Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies May 2016 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Cloisonné Earring Kit, free with purchase – Our gift to newsletter subscribers during the month of May is a new earring kit featuring wonderful vintage cloisonné beads with our own antiqued brass findings! Celebrate May flowers with these charming floral beads. Make up the kit and give it as a Mother's Day gift, or give your mom the gift of a DIY creation. Or just treat yourself! 

During May we will send all necessary components to make the earrings shown in the photo above. 

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies. See your May 1 and May 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So you can have the earring kit plus the free shipping code you received upon signing up for the newsletter in the same order!

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and get your free shipping and earring kit at your next purchase!
 

Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies August 2015 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Swarovski Bead Earring Kit, free with purchase – Our treat for August is a new earring kit featuring wonderful vintage Swarovski peridot beads and antiqued silver findings! These dangling earrings featuring August's birthstone peridot will surely help you celebrate the fabulous month of August. During August, we will send all necessary components to make the earrings shown in the photo above.

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies or Bumbershoot Designs.  See your August 1 and August 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So you can have the earring kit plus the free shipping code you received upon signing up for the newsletter in the same order!

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and get your free shipping and earring kit at your next purchase!

Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies February 2015 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Beaded Earring Kit, free with purchase – Our gift to newsletter subscribers during this February is a new earring kit featuring wonderful vintage Czech glass beads in amethyst and our own antiqued brass findings with flower charms! February's birthstone is amethyst and this kit would make a lovely gift for February friends. Use this kit to make up a quick gift, or gift the kit, or create a treat for yourself. During February, we will send all necessary components to make the earrings shown in the photo above.

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies or Bumbershoot Designs.  See your February 1 and February 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So you can have the earring kit plus the free shipping code you received upon signing up for the newsletter in the same order!

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and get your free shipping and earring kit at your next purchase!
 

August's Birthstone: Peridot

Vintage Peridot Octagon Swarovski Crystal Rhinestone.

August's birthstone is peridot.

We have a selection of stunning peridot colored vintage items at Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs. 

Vintage Glass Beads Peridot Green Star Sew On Jewels.

Vintage Glass Beads Peridot Green Faceted Round.

Filigree Jewel Vintage Peridot Charm Necklace.

Vintage Glass Cabochon Light Green Peridot Givre.

Unlike many other gemstones, peridot comes in only one color, a soft shade of green. Peridot can be found all over the world, and has been mined in many countries from the United States to South Africa. Peridot has even been found on meteorites. 

Vintage Swarovski Crystal Rhinestone Earrings Peridot.

Vintage Swarovski Crystal Rhinestone Chain Peridot.

Vintage Glass Cabochon Peridot Deco Fan.

Vintage Pearl Earrings Ivory Peridot Sterling Gemstone.

 

For colorful inspiration, we invite you to browse our vintage faux peridot collections at Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies.

July's Birthstone: Ruby

July's birthstone is the ruby.

We have a selection of stunning ruby colored vintage items at Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs. 

Vintage Swarovski Crystal Rhinestone Earrings Ruby Red Gold.

Vintage Flower Buttons Ruby Red Plastic Shanks.

Vintage Glass Rhinestone Jewel Ruby Red Oval.

Rubies have for a long time been valued for their rarity and beauty. The color ruby has often held a treasured place in popular culture with references such as Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz movie. 

Vintage French Sequins Ruby Red Satin Cupped Strand.

Vintage Swarovski Crystal Rhinestone Ruby Red Heart.

Vintage Rhinestone Ruby Red Crystal ss20.

 In 1870 Tiffany & Co. published a birthstone poem in one of their pamphlets. The July poem goes:

"The glowing ruby shall adorn,
Those who in July are born;
Then they'll be exempt and free

From love's doubts and anxiety."

Vintage Swarovski Rhinestone Chain Ruby Crystal.

Vintage Glass Flower Cabochon Ruby Red Star.

For carefree inspiration, we invite you to browse our vintage faux ruby collections at Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies.

Spanish Pearls: The History of Majorica Pearls

At Bumbershoot Supplies, we were very excited because we recently acquired a limited number of unfinished vintage bracelet strands made from Majorica pearls. But what are Majorica pearls and why are they special?

 

Off the coast of Spain, on the island of Majorca are made some the world's finest imitation pearls. The company, Marjorica, has been making beautiful faux pearls for over 100 years.

 

Established in 1890 and moved to the island in the early 1900s, founder Eduard Heusch set out to create pearls as good as the real ones but more attainable. It would not be until the 1920s and 1930s when cultured pearls would become more generally available on the market, and so there was room for Heusch's excellent alternative.

 

Throughout the twentieth century technological advances made it possible to produce more "Spanish pearls", as they were called, and at a higher quality.

source

Upon Heusch's death in 1937, his son took over the company and changed the name to "Majorica Pearls" in 1950, after the island where the pearls were produced. Majorica was the only company to produce faux pearls throughout World War II, due to Spain's neutrality, and the company exported over one million pearl strand necklaces to the United States during that time.

Majorica pearls have been long associated with beauty and refinement, and internationalization and glamour would continue to be the path for the company into the later half of the twentieth century. Majorica sponsored the Venice Film Festival in the 1960s where they associated their pearls with stars such as Sophia Loren.  Even today the brand continues to be associated with celebrities, as well as high end fashion and jewelry design.

 

If you visit the Majorica website, you can view a fascinating video showing how these pearls are made, from hand forming the crystal nucleus, to hand dipping in the secret "pearl essence" to checking, polishing and hand knotting.

 

If you would like to read more about the history of Majorica check out their timeline. To learn more about the process of making the pearls check out their website and this article Gemological Institute of America about Majorica pearls.

If you, like us, love vintage glass pearls you might also enjoy this post about glass pearls and Leonardo da Vinci's pearl recipe.

March's Birthstone: Aquamarine

Aquamarine Vintage Glass Heart Drop Bead Charms.

March's birthstone is aquamarine.

The gemstone aquamarine is noted for its beautiful blue color. With vintage glass counterparts, the color also takes center stage. At Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies we have a stunning selection of vintage aquamarine toned rhinestones, cabochons, trims and beads.

 

Aquamarine Vintage Rhinestone Glass Oval Jewels.

Aquamarine Blue Skies Vintage Flower Rhinestone Charm Bracelet.

When it comes to vintage materials, aquamarine is often retitled as just "aqua" and can run the spectrum from bright blue to a light sea green. 

 

Aquamarine Vintage Rose Montees.

Aquamarine Vintage Art Deco Rectangle Glass Cabochons.

Aquamarine Vintage ss20 Glass Rhinestones.

Aquamarine Vintage Glass Bead Connectors.

Aquamarine became March's birthstone in the early 1910s. Before that bloodstone, called this because of its red flecks, was the popular birthstone for March. In 1870 Tiffany & Co. published a birthstone poem in one of their pamphlets. The March poem goes:

"Who in this world of ours their eyes
In March first open shall be wise,
In days of peril firm and brave,

And wear a bloodstone to their grave."

We only have two vintage faux bloodstone items at Bumbershoot Supplies, but they are spectacular: 

Bloodstone Vintage Glass Scarab Cabochons.

Bloodstone Vintage Glass Scarab Cabochon. 

For some colorful inspiration this March, we invite you to browse our vintage faux aquamarine collections at  Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs.