Winter Blues

It's been quite a winter here in NYC, there are still cars hidden under piles of snow and crossing the street has become a sport. Needless to say we're so over winter here at WMJ, luckily we have inspiration to get us through these cold & snowy times: our new Spring line!

Fresh and new this weekend we have a lovely collection of Spring time jewels made with apatite, aqua marine, lapis and pops of turquoise.


These cool blues pair nicely with our signature 18K plating.




Love, love, love the glitz of these set stone styles in blue topaz, green onyx, lapis and aqua cz!




Wendy has mixed vintage African beads, agate and aqua quartz to freshen up our classic knotted necklace.

This is just a peak at our new styles and we'll be sure to feature more in the next few weeks.



If you're not quite ready to shop for Spring( or your wallet isn't quite ready), you may be interested in popping in the store to see a few deal pieces we have, including these hand cut cuffs now just $50.


Look out this week for our Red Blog Auction for National Wear Red Day, February 4th.
Please call 212-260-5268 or send us an e-mail store@wendyminkjewelry.com if you have any questions or would like to see more images from this post.

-WMJ Boutique

More Victorian Beauties!

Hello!

What another snowy week we have here in NYC. Perfect to bring you more Victorian goodies from the store though....this week we bring you some pieces which fall into a more 'affordable'
price range, (some are under $100!) that's a great price for such one-of-a-kind (very OLD) stunners, if any are of interest to you in this post please feel free to drop Cerena line on: store@wendyminkjewelry.com, she can help with measurements etc and it's super easy for us to ship (same day) from the store!

First up above we have a simply fabulous Mosaic Heart pendant ($80), look at that detail, teeny flowers and leaves, perfect for a Valentine too. Many of these mosaic pieces were Italian made and in the later 20th century these pieces were brought back to life in a revival period, they never quite seem the same though and these originals are just so detailed.



Next up is a personal favorite. A tiny padlock ($180) with a key attached to chain, isn't this the most precious thing you ever saw! It's a rosey gold finish like many Victorian lockets and features detailed engraving and and secure lobster clasps, so sweet! To be honest we are not sure how we still have this piece in the store.




Another adorable pendant, this time a 'rolling' faceted glass 'crystal' ball ($120) on a rose gold frame, this bead rolls around as if it was just made yesterday! such an unusual piece and would also look wonderful as a charm on a longer necklace, remember we can always 're-work' these pieces; place them on longer chains, mix them up etc, to make them even more personal!



This golden heart ($85) is slightly more traditional than the unusual pieces we have shown, it's a wonderful embossed design and a fairly sizeable piece. It opens so there's room for a picture and another piece that's perfect for a Valentine's gift, or not, really who needs Valentines to wear hearts! Another good layering chain and one that would look great mixed with other interesting charms, build your own perhaps?


Sigh. Just look at this bracelet, isn't it beautiful? would brighten up any outfit. This bracelet ($298) is a wonderful example of Victorian mosaic design, linked brass discs in small and large sizes each featuring a detailed floral design, so much work in this one piece. We have had some similar 'revival' bracelets in the store which were very popular but we think this one takes the 'mosaic prize'!

























Riding lesson anyone? Stunning mother-of-pearl and rose gold pendant featuring a little 'whip' ($95), this piece does have a small crack at the tip of the shoe, otherwise a great piece and perfect for an animal lover or just a symbol of good luck. We especially like how the the chain was attached (by us) on each side, sits very well!



We will leave you the 'Grande Dame' of pins ($330- said it was grand!). A stunning hand-painted floral ceramic, trimmed with gold and black and of a huge size! This pin is not for the faint-hearted, it's for a lady who loves a statement, this piece truly is a WMJ favorite, it feels beautifully smooth and has a weight to it which screams 'substantial!'

We hope you enjoy these Victorian beauties, each with their own tiny details and adaptability to today's accessory fashions, please feel free to contact the store and we'd love to hear what you think of these pieces below, each month we will choose a blog reader to receive a wonderful piece of WMJ jewelry, feedback is so valuable and we appreciate it! enjoy the rest of you week and we hope it is not too freezing wherever you may be!


WMJ Ladies.

Stones of Love

It's common to associate pretty pink gems such as Rose Quartz and lush Rubies with love. Rose quartz after all is considered the "love stone" and rubies are supposed to intensify one's passions. We have lots of gorgeous designs with ruby and/or rose quartz that are perfect for giving to loved one's(including gifts to yourself) and will feature more such styles in the store closer to Valentine's Day.





But today I wanted to focus on one stone that I am in love with: Rutilated Quartz.

Wendy has been designing with this stone for years and for good reason: each stone is unique in that it has its own design of crystal inclusions within it. Rutilated quartz comes in a variety of colors: gold, copper, bronze, black and they vary from ones with spaced out inclusions to ones that have the crystals clustered together.

Copper Rutilated Quartz Heart Cut Drop- $90
Bronze Rutilated Quartz Pear Cut Drop- $105
Gold Rutilated Quartz Heart Cut Drop- $90

Because of its unique appearance rutilated quartz has been referred to as Venus Hair stone, Cupid's Darts and the most romantic of them all: Fleches d'amour( Cupid's Darts in French). In the past, rutilated quartz has believed to help facilitate healing, anti-aging and overcoming difficult situations and depression.

Golden Rutilated Quartz Drop Earrings, $110

I love the way these stones change depending on the light and angles they are in. These stones are perfect for every day wear especially for those who like simple designs with unique touches.


Black Rutilated Quartz Drops, $72
Black Rutilated Simple Drops, $68



Bronze Rutilated Quartz, Carved Ruby Leaf Drop, Peach Rainbow Moonstone & Garnet Drop Necklace- $140


So make your next WMJ purchase one with Fleches d'amour( don't you just love the name?) and as always please call (221-260-5298) or e-mail the boutique(store@wendyminkjewelry.com) for queries and customs.


Have a lovely weekend!

-Cerena, WMJ Boutique

Elk Teeth and Human Hair anyone?

Hello there readers!

Amy here, thought this week I'd bring you some antique goodies from the boutique. I share a few 'likes' with Wendy (ancient British TV shows, Green and Blacks peanut chocolate, kitty love....) but perhaps the one thing that Wendy has really shown me a serious appreciation for is Victorian jewelry. I could look at this stuff for hours and there is SO much to look at, each piece is so beautifully detailed, sometimes when you think you've 'seen' a piece you'll pick it up again and find a little swirl or initial you missed, fascinating. We recently re-merchandised some Victorian jewelry so I thought I'd show you a few of my favorites that we have right now, of course these pieces are all in the boutique right now so any queries please email Cerena on store@wendyminkjewelry.com. (Also if vintage jewelry is your thing then do let Cerena know as she can then include new pieces in her newsletters)








First up are these unusual Elk Tooth styles. These are still used today in jewelry making and you can find many modern designs online but these Victorian pieces are really something else. They were popular among men who belonged to the Elk Lodge fraternities (if fraternity is the correct word here!), they came in the form of pendants, pins, as watch fobs etc and usually featured gold settings with engraving and sometimes additional embellishments which you can see here, teeny elks in profile, enamel 'clocks', engraved initials..... Wendy likes to collect these to use on charm necklaces such as the piece here with the green charm, they sit alongside other Victorian pendants very well and make a great little story for when someone notices your necklace and asks you what on earth everything is!






Next up we have something that is an acquired taste...human hair jewelry! What better keepsake than a lock of hair...and woven into a design is surely even better. I just love this jewelry, usually called Mourning Jewelry it was worn by Victorians to remember a loved one, when I did a little search online I found a bunch of people still making hair jewelry, (send them a lock and they will 're-work' it for you)! Anyway that's by the by, these Victorian pieces are stunning and so intricate up close, I imagine weaving human hair is a little like painting a landscape on a grain of rice...difficult. The bow pin above is so precious, it has a beautiful set heart-shaped stone and engraved detail on the setting. the earrings are a wonderful 3 dimensional shape with flower design posts and original 'backs'. Gorgeous. We know another persons hair can be a little creepy (especially in your dinner) but it is also quite special!



Now because we know you like to add to your own collection we would like to offer a lucky reader one of these fabulous bracelets (offered for this week's Must Have), all you have to do is comment below on your feelings towards these Elk Teeth and Mourning Jewelry, would you wear them? which is your favorite? To enter you must be a follower and we would just love you to tweet or Facebook the giveaway too....good luck and we look forward to your feedback about these interesting pieces!

(giveaway winner announced at the close of this coming weekend)

Vintage Auction Closed!

Thanks to everyone who participated. We'll be contacting all the winners shortly. Stay tuned for Amy's Victorian pics later this week!

-WMJ Boutique

Vintage Blog Auction

1. White Resin Beads: 23", 50s-60s costume necklace.
Starting Bid: $30



Hello there!

Well if you like a little vintage you maybe noticed we removed it from the website, we apologize to our customers who enjoyed it, it became difficult to maintain with all the fun changes we have coming up this year so we decided to keep it boutique-only, if you love the vintage we highly recommend you email Cerena on store@wendyminkjewelry.com, she will be including plenty of vintage in her new boutique-based emails so you will see all the new goodies and can always request specific images.


This week we are re-merchandising in the store and making room for some lovely new vintage pieces, so, we decided to have a little blog auction of some great vintage pieces currently residing here, take a look at the starting bid and then place you bid in the comments below, please remember to leave us your email address and remember to check in again to see if you have been outbid! Please note that the HIGHEST amount entered below will be the amount owed for the piece. Hope you enjoy these fine pieces and happy bidding!

p.s. for queries regarding the pieces please email Cerena in the store, note that the bids close on Tuesday the 18th, we will contact the 'winners' shortly after!

WMJ ladies.





2. Nautical Pendant: 18.5" + 1.5" Pendant, '50s costume piece.
Starting bid: $26


3. Gold Graphic Pendant: 15" + 1" Pendant, 70s chain.
Starting Bid $20



4. Silver Lily Pad Necklace: 18.5", unknown origins, maybe 60s-70s.
Starting Bid: $40




5. Gold Tassel Pendant: 22.5" chain + 6.5" Tassel Length, 60s costume fabulous!
Starting Bid $30




6.Turquoise Oval Pendant & Sterling Silver Chain: 25" + 2.8" Pendant Length, 70s layering chain.
Starting Bid $48




7. Silver Indian Necklace: 20", 70s ethnic inspired.
Starting Bid $40



8. Egyptian Scarab Necklace: 26.5" + 5" Scarab & Dangles, 60s Egyptian revival.
Starting Bid $50




9. Floral Resin Necklace: 18.5", unknown origins, maybe 70s, bright and lovely!
(we can add extender chain for extra length)
Starting Bid $25






11. Champagne Necklace: 21.5" &2.5" extender + 2" Tassel 50s-60s costume glitz!
Starting Bid $30




12. Pearl tassel Necklace: 26" Chain + 3.5" Tassel, 50s-60s instant glamor...
Starting Bid $35






13. Amber Beads: $28", 70s chunky statement beads.
Starting Bid $30




14. Fruit Beads: 39", maybe 60s-70s, unknown origin, very fun necklace!
Starting Bid: $18





15. Pharaoh Pendant: 30" Chain + 3" Pendant, 60s Egyptian moment...
Starting Bid $28





15. Turquoise Ribbon Necklace: 31" Ribbon + 2" Pendant, 60s-70s pendant era....
Starting Bid: $30




16. Pearl Layers: 21" + 2.5" Extender Chain, 50s-60s chunky statement layers.
Starting Bid $30





17. Copper Enamel Pendant: 18.5" Chain +1.8" Pendant, 60s copper craze.
Starting Bid $38





18. Enamel Mexican Charm Bracelet: 8", 60s-70s charmed era...
Starting Bid $140




19. Multi Layer Beads: 19" + 3" Extender, 60s-70s layers...
Starting Bid $60

Coat-ure

Happy New Year's from the WMJ Boutique!

If you're like us and are stuck in heavy overcoats, bulky sweaters and jackets at least five months out of year, here's a sure way to brighten your winter wardrobe: the brooch!

We often get ladies asking us how to wear a brooch from our fabulous vintage collection. The brooch is a timeless piece that adds a pop to any blouse, blazer or stuffy overcoat. Check for example this chic Parisian woman featured on the Satorialist:





Here are just a few pieces from our collection:

We love this clip brooch perfect for wrap sweaters or shawls!

Vintage Silver Leaf & Red Berries Clip- $50



This lovely butterfly pin adds a feminine touch to any blouse or light blazer.

David Andersen Norway, Enamel Butterfly- $90




This stunning silver pin can be used on a hat pin or on a heavy overcoat.


Silver Bouquet Pin, $60



Make your outfit more interesting with this Multi-emblem Pin!

Vintage Multi-emblem Pin, $60



Add a bit of dazzle to your emsemble with this unsigned Kenneth Jay Lane snake.
Unsigned K.J.Lane, Snake Charmer Brooch- $180

If you have any questions about these featured pieces please call 212-260-5298 or e-mail store@wendyminkjewelry.com

If you haven't heard already, we're starting a new Boutique exclusive mailing list. Please e-mail cerena@wendyminkjewelry.com if you'd like to be added to our mailing list for newsletters regarding sales, events and vintage from the WMJ Boutique.

We already have a great list building for our new Boutique newsletter and we'd like to know how to make it more interesting for our subscribers. Please comment on any ideas you would like us to feature in our newsletters.

Stay posted for more images of our new Spring collection!

-WMJ Shop Girls