Antique French Melons? Vintage Glass and Costume Jewelry ~ vintagebulletins

If you love or collect costume jewelry you probably know a little about the history. Perhaps, maybe you just like to wear it but haven't really thought about it's history. Well, Coco Chanel among other early designers really brought costume jewelry to the forefront from beautiful "imitations" of the real thing as they once began, to couture designs in their own right. This would not have been possible without the attention to detail, time and process given to the "stones". Glass became king and when I found this 1920s-30s French Melon cut glass bead necklace I was reminded of this history. The design was simple but the emerald green beads, which are almost a kelly green, captivated me. The feel, quality and way they capture the light is really stunning. See it here: 20s-30s French Melon cut Necklace.

1920s-30s Green Melon Bead Necklace. Image by Sarara Vintage.

Then, I went back to my reference books. I found them on the cover of my classic costume jewelry guide by Harrice Simons Miller, 1990. Her description of the history of costume jewelry and culture is really quite nice to read, especially if you are a beginner.

Notice the longer red rhinestone necklace with the melon shaped beads towards the front of the cover image. This is the mentioned piece which has simliar melon shaped era beads. I like their organic yet modern appearance. I have become a fan of French glass beadwork, now maybe so will you! Check out the rest of the article on my blog Sarara Vintage