JEWELRY TRENDS AND HOW THEY GOT HERE.

Anyone who knows me and the jewelry I design and make, knows that I create without paying attention to what is the current trend. Funny enough, several times my designs were ahead of the coming trends. Nothing to brag about, as I create whatever comes out of my hands, I see it more as a happy coincidence.

But being a lover of all that is jewelry, I do read about up and coming trends and colors, mostly because it is interesting, like, during a recession, jewelry tends to become very prominent, with large pieces and lots of sparkle. Just the opposite of what you would think would happen.

So I peeked here and there and to my surprise, two of my favorite styles will be all the trend in 2019. One of them is an all time favorite of mine, the choker. A choker is a close-fitting necklace worn around the neck. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, latex, leather, 

metal, such as silver, gold or platinum, etc. They can be adorned in a variety of ways, including with sequins, crystals, studs, or a pendant. 

Looking at the gorgeous pieces, I started to wonder where this cool piece of jewelry came from. What is it's history?

Fine pearl and diamond chokers, like this Edwardian era one, were popularized in the late 19th century by Alexandra of Denmark during her time as part of the British nobility. It is currently the property of Dallas estate jeweler William Noble Rare Jewels. Price upon request.

The history of the choker dates back thousands of years, to the world’s earliest civilizations, the Sumer empire in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. It was associated with high fashion, but could take on different meanings under different circumstances. Markowitz said women in both these ancient worlds wore chokers, often pairing them with other necklaces, for the same reason they wore all jewelry--to protect them and give them power. They put jewelry on parts of the body they felt needed protection--the throat, head, arms and ankles--and believed it infused them with special powers. 

Arsimus Cleopatra Beaded Necklace Collar
Choker Ancient Egyptian Queen Costume.

This was especially true of gold jewelry, which ancient people associated with the sun, and lapis lazuli which people in Egypt connected with the life-giving powers of the Nile River.

In 1798, during the French Revolution, women wore red ribbons around their necks to pay homage to those who met their death at the guillotine. The ribbon could be worn around the neck, or another fashion came in the form of an X around the shoulders and back.

Included in the collection of the Victoria & Albert museum in London is a Kropfkette (goiter chain) made in Austria sometime between 1840 and 1870. 

Kropfkettes were chokers consisting of multiple rows of chains with a large clasp at the front. Women in south Germany and Austria wore them to hide the lumps on their necks caused by goiter, a disease caused by iodine deficiency common among those who lived high in the Alps.

The 19th century fashion for broad chokers reached its peak around 1900 in part due to Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom wearing one to hide a small scar. Chokers were popular into the 1920s, then, as the Art Deco era faded in the 1930s, chokers went out, in a major way.

Black Beauty Choker,
© House Of Joris Jewelry.
Made entirely of Swarovski
Crystals and Pearls.

But again in the '40s, chokers came back as colliers de chien. In particular, the term dog collars (or colliers de chien) catches on, and these designs – incorporating luxe diamonds, pearls, lace, and velvet – could be seen as objects of the elite because the best kinds were custom-made to fit one's neck perfectly. In 1944 Life magazine stated that "a dowager fashion of 40 years ago" was being revived by young women, illustrating the trend with photos of models wearing the now vaguely rebellious "dog collars".

In recent years chokers have been popular with a number of celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow who wore one to the 1999 Academy Awards. Paris Hilton wore three inches of Swarovski around her neck in 2002. Rihanna has also been featured wearing chokers.

“Choker” does not mean “choke-her,” because that fashionable and malleable material stretched thin across our necks does not insinuate anything, 

assuming that wearing a choker meant she wanted rough-sex. A woman does NOT wear a choker or any other kind of seemingly “provocatively insinuating” 

garment to show anything other than it's something SHE wants to wear. It's a necklace. An accessory.

As I was researching, I found many more stories about this interesting and beautiful piece of jewelry. It truly is interesting what such a little necklace can

do over the last few thousands of years.

  

Paris Noir Earrings, © House Of Jewelry
Swarovski various crystals, brass drops
gold, brass and copper chains.

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned there were 2 trends that excited me, the second one are shoulder dusting earrings. Earrings so long and incredibly

beautiful, they graze your shoulders as you move your head. I have been making these for a few years now. One of my best customers has quite a few and they look just fabulous. No history for you on this one, as the post is getting long already. Just thought I mention it, hope to see y'all walking around with these original jewelry pieces, you sure will be right on trend.

Blue Ice Earrings, ©House Of Joris
Jewelry, vintage Swarovski set in
brass.

Danita Earrings, Swarovski rivoli's set in
brass, Swarovski crystals, gold chains,
brass stampings.© House Of Joris Jewelry.

Brigit Earrings, © House Of Joris Jewelry. Sterling
silver earwires and chains, grade AA amethyst,
south sea pearls, violet chalcedony and prehnite.

THE MAGIC OF SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL.

When I design and make jewelry for my company House Of Joris Jewelry, I use many different supplies available. My favorite are vintage supplies, they seem to be much more durable then modern supplies. Also, vintage supplies and jewelry are just gorgeous. And there is one staple supply I always go to and always will, and that is the crystal jewels, beads, drops, crystal pearls and whatever else I can find, vintage or new, made by Swarovski.

Pink Cockatoos, Swarovski crystal figurine.

I use some Swarovski jewels that were made in the 1920's. There is no scratch, no scrap off the jewel and it sparkles like it was just made yesterday. This is no lie, Swarovski's secret ways of cutting crystal glass is the best around and can't be imitated. The crystal pearls are beautiful too. And there are ways to see whether you are dealing with the real thing or an imitation. 

The Swarovski Company is huge these days, famous allover the world, but it started from very humble beginnings.

Daniel Swarovski (24 October 1862 – 23 January 1956) was a Czech-born Austrian. He was born in Georgenthal bei Gablonz. His father, Franz Anton Swarovski, was a glass cutter and Swarovski first learned the art in his father's small factory. Later he was educated in Paris and Vienna, where he met Frantisek Krizik, and became interested in electricity at the 1883 Electricity Exhibition in Vienna.

Daniel Swarovski.

In 1887, Daniel Swarovski married Marie Weis, the sister of his business partner Franz Weis, and they had three sons: Fritz, Alfred and Wilhelm.

In 1892, he patented an electric cutting machine that facilitated the production of lead crystal glass jewelry, which until then had to be cut by hand. 
In 1895, he immigrated to Austria and partnered with Armand Kosman and Franz Weis to form "A. Kosmann, D. Swarovski & Co." They built a crystal-cutting factory in Wattens, Tyrol, to take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes.

Daniel's vision was to use crystal to create "a diamond for everyone", and his pioneering spirit brought his beautifully cut crystal to Hollywood in the 1950's. His spirit and innovations help the Swarovski Company continue their mission today.

She may have sung 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend', but those show-stopping jewels worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film's iconic cabaret scene are none other than Swarovski crystals. 
Swarovski crystals also adorn many of the other opulent costumes and jewelry for Marilyn's character, Lorelei. In one of her most iconic moments, 
Marilyn Monroe serenades President JFK with a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" at Madison Square Garden, wearing a Jean Louis-designed sheer,
flesh-colored dress that she was literally sewn into.

                        

                    

In 1956, Manfred, son of founder Daniel Swarovski, began working with Christian Dior on a new crystal that encapsulated Dior's creative vision. Aurora Borealis (AB) became its name, and the rest was history. He came up with a micro-thin layer of vaporized blue metal, with which he coated crystals' lower facets. This coating of the crystals was so popular, there are still many jewelry sets from the 1950's around and almost all of them are Aurora Borealis crystals. Light blue crystal with the AB coating was especially popular. It was named Ice Blue.

The Swarovski Company is headquartered in Wattens, Austria. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal Business, that primarily  produces crystal jewelry and accessories; Swarovski Optik, which produces optical instruments such as telescopes, telescopic sights for rifles, and binoculars; and Tyrolit, a manufacturer of grinding, sawing, drilling, and dressing tools, as well as a supplier of tools and machines.

Sara Necklace, © House Of Joris Jewelry. Made with Swarovski AB crystals (bicones, round beads and a baroque pendant), Swarovski pearls, brass chain and a freshwater flat bronze pearl set in a brass vintage stamping.

Today, Swarovski Crystal Business is the highest grossing business unit with a global reach of approximately 2,800 stores in around 176 countries, more than 27,000 employees and a revenue of about 2.6 billion Euros.

WHY DOES CERTAIN JEWELRY STAIN OUR SKIN, HOW TO CLEAN AND TO PREVENT IT.

I am sure we have all dealt with it, one time or another. You have a favorite new bracelet but the day you wear it, you end up with a large green circle on your wrist. Or a reddish, itchy stain from a ring on your finger, a black or brown circle around your neck from that choker you wanted so badly.

Even though these stains look badly on your skin, the good news is that the stains are not permanent or harmful for your health, although an itchy reaction can be very unpleasant. The easiest way to get rid of these stains is with a warm, wet washcloth and mild soap. Gently rub your skin, it should come off pretty easy. 

Silver Tuesday Bracelet, ©House Of Joris Jewelry

Why does certain jewelry stain the skin? Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that forms over copper, nickel, aluminum and magnesium. If you are especially allergic to nickel, you will see a discoloration on your skin that is usually a red itchy hue, as it is due to inflammation. Even brass and silver can color the skin through oxidation, although it is usually not as severe.

Jewelry that is plated is common to tarnish the skin, especially cheap plated jewelry that has a very thin layer of silver or gold over the base metal. These plated metals can rub off quickly, even wearing it for one hot day in the summer. In my experience, if you work with plated metal, make sure the base is brass (certainly not copper) and the layer of silver or gold is nice and thick, made in America can make a big difference too. Metal that is dipped in silver or gold is much more solid, then a thin sprayed layer. 

So how do you prevent getting stains from jewelry. The best answer is buying more high-end jewelry, silver, gold (yellow, white or rose) and the prestigious platinum . For gold you can use gold-filled jewelry, this is jewelry plated with a 20% gold layer on the outside of the alloy. This jewelry can last up to 30 or 40 years before you will see places where the gold has rubbed off. If you have sensitive skin, you might have better luck with rhodium plated and stainless steel jewelry. Rhodium is an expensive metal, used a lot in space crafts. It looks more like white gold or platinum. Some jewelers use rhodium to plate their silver jewelry to prevent tarnish. 

Silver Monaco Earrings, ©House Of Joris Jewelry

If you have plated jewelry that you really love, you can always use clear nail polish or a clear acrylic spray to coat it. Also, make sure you take it off when you are putting on make-up, or wait until your skin has absorbed the lotion you used. Don't shower with it (although I will wear silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium in the shower. It makes it shine and sparkle) and take it off at night or when you come home.