Louise Brooks: Fashion Icon

Louise Brooks was an American dancer, model, actress and show girl from the late 20s early 30s. The style Brooks exhibited was like no one else. The dynamism of her style screams give me a cocktail, a cocktail ring of course.

Summer: A Time for Travel

Summer is always a fun time in Isadora’s.  Thousands of people visit the historic Pike Place Market each May through September, many of them taking a moment, a half an hour or even a half a day to pop into our store, and enjoy our collection. 

Seattle Pike Place Market

We so enjoy hearing each individual’s story as pass through our store and lives, enriching us with a greater sense of the people of this world we live in.  And sometimes those of us who work in the store get a chance to take a trip ourselves.

Tourism is not a new thing.  On my very favorite movies and novels (It is so rare I like both) is “A Room with a View” by E.M. Forster where the young Lucy Honeychurch is transformed by a trip to Italy during the early 20^th century.

Mt. Vesuvius Ash Cameo Brooch

I feel, the good vacations we eagerly anticipate, thoroughly enjoy, and hold as a memory for years to come.  The great vacations transform us.  And so I ask myself, how do we hold those memories after we leave, retain the beauty and the emotional sustenance they provide having returned to our normal life once again? 

Egyptian Revival Bracelet

I remember a quote from the movie Rebecca (another book/movie although I confess I never made it to the book after being captivated by Laurence Olivier’s Maxim de Winters).  Joan Fontaine’s character says, “You know, I , I wish there could be an invention . . . that bottled up the memory like perfume.  And it never faded, never got stale.  That whenever I wanted to, I could uncork the bottle and live the memory all over again.”

1920's Butterfly Wing Necklace

And I suppose one can’t truly live a memory again, but like Joan Fontaine’s imagined bottle, I believe an object can be the keeper for a memory.  You look at it and remember the smell of your vacation, the excitement, the transcendent moments.  And for me jewelry has always been a perfect memory holder.  It is something personal, so personal it is worn on your person and whether it is a ring on your finger or a locket on your neck you hold the memories close when you put that piece of jewelry on.

Vintage Italian Themed Charm Bracelet

And just as I love to look at my souvenir’s brought back from different parts of the world, I also like to look at what others chose to collect on trips aboard.  Particularly the tourists of yester year-whether it is an Italian cameo purchased on a Victorian lady’s grand tour, a piece of Egyptian revival enamel jewelry inspired by the opening of King Tut’s tomb, a British butterfly wing pendant sold at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 or a sweet 50’s silver charm bracelet collected by a young girl as she traveled the world.  

Pearls right now and forever.

(wehadfacesthen-Designer Elsa Schiaparelli, 1930s)

I came across this photograph the other day while surfing the internet and I adore the way she's lounging with her pearls perfectly wrapped and dripping down her wrist. I may have to coping this. And now a few of my favorite pearl pieces.

(Vintage Semi-Baroque Pearl Strand)

(Seed Pearl Drop Earrings)

(A Mid 20th Century Pearl Ring) 

Red Red Rubies, July's Birthstone.

'It has been said that the Ruby's warm glow comes from an internal flame that cannot be extinguished, making a gift of this stone symbolic of everlasting love.  With its hardness and durability, it is a perfect engagement gem.  And if worn on the left hand, ancient lore has it that the Ruby will bring good fortune to its wearer, too!'

(Natural ruby crystals from Winza, Tanzania)

Mystic Perfume Bottle's

Isadora's currently has some of the most exquisitely shaped Perfume Bottle's.  And given the inherent feature of perfume, from the conviction it gives its wearer to the indefinable impact it sometimes has on those around the wearer, it’s not surprising that perfume has long been kept in these mystically shaped bottles whose shapes seem to echo the mysterious properties of the fluids inside them. Whether it’s a surprisingly detailed hammered pocket size, slender Art Deco crystal, a robust Czechoslovakian bottle, a tiny lachrymatory, or a fabulously deck-out with paste stones, perfume bottles are designed to contain magic, which is only unleashed when the bottle is opened and a drop or two of the precious liquid is discreetly applied.

These alluring bottles reminded so much of a fantastic novel by Tom Robbins entitled, "Jitterbug Perfume."   The major themes of the book include the striving for immortality, the meaning behind the sense of smell, individual expression, self-reliance, sex, love, and religion. Beets and the god Pan figure prominently. The novel is a self-described epic, with four distinct storylines, one set in 8th century Bohemia and three others in modern day New Orleans, Seattle, and Paris.  If you haven't read this book I highly suggest it.  I imagine the epic perfume described in this novel to be encased in an equally epic bottle.

The Snake Ring: A Victorian Symbol For Eternal Love

In 1840 Prince Albert designed a ring for Queen Victoria.  It depicted two snakes in an eternal circle, an enchanting symbol of eternal love. 

         Over time the snake has had many meanings but one of the most popular is that of eternity.  The "Ouroboros" (the serpent eating its own tale) is a common symbol for both time and eternity.  It, like the circle, represents wholeness and perfection because it has no end.

         It is little surprise then that snakes doubled became a perfect Victorian symbol for eternal love in an era where nature and symbology collided in so many pieces of jewelry. It was also an era that loved to draw inspiration from the past and the snake ring can be found in ancient Greek and Roman times.

         Due to its beauty, and the popularity Queen Victoria bestowed on anything she wore, the snake ring is a true delight for the collector.  There are many fantastic snake rings to be found and every time I think they can't think of a more enchanting way to show two snakes wrapped round the finger another ring appears to surprise and delight.

Isadora's Returns from Buying Trip with Beautiful Silver

Owner Laura Dalesandro and manager Elizabeth Schoenleber just returned from a buying trip with silver silver silver.  Beautiful Taxco Mexican sterling necklaces, earrings and bracelets are a highlight of this fantastic new collection.  Please stop by the store to check it out.  Can’t make it in.  These fantastic vintage pieces will be on the web soon.

On the horizon: Check back next week for new to us, beautiful, antique diamonds, earrings and necklaces.