Steampunk, Victorian and Romantic Era Jewelry

Hello, Devi here! Today we'll be discussing Steampunk and Victorian/Romantic Jewelry!

Steampunk jewelry and fashion came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s, and has rapidly become even more popular. Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, featuring elements of fantasy. It's based in the 19th century and often the Victorian era of England where steam power was widely used. Add the fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, and you've got the Steampunk movement.

Adorn Me Jewelry carries quite a few steampunk pieces, and as with the rest of our items, we're always happy to make designs to your size specifications, whether extra small or petite, or extra large and supersize. One of our favorite design elements in our Steampunk line is Olivia Octopus. She's been featured in a number of necklaces and rings and in various jewelry backstory vignettes. The following pieces you can choose between gold or or silver tone.

The silver plated brass Olivia Octopus Mini Me Steampunk Filigree Adjustable Ring has been a popular seller. She rests atop an adjustable filigree ring shank and has a little rosey copper bindi on her forehead. More info and pics can be found here.
Our golden plated Olivia Octopus Mini Me Steampunk Perfume Locket Necklace has been distressed for an older look; again, a little copper bindi on her forehead. She adorns the front of an antiqued copper perfume locket and hangs from antiqued copper chain. More photos and info can be found here. She's also available in silver tone. Photos and information on our Silver tone Olivia Octopus Mini Me Steampunk Perfume Locket Necklace can be found here.

Another steampunk item AMJ carries is our Large Bumble Bee and Filigree Steampunk Plus Size Adjustable Ring. The highly detailed brass bumble bee has been plated with antiqued silver and was made from a vintage mold. The bee sits atop a lacy copper filigree ring. If you need her in a smaller sized ring, just contact us and we'll get you set up. More photos and information can be found here.

Adorn Me Jewelry carries a wide array of Victorian and Romantic Era jewelry. Charlotte Redux - a Vintage Romantic, Victorian Era necklace, named after author Charlotte Bronte, is one of them, and is on sale right now. This unique necklace features a large natural brass swallow stamping that is surrounded on each side by 1" long, clear, twisted, vintage lucite beads and antiqued brass colored lucite beads with an Art Nouvea floral design on etched antiqued brass chain. More photos and information can be found here.

Another one of our Romantic Era pieces is our Somewhere in Time, White Wedding - a Romantic Era Vintage Elements Necklace. While we say it's a wedding necklace, it can be worn for other occasions too :-). The focal point of this stunning necklace is a large, carved white celluloid rose that has been mounted on an antiqued brass filigree. Hanging below the rose is a faceted, baroque vintage crystal chandelier piece. The rose and chandelier piece are being held up by two smaller, round chandelier pieces and large antiqued brass ovals that lead to antiqued brass chain. It is finished off with a small crystal glass teardrop near the brass lobster claw clasp. More photos and information can be found here.

The last item we are going to feature today is our Morticia - Noir Victorian Lace Applique and Crystal Necklace. Adorn Me Jewelry's Morticia necklace features a beautiful black Venetian lace applique, two kinds of draped black chains, sparkly siam red Swarovski crystal teardrops and bicone cut crystals, red faceted Czech glass rounds and a jet baroque cut crystal. This is a stunning and an intricate piece of jewelry! More photos and information can be found here.

Our next shipping date is Saturday February 27, 2010. Happy shopping!!

Rustique, our new line of Cowgirl Chic jewelry

Contrasts really appeal to me, whether it's color contrasts, texture contrasts (either physical tactile or optical eye-feel textures), size -- so many things. I think it's part of why I have such eclectic tastes. Or do I have eclectic tastes because I love contrast? No matter. A new line of jewelry is born: Rustique.

"Rustique" airs a mix of old and new, rustic and refined, smooth and rough. It's all about contrasts: like cowboy boots and pearls, rough tweed and soft satin, chocolate and hot chili powder. Take our Rustique - Cowgirl Chic, Vintage Etched Glass and Hand-wrought Copper Necklace, for instance.

This Refined Cowgirl necklace pairs 10mm Vintage 1950s creamy white West German etched glass beads with hand-hammered pure copper eggplant-colored rings. These rings have been oxidized to give them a mix of eggplant purple-to black, and reddish rosey copper colorings and a sort of visual texture. The rings are 20mm (approximately .8") in diameter.

The beads have a twisted, ridgey texture, and do show their age in a few little spots that you can see in the photos. I haven't tried removing the spots, but you might. I figured it wasn't up to me to try to erase their history. :)

The rings are held together, by vintage copper chain links that have a rough-hewn look. The clasp is hand made from pure copper wire, the jump rings are antiqued copper, and the headpins are ball-end eggplant copper. This necklace also has matching earrings. More photos and info here.

Rustique - Cowgirl Chic, Smooth Vintage Bisque and Hand-wrought Copper Earrings

From our new Rustique collection, which pairs a mix of old and new, rustic and refined, smooth and rough. It's all about contrasts. Color, too, in this case -- like, say, orange and blue.

Now, these earrings don't have a pure orange color in them. But the copper rings that hold these Vintage 1950s West German Deco style bisque drops aloft do have some lovely rosey-orange copper tones. That really sets off the blues of those drops.

The drops are 20mm (approximately .8") in diameter. They have a smooth, ridgey texture, and do show their age in a few little spots that you can see in the photos. I haven't tried removing the spots, but you might. I figured it wasn't up to me to try to erase their history. :)

Take a look at these gorgeous hand-forged rosey copper rings. You can see from the photos that they have beautifully rich and varied colorations (depending upon the light cast upon them) and some great eye-feel texture. The rings are about 23mm wide. The lever back ear wires are antiqued copper, as are the jump rings. For more photos and info, click here.

More pieces will be added very soon, just check Adorn Me Jewelry at Etsy.