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  <title>Salamander Alley - Under The Leaves</title>
  <updated>2020-06-16T12:54:00-07:00</updated>
  <author>
    <name>Salamander Alley</name>
  </author>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/how-are-lab-created-gemstones-made</id>
    <published>2020-06-16T12:54:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2020-06-16T12:55:01-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/how-are-lab-created-gemstones-made"/>
    <title>How Are Lab Created Gemstones Made?</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/lab-created-gemstones_small.jpg?v=1592336624" style="float: left; margin-right: 5px;">To understand how lab gemstones are created, let us take a quick look of how they are created in nature. There are basically four ways that gemstones are created.</p>
<p style="float: right;">Igneous – These minerals are created deep within the earth, in the mantle. The mantle is where the magma churns below the crust of the earth. With time, thru erosion and mountain building these gemstones are pushed to the surface and are then mined.</p>
<p>Hydrothermal – Super saturated water that contains many different minerals are pushed into cracks and cavities in the earth.  The chemical make-up of the super saturated water determines what type of gemstone will be created. As the water cools, the minerals begin to crystalize.</p>
<p>Metamorphic – Most gemstones are made this way. It is when minerals are forced together under intense pressure and heat, they metamorphose (or change) into different minerals. Different combinations of minerals results in different types of gemstone.</p>
<p>Sedimentary – When water mixes with certain minerals, that mineral rich water seeps down into cracks and cavities in the earth’s crust and deposits layers of minerals.</p>
<p>Whether in a lab or underground, crystal gemstones grow when the right combination of minerals interact under specific conditions. In the lab, scientists have been able to re-create the conditions that produce natural mined gemstones and have even been able to speed up the growth of the crystals.</p>
<p>Whether mined or lab created they will both test the same. So, whether you are looking to buy or to sell a gemstone, assume that it is lab created unless there is a certificate verifying its origins, a gemologist’s report, or providence.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/what-is-etruscan-style-jewelry</id>
    <published>2017-03-14T17:37:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T17:58:36-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/what-is-etruscan-style-jewelry"/>
    <title>What is Etruscan Style Jewelry</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Etruscan art was produced by the Etruscan civilization between the 9th and 2nd centuries B.C. Although there is some confusion as to their history, it is well known that the Phoenicians had a huge impact on the jewelry making techniques that the Etruscians continued to develop.</p>
<p>Etruscan refers to a civilization of ancient Italy.  It's homeland was in the area of central italy, just north of Rome which is today called Tuscany.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/etruscan_wire_work_and_bead_grande.jpg?v=1489537484" alt="Etruscan Revival Gold Wire Work Bracelet" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Etruscan Revival Gold Wire Work Bracelet</em></p>
<p>It is thought that much of the jewelry that was made was made for the afterlife and much of it was never actually worn.  It is thru archeology that we have learned about this civilization that forever changed the world of jewelry.</p>
<p>Influences to the jewelry of the time came from outside the area. Greek influence generated pomegranates, acorns, the lotus flower and palms along with the sculpted head. Egyptian influence can be seen in the use of the scarab, the ancient symbol of luck.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/etruscan_repousse_grande.jpg?v=1489537603" alt="Etruscan Repousse Earrings" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Etruscan Repoussé Earrings. Earrings of the period often covered a good portion of the ear and would travel down along the neck.</em></p>
<p>It was the 1860s that the Etruscan Revival took place patterning their designs and their workmanship off the ancient practices of the Etruscan community. Of course gemstones were used as well as enameling but it is the granulation, the scrolled wire work and the repoussé that really sets this jewelry apart.</p>
<p>Granulation is the art of decorating with tiny gold balls.  Each ball is seperately soldered to the surface of the jewelry piece. This art was developed over 2,000 years ago and during the Etruscan Revival period, it's art was revived.</p>
<p>Repoussé is a French work and translates as 'push out'. The designed is raised on the front by pushing out / hammering from the back. This work can be extremely delicate.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/etruscan_granulation_earrings_grande.jpg?v=1489537773" alt="Etruscan Revival Granulation Earrings" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Etruscan Revival gold earrings with Granulation</em></p>
<p>Filigree / Scrolled Wire Work was a part of the intricate work of the Etruscians and again returned in the Etruscan Revival. Wires of gold and ball were worked to created either an open work design or attaching the design to the surface of the jewelry piece.</p>
<p>Looking back helps us to better understand the skill and history of the jewelry we wear today. Although the Etruscan Revival period was 150 years ago, jewelry still fits within that category to present day.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/how-to-care-for-your-vintage-books</id>
    <published>2017-02-28T21:04:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T17:59:15-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/how-to-care-for-your-vintage-books"/>
    <title>How To Care For Your Vintage Books</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/books_medium.jpg?v=1488320605" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">There was a  time that I believed the best way to preserve a book long term was to place it in a ziplock bag and put it somewhere dark.  I had not researched it or even Googled it, I just assumed. Let me just say….Wrong!<br><br>Books need to “breathe” whether new or old.  When they are locked away, i.e. in a ziplock bag without ample moisture in the air, the natural materials become brittle.  Pages of the book become easily torn and the bindings begin to break down.<br><br>On the other hand, if you don't lock it away and there is too much moisture in the air it will leave the book open to mold. Moisture is an enemy of paper.</p>
<p>Here are some tips to storing your books that will permit them to keep their value as well as preserving them.</p>
<ul>
<li>Do not store in basement or attic. Both these areas have “extremes” such as heat, cold and humidity.</li>
<li>Store them upright making sure that they have support on each side whether that be from other books or a bookend.</li>
<li>If the bookcase has an open back, do not put the bookshelf on an outer wall.  If you have no choice, do not push the book all the way in.  Moisture does come through the wall.  You need some space so that the moisture can dissipate before reaching your books.</li>
<li>Air needs to circulate around your books. Make sure your shelf is high enough to permit air to move over the top of the books. Also, do not pack your books too tightly on the shelf.</li>
<li>Do not have your books in direct sunlight.  Sunlight will bleach the cover of the book.</li>
<li>Do not use an unpainted bookshelf.  It can release damaging acidic vapors. You can line your shelves with acid free board to get around this problem.</li>
<li>If you have books that you are concerned about and want to protect long term, there are archival sleeves or archival boxes that can be purchased.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;">Have questions?  Post a Comment</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/how-long-is-that-vintage-necklace</id>
    <published>2017-02-15T06:18:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:00:51-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/how-long-is-that-vintage-necklace"/>
    <title>How Long Is That Vintage Necklace?</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Shopping online is fast becoming the way many Americans prefer to shop. We skip the mall and sit in our jammies and shop to our hearts' content. As great as this is, sometimes it can prove to be difficult in finding what you are looking for. That problem extends to something as simple as finding a necklace.</p>
<p style="float: left; text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/necklace-lengths_large.jpg?v=1486737130" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Besides referring to the exact length of a necklace, there are names of the different lengths that may be helpful in finding what you are looking for. <br><br><strong>Note</strong> that these length refer to the lengths of single strand necklace.<br><br>The way I remember it is this...<br><br><em><span style="color: #9900ff;"><strong>Choke </strong><span style="color: #000000;">the</span><strong> Princess </strong><span style="color: #000000;">at the</span><strong> Matinee </strong><span style="color: #000000;">performance<strong> </strong>of the</span> <strong>Opera </strong><span style="color: #000000;">with a</span><strong> Rope</strong></span><br><br></em>Choker  - 15"<br><br>Princess - 18"<br><br>Matinee - 20 - 24"<br><br>Opera - 26 - 34"<br><br>Rope - 36" and longer<br><br>Whether you are a buyer or seller of vintage jewelry, knowing and using these names will do two things.<br><br>First as a buyer you will know that the person you are buying from is not just throwing stuff up there to be sold but that they actually know something about vintage jewelry. It provides you with more confidence in the seller.</p>
<p style="float: left; text-align: left;">For the seller it helps you attract those that actually 'know' something about jewelry as well as the layman that searches by inch length. </p>
<hr>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"></h2>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/handpainted-litho-transferware-know-your-ceramics</id>
    <published>2017-02-01T06:26:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:00:32-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/handpainted-litho-transferware-know-your-ceramics"/>
    <title>Handpainted? Litho? Transferware? Know Your Ceramics</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<header class="entry-header" style="text-align: left;">
<p class="entry-title"> Once upon a time dishes were plain. Made from metal, wood, mud, they were Plain Janes. As time passed and one millennium slid into another, society in general continued to want to improve and beautify their surroundings. Ceramics were no exception.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that only the wealthy were able to afford such fine things. The average person did not own or use decorated dishes nor did they have figurines and vases of fine pottery, earthenware, or porcelain. It has only been in modern times that the masses have had the financial where with all to afford fine ceramics.</p>
<p>Ceramics were carved, painted, etched, inked, and fired with a variety of additives, always with the idea in mind to create a thing of beauty. The process was slow, completely by hand and it was not until the 1700s that progress was made in producing large quantities of ceramics for consumer use.</p>
<p>In today’s world as we deal with ceramics from the past there is often some confusion in understand what it is that we have. Is it hand painted? Transferware? A combination of the two? A decal?</p>
<p>Let’s jump in and look at some close-ups and then identify what we are seeing.</p>
<p>First off, check the backside or bottom of the piece. I find it amazing how many people don’t.  Often the information you are seeking is right there – in plain view.</p>
<h3><strong>Handpainted</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Marked<span>: </span></strong>H &amp; C: L, France</p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-51.jpg?v=1485891414" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-5a.jpg?v=1485891403" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></header>
<header class="entry-header" style="text-align: left;">
<p>This particular piece is a Havilland plate from Limoges, France.  I have dated it between 1888 and 1896. As you can see, it is full color, all the way to the edge.  The left photograph is a blow-up of the plate.</p>
<p>At first you may not feel like you are seeing much, but sometimes it is more of what you don’t see that gives you the clues you need. Notice how ‘smooth’ the artwork and specifically the transition between colors.</p>
<p>You do not see dots of any kind. You do not see ‘edges’. What you do see is a combination of edges and of smooth transition – the blend of colors. This look is unattainable in transferware.  It is only with being hand painted that you can have both edges and blending.</p>
<p><span><strong>Marked:</strong>  Noritake. <br></span><span>Handpainted. Made in Japan.</span></p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-2.jpg?v=1485891631" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-2a.jpg?v=1485891635" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></header>
<header class="entry-header" style="text-align: left;">
<p>If you look at a solid demarcation line between two colors such as shown here although the color goes from one to the other, there is no outline.</p>
<p>The demarcation line is soft with the kind of look that a paintbrush would give.</p>
<p>Another point that has to be made about hand painted items is that when painting there are different thicknesses of paint. It’s not solid like a print. When you think about painting a wall with a paintbrush sometimes you have to go back over an area because it is ‘thin’ – it needs more paint.  Same way this hand painted ceramic.</p>
<p>They load their brush and paint, over and over again and although it may be very close to being applied evenly, it’s not a machine and therefore, it is not perfect in its execution. It is what makes hand painted items so desirable for they are truly a creation of the artist.</p>
<h3><strong>Transferware</strong></h3>
<p><strong>Marked<span>: </span></strong>W. Adams &amp; Co. Athens.</p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-1.jpg?v=1485891821" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-1a.jpg?v=1485891825" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></header>
<header class="entry-header" style="text-align: left;">
<p>Most everyone is familiar with flow blue, or at least the name.  It was transferware where the ink was encouraged to bleed into the surrounding area creating a kind of halo effect. Some of the additions added to the kiln during firing that encouraged the ‘flow’ were lime or ammonia.</p>
<p>This particular piece of flow blue was made by W. Adams and Company in 1891.</p>
<p>When looking at the close-up of the design you can actually see the texture of the ceramic itself. Notice that the print is darker on the raised areas so you get this very uneven textured, kind of dot pattern.  It is important to know that the dots have no organization whatsoever; they are completely random and it is obvious that the dots are caused by the uneven surface of the piece.</p>
<p>Also, with transfer ware, there is color and then there is no color.  With the flow blue, because of the bleed effect, the area around the pattern is not white but a blue tinted white. With transferware there are no outlines nor is there any blending of colors, the color just stops.</p>
<p><strong>Marked</strong><span>: Johnson Brothers. Made in England. Dishwasher and microwave safe.</span></p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-4.jpg?v=1485892276" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-4a.jpg?v=1485892311" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"><br>
<p>Let’s compare this transferware to the one Adams plate above. Though still transferware, it is completely different.</p>
<p>One of the things you notice right away is that the ink is more evenly applied to the surface of the ceramic piece. There is no real dot pattern with this piece caused by the unevenness of the piece. It’s all very flat.</p>
<p>One reason is, is that this plate dates to about 1985. Long past the time of using copper and paper and hand transferring the ink. This example is completely machine made, but still transferware.</p>
<p>One thing that is always consistent with transferware if the amount of ink used. Unlike hand painted, the thickness of the paint is pretty exact all the way across the board.  Remember, color just stops.  There are no outlines and there are no outlines.</p>
<h3>Combination Transferware &amp; Hand Painted</h3>
<p><span><strong>Marked:</strong>  Chinese Mark and Made in China</span></p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-8.jpg?v=1485892448" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-8a.jpg?v=1485892455" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"><br>
<p>Interesting enough there is a combination of the two techniques above.  It is a two step process which begins with the application of a design via the transferware process.</p>
<p>It is then hand painted and then glazed. This particular vase is from the early 1980s and from more than a foot away it is stunning.  Only on close inspection can you see that whoever painted this vase had a most difficult time staying within the lines.</p>
<p>Because it is a combination, you will see characteristics from both types. The black ink is definite with no blending and distinctive edges.  The paint you can see is not even.  In fact, in the orange area you can see where the paint is thicker in some areas than others.</p>
<p>This process permitted painters that were not as talented to still produce lovely items that were sold on the market. Kind of the best of both worlds.</p>
<p><strong>Marked:</strong>  None</p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-7.jpg?v=1485892623" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-7a.jpg?v=1485892631" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"><br>
<p>With this particular covered dish, it also is a combination of transferware and being handpainted.</p>
<p>In this instance they did the transferware in pale blue. Not just the outline but everything you see that is that one color of pale blue.</p>
<p>An artist then came in and added texture by using several different colors. It is apparent that the item in handpainted because the darker blue paints are thicker and in some areas you can feel it.</p>
<p>Being that it is a combination, again, it will have traits of both the transferware and hand painting. When comparing this covered dish to the vase above, it is quite obvious that the age and the skill of the craftsman was a much different time period and level of quality.</p>
<h3>Lithograph</h3>
<p><strong>Marks:</strong> Sylvan. English date mark. W. B. &amp; Son. The Haunt of the Snipe. Gilman Collamore &amp; Co. 19 Union Sta. New York. Brownfield’s China.</p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-6.jpg?v=1485892791" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-6a.jpg?v=1485892800" alt=""><br>
<p>This is an interesting plate. Looking close one realizes that most of it is made up of dots. There there is the solid colors that have not dots at all but are smooth.</p>
<p>It is my opinion that this is an antique lithograph print that was embellished with hand painting. (Note that this is my opinion)</p>
<p>This plate is dated to 1875. If this painting was transferred to a copper block for transferware, it would have been done in strokes, not dots. The dots are what lead me to believe that this plate was not printed as transferware.</p>
<p>The lithograph printing process was invented in the late 1700s so it was certainly around. W.B. &amp; Son was Brownfield &amp; Son out of England. They were very successful and employed over 500 people back in the 1800s.</p>
<p><span><strong>Marks:</strong> 1988 (then in Russian)</span></p>
<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-3.jpg?v=1485893347" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ceramic-decoration-3a.jpg?v=1485893350" style="margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"><br>
<p>This is a modern day collector’s plate that I believe is a lithograph print. Beautifully done, you can see the perfect pattern.</p>
<p>Still collectible being over 20 years old but the technology used to produce this plate is much different than the prior examples. This would be considered a modern piece.</p>
<p>More study needs to be done on the different processes used to create these works of art but having a base knowledge of knowing what you are looking at will help you determine quality.</p>
<p>Whether you collect or you sell, understanding the processes will serve you well. Do you have a favorite process?  Share it!</p>
<p> </p>
</header>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/types-of-vintage-round-stones</id>
    <published>2017-01-22T19:20:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:02:52-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/types-of-vintage-round-stones"/>
    <title>Types of Vintage Round Stones</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Getting into the realm of stones and gemstones is a huge subject so I decided to take just one part of it at a time. So, today, let’s look at round stones. By identifying the cut, it can provide some useful information for dating and for determining value.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/chaton_large.jpg?v=1484180433" alt="Chaton stone cut" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p>The simplest stone is the Chaton. It is an 8 sided faceted stone with a flat table and a pointed pavillion. If you look closely at any of your rhinestone jewelry that has round stones, almost all of them will use the Chaton stone.</p>
<p>Chaton stones came in literally every color including those used with the Aurora Borealis coating. They are the most common stone for vintage jewelry.</p>
<p>As you study your piece what makes a Chaton stone stand out a bit is whether it is glued in or prong set. Being prong set automatically sets it in a higher category than glued in. It is much more time intensive. The higher end lines almost always prong set their stones, regardless of size.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/dentelle_stone_large.jpg?v=1484180438" alt="Dentelle stone"></p>
<p>A step up from the Chaton is the Dentelle Stone. The name is french meaning ‘lace’. Notice that unlike the Chaton, it has two rows of facets above the girdle.</p>
<p>In this particular drawing, the stone has 32 facets.  24 are above the girdle and 8 are below it. The Dentelle stone is also cut with 64 facets.</p>
<p>Because of the additional facets to the stone, Dentelle stones do provide more reflection and refraction thereby giving the stone much more sparkle than a Chaton.</p>
<p>When pricing, give a higher consideration to Dentelle stones.  Although it is not something I specifically researched but would imagine that most of these stones are prong set.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/rivoli_stone_large.jpg?v=1484180444" alt=""></p>
<p>The Rivoli Stone is easily recognizable. Both sides are pointed. Vintage Rivoli stones were made by Swarovski and began to be used in costume jewelry some time in the mid 1950s.</p>
<p>There really is no table to these stones, just a girdle and main facets on each side. Because of the cut, these stones have a lot fire to them whether they are a single color or bi color.</p>
<p>They are usually foiled on the backside although not always and are usually prong set. Of course there are exceptions to every rule of thumb.</p>
<p>Don’t mix Rivoli stones up with reverse set rhinestones that was sometimes done. Rivoli always has the point on both sides. Each side replicates the other so even the depth of the crowns will be the same.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/rose_cut_large.jpg?v=1484180447" alt="Rose cut stone"></p>
<p>The Rose Cut is made up of the crown and girdle with no pavillion. The crown is pointed, without a table and the facets are triangles. There are 24 facets to a full cut rose.</p>
<p>These were not known to be high end stones. In fact the Rose Cut was used on the leftovers. Normally these stones are foiled on the backside to improve light refraction and to add more depth and sparkle to the stone.</p>
<p>That being said though, the Rose Cut is old and combine that with the setting, you may discover that you have a piece of jewelry that is quite old.</p>
<p>Don’t just use the cut of the stone as a dating mechanism. Combine the clues of the cut with the setting to determine a date.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/old_mine_cut_large.jpg?v=1484180441" alt="Mine cut"></p>
<p>Last but certainly not least is the Old Mine Cut. This particular cut was used for diamonds.</p>
<p>It seems to have first appeared in the late 1600s. The cut has been attributed to a Polish jeweler named Vincent Perruzi.</p>
<p>Basically what he did was take an example of an older cut and increased the number of facets.The more facets, the more refraction there is…in other words…there is much more brilliance to the stone.</p>
<p>Later this Old Mine Cut was replaced with the brilliant cut.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century-part-iii</id>
    <published>2017-01-15T20:30:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:03:17-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century-part-iii"/>
    <title>Kitchens of the Twentieth Century - Part III</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>KITCHENS OF THE 1970s, 80s, and 90s </strong></h3>
<p><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1970s_kitchen_avacado_appliances_medium.jpg?v=1484321068" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">As we marched into the 1970s all hell broke loose in the kitchen. Overnight kitchens seemed to go from soft, pleasant colors to loud and overbearing.</p>
<p>As I looked thru photos of kitchen there was one comment that truly hit home.  It said, "Who doesn't want their appliances matching their dress?"</p>
<p>The latest kitchens of the 1960s seems to have begun leaning towards the darker wood cabinets with lots of them, both upper and lower. I suppose the color gods thought it too dark and what the kitchen really needed was avocado green and harvest yellow to brighten up our lives.</p>
<p>Don't forget, your coffee pot and pots and pans were the same colors! Add to that wallpaper and paint that splashed not only those colors but burnt orange and purple across the room.  The kitchen was a wild ride.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1980s_kitchen_medium.jpg?v=1484510125" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Enter the 1980s and the kitchen seemed to change overnight.  I think it dawned on someone, somewhere, that the 21st century was fast coming their way and the kitchen began to reflect a more streamlined and modern look.  Of course, there were still the hideous colors in appliances hanging around but the kitchen began to become rather bland.<br><br>Note the track lighting and the microwave on the counter.  Counters became full with all sorts of gadgets. The clutter was at times endless. The 1980s kitchen was confused...it held onto so many things of the past while trying to enter the future, with little success. Although there are those that delight in the 1980s kitchen, there is a much larger audience that shudders, "oh the horror".</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1990s_kitchen_medium.jpg?v=1484525218" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The 1990s was that magical decade before the turn of the century. It was the years when the internet truly blew onto the scene and mobile phones truly took hold.  The American kitchen also experienced huge changes.<br><br>The 1990s saw the birth of the McMansion and the size of the kitchen grew exponentially. No longer was it just for breakfast and lunch for the family but it became a full blown social gathering place for friends and family. Gone also were the doorways to the kitchen.  </p>
<p><br><br>The 20th Century shows drastic changes in the kitchen.  From a small boxed in room meant only for cooking to an open air entertainment center of the home, it has changed the way we think about food, the way we interact, and the basic way we live.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/demuth-shoes-history-untangled</id>
    <published>2017-01-12T09:45:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:08:14-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/demuth-shoes-history-untangled"/>
    <title>DeMuth Shoes History Untangled</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/figural_shoe_knife_demuths_shoes_medium.jpg?v=1484066581" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">This small figural pocket knife was a mystery. It measures just 2" long. The exterior is mother of pearl and it is stamped with De Muth's Shoes.</p>
<p>There were two things to go on... De Muth's Shoes and Morley &amp; Sons, Germany. And so the hunt began...</p>
<p><span>Benjamin Franklin DeMuth was born in Uhrichsville Ohio in 1852. After leaving school in 1868, his career was devoted to the shoe business.  He began that career at a store in Millersburg, Ohio.</span></p>
<p><span>It was 1886, when DeMuth founded DeMuth and Company Shoes, a retail outlet in Chicago, Illinois.</span></p>
<p><span>Most of this information came from the Boot and Shoe Recorder. A letterhead dated 1901 was located and advertisements were found from 1909 as well.  No information could be found after 1911.  </span></p>
<p><span>Does that date this advertising piece to be pre-1911?</span></p>
<p>Possibly but further research was needed and the focus turned to Morley &amp; Sons which ended up providing a window of manufacturing.</p>
<p>WH Morley &amp; Sons was an importer who imported knives from Germany and Austria. Although they were a part of Adolph Kaster and Brothers, they closed in 1927.</p>
<p>This means two things...DeMuth Shoes was in operation as late as 1927, AND this advertising piece is pre-1927.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century-part-ii</id>
    <published>2017-01-09T04:35:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:06:53-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century-part-ii"/>
    <title>Kitchens of the Twentieth Century - Part II</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>KITCHENS OF THE 1940s, 50s, and 60s</strong></h3>
<p>As we near the middle of the twentieth century, the kitchen stays on the same path it began in the 1930s.  The kitchen was not only a place to cook, it was a place to socialize for the family. With this new role, it also looked to the importance of design and color to make it welcoming.  The new kitchen also added more light, storage and work places.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1947_kitchen_medium.jpg?v=1483417285" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">The one thing that truly jumps out as we move thru the 1940s is the number of appliances.  Where once was small countertop space, those larger spaces now hold the appliances.  These are left out on the counters to be admired by all.<br><br>Dated 1947, notice the coffee pot on the stove, the mix master and the canisters. Also notice the colors and how everything works together.<br><br>The eating nook has been retained and worked into the over all design of the kitchen providing the family a place to eat and socialize. The kitchen is also sporting colored counter tops.  This room is finished top to bottom.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1950s_kitchen_medium.jpg?v=1483417715" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The 1950s kitchen brought even more change.  A man in the kitchen?  Oh my!  Built in nooks to hold 'stuff'?  Oh no! <br><br>Huge changes were once again coming to the kitchen. All of a sudden kitchens did not only serve their purpose of meal preparation, it had become a showcase to show off your lovely things. With added shelves and higher ceilings, many places were added specifically for display.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1950s_kitchen_accessories_medium.jpg?v=1483419117" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The kitchen also was becoming 'modern' with conveniences like society had never known.  Gadgets and gizmos all designed to fit into this ultra modern design scape. The slider to an outside patio became a must have for any modern kitchen with open, larger windows.  Lowered cabinets with higher ceilings gave the woman of the house a chance to show her good taste.<br><br>Notice the ad with all the coordinated kitchen gadgets. It was no longer just about the kitchen but about designing and decorating this once utilitarian room.  It became important for everything to match and be bright and cherry.<br><br>As we breeze into the 1960s, the kitchen was once again racing into the future as television began to quickly change our view of the kitchen.  How can we forget the kitchen from Bewitched or the Brady Bunch, Dick Van Dyke or I Dream of Jeannie? With peaks into their kitchens, our own kitchens transformed.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/kitchen_laundry_1960s_betwitched_set_medium.jpg?v=1483885510" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">It was modern and bright. It had a table and it had a laundry area.  No longer relegated to the basement or some dark corner of the house, it became the rage of convenience to have the washer and dryer tucked away in the corner of the kitchen.<br><br>This photo is from the set of Bewitched and it made American long for the convenience of this added luxury of convenience.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1960s_kitchen_medium.jpg?v=1483925248" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The 1960s kitchen also brought a few other major changes.  One was the countertop stove with the inset oven. Very modern and chic.<br><br>Secondly was the trend of providing a place for the lady of the house to take phone calls, makes notes and lists, and maybe write a personal note or two. A place from which she could run the household. This room, had become her domain, in more ways than one.<br><br>The kitchen will continue to change as it marches toward the 21st century.  Next week we will explore the 70s thru the 90s.<br><br><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century-part-iii" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read Part II →</a></p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century</id>
    <published>2016-12-19T07:01:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:04:21-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century"/>
    <title>Kitchens of the Twentieth Century - Part I</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<h3 style="text-align: center;">KITCHENS OF THE 1910's, 20s, &amp; 30s</h3>
<p>With spending all this extra time in the kitchen with the holidays I began to think about how the kitchen has changed over the years.  I decided to look back over the 20th Century and how things have evolved.</p>
<p>In this first of a 3 part series, we will be looking at kitchens from 1900 thru the 1930s. Part 2 will be focused on kitchens from the 1940s thru the 60's with Part 3 featuring kitchens from the 70's to the end of the century.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="1906 kitchen" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1906_kitcen_medium.jpg?v=1482072638" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">It seems that at the beginning of the century the kitchen was filled with individual components such as cabinets, shelves, appliances, etc. As a general rule the pieces did not coordinate together nor fit together. It was a utilitarian room focused on its function, not its fashion.<br><br>Remember, it was not until the 1920s in the United States when electric stoves became more mainstream. Prior to that, availability of electricity, poor temperature regulation and the short life of the heating elements. Thus most homes in the first two decades has a coal and wood burning stove.</p>
<p><img alt="1920s all in one cabinet" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1920s_1930s_kitchen_cabinet_all_in_one_medium.jpg?v=1482071239" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">This all in one cabinet was a hot commodity in the early 20s because it combined many of the things used on a daily basis in one place. It combined the countertop with cabinets above and below.  Certainly a forerunner to what we now have in our kitchens.</p>
<p>We often look at old kitchens with nostalgia but take a quick look at the top cabinet....you could not open a door unless the counter was clear.  </p>
<p>As just a thought, maybe this basic early design is the reasoning for taking everything out of the cupboards before starting to bake. This was the rule of thumb - gather everything. 100 years ago you would not be working on that counter and then needing something in the cupboard.  Pre-planning was necessary.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="1924 kitchen maid cabinets" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1924_kitchen_made_cabinetry_ad_medium.jpg?v=1482073311" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">This is from an ad in 1924 featuring an integrated cabinet and counter system. It seems they had the same idea as the all in one of earlier years. They combined ice box, ironing board, counter, spice storage and more.<br><br>Early kitchen included a table but that table originally was to work on, not to eat at. Thus the sideboard counters were small with very little work space.<br><br>By the 1930s, things began to seriously modernize. Although it appeared that 'coordinating' your kitchen components began, it was in the 30's that the push was on. Design now became important to this room that began as nothing more than a workroom for preparing meals.<br><br><img alt="1930s kitchen cabinetry" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1930s_kitchen_library_of_congress_medium.jpg?v=1482074626" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Notice that all of a sudden cabinets are no longer free-standing but integrated. There is no longer a mish mash of components but everything is coming together with 'installed' cabinets both above and below more ample counter space.<br><br>Notice also that the 'clutter' is gone.  Everything had a place and everything was put in its place.  <br><br>Kitchens were fast becoming light and airy places and new to the 40s was a coordinated seating area and countertop space all of a sudden was huge in comparison to the previous decades.<br><br><img alt="1930s kitchen" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1930s_kitchen_medium.jpg?v=1482075553" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The other very noticeable comparison to previous decades was the fact that these rooms were decorated.  Drapes were on the windows and color was added to walls and cupboards. The whole look of the kitchen was becoming coordinated.  <br><br>In this 1930s kitchen we can see again there is a place to eat in the kitchen, the stove and sink are incorporated right into the counter and there are top cabinets. <br><br>The kitchen was fast becoming a social place where family gathered and ate their meals. The dining room had become a place for dinner while the more informal feel of the kitchen offered a place for the other meals of the day.<br><br>Do you have a early 20th century kitchen? What do you love about it and what drives you a bit batty?<br><br>Next week we will focus on kitchens from the 1940s thru the 1960s. <a href="http://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/kitchens-of-the-twentieth-century-part-ii">Read Part II →</a></p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/history-of-the-scarf</id>
    <published>2016-12-12T05:44:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:10:03-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/history-of-the-scarf"/>
    <title>History of the Scarf</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/scarf_medium.jpg?v=1481549960" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">In today’s world of fashion, most people buy off the rack. In order to develop our own style we pair clothing pieces together to create that statement. On top of that we add certain things to our wardrobe that accent an outfit that makes it personally our own. <br><br>These items include jewelry, shoes, handbags and maybe most importantly, the scarf. <br><br>Of course the scarf has been around for thousands of years but in the last 200 years its purpose has been changing and today it has become a fixture to the way we dress. Let’s take a quick look back in time at the interesting history of the scarf.</p>
<p style="float: left;">Enter Nefertiti in 1330 BC. Her name alone brings to mind beauty. As her names translates, “the beautiful one has come”, she is held in high esteem. There are many depictions of the queen, both in drawings and statues. In one particular one from about 1350 BC, it appears she is wearing a long contrasting scarf over her shoulder that falls in two long streamers down the gown. This is, to my knowledge, the first use of a scarf.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/terra_cotta_army_scarf_medium.jpg?v=1481549717" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The scarf does not seem to appear again in history for several hundred years where we find it being worn in 230 BC. The warriors of the Chinese Emperor Cheng wore scarves made of cloth to identify their rank within the Chinese army.<br><br>The scarf shows up again in 10 AD in Rome where the kerchief was made of linen and simply tied around the neck or waist. These “sudarium” were used as sweat cloths.<br><br>In the 1700s, the French wore colorful scarves and called them ‘cravats’. It became a popular way of making a political statement by demonstrating political support dependant on the color of one’s ‘scarf’.<br><br>In the 1800s as Queen Victoria comes to the throne in England, she popularizes fanciful accessories such as the scarf. They became an aid to identifying ‘class’.<br><br>Hermès, a French ready-to-wear retailer opens in 1837. They became famous for their graphic silk scarves.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/red_cross_knitting_medium.jpg?v=1481549722" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The knitting of scarves becomes a patriotic duty during World War I. “Knit for Sammie!” became the rallying cry of American Red Cross knitters. American soldiers were called Sammies, short for Uncle Sam. Of course their first order of business was socks but mufflers (scarves) were also called for.<br><br>As the years marched on and scarf production increased and cheaper fabrics were found, the scarf became an indulgence of the masses. The 20th Century saw its popularity soar and the scarf became a common accessory for both men and women.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/bagley-glass</id>
    <published>2016-12-05T06:08:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:02:00-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/bagley-glass"/>
    <title>Bagley Glass</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>It was 1871, when William Bagley and John Wild founded Bagley, Wild and Company in Knottingley, Yorkshire England. It's roots were in glass bottle making.<br><br>In 1912, Bagley Glass branched out and began to make lead crystal and pressed glassware for the home and quickly became one of the United Kingdom's most successful glass companies. In fact, it was the leading glass producer up until its close in 1979.</p>
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<blockquote>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">The Rutland pattern began in the late 1930s. The vanity set cam in  in blue, green, amber, pink, and white.</h3>
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<hr>
Bagley's lead crystal line was only made for two years. They made the blanks in-house and then jobbed the design and cutting to an outside company. The pressed glass designs became Bagley's mainstay for the next 65 years.<br><br>In the early 1930s Bagley introduced Crystaltynt which was basically colored glass. Main colors were blue, green, pink and amber. They experimented with both clear and frosted, or matte glass.<br><br>Also in the 30s chrome stands, clock mechanisms and lamp fittings were added to the glass products. Bagley's product line expanded with a focus not only on Art Deco design but also production of older, successful lines.
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<td> <img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/aqua_blue_bagley_glass_pedestal_compote_ruffled_silver_base_katherine_medium.jpg?v=1480918641" alt="blue Katherine compote">
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<blockquote>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">1930's Pattern called Katherine. Mostly made vases, bowls, and plates. Often with chrome bases.</h3>
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<p><br><br>Bagley Glass customer was the middle class consumer. Their manufacturing techniques were not top of the line...was not fine glassware....just good solid glassware for the masses.</p>
<p>It was in 1975 that Bagley Glass closed their doors.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/vintage-glass-keywords</id>
    <published>2016-11-14T05:36:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:17:36-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/vintage-glass-keywords"/>
    <title>Vintage Glass Keywords</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Whether you are looking to buy, sell, or just identify a piece of glass inherited from grandma, sometimes it can be a challenge. If you do not have much experience with glass, the first place to begin is knowing different terms that can help you.</p>
<p>Remember, if you are using the net to identify a piece, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Once you think you have the maker, Google it and see if you can find your piece listed.  In other words, don't assume everything you find to be correct.</p>
<p>Let's begin with some basic terms that can help you in your search...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>CARNIVAL GLASS<br></strong>An iridescent finish applied to the surface of colored pressed glass</p>
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<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/carnival_glass_2.jpg?v=1478916123" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/carnival_glass_1.jpg?v=1478916080" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
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<p><strong>COMPOTE</strong><br><span>a bowl of glass, porcelain, or metal usually with a base and stem from which compotes, fruits, nuts, or sweets are served<br></span></p>
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<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="porcelain compote" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/compote_2.jpg?v=1478999139" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="amber compote" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/compote_1.jpg?v=1478999135" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
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<p><strong>EMBOSSED</strong><br>Raised pattern associated with pressed glass</p>
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<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="vintage embossed pink glass" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/embossed_2.jpg?v=1478994195" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="vintage embossed floral blue glass" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/embossed_1_large.jpg?v=1478994190" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>FOOTED</strong><br>Can refer to an item with individual 'feet' or a pedestal</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="Footed glass bowl" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/footed_2.jpg?v=1478996913" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="footed pedestal bowl" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/footed_1.jpg?v=1478996917" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>FROSTED</strong><br>A frosted white finish is achieved by sandblasting or chemically etching the surface of the glass. Although originally the term did not refer to colors, many people today also refer to it as being frosted.  Used loosely but when searching, don't overlook it.</p>
<table style="width: 71.2945%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="Lalique frosted glass" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/frosted_2.jpg?v=1478995659" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="Orange frosted drinkware" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/frosted_1.jpg?v=1478995654" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>HANDKERCHIEF</strong><br>When blown glass is still hot it can be pulled and results in what looks like a handkerchief.  </p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="Handkerchief bowl" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/handkerchief_1.jpg?v=1478996488" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="vintage handkerchief bowl" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/handkerchief_2.jpg?v=1478996485" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>HOBNAIL</strong><br>Conical bumps in a tight organized pattern</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="White milk glass hobnail" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/hobnail_1.jpg?v=1478996821" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="aqua hobnail salt and pepper" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/hobnail_2.jpg?v=1478996824" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>MILK GLASS</strong><br>Refers to white glass</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="milk glass seasoning bottles" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/milkglass_2.jpg?v=1478997145" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="milk glass pitcher" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/milkglass_1.jpg?v=1478997141" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>OPTIC GLASS</strong><br>Blown glass is in a patterned variation of thickness to create a pattern.  The differences in thickness can be felt.  The surface of the glass feels flat but by placing a finger on both sides of the glass you can feel the variations in thickness.</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="green quilted optic glass" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/optic_2.jpg?v=1478997328" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="amber swirled ribbed compote" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/optic_1_large.jpg?v=1478997332" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>PANELED</strong><br>Flat panels of glass which often make a hexagon or octagon shape but can also be used to make a multi panel item. These can stretch vertically either in part or total height.</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="milk glass panel glass pitcher" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/panel_1.jpg?v=1478997757" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/panel_2_large.jpg?v=1478997760" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>RIBBED</strong><br>This can be used to describe some optic glass but it refers to any piece whose lines create a vertical or horizontal ribbing effect</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 214.552px;">
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left; height: 214.552px;"><img alt="Ribbed Glass" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ribbed_1.jpg?v=1478998157" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left; height: 214.552px;"><img alt="wide ribbed glass cake plate" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/ribbed_2.jpg?v=1478998160" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>SCALLOPED</strong><br>Convex rounded projections around the edge of an item</p>
<table style="width: 71.6574%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="scalloped white milk glass plate" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/scalloped_1.jpg?v=1478998514" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;"><img alt="blue scalloped compote" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/scalloped_2.jpg?v=1478998516" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/re-purposing-vintage-suitcase-ideas</id>
    <published>2016-11-07T04:25:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:18:17-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/re-purposing-vintage-suitcase-ideas"/>
    <title>RePurposing Vintage Suitcases</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/black_and_white_suitcase_stack_medium.jpg?v=1477710279" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">There are some exceptionally gifted people out there that can take an item meant for one use and recreated it into something entriely different. Take suitcases, for example.<br><br>Here are four ideas for repurposing vintage luggage.  Each ideahas endless creative options. <br><br>I take NO credit for any of these ideas only with pulling the ideas together. </p>
<hr>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/suitcase_hall_table.jpg?v=1477710465" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: none;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.starsforstreetlights.com//how-to-make-a-suitcase-table/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Make a Suitcase Table</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/shelf_storage_large.jpg?v=1477747488" alt=""></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Unique Wall Storage</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/suitcase_shelves_large.jpg?v=1477711204" alt=""></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://redhenhome.blogspot.com/2011/10/making-entrance.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Travel Themed Shelves</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/stacked_suitcases_large.jpg?v=1477711377" alt=""></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Stack Those Suitcases Going From Big to Small</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If this has sparked your interest, poking around on Pinterest is a great place to start.  Here are a couple of boards you can start with...</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mosmith0781/repurpose-luggagesuitcasetrunks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.pinterest.com/mosmith0781/repurpose-luggagesuitcasetrunks/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/tanyaspurses/repurpose-luggage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.pinterest.com/tanyaspurses/repurpose-luggage/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Have you repurposed old luggage?  Share your experience.</strong></p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/1920s-egyptian-revival-fashion</id>
    <published>2016-10-31T06:48:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:20:38-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/1920s-egyptian-revival-fashion"/>
    <title>1920s Egyptian Revival Fashion</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/scarab_brooch_medium.jpg?v=1477919463" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Although not the first time in history when the west was consumed with all things Egyptian, it was the 1920s where this love of Egyptian history was most intense.<br><br>It all has to do with the discovery of King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In 1922, Howard Carter entered the interior chambers of the tomb.<br><br>King Tut's tomb contained some of the most complete examples of ancient Egyptian style. Of course the most incredible thing found was a stone sarcophagus containing three coffins nested within each other. Inside the final coffin, which was made out of solid gold, was the mummy of the boy-king Tutankhamen, preserved for more than 3,000 years. This 'find' was to become a ‘movement’ within the world or art, fashion, and architecture as the images of the artifacts swept the world.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/egyptian_revival_in_print.jpg?v=1477919514" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><br><br>The American fashion shows of 1923 in were filled with Egyptian inspired garments. Silk merchants saw a typically slow period improve. Silk company Cheney Brothers sent one of their designers to Egypt for inspiration, and designers from other companies went to the Metropolitan Museum for ideas.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/egyptian_revival_fashion.jpg?v=1477919568" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p>The 1925, International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris featured clothes that used Egyptian patterns to influence geometric shapes and simple, basic lines. Colors came in shades like Nile green. There were ancient Egyptian patterns on handbags, cigarette holders, and jewelry. Images of sphinxes, lotuses, camels, and palm trees could be found in stores across the country. Fashionable women wore headpieces.</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/cuff_bracelet_handbag_large.jpg?v=1477919562" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p>Scarab-shaped jewelry mimicked Egyptian jewelry, and the trend influenced jewelers like Boivin, Lalique, Van Cleef &amp; Arpels, Tiffany, and Cartier. Cartier used striking, bright precious and semi-precious stones like emeralds and lapis lazuli on some of its designs. (courtesy History Masquerade)</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/egyptian_revival_jewelry.jpg?v=1477919624" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><br><br>Of course the designs of the day were not necessarily historically accurate, but that didn’t matter and it became one of the most easily recognizable periods of the 20th Century.</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/quick-history-of-the-cruet-set</id>
    <published>2016-10-24T06:21:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:21:13-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/quick-history-of-the-cruet-set"/>
    <title>Quick History of the Cruet Set</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/english_cruet_set.jpg?v=1477232951" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/large_american_cruet_set_b29c5311-f35d-4539-bf83-edaa2d3b65ad.jpg?v=1477315239" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Introduced in the late 1600s, cruet sets were originally known as castors or castor sets. <br><br>In the days before the formal cruet set, historically these types of single vessels were used to hold sugar, salt, and pepper.  Diners would 'cast' or shake the contents on their food.  <br><br>The castor / cruet set was a more formal  set up for flavoring food at the table. What once were just separate containers that held what had been a more casual act of flavoring food became a much more formal affair. <br><br>The cruet set was made up of glass bottles that were created specifically to hold vinegar and oil followed by silver and glass lids and tops that would hold pepper along with other condiments and flavorings.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/childs_play_cruet_set_706f545b-cb87-45cd-b3b7-ee20c5ab9e67.jpg?v=1477234582" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The popularity of the cruet set saw an explosion in the 1800s with more intricate designs. The central stand style that is familiar to many was created in the 1800s. It was made up of a central "tree" with a tray with holes that held six or seven matching bottles with a top central handle. This very formal design suited the Victorian table perfectly.<br><br>The mid 1800s saw the concept make its way across the pond to American.  Pressed glass and silverplate brought the cost to within reach of the middle class market and they ate it up.<br><br>Many of the companies that produced full size castor sets also produced the sets in miniature to be sold as toys such as the one pictured here. Remains of these small castor sets were found at the site of the boston and Sandwich Glass Company which dates miniature castor sets to 1870-1897.<br><br>The modern cruet set is still in use today and although it has changed from the ornate centerpiece of a 100 years ago, it is still a vital part of the dining table.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Sources</em><br><em>Chicago Tribune; 2000; Leslie Hindman</em><br><em> 2016 Beverley Byer<br>Toy Glass; 1989; Doris Anderson Lechler</em></p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/what-is-siam-sterling-jewelry</id>
    <published>2016-10-10T04:59:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:24:34-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/what-is-siam-sterling-jewelry"/>
    <title>The Mystery That is Siam Sterling Jewelry</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/siam_sterling_niello_bracelet_barrel_link_medium.jpg?v=1476055060" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Let me preface this article with a bit about my expertise. I fell in love with this jewelry about six years ago and about four years ago my husband and I decided that we should write a book on it. There are two books on the subject and we felt that although they made a good start, much of the information is missing and some of it is incorrect.<br><br>Since then thousands of hours have been spent on this endeavor.  We own over 2,200 pieces, each studied, categorized, dated, and cataloged. I found and read the Ramakien story of Rama and Sita. I also found and read the child's fairy tale of Mekhala and Ramasoon. I have studied the figures and designs, the hardware, and the workmanship. I have found and purchased travel books, salesman price lists, and read trade magazines, all searching for clues to this jewelry that embraces a mystical world of a very old story...</p>
<p style="float: left;"><em>It is a time of gods and men and the games they played on the earth below. It is a time of spells and curses, warriors and lovers, victory and loss, and the fight to defeat the ultimate enemy. It is a time of epic battles, great sorrows, ultimate hope, and a love that overcame all. It is the story of Rama and Sita of the Ramakien of Thailand…</em></p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p>There are many mysteries left but before I get sidetracked...let's get to the most common questions...</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/siam_sterling_niello_earrings.jpg?v=1476055024" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p><strong>WHAT IS IT</strong></p>
<p>Siam sterling jewelry is sterling silver jewelry made in Thailand and depicts the characters of mythology and from the Ramakien (the Thailand national story) as well as the story of <a href="http://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/42362755-mekhala-and-ramasoon-the-story-of-lightning-and-thunder" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mekhala and Ramasoon</a>. It was manufactured with two different combinations - Sterling / Niello and Sterling / Enamel. For our purposes here, I will be focusing on Niello.</p>
<p><strong>WHAT IS NIELLO</strong></p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/siam_sterling_silver_wide_cuff_bracelet_medium.jpg?v=1476055261" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">It is the black part of the Siam Sterling jewelry and can be confused with Damascene. Niello is made from silver, copper, sulphur, lead and ammonium chloride. It is applied while Damascene is not.<br><br>Damascene is the art of inlaying one metal into another with the black base usually being a black oxidized steel.<br><br><strong>WHEN WAS SIAM STERLING JEWELRY MADE</strong><br><br>It was made from approximately 1926 until 1989.  I know, not what a lot of people think when they see the word 'Siam', falsely thinking that this name dates the piece.</p>
<p>What differentiates the pieces is by how they are marked.  Here is a general guideline for marks:</p>
<p>No markings - 1926 - 1935<br>Sterling - 1926 - 1946<br>Siam Silver - late 1940s<br>Handmade in Siam - Early 1950s<br>Made in Siam - 1940s<br>Siam Sterling - Early 1950s - mid 1960s<br>Sterling Thailand - 1965 to present</p>
<p>The bulk of the jewelry made has been made since 1965. </p>
<p><strong>IS IT ALL HAND ENGRAVED</strong></p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/thai_nakon_necklace_medium.jpg?v=1476056012" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">No.  Some is hand engraved while some is stamped and in a few VERY rare cases, it was cast. Often it is a mixture of stamped sterling and finishing touches are hand done.  <br><br>Take a 10x loupe and view the indentations of the design inside the Niello area. If it is hand carved the deepest part of the line will be sharp, not rounded.  Check more than one line. <br><br>Often the piece is stamped and then the open work edge is finished off (enhanced) by hand. The most common pieces are stamped.</p>
<p><strong>WHAT'S IT WORTH</strong></p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/thai_nakon_siam_sterling_niello_bracelet_medium.jpg?v=1476056136" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">That is a loaded question and it depends on what you have.  If you have one of the small lightweight link bracelets marked Siam Sterling...not much.  If you have a small narrow bracelet marked Sena...then you have something.<br><br>Obviously all the jewelry has worth dependent upon the price of silver.  What adds worth above and beyond the silver is the design, the workmanship, the rarity, and how it is marked. </p>
<p>These are my favorite makers and I'm willing to pay more for these names...</p>
<p>Thai Nakon<br>Margrett<br>Sena<br>Alex &amp; Co<br>Yap Kui Kee<br>Ratanabha<br>Amfarco</p>
<p style="float: left;">One more comment on worth - that is suites (sets).  These are rare and expect to pay well for them.  Most of the jewelry made was made to be sold as individual pieces.<br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/thye_yak_sterling_silver_niello_fan_brooch_medium.jpg?v=1476056474" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">So, to wrap things up, I'm sure this is not all the questions people have.  This was just a quickie, to give some insight. So what do you do if you have more questions?  Well that part is easy.<br><br>Post your questions about Siam Sterling jewelry in the response area and I will see about giving you some direction.  This should be fun - especially when this is one of my favorite subjects.  </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/napkin-rings-did-not-come-in-matched-sets</id>
    <published>2016-10-09T22:52:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:25:38-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/napkin-rings-did-not-come-in-matched-sets"/>
    <title>Napkin Rings Did Not Come In Matched Sets</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">I<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/assorted_sterling_and_silverplate_napkin_rings_medium.jpg?v=1475367590" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">n today's world we buy napkin rings as an adornment. We roll them, we fan them, we make fancy with these rings with the focus being on presentation of the dinner table.  Oh, how times have changed.<br><br>Napkin rings were originally not sold in sets.  Each one was unique and in fact, people owned their own.  According to an article by Anita Gold from the Chicago Tribune, in 1987, in the Ocala Star Banner, relates that the napkin ring was a personal item for keeping napkins separated from the rest.<br><br>Each member of the household had their own napkin ring with each being unique. The napkin was rolled up and placed in the ring after each meal and then washed with the weekly wash. It was more of a ‘sanitary device to save each person’s napkin so it could be used several times’.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>The napkin ring was originally known as a Serviette Ring, its origins are thought to be in France in the early 1800s.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>According to the 1885 Housewife’s Library, by George A Pelth, unless ‘the washing would thereby become crushingly heavy, the better way is to wash every napkin after one using. Dispense with the napkin-ring. It does guarantee to a man his own soiled linen; but it is far better to give him clean linen'.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In other words, the rule of thumb was - don’t use the napkin ring unless it would make ‘wash day’ crushingly heavy. What a total different perspective than today!</p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/buying-selling-native-american-artifacts</id>
    <published>2016-10-02T19:55:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:25:59-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/buying-selling-native-american-artifacts"/>
    <title>Buying &amp; Selling Native American Artifacts</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/early_Native_American_pottery_medium.jpg?v=1475366906" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Native American collectibles range from arrowheads to pottery to jewelry and it freely passes from sellers to buyers across the globe.  There are though certain items that are illegal to sell or buy.  Those items directly relate to individuals retrieving items from ANY federal land.<br><br>This includes national forest, parks or any BLM land. The only exception is those that have applied for and received a permit to do so. And remember, someone who has a permit can also provide proper paperwork.  </p>
<p>In 1990, the <span>Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Federal law, was instituted.  This not only provided a way to repatriate items back to the Native American tribes, it also prohibited the ownership of certain cultural items.</span></p>
<p><span>These items include human remains, funeral objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural ritual. Some items such as burial pots and textiles are often sought after.  These items are illegal for anyone that is not Native American to own.</span></p>
<p><span>Beware of items that appear to have been buried and obtain documentation from the seller. In other words, cover your backside.  For antique Native American artifacts, the rule of thumb should be...No paperwork - No sale.</span></p>
<p><span>Remember though that there is a wide range of newer and legal items to be had.  Pottery and rugs, jewelry and bead work, carvings and leather work, all beautiful with a deep history of the Native American people.</span></p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/getting-rid-of-the-smoke-odor</id>
    <published>2016-09-25T18:37:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:28:07-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/getting-rid-of-the-smoke-odor"/>
    <title>Getting Rid of the Cigarette Smoke Odor</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Anyone who buys collectibles or antiques are often faced with the question of removing the smoke odor from the item. It is a common problem for in 1965, 42% of the adult population smoked...everywhere.</p>
<p>Here are some common fixes you can try to remove that smoke smell...  NOTE: If there is ANY DOUBT, do a test area first. If the item is valuable my advice is to take it to a professional.</p>
<p><strong>Books</strong> (paper in general)</p>
<ul>
<li>Use 4-6 unused dry sheets between pages of the book and seal in a zip lock back for about a week.  Longer, if needed</li>
<li>Try a couple tablespoons of unused ground coffee in a zip lock back with the book</li>
<li>Gently wipe the outside of the book damp cloth or a baby wipe</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Wood Furniture</strong> (wood sculptures, knickknacks, etc)  NOTE:  Always test a small corner before doing the whole thing. Always air dry out of direct sunlight</p>
<ul>
<li>Sprinkle baking soda over the surface of the wood.  Let set for 8-12 hours, then remove with sweeping it up and then vacuuming</li>
<li>Wipe down with a mixture of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water</li>
<li>Set open bowl of baking soda in drawers and cabinets</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Canvas Paintings</strong></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>For acrylic paintings use a q-tip or cotton ball and saliva.  The enzymes in the saliva clean the dirt and smoke residue.  Work slowly, lightly, and carefully, working on a 2-3 inch square at a time.</li>
<li>For oil paintings try a drop of Dawn soap in water and gently clean with a cotton ball or Q-tip.  This may have to be done more than once</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Ceramic</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Anything that is glazed just mild soap such as Dawn and warm water should do the trick.  Note that I say 'warm' not hot</li>
<li>More porous pieces can be dusted with baking soda and permitted to sit for 12-24 hours and then cleaned up with a damp cloth</li>
<li>Mix 1 part vinegar to 2 parts of water.  Add 1 tbl baking soda.  Gently swipe the item with a damp sponge.  You do not want to soak the item. Rinse by wiping with damp clear water sponge</li>
<li>Set the piece out in the sunlight (this may take days)</li>
</ul>
<p>There is a lot of help online if you are willing to look for it.  Smoke was a part of our history and there is no way around it.  What you can do though is alleviate it and still have those wonderful collectibles to enjoy.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/city-living-baby-cages-of-the-1930s</id>
    <published>2016-09-19T05:54:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:29:27-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/city-living-baby-cages-of-the-1930s"/>
    <title>Fresh Air For Babies in the 30s</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><img alt="1930s window baby cage box" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/window_baby_box.jpg?v=1473824189" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Oh the contraptions that have been made for babies.  This one though, is interesting and maybe just a bit crazy?  Oh yes, pretty well but in the 1920s it was a sound concept...or so it seemed.<br><br>In 1922, Emma Reed of Spokane, Washington filed for a patent for a baby cage.  In short it was a portable structure that when used would provide babies and small children access to exercise and fresh air. </p>
<p style="float: left;">Doctors of the time promoted fresh air for healthy babies. The baby cage was an answer for those mothers living in the city without close access to a park, as crazy as it seems.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/window_baby_cage_medium.jpg?v=1473824199" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Don't get me wrong, babies do need fresh air and exercise but not hanging out the window from a four story walk up. These cages were attached to window frames and literally hung outside of the building far above the street below. <br><br>There is no record that I could find showing high use of these baby cages in the United States but according to Good Housekeeping, they became quite popular in London.</p>
<p> </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/1940s-jewelry-from-iran</id>
    <published>2016-09-12T06:02:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:30:51-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/1940s-jewelry-from-iran"/>
    <title>1940s Jewelry From Iran</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<header class="entry-header">
<p class="entry-title" style="float: left;"><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/collections/bracelets/products/silver-and-niello-wwii-iran-bracelet" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/wwii_iran_niello_bracelet_medium.jpg?v=1473658579" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></a>There are fascinating stories behind collectibles and antiques and this is no different.  It is the story of jewelry made in Iran purchased by American soldiers for loved ones at home.<br><br>In June of 1941, Hitler's army invaded the Soviet Union. The initial attack was devastating literally smashed the Soviet Unions organizational command and control. Hitler was out to destroy the Soviet Union.<br><br>From a Western perspective, that was not a good thing.  The West needed the Soviet Union to push back the German army and apply pressure from the East.  That was not going to help without a bit of help from the United States and England.</p>
<p class="entry-title" style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/us-army-moves-supplies-in-iran-wwii_medium.jpg?v=1473658650" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill had to keep the Soviet Union in the war.  After exhausting other options they opted for the Southern route for transporting supplies to the Soviet army, <span>transiting halfway around the world and terminating in Iran with what was called the Persian Corridor.</span> <br><br>Not to get too involved in a history lesson, basically the Soviet Union and England split Iran in two by deposing the current Shah of Iran and installing his son who was a puppet ruler. The 'occupation' was 'papered over' to not be an occupation at all even though English and US troops occupied the Persian Corridor.</p>
<p class="entry-title" style="float: left;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/american-engine-transport-aid-persian-corridor-wwii_medium.jpg?v=1473658717" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">The United States and English occupied Iran from 1942 until 1945.  During this time period soldiers from both countries were based within Iran.  And it is in this time period that this jewelry was created.<br><br>Soldiers bought this jewelry, most often bracelets, for loved ones at home.  </p>
</header>
<div class="entry-content">
<p style="float: left;"><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/collections/bracelets/products/silver-and-niello-filigree-bracelet-1940s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1944_Iran_cannatille_silver_niello_bracelet_iran_wwii_small_medium.jpg?v=1473658759" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></a>The artwork is relatively crude but the open metal work is lovely. Silver content in all the ones that I have seen are <strong>not </strong>sterling. Most likely they are coin silver. Hand etched, they are adorned with Niello work.<br><br>This jewelry has historical significance.  It appears that each piece was specific to the person that purchased it, with messages that were personal for a specific person.  </p>
</div>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/new-life-for-vintage-brooches</id>
    <published>2016-08-22T05:30:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:39:20-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/new-life-for-vintage-brooches"/>
    <title>New Life For Vintage Brooches</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: left;"><br><br><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/traditional-wearing-of-brooches-2_medium.jpg?14437806680975692124" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">It was not all that long ago that brooches were relegated to be worn on the shoulder or if small, on the lapel. In today’s world as the brooch makes a comeback, the rules have changed. <br><br>Whether you love the sparkle and fire of rhinestones or the colorful world of enamel; the small petite pin or the over sized statement brooch; the playful pin or the Victorian look, there are new ways to wear all of them. In fact the imagination is the only limit to how to wear your favorite brooch.</p>
<br>
<hr>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Scarves offer a perfect field for a playful brooch</em></strong></p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Vintage Brooch on Scarf" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/brooch-on-scarf-vintage_large.jpg?14771002917375309014" style="float: none;"></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>A Wreath Brooch is a great add to a solid color handbag</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/handbag-brooch_large.jpg?15409099921735773019" alt="Vintage Brooch on a Handbag" style="line-height: 1.4;"></p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Don't be shy about brightening up that knit hat with a bit of sparkle</strong></em></h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/hat-brooch_large.jpg?8164365483131363289" alt="Add a vintage brooch to a hat"></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Play up a jean pocket with a splash of brooches</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/multiple-brooch-pins-jeans-2_large.jpg?4653307476128127690" alt="Vintage Brooches on jeans"></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>For some bling in the hair - a brooch on a scrunchie</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/vintage-brooch-on-scrunchie_large.jpg?9570017395873839219" alt="vintage brooch on a scrunchie"></p>
<hr>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>A bouquet of brooches for the vintage bride</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/wedding-bouquet-vintage-brooche_large.jpg?14249640985134914327" alt="vintage brooch bouquet"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="float: left;"> </p>
<hr>
<p>There are more ideas out there on how to wear your vintage brooches to spice up you wardrobe and accessories. What's your favorite place to wear your vintage brooches? </p>
<hr>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/103167174-fenton-did-you-know</id>
    <published>2016-05-31T13:37:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:40:35-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/103167174-fenton-did-you-know"/>
    <title>Fenton - DID YOU KNOW?</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Fenton glass has been collectible for years.  If truth be told, if you like the piece, who cares when it was made.  We should all be buying what we like.</p>
<p>But, if you would like to know more about dating your Fenton Glass, here is just a bit of information...</p>
<p>From 1905 until 1973, Fenton products were marked with a paper tag.  If that tag was lost then you have to rely on books that can help with dating.  </p>
<p>So, if you come across a piece of Fenton Glass that is not signed then it is pre-1973. </p>
<p>Here are some of the labels used over the years...</p>
<table width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="200px" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Fenton Label 1939 1947" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Fenton_39_-_47.jpg?4445002807905443067" style="float: none;">
</td>
<td>Label was used from 1939 thru 1947, possibly 1948</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="200px" style="text-align: center;"> <img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Fenton_57_-_71_a35dd39d-4a63-4e02-af97-541c674fabbe.jpg?3304519601709486933" alt="Fenton Label 1947 1971">
</td>
<td>Label was used from 1957 until 1971</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="200px" style="text-align: center;"> <img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Fenton_70_-_85.jpg?14279916175402633644" alt="Fenton Label 1970 1985">
</td>
<td>Label was used from 1970 until 1985.  Note that as of 1973, the glass itself was signed as well.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="200px" style="text-align: center;"> <img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Fenton_85_-_96.jpg?15904542255828068079" alt="Fenton Label 1985 1996">
</td>
<td>Label was used from 1985 until 1996. Note that the glass itself was signed.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Do you have a favorite piece of Fenton Glass?  Do you have questions?  This is a great place to ask...!</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"></h2>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/108276870-how-to-test-coral</id>
    <published>2016-05-09T06:44:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:41:05-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/108276870-how-to-test-coral"/>
    <title>How To Test Coral</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Today I had a request for a return on a lovely necklace that was sold as natural coral.  As a dealer, I suppose it may not be the best decision to admit that I totally blew it, but hey, I think you have to call it as you see it….I blew it.  The necklace was not coral.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="Orange Torsade Necklace" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/CH00366_Vintage_Orange_Multi_Strand_Necklace_Salmon_Seed_Bead_Torsade_medium.jpg?2514117785995013499" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Of course the instant you get the request for a return your stomach drops and you inwardly groan and I will admit, that is exactly what happened.  I have been fortunate, this is my second return in like six years but that didn’t matter, I still felt that overwhelming feeling of dread.<br><br>I’m waiting for the necklace to come back to me but I must say, this has turned into a valuable lesson from a woman that has been kind and gracious as well as smart and more than willing to share her knowledge.</p>
<p>Donna knows her coral and tonight she messaged me with her tests that she performs to ensure that what she purchased is in fact the real deal.</p>
<p>It’s hard some days to admit that you don’t know everything; that you have stumbled and make an error in order to learn but after reading her message and performing the tests on coral that I do have, I realize that a little humbling has been a really good thing.  I have learned valuable information that I would like share with my readers.</p>
<p>So, straight from Donna….to you…</p>
<p><em>“</em><em>OK, Daye, Here we go.</em><em><br> To test for dye: First use distilled water and an all white paper towel. Put a few drops of distilled water on the coral and wait a minute and then gently wipe. Second repeat the same action with acetone (home depot). If the coral is dyed, red coloration will be apparent on the paper towel.<br> <br> To test for natural coral: Use white distilled vinegar (grocery store or sams) and a container which will allow coverage of the coral with the vinegar. Cover the coral with vinegar and watch for bubbles of carbon dioxide to form. The bubbles will form on the coral surface and as the reaction continues will eventually form enough to rise to the surface of the vinegar. A clear container is best and allows viewing from the sides as well as the top. This may take about five minutes to occur and longer if the coral has been waxed or coated with something. Because natural coral is porous the vinegar will be able to penetrate and eventually you will see bubbles. I will usually use a fingernail to gently scrap if I suspect a coating. This will not harm or discolor natural coral in any way. Note: You need not submerge the entire piece or all the beads in the vinegar.<span> </span></em></p>
<p><em><span>When done testing with vinegar a gentle rinse of water is in order.</span><br><span>Vinegar is a weak acid and if the cordage is very old silk or other very old stringing material, it may weaken it. However, just like real pearls, old coral should be restrung periodically if one intends to wear it.</span><br> <br> If you have access to a microscope or other high power magnification, you will be able to discern "pores" on the coral even if it is polished (without wax or other coating).<br> <br> I have tried to be very clear, but if you have any question let me know and I will do my best to clarify for you. Hubby is on his way home so question answers will be early evening after our dinner.<br> Regards, Donna”</em></p>
<p> </p>]]>
    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/102761478-art-nouvea-the-past-and-the-present</id>
    <published>2016-04-16T10:41:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:41:31-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/102761478-art-nouvea-the-past-and-the-present"/>
    <title>Art Nouvea - The Past and the Present</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: right;"><img alt="Art Nouveau Boudoir" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Art_Nouveau_Bedroom_Decor_1930s_medium.jpg?1982740051174654999" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Art Nouveau was a decorative art that translated into art, architecture, clothing and design that was prominent from the late 1800s until World War 1.  It featured flowing designs with curves based on natural forms. It was distinguished by its asymmetrical line.<br><br>As with any style that was in fashion, it did not just ‘end’ one day.  Although it was replaced with modernism and Art Deco, it’s flawless style hung on into the 1930s and even later. In fact the Art Nouveau style was revived in the 1960s.</p>
<p style="float: right;"><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/collections/art-nouveau/products/art-nouveau-boudoir-accent-lamp" target="_blank" title="Art Nouveau Frosted Glass Lamp Man Woman Couple Dancing" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="Art Nouveau Lamp" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Vintage_Glass_Dancers_Man_Woman_Lamp_Frosted_medium.jpg?6930655618198144008" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;"></a>A good example is the lamp of of the dancing couple.  It was made in the late 30s, early 40s and therefore falls directly into the Art Deco period but is it Art Deco or is it a leftover from the Art Nouveau period?  In looking at the asymmetrical lines and the flowing design, it has the look and feel of Art Nouveau.<br><br>The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Musèe National d’Art Modern presented major expositions in the lat 50s, early 60s.  Up until that point the Art Nouveau period had been viewed as a passing fad but with the expositions in the 1960s , it became a major Modern Art movement of the late 19<sup>th</sup> century. <br><br>In the 60’s the flowery organic lines of Art Nouveau were revived as a new phychedelic style in fashion, typography, art, and commercial advertising.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/collections/home-decor/products/antique-white-calla-lily-vase" target="_blank" title="Art Nouveau Calla Lilly Ceramic VAse" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="Art Nouveau Ceramic VAse" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/GC005126_Calla_Lilly_Ceramic_Vase_Cream_Beige_Made_in_USA_Vintage_medium.jpg?3557749774342699834" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></a><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/collections/art-nouveau/products/art-nouveau-dress-clip" target="_blank" title="Art Nouveau brass dress clip" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Dress_Clip_Vintage_Art_Nouveau_medium.jpg?17892304107953911939" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></a>On the flip side of the tradition period of style is the current generation. It seems that whether a style is ‘in’ or ‘out’ does not make a bit of difference to the modern generation.  Those fads are for the old folks.  The current eclectic tastes span all art periods and even mixing the eras.  It makes for a fascinating and a uniquely personal lifestyle.<br><br>The Art Nouveau of old is probably appreciated more by the female population. It’s soft and sensual. It speaks to the heart of life. It brings emotion and creates mood.  A carefully placed piece of Art Nouveau brings joy.  It can bring a piece of simple beauty to a room.  It can be anything as long as it speaks to the heart.<br><br>So, what type of Art Nouveau speaks to you?  Do you have a favorite piece?</p>
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  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/101756742-mothers-day-1908</id>
    <published>2016-04-11T05:41:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:01:10-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/101756742-mothers-day-1908"/>
    <title>Mothers Day 1908</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p style="float: right;"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Anna_Jarvis_medium.jpg?1548656499236585401" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">With Mother’s Day almost upon us I thought it a good idea to look back to the origins of Mother’s Day and how it looks today.<br><br>The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. It was her way to honor her mother, who had passed away, and continue the work her mother had started.<br><br>Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis was born in 1832 in Culpeper, Virginia.  Although the exact number is not known, it is said that she bore between 11 and 13 children over a period of 17 years with only four of the children surviving to adulthood.  The loss of her children to disease inspired Ann Jarvis to take action to help her community in combating childhood diseases and unsanitary conditions.<img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Anna_Maria_Reeves_Jarvis_medium.jpg?1548656499236585401" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><br><br>In 1858, while pregnant with her sixth child, Ann Jarvis created Mother’s Day Work Clubs in several towns in West Virginia. At the time there was a growing public movement to improve health and sanitization.  These clubs were designed to assist and educate families to reduce disease and infant mortality.<br><br>The clubs raised money for medicine and to hire women to work with families where the mother of the family had health issues.  A program was developed to visit households and educate mothers and their families.</p>
<p>These Mother’s Day Work Clubs also found themselves in a position between North and South of the American Civil War and declared themselves to be neutral giving aid to both sides. The club fed and clothes soldiers from both sides who were stationed in the area.  When typhoid fever and measles broke out in the military camps, Ann Jarvis and her club members nursed the suffering soldiers from both sides.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Thus it was that Anna Jarvis, Ann’s daughter who created this day that over a hundred years later we hold dear.  It was in 1914, that Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.</p>
<p>Interesting enough, over the years, Ann Jarvis protested Mother’s Day.  Most specifically, Anna Jarvis protested the commercialization of the day.  In her mind the way to honor one’s mother was with a hand written note, not with buying gifts and pre-made cards.</p>
<p>Anna Jarvis organized boycotts of Mother’s Day and threatened lawsuits against companies that had commercialized the day.  She protested a candy makers’ convention in 1923 and a meeting of the American War Mothers in 1925 who had begun to sell Mother’s Day flowers to raise money.</p>
<p>In what Anna Jarvis created and celebrated became just the opposite for her.  Today it is one of the most successful commercial holidays.  It remains one of the biggest days for sales of flowers, greeting cards, and long distance telephone calls.  And yes, gifts.</p>
<p>Of course a handwritten card or time spent with mom is always best but if you are looking for a gift for her, vintage jewelry is as unique and wonderful as she is.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/collections/vintage-jewelry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/shop_now_button.jpg?12451718675232821184" style="float: none;"></a></p>]]>
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  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/99684358-baltic-amber-the-finest-in-the-world</id>
    <published>2016-03-28T09:32:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:42:22-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/99684358-baltic-amber-the-finest-in-the-world"/>
    <title>Baltic Amber - The Finest in the World</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p>Baltic Amber is the finest amber in the world and as its name indicates, it is found in and around the Baltic Sea.  It has a 40 million year history.  Hard to believe but that is how long it takes to make amber.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><a href="http://salamanderalley.com/products/amber-sterling-silver-dragonfly-brooch" title="Sterling Silver Baltic Amber Dragonfly Brooch" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img alt="Baltic Amber Sterling Silver Dragonfly Brooch" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/GC00866_Sterling_Silver_Dragon_Fly_Brooch_Amber_medium.jpg?9930110044864475035" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;"></a>Amber is nothing more than fossilized tree sap that dates back about 40 million years.  Although it comes from around the world, Baltic Amber is considered to be the crème de la crème.<br><br><em>Stunning Sterling Dragongly Brooch with Baltic Amber.  Poland.</em><br><br>The more romantic version of where amber comes from is this…During the colder months and the water of the Baltic Sea reaches its highest point of density, amber floats up from the seabed and washed ashore.  Although this is true, it is an extremely labor intensive way to get your hands on some amber.  It is a lot of work for a small return.</p>
<p style="float: right;">(Excerpt from Ancient Carved Ambers in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Faya Causey<em>) The richest deposits are on and around the Samland peninsula, a large, fan-shaped area that corresponds to the delta region of a river that once drained an ancient landmass that geologists call Fennoscandia. This ancient continent now lies beneath the Baltic Sea and the surrounding land. Although this area has the largest concentration of amber in the world, it is a secondary deposition. <img alt="Sterling Silver Amber Earrings" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/CG02013_Amber_Sterling_Earrings_4_medium.jpg?2610560105364044543" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: right;">Amazingly, the fossil resin “was apparently eroded from marine sediments near sea level, carried ashore during storms, and subsequently carried by water and glaciers to secondary deposits across much of northern and eastern Europe” over a period of approximately twenty million years.</em><em>[34]<span> In antiquity, most amber from the Baltic shore was harvested from shallow waters and beaches, where it had washed up (once again, millennia later), especially during autumn storms that agitated the seabeds. It was only in the early modern period that amber began to be mined. With the introduction of industrial techniques, huge amounts have been extracted since the nineteenth century. It is estimated that up to a million pounds of amber a year was dug from the blue earth layer of the Samland peninsula in the first decades of the twentieth century.</span></em></p>
<p>As years go by, the quantity of Baltic Amber shrinks.  Gone are the days of large pieces of amber being used.  Now it is more about design and the use of smaller pieces of amber set in sterling silver.</p>]]>
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  </entry>
  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/97329862-the-wedgwood-ring-box</id>
    <published>2016-03-14T08:02:00-07:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:20:08-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/97329862-the-wedgwood-ring-box"/>
    <title>The Wedgwood Ring Box</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p><em>Updated - October 31, 2016</em>  She said YES!</p>
<p><img src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/she_said_yes_-_Wedgwood_Ring_Box_Ring_Pillow_large.jpg?v=1477925017" alt="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="Wedgwood Blue Ring Box" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Wedgwood_Blue_Ring_Box_Jewelry_Casket_Trinket_Box_medium.jpg?14288499704874036215" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">It was the first half of the 1980s that this small <a href="http://salamanderalley.com/search?q=wedgwood" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wedgwood </a>ring box traveled from England to Seattle with my husband. For many a year it sat in all its little glory and with time it led to a collection of Wedgwood from the 1800s.<br><br>As it sat in the middle of a collection that was older and bigger, it finally seemed the right thing to do to find it a new home.  A home where once again it would take center stage. <br><br>Cleaned, photographed, and a description written, it was time. For a few short months it continued to live with its old counterparts until the day came when Charlton saw it...</p>
<p>Here is where he continues the story...where the past, the present, and the future intertwine...</p>
<p>Charlton said, "Wedgwood is very important to me. I grew up looking at mom and dads pieces and always thought they were the neatest, most beautiful, and unique pottery I've ever seen. Even to this day. The color combinations are what really attract me to it. White with light blue and sometimes silver.</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="Wedgwood Jasperware Ring Box" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Wedgwood_Ring_Box_Ring_Pillow_64bac40c-7b3b-4513-af5d-49f57ab59da5_medium.JPG?5567599207421735403" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">So naturally the idea popped into my head to hunt down and see if a Wedgwood ring box actually existed. Luckily, Daye Salander happened to have the perfect one and I snatched it up!<br><br>After searching forever for a pillow to fit in the little box (trust me, my google-fu is good), I discovered the wife of a friend, Missy (who's also a friend) liked to sew as a hobby. She excitedly agreed to make it for me. We went to a fabric store and we worked together to pick out the materials and she made it for me free of charge."</p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="Blue Wedgwood Jasperware Vintage Ring Box" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Wedgwood_Ring_Box_Ring_Pillow_and_Ring_6756f249-25fa-41c1-9d61-76ac753b1469_medium.JPG?3029766693192235201" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">"Couldn't have been a better fit of materials and craftsmanship! Quilted cotton with matching blue and white leaf lace and a silver edged white bow."<br><br>"What I love about my idea the most is that it's highly unique. No one's cheesy jewelry store logo printed on it, and it's beautiful but also dear to me. Wedgwood was a wise choice I believe."<br><br>And so the Wedgwood box continues its journey and finds itself in the center of a love story. That box will always hold a special memory and will always hold center stage because of it.</p>
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  <entry>
    <id>https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/89446086-the-year-was-1967</id>
    <published>2016-01-25T06:38:00-08:00</published>
    <updated>2019-05-05T18:44:54-07:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://salamanderalley.com/blogs/under-the-leaves/89446086-the-year-was-1967"/>
    <title>The Year Was 1967</title>
    <author>
      <name>Daye Salander</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">
      <![CDATA[<p><br><img alt="1967 Super Bowl" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1967_Super_Bowl_medium.jpg?18092806972564077225" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">It was January, 1967, and 60,000 people made their way to the Los Angeles Memorial stadium for the first AFL - NFL World Championship game. <br><br>The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs took to the field and history was written. <span>Vince Lombardi and his quarterback Bart Starr led the Green Bay Packers to victory. The final score was </span>35 to 10.<br><br>Football aside, what else was going on in 1967? </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="Aretha Franklin 1967 Respect" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Aretha_Frankline_Respect_medium.jpg?4015191822435061504" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">Aretha Franklin belted out Resect and the Beattle's Penny Lane hits Number One. Although originally written for Otis Redding, Aretha made it uniquely her own.<br><br>The average American home cost $14,250 (less than we pay for a car today) and the minimum wage was $1.40 per hour. Silver hit its all time record high of $1.60 an ounce.<br><br>Billie King Jean was THE name in women's tennis and Jimi Hendrix burned his first guitar on stage.  <br><br>What was the world coming to?<br><br><img alt="Cool Hand Luke Paul Newman 1967" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Cool_Hand_Luke_medium.jpg?11382489553730975838" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">Cool Hand Luke was released in the theater and Paul Newman again sealed his fate as one of America's sexiest men. <br><br>The Boeing company rolled out its first 737 airplane. A plane that became the backbone of the airline industry for years to come. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Newlywed Game premiered on ABC and the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour was launched.<br><br><span> I recently read </span><span>an article that described fashion from 1967. It basically said that it was like a bottle under pressure and then exploded with the psychedelic, swirling colors, and tie-dye.</span></p>
<p style="float: right;">There were some big fashion changes in the mid to late 60s. Skirts got unbelievably short.  More<br>skin was being shown than ever before and the splashes of color and patterns had no limits.  <img alt="" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/Twiggy_medium.jpg?9376991216599884583" style="float: right;"><br><br>Twiggy became a huge hit. More of a waif than a woman, many a teenage girl starved themselves trying to attain the 'look' - usually to no avail.  This young British model was splashed across fashion magazines.<br><br>Twiggy was what is considered to be the first hydrogenous icon. Her measurements were<span> 31-23-32. <br><br></span>Because of the short skirts, patterned and colored leggings became a fashion statement along with the boot. </p>
<p><span>One-piece jumpsuits in wild, colorful prints. The tent dress in the same type of wild patterned colors. One piece short pant dress which had formerly been called culottes.  It was a brave new year with Sock it to me and Flower Power.</span></p>
<p style="float: left;"><img alt="1967 Mercury Cougar XR7" src="//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0888/3218/files/1967_Courgar_xr7_medium.jpg?7704208252732129540" style="margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; float: left;">1967 was also one of the glory years for the muscle car. The muscle car was straight out of Detroit and for many, it was heaven on four wheels.  <br><br>These cars were fast.  They were high performance bad boy machines and America fell in love with them. It would not be long and they would disappear from America's streets...or almost.<br><br>What was your favorite part of 1967?  The cars?  The home decor?  The fashion?  The jewelry? The movies?</p>]]>
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