Tagged: art deco jewelry

January 4, 2013

Downton Abbey Jewelry

Hurrah! The wait for Season 3 of Downton Abbey, the British-American period drama on PBS that has changed our world and captured our hearts, is over! Who would have thought that gruff Americans would have embraced the lives of post-Edwardian British aristocracy and their servants so fervently? But then again, who can resist Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Violet Grantham–the staunch protector of English dignity with a quick-fire tongue and a stiff upper lip. The show dazzles us with the drama of “upstairs”: searching for an heir to the Grantham estate only to find that the closest male relative is of the professional class (the horror!); the eldest daughter, Lady Mary’s, scandalous encounter with a foreigner who dies in the house; her disingenuous pursuits of Matthew, the heir to Grantham estate, that turn into true feelings only to be eclipsed by a misunderstanding, World War I and Matthew’s new fiancé; and a slew of other drama that can only be caused by people of leisure. Below stairs, you have O’Brien, Lady Grantham’s scheming lady’s maid, and Thomas, a villainous footman, who plot their ascent in the world while taking down a few of the other servants along the way; Bates, Lord Grantham’s charming and loyal valet with puppy dog eyes and a dark past who falls in love with Anna, the daughters’ lady’s maid, who stays true to her course and her belief in Bates’ goodness; and Carson the stern butler with a heart of gold who sees it as his sole responsibility to maintain the standards and dignity of the house. Interwoven in all this drama is the unwavering dignity of old world practices–dressing for dinner, drinks in the morning room, afternoon teas, hunts, proper running of households, and the beauty of a life where everyone has a role and a place whether it be above or below stairs.

On Downton Abbey jewelry helps set the stage for the show and I have to give kudos to costume designer Susanna Buxton for her accuracy. When Lady Mary went into mourning for her betrothed who died on the Titanic, she wore a necklace made of jet–a fossilized black wood considered to be a minor gemstone. Mourning jewelry was often made of jet from Whitby, England; and reached the height of its popularity after the passing of Prince Albert when Queen Victoria required her entire court go into mourning for a period of three years and only wear jewelry made of jet at court for the first year.

Lady Mary in mourning jewelry.

For the most part, Downton Abbey jewelry has been subdued throughout first and second seasons to reflect the austere times of mourning and World War I that the family has endured. As the show progresses, we see the fashions and jewelry evolve with the characters and with the changing world. Lady Sybil, the youngest and most rebellious of the Crawley daughters, is the first to lose her corset and don the cutting-edge French fashions of the belle époque–as epitomized by Paul Poiret, whose signature looks were harem pants, turbans and headbands–to the shock of the rest of the family.

Lady Sybil in her French fashions.

As we progress into Season 3, I anticipate a bit more glitz and glamour in store for Downton Abbey jewelry and fashions. We are heading into the 1920′s, a time of post-war prosperity and of course the arrival of Martha Levinson (played by Shirley MacLaine), the very American (and very wealthy) mother of Cora, Countess of Grantham. With the roaring 20′s underway and the possibility of a wedding between Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley, I am just itching for some serious Art Deco jewelry to make its appearance on the show.

What would a period piece be without costume and jewelry? I truly shudder at the possibility. Nothing brings a show or movie to life-like accurate jewelry (see my post about Anna Karenina jewelry for an example of inaccurate period pieces) and I cannot wait to see what jewels will be used to set the stage for Downton Abbey, Season 3. Since I have an obsession with brilliantly crazy old ladies, I shall leave you with a clip of the Dowager Countesses best one-liners thus far and a link to my Pinterest Art Deco Jewelry Board in case you want a little inspiration of your own.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

September 17, 2012

Great Gatsby Jewelry By Tiffany & Co.

Although the US (and indeed, the World) is not yet in-the-clear with respect to the economic kerfuffle of late, I feel people are getting antsy to spend spend spend! Let’s face it, the US is the most consumer-driven economy in the world, we are not used to saving and our mentality has always been spend now and deal with the consequences later. People are itching to ditch ho-hum fiscally responsible behavior, and the best outlet for such escapism is cinema. In swoops Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, The Great Gatsby. Set in New York in the roaring 20′s and prohibition (gasp! Illegal booze!), the book is the perfect backdrop for Hollywood period piece excess and costume drama. Is it any wonder that Tiffany & Co. jumped at the prime marketing opportunity to design all the jewelry for the movie? Yes, all the Great Gatsby jewelry by Tiffany & Co. is made of diamonds, platinum and pearls, no synthetics or similants here. The jewelry house dipped into their archives in order to produce historically accurate designs (as opposed to the Chanel Joaillerie in Anna Karenina) and Carey Mulligan will be just dripping in it!

Great Gatsby Trailer:

As far as jewelry trends go, there is going to be an art deco revival. People are yearning to relive an era of carefree extravagance and decadence–fine jewelry, champagne, lush parties and a new gilded age. Check out my art deco Pinterest Board for some roaring twenties jewelry inspiration.

Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,

JZP

July 20, 2012

1 Dress, 27 Outfits: Look #2 Art Deco

Day two of my 1 dress, 27 outfits marathon. I’m channeling Paris in the 20′s (they didn’t have platform stilettos back then but historical accuracy is a small price to pay for 5 extra inches). Think the tail end of the Belle Époque just as Paul Poiret’s designs were making way for Chanel’s daring body-con aesthetic. We want turbans, art deco jewelry, Cole Porter playing in the background and a gin fizz in our hand!

LBD (little black dress by Vivienne Westwood) check.

Turban (from my turban collection. . . what, doesn’t everyone have a turban collection?) check.

Vintage costume necklace by Lawrence VRBA (the KING of costume jewelry–he designed pieces while working with Miriam Haskell and later-on for theater) check.