo warrior found them and freed most of the lights with a mighty blow of his spear. Some of the lights were still caught within the stone, however, and thus we have the beautiful mineral known as labradorite.

The ground color of labradorite is a dark smoky gray, but when light strikes the stone in a particular direction, it displays striking rainbow-colored reflections. Most typically, these metallic tints are violet, blue and green; but sometimes yellow, orange and red can be seen. This effect is so unique to labradorite that it is referred to as labradorescence.

The labradorescent effect is believed to be due to the presence of very fine platelets of different compositions as well as minute inclusions of limenite, rutile and possible magnetite which cause the diffraction of light.

Labradorite Definition

Damascene

Damascene is the art of decorating non-precious metals with gold. It has roots in the Middle Ages and originates from the oriental-style artisan work done in Damascus, Syria. The craft, perfected by the Arabs and brought with them to Spain, has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries.

Damascene items generally reflect two distinct traditional types of patterns; the geometric designs, and the Renaissance motifs, displaying variations of birds and flowers. These patterns are obtained by engraving deep, cuts into steel and then placing a gold foil into the lines of the design. This foil is hammered until the gold (18/greenish and 24/yellow carat) penetrates into the cuts, forming the design. Each piece is treated with a bluing solution to obtain oxidation and a black background is created. The back of all Damascene pieces are finished with gold metal.

Vermeil

Gilded silver produced either by the fire-gilding method or by electrolysis. In the former, earlier method the object is covered with an amalgam of gold and mercury; the mercury evaporates when the piece is fired, leaving a gold deposit. In the latter method, the silver object is wired as the cathode and a bar of gold as the anode, and both are immersed in an electrolytic solution; when an electric current is passed, gold ions are deposited on the silver object (cathode). After fire-gilding or electrolysis, the silver gilt is burnished, usually with a polished agate stone.

(In other words, silver that has been gold plated.)

vermeil." © Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. 17 Feb. 2010. .

Rondelle

ron⋅delle  /rɒnˈdɛl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ron-del] Show IPA
–noun 1. a small disk of glass used as an ornament in a stained-glass window.
2. Jewelry. a flat bead, often of rock crystal or onyx, used in a necklace as a spacer between contrasting stones.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010

Navette

na⋅vette  /næˈvɛt; Fr. naˈvɛt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [na-vet; Fr. na-vet]

noun, plural -vettes  /-ˈvɛts; Fr. -ˈvɛt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [-vets; Fr. -vet]

Jewelry. a gem, usually not a diamond, cut as a marquise.


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Origin:
1905–10; < F: weaver's shuttle; lit., little ship. See nave, -ette
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

Jon Haber

If you've ever been to Stone Mountain Park, you can find Jon Haber's murals above the Train Depot Gift Shop. Jon was commissioned by the park in 1996 to paint acrylics of the Plantation House, The General Train and the Scarlett O'Hara Riverboat. You may have also seen his work at Chateau Elan or while browsing an Ethan Allen furniture store. Jon received from the desk of Rosalyn Carter in Washington, D.C., a superior and excellent rating on his artistic ability. As an expression of their appreciation of Mr. Haber's art, President and Mrs. Carter are placing the Limited Edition 1/100 in the President's Library alongside the originals at the end of his term. President Carter signed not one, but four separate editions beside Jon Haber's name.

Jon's wife Jackie Holmes is also an accomplished artist and both were inducted into the Fine Art Trade Guild of England in 1982 and are the only American husband and wife artist team in the Guild.

Taken from:http://atlantaantiquegallery.com/c-65913-art-jon-haber.html

Jackie Jones Holmes

Jackie Jones Holmes was born in Bermuda (UK). Her paintings have been shown in multiple locations both nationally & internationally, including showings at the Royal Academy of Arts, in London, Fine Art Trade Guild, London, the Gardens Clubs of Georgia.

Her art comprises of the State Flower & Bird of GA, in both originals & prints.

Her art is in the State of Georgia archives, through governor Joe Frank Harris & Mrs Dean Daysmith.

Wife of Jon Haber, fellow fine artist.

Jackie & Jon, had the distinction of having over 100 pieces of art, purchased by the Bermuda in 1995. The paintings were subsequently used by the Dept. of Tourism in Atlanta, to promote tourism to Bermuda

Jackie today, is ranked as one of the leading water colourists of Bermuda & the USA.

taken from:http://atlantaantiquegallery.com/c-65991-art-jackie-jones-holmes.html

Parure

pa⋅rure Pronunciation [puh-roor]
a matching set of jewels or ornaments. French, from Old French, adornment, from parer, to adorn.

From the Encyclopedia
parure-matched set of jewelry consisting of such pieces as earrings, bracelet, brooch, necklace, and ring. By the mid-17th century, jewels had ceased to be created as individual works of art expressing some idea or fancy and had instead become mere personal ornaments that were beautiful but lacking in any deeper significance. Consequently, as the forms of jewels tended to become stereotyped, the matching set of jewels, or parure, became the dominant style in jewelry.

"PARURE." © Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. 30 Dec. 2009. .

Mookaite

Mookaite (sometimes spelled Mookite, or just called Mock Jasper) is a Jasper found in Western Australia. The colors usually are a combination of reds, yellows and browns.

In Australia, Mookaite is thought to be a healing stone that gives strength. It is said to protect the wearer from difficult situations and to connect us to loved ones who have passed on.

Mookaite is named for where is was first found on the west side of the Kennedy Range in Western Australia. According to locals, the Aboriginal word "mooka" means "running waters".

Mookaite is also said to help counter the effects of aging! This gemstone is believed to bring us into the present helping us with problem assessment and decision making.

Meet Bev

Hello, I'm Bev.

I opened up a shop on Ruby Lane about 2 months ago called 'Not Just MUSI Bows.'

http://www.MusiBows.RubyLane.com

I sell an assortment of shoe ornaments (clips), vintage jewelry, beaded jewelry I have made together with my husband along with other items like vintage handbags, art, books and lots more.

As I was posting my 180+ items (I have many more to add) I discovered that some of you might want more information on certain things. I have found information about companies, beads and just general terms that I would like to share. I felt including them in the posts would be information overload, so after some consideration and pushing from my kids I decided to start a blog.

If while reading my shop posts and blog you still have questions, please feel free to ask me to try to find the answer.