After mentioning a brooch I owned on another post that had once belonged to Mae West, I was so kindly invited to join this group, and encouraged to share it with you.

So..hello!

Finally, I have some time to photograph and upload that, but I thought I would share it as part of a collection of items that I consider some of my best eBay finds. I have others to come, as not everything is here, but I thought this was a decent enough start.

Going for jewelery on eBay is a bit of a study in patience, shrewd judgement, restraint and determination. First, being sure that what is being offered is genuine..second, being willing to fight for it, and third, being sure its what you really want and not being just caught up in the "moment" and exceeding one's budget or common sense are just some of the many challenges.

I started using it in 1997 and have had countless amazing finds that I hope to feature in non-jewelery posts...a killer vintage red velvet coat, Chanel two-tone platform pumps from France, (used but impeccable), a charming Monsoon tweed belted jacket.

Below, I have posted some of my favourite jewelry items, ranging in value from the rather cheap (about 15 dollars final cost) to the thousands (an investment, if you will.)

I hope you enjoy them.

MAE WEST

One of my personal icons is Mae West. Intelligent, unapologetically sexy, self-assured, wickedly funny and talented, she managed to walk a line that was unthinkable to most women in her time, and do so with an unbelievable panache. She was a little person, much shorter than I would have imagined, being just about 5 feet tall, which goes against that massive personality she had. I am proud that one of my "great finds" is a sweet little rhinestone butterfly brooch. At an estate sale in the 1980s, a Hollywood personality had purchased a few items, including a trunk that was full of quite a few inexpensive costume pieces. (It was common for Mae, despite her healthy collection of "real" jewelry, to wear rhinestones).

This butterfly came from that collection, complete with its provenance. 45 dollars..for a little piece of girlie history - for me, anyway, it's money well spent.

OTHER BROOCHES

In the USA, I never wore these. I got fond of them while living in Scotland, where the weather and winter style often dictates long coats, pretty and warm pashminas and hats. Something as simple as a brooch can make "Just another damn black coat" stand out from the crowd.

If you have an eye and a bit of patience, you can find brooches of a far better weight and quality than most modern ones, and often for less money. For the signed pieces, you will sometimes find yourself battling collectors, but that's nothing that a bit of savvy and two browser windows in the final seconds won't conquer. *grin* Here are some of mine:

Of these four, I love my little horse brooch the most, (I grew up w with horses, and adore them, so they show up here and there in my life!) However, for sheer beauty, the green and crystal Kramer brooch is probably the best. I have a favourite winter outfit built around this one item..a black turtleneck over a brown sheared velvet a-line skirt, and the aforementioned Chanel two-tone pumps. (Brown suede with black patent toes). And on the turtleneck, this brooch, which literally sings out against black and brown, and carries enough punch to make almost any other jewelry pointless. (Normally with this I would just wear stud earrings.) The other two brooches are unsigned..I bought them simply for their appeal..the gorgeous and large Maltese cross has really rich colours, and as for the small oval fuschia-and-crystal brooch, I just liked the shape, as the centre protrudes out quite a bit from the edges.

PEARLS

In another jewelry post I hope to feature things I inherited from my grandmothers, and my mom, that I have kept thru the years. (Mom, thankfully, is still with us! But she has a habit of randomly handing me stuff. Yay mom. Hehe.) Of those things, one that I am really proud to have is my grandmother's single strand of pearls. But for some time now I have not liked the "single" strand look so much as multiples, and on those rare occasions that I wear pearls I really like the more piled on look...but within reason, as I am somewhat short! I found these vintage beauties on eBay, from a seller in New York. I did have to fight for them a bit, but the twin strands were the PERFECT length to complement my grandmother's strand, and have all the lovely tones you would hope to have in pearls. If you do not know the "pearl test" to determine if they are real, use your teeth, and gently scrape the pearl with your front teeth. Grainy feeling means they are real...smooth, and they are not. You might also look for tiny variances of tone and shape..another indication that they are real. Of course at the end of the day, fake pearls are really just as stunning and effective, but I felt my grandmother's strand should be in proper vintage company. I just wish the colours came thru better in photos than this!

TURQUOISE

Growing up on a ranch in Texas, and being part Native American to boot, there is a natural inclination in my family to love natural things, and the Southwest in particular. My parents and I both share a love and appreciation for the arts of the Southwest, such as those created by the Navajo, Zuni, and Pueblo. As a little girl, I was fortunate enough to meet Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso, one of the most stunningly talented potters of the region, so I have a real fondness and affection for the pottery, rugs and jewelry of the Southwest - I grew up with it. But living in the UK I found that most turquoise was horribly mass-produced, characterless blue blobs, and expensive given the lack of artistry. I actually bought this Tazze necklace from a reputable seller in Arizona, for a statement piece...stunning with a soft, white summery blouse or a sleek black sweater, its about the only "big necklace" I feel I can wear due to my height. But the stone is gorgeous, the craftsmanship perfect, and I know I supported an individual artist of the region instead of some faceless conglomerate.

FINE JEWELERY

At one point in my life, due to the generosity and kindness of my grandparents, I had the opportunity to make some investments. One of which I chose to make was this bracelet, which I bought from an antiques shop in Skye, off the coast of Scotland. I knew the shop and the seller from being in Skye previously, but actually purchased it online via her eBay shop. While not exactly cheap, for me anyway this is a piece of a lifetime: 6 carats of quality sapphires, and over 100 little round-cut diamonds set in 18K white gold. In a jewelery shop this bracelet would be thousands and thousands more..nevertheless you can imagine my pleasure when the appraised value turned out to be about four times what I had paid for it. I had a necklace as well, but sold it to help fund my move to Finland..I miss it, but I have a cheaper one that actually wears better. It is not about money, but I have to admit this bracelet is still special to me.

I wear it with my favourite black, v-neck plunge wrap dress, tall black leather boots, and the necklace. Its a surefire way to feel amazing...and it does not hurt that it was a very, very good bargain in the end. Its not something I can just afford to do "anytime"..for me, things like this, or my small but coveted designer bag collection, are investment pieces, to last for, and be loved for years.

The photos of this do not do it justice, but I tried to at least show the beauty of the sapphires....I may try to add another photo later if I can find some way to capture it better..the diamonds barely show up here. Argh.

Thanks for indulging me. I hope to post a "chapter" on inherited goodies soon.