It's not just about the jewellery ...

Swansea High Street Today

Elysium Cinema

I figured since my last post was a hasty affair, I'd make the effort this time round. Like most people who are vintage and antique enthusiasts. I'm no different, and find myself drawn to the history of items we find and the places we find them in. I'm not sure that everyone shares my enthusiasm, so I generally tend to keep some of it to myself. A prime example was yesterday. A simple trip to the hospital had me enthralled, as it does every time. (Not the hospital but the bus journey) While the bus travels through quirky little welsh villages, some a little rough around the edges. I'm admiring the quaint windows above the modern shops. The old advertising signs that you can just about read on the walls of closed down pubs and cinemas. I have, however, stopped commenting to my husband about the lovely shaped windows above the closed down pubs, as he thinks I'm missing a few screws. So in my minds eye I try to piece together a mental image of what stories these places could tell. Who constructed these buildings? Who put the quaint little windows and doors in place? Who were the first people to live and work there?  Swansea centre, as most may know, was bombed heavily during the blitz and lasted for three days. Lives of course were lost along with many traditional buildings. Swansea was reduced to rubble. The castle as it stands today, or rather the ruins, can be missed in a blink of any eye. The town centre had to be rebuilt from scratch. So the few buildings that were left standing are of some significance to a 'wannabe historian' like myself.

That's exactly why I love vintage items so much. It's more than just buying and selling. It's preserving history and passing it on. Those little clip on earrings you see on my website are not just earrings. They are someone's concept. Someones company name. Most of which was made before I was born and turns up 50 years later in our auctions boxes.

As well as the story of it's manufacture. It would have had a very first owner. Maybe passed down, as things often were, to family members. Then many years later, someone comes along and does a house clearance. And hence an elderly ladies possessions end up in our local auction. As sad as that sounds. It's rather exciting to delve into auction boxes not knowing what you're going find. Being able to rescue these wonderful vintage items and research their history is far more rewarding than I can put into words.

The Egyptian Obession

Victorians were obsessed with Egypt and many jewellery designs of that time represented this obsession. Craftsmen were creating scarab rings and pendants from semi precious materials and colourful enamels to satisfy the passion of the Victorians. Whilst our collection doesn't have an original Eygptian revival piece. We do have several 'Victorian' revival pieces inspired by Egyptology and aptly created by the British designer Sphinx around the 1960's to 70's.

Victorian Revival Brooch by Sphinx circa 1970

The Sphinx company was founded in late 1940 to 1950 by S. Root, in Chiswick, London UK. They specialised in making high end quality costume jewellery, so well made it had the look of the real thing. Sphinx produced pieces for Kenneth Jay Lane, Butler & Wilson, 5th Avenue,Bloomingdales to name just a few. The sphinx signature can be found on many of their pieces with the word 'Sphinx' inscribed on an oval plaque. Other pieces were left unsigned, or will have design numbers only or a letter and numbers.

Production ceased in the 1990's - 2000 however Sphinx jewellery is very desirable and has become highly collectible more so very early pieces.They made a huge range or jewellery in various designs and styles and were mostly associated with their statement pieces.