Is That Owl Really Vintage?

Owls are back! As you may have noticed owls are a huge trend right now. You can find them everywhere; from home décor and clothing to jewelry and accessories. Particularly if you shop online you will find an abundance of “vintage” owls especially “vintage” owl jewelry. The question you may be asking is “Is that owl jewelry truly a vintage piece?”

Back in the 1960’s and especially the 1970’s owls were extremely popular. There were so many types of owls made back then you could wear a different owl necklace or brooch every day. Hopefully I can help you determine if that owl you have your eye on is truly a vintage piece.

Let’s start with what I call the “Art Deco” owl pendant. In the picture you can see the vintage version in bright gold tone and the contemporary reproduction is “antiqued”. This “antiqued” finish is common in reproductions because they are trying to make them look old. It’s often hard to tell online but the size of the item is often a factor. The items from the 1970’s are usually much larger. Most of the articulated pieces average 4” in length were the new items are usually around 2”.

Next we have the “Spaghetti Arms” owl which can be found as both a pendant and a brooch. The vintage item here is the one with the red tummy. If you look closely at the vintage owl you will notice there are more tiny details in the feathers and the log which is common on the older pieces. Vintage tummies are usually faux gemstones made of acrylic.

Finally we have one of the most common owl pendants out there. This piece comes in many variations. I’ve seen gold and silver versions; rhinestone eyes and flat dangle eyes and some have enamel along the beak, wings and tail. Again size and detail are the key factors. The vintage version is always at least 4” and the original chain will be on the thick side.

General Features to Look For

·         Foil Backed Glass Eyes

·         Acrylic “Gemstone” Tummies

·         Articulated Segments (Often 3 or more)

·         Faux Turquoise (“Southwest Look”)

·         Original chains average 24”

Happy hunting!

Vintage Bling

From FairyFiligree's collection - in her shop very soon....

I have always been fascinated by jewellery, from the days when as a little girl, I traipsed into the room which my mother and her sister used to share and there found beads, beads and more beads - so many different necklaces left behind by my aunt when she emigrated to Canada.

Today I collect and research vintage and antique jewellery and it doesn't have to be expensive to make my eyes dazzle. Costume jewellery is just as enchanting as the diamonds and the pearls. Over the years I have to come to appreciate the fact that costume jewellery can be that much more innovative and original than the fine jewellery just because people can experiment more with the techniques. Let's face it, if something made of copper melts down or gets ruined during the creative phase, it's not the end of the world.

From FairyFiligree's collection - in her shop very soon....

When I first started researching vintage jewellery, I remember gravitating towards very diverse types of jewellery and one aspect of the vintage jewel intrigued me particularly - that was the way international relations actually influence the bling we wear. Take for instance the fad for wooden jewellery during the WWII. Wood replaced metal when metal was confiscated to make arms. But creative people, being just that - creative - let their nimble fingers and expertly creative minds take over and re-created jaunty little wooden designs to allow women to decorate themselves, minus the metals and cheaply so.

Then again, I look at jewellery as another art form that is there for carrying around with us every day of the year. Unlike the painting which hangs on the wall in our room and can only be enjoyed when we're in that particular room, we can carry the jewellery around with us wherever we go, all day long. Isn't that a fantastic way to wear art?

FairyFiligree is on Etsy.

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