Zipper Necklaces

What is it?  One has to look hard to identify the composition of this striking necklace!

My friend Louise makes fabulous handmade designer necklaces out of zippers.  She is a weaver and became interested in using utilitarian materials such as plastic plumbing tubes, pieces of metal, and rubber cord in her baskets. Always on the lookout for recycled or useful materials she stumbled upon a necklace made of zippers in South Africa and the rest is history! You can see she has developed her zipper necklaces into an art form.

There was a movement in the period between World War I and World War II called The Machine Age. It was a time when ordinary materials such as chrome, nickel, glass and plastics such as galalith and bakelite were used to make interesting geometric jewelry, furniture, etc.. The Jakob Bengel Factory described in my last post was an important producer of necklaces made from these materials. Louise's zipper jewelry is a descendant of the Machine Age thinking. Louise sells her necklaces in many Museum stores in the US and Europe. To contact her or see her creative and original jewelry, check out her website at zipblingjewelry.com.

Iris Apfel - "Rare Bird of Fashion"

The October 8,2009 Boston Globe G section has an interesting article by Christopher Muther about Iris Apfel and her fantastic fashion collection. The show of a lifetime's collection of clothing, jewelry and other accessories will open at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem , Ma. Her skill is combining diverse fashion items to make a work of art. She used expensive designer clothes, handmade designer necklaces as well as blue jeans and other inexpensive items. In an interview with the Peabody Museum Editorial Director, Lisa Kosan, she said she liked "architectural clothes so I can embellish them myself."

Vintage Miriam Haskell Necklace

Imagination is shown in the design of this Miriam Haskell necklace. Both the beads and the color scheme are unusual. They must have made it many times before they got it right. Although it is costume jewelry, and generally made from inexpensive materials of the time, they have become desirable collectors items. There are many different styles of Haskell necklaces . The thread that runs through them is innovative design, inexpensive materials , and a big statement.

The Collectors Weekly, www.collectorsweekly.com , has information about Miriam Haskell necklaces. They said " she was not a designer, but an excellent talent scout. Frank Hess was her first find... and designed necklaces from 1926-1960 when Robert Clark took over." Presently some Miriam Haskell necklaces are on sale through Collector's Weekly .

Welcome to My Blog -- All About Necklaces

Necklaces! Lace around the neck. A bit of adornment that enhances the wearer. It is amazing to me that there is such a variety of design when all there us to work with is a long or short oval that encircles the neck.

This blog is not about precious stones such as diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It is about handmade designer necklaces made from less expensive materials such as antique African glass, vintage Murano glass, semi-precious stones, pearls, silver and brass.

It will cover necklaces from the Wiener Werkstatte period, the greats of Mexican sterling silver, Miriam Haskell vintage necklaces, and more.

The necklace above is made by Barbara Adner from antique Murano glass circa 1910 and Swarovski crystal. It can be seen at necklacesbyadner.com