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Breaking news! Bonner’s Jewellers are proud to announce the promotion of a new buyer who we are sure will prove to be a great addition to the team.

He has a background in the purchase of pigs ears and tennis balls but has proven his ability to diversify and refocus his talents as he has also boosted the profits of Waitrose dog treats by at least 50% in this year alone.

His most recent range of dog related pendants and earrings in sterling silver have already been a huge hit with our clients, and he has also flown the flag of inclusion by adding a cat range, despite his concerns that they would prove to be far less popular.

He will continue with his duties as Head of Security and Complaints Department but is dedicated to his new role and looking forward to unleashing his creative potential.

Well done Gus!

*The new appointment was in no way influenced by Gus’s tribe of adoring fans.

How many of us inherit jewellery which is either worn out or out of style and ends up languishing in a jewellery box never to see the light of day again?

When this happened to one of our customers she brought her inherited three stone Ruby and Diamond ring in with an idea for turning it into a cluster – and I have to say we were all thrilled with the results!

It’s such a beautiful combination of the original design but with a new, fresh interpretation – not to ignore the fact that it is now an incredibly impressive piece of jewellery! We were all insanely jealous when our customer came to collect it, although it has to be said she is so lovely she thoroughly deserves to show it off with pride!

It just goes to show that a little thinking outside of the box can keep your jewellery out of boxes too!

I know most people are open to the idea of pre-owned when it comes to clothes, cars, houses and jewellery but I wondered what the consensus was on pre-owned wedding bands?

My wedding ring was made in Birmingham in 1890 and it was really important to me that I had something of this age and style. My husband designed his own white gold ring and loves it; he had a very clear idea in mind of what he wanted and he felt it was more personal and meaningful to have something unique made. In contrast, I love the fact that mine had a history before us.

A friend once asked if I minded that the marriage it was originally used for may not have been a happy one? I have to say, no – I don’t. All gold gets melted down and recycled anyway and I’m really not superstitious about things like that. My marriage is good and happy and that’s what counts, and who’s to say it wasn’t originally owned by a loving couple who adored each other? Either way, I believe we make our own history – but this ring reminds me that some things just aren’t as important as they seem. Life is much bigger than just me, and when all’s said and done this ring will hopefully still be around when I’ve long departed. It makes me want to concentrate on the future even though I have a link to the past, and reminds me that for now, at least – we’re making our own mark on history. Phew! So now I’ve got all that off my chest, here’s a pic of mine:

When it came into the shop it was the exact right fit and had tiny marks and scratches – evidence of its life before me. I’ve never had them polished out and I’ve even added a few of my own! So what do you think? Would you wear an old wedding ring or is it too personal to be recycled?

Sapphires are one of my favourite gems. It started with a birthday present my husband bought me – a large yellow sapphire solitaire ring – which was something of a revelation as like a lot of people I wasn’t really aware that Sapphires came in other colours! I asked our gemologist about it and he was so enthusiastic and passionate about the subject I think some of that enthusiasm rubbed off on me.

When we think of sapphires I think most of us picture a vibrant blue gem, similar to the stone set in Princess Diana’s (now the Duchess of Cambridge’s) engagement ring. That rich, lustrous royal blue which catches the eye even without diamond embellishments. And we’ve all seen the dark blue, almost black stone which is usually used in commercial jewellery but how many people are aware of a third, fourth or even a fifth option?

Sapphires come in many colours; pink, green, yellow, purple, orange – the list is endless. And whilst the occasional Pink Sapphire seems to have made its way into High Street Jewellers in recent years, we still don’t we see them as often as their Blue counterparts. Maybe it’s down to tradition, maybe fashion, or maybe it’s just cynical marketing? Either way it’s a real shame as the colour variation can be spectacular!

I added a green sapphire to my collection a while back, and we’ve had pink, purple, orange and even white examples in the shop, but my overall favourite is the Padparadscha which can only be found in Sri Lanka, and like it’s namesake (padparadscha means Lotus Blossom) it is a gorgeous pinky/orange colour.

There is still a real drive for individualism and uniqueness in jewellery, despite the current climate which has us all counting our pennies. And I think as so many of us develop emotional attachments to our jewellery we don’t necessarily want to invest in “disposable” fashion pieces. The price variation in Sapphires is huge, depending on colour choice and whether you favour natural or man made gems, meaning you can enjoy the prestige of actual gems (instead of glass or paste fashion stones) for not much more money. Sapphires are a fabulous way to introduce some of your own personality into your jewellery using precious gems without necessarily breaking the bank!

Many antique pieces circa 1910 will be set with “Created” Sapphires as this was around the time when the process was invented. At the time, it was the height of technological achievement and the stones were highly prized! Now, they command far smaller prices and little gold gypsy rings set with Faux Sapphires can be found for under £100.

It’s also becoming more common to see Sapphires set in Silver (keeping the cost affordable) but gold doesn’t have to mean expensive if you try to source Second Hand and have an eye for a bargain!

I’ll certainly be keeping mine peeled!

It’s another rainy day and we just bought some more scrap gold. Both a fairly common occurrence nowadays, but this was unusual as the lady decided to keep one of the band rings when we identified the date stamp and she realised it was probably her grandmother’s! It got me thinking about the importance of the little stamps inside the band. They are quite important to my family, not only as they play a big part in our work but also as my paternal grandfather, Laurence Bonner made dozens of the stamps over the years in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. He was a steel letter cutter and would diligently sit in his workshop, hunched over a desk with a magnifying glass, reverse carving the punches used for hallmarks out of steel plates.

Since the incredible increase in gold price, people are far more knowledgeable when it comes to their own gold and how to identify different carats and metals. And for the first time we are also seeing a real interest in hallmarks as more people have become aware of their use in charting the history of certain pieces. In the UK a full hallmark will not only give you the name of the manufacturer and the purity of the metal, but also the town it was made in and the date.

In light of this I thought you might be interested in a quick breakdown of the origin of the British hallmark!

1300 – Hallmarking first introduced into the UK. At this point the gold and silver standard marks were the same; depicting the Leopard’s head which is the mark of London.
1363 – Makers marks became required, initially in form of a rebus or initials.
1378 – Town marks also required. Traditionally Birmingham has the anchor, Sheffield a crown, London the leopards head and a three towered castle for Edinburgh. Later additions included Dublin’s crowned harp and Chester’s three wheatsheaves.
1477 – 18 Carat replaces 19.5 Carat as Standard Gold
1478 – Date letters also required in England. Each town has it’s own cycle of letters and styles to indicate the year of assay.
1575 – 22 Carat Replaces 18 Carat as Standard Gold
1798 – 18 carat reintroduced in addition to 22 Carat
1854 – 9, 12 & 15 Carat introduced
1932 – 15 and 12 carat discontinued, replaced by 14 carat.

Platinum was originally used by European Court Jewellers in the mid 1800’s. Before this time scientists were unable to isolate the metal and produce it in it’s pure form.
Until the late 1800’s it remained too expensive for commercial use and only the wealthy could afford platinum settings. Until the late Edwardian period, it’s colour remained largely out of favour for anything other than settings as yellow gold was so fashionable. However by the early 1900’s trends were changing and the “new look” was being embraced. It remained the metal of choice for those who could afford it through the 20’s and 30’s until the effects of the War made it far too costly to produce, and with demand for jewellery falling it all but disappeared from jewellers windows for several years.
There was no legal requirement for marking Platinum until 1975, which set a single standard for platinum of 950. Earlier Platinum pieces may be stamped PLAT by the manufacturer.
Palladium has grown in popularity over recent years and the legal requirement for marking was introduced in the UK in 2010.

So next time you’re rifling through your jewellery box debating whether to scrap that ring your aunt gave you, have a quick look for any marks inside – you might just be holding an heirloom!

It may not be our most wearable piece but this ring is beautiful and charming and is greatly admired by our customers.

It’s a Georgian portrait ring, circa 1820 which contains a miniature painting of a young girl.

Lots of people have admired it, and a few have considered buying it but they have all decided against on the grounds that they can’t wear it everyday.

The trouble is people expect different things from their jewellery nowadays. Most of our customers want maximum wear for minimum effort. They don’t want to spend thousands on a piece of jewellery that they can only wear on high days and holidays.

When this ring was made life was very different. Everyone knows these portable portraits were the first incarnation of the wallet photo which has since been replaced by mobile phones and icloud. We own thousands of pictures of our loved ones, but it’s quite likely this portrait was the only image possessed by the original owner of this ring and would have been greatly treasured. Personally, I think it was probably a gentleman; mainly due to the size of the ring. It’s possible that the shank has been replaced at some point but the size is still large for a woman of that era. The portrait was likely painted specifically to be set in this ring and may be 10 years or so later due to the style of dress the girl is wearing. The pink of the bodice is reflected in the blush of her cheeks and her blonde hair and blue eyes give her a charming appeal. It’s also probable that the identity of the subject and/or the artist may be written on the back of the picture. Unfortunately it would be risky to tamper with the glass so we have left the secrets of the ring’s history hidden within.

She is certainly very attractive and was undoubtedly a great love of the wearer although we may never know what form of love this was – either suitor, guardian or friend. The portrait has been beautifully and painstakingly executed. It is hard to imagine only having one image of your loved one when we are so used to uploading holiday photos on facebook and chatting to loved ones via webcam. How many times was this portrait gazed at? And how long were the owner and subject apart?

I must admit I’m slightly disinterested in galleries, but these tiny artworks really resonate with my hopeless romantic side. I could quite easily find a home for a ring like this (and consequently, no doubt others like it!) It survived this long specifically because it was treasured and not worn during mundane chores like shopping and washing up. So for the time being we have become it’s guardians, at least until someone else falls as in love with it as the original owner did all those years ago. Pieces like these always find the right person the end.

View full details here

When this locket came into our shop the central panel was full of decades of dust and lint which completely obscured the beautiful micro mosaic within. When we removed the panel, at best we were hoping to find an old sepia photograph but it became apparent quite quickly that we were dealing with something special! It took a lot of time and (careful) effort but we managed to gently brush the dirt away to reveal the intricate mosaic beneath and then carefully cleaned away the more stubborn grime. It sounds silly but I did feel a bit like an archaeologist unearthing a long lost artifact – like Indiana Jones without the spring loaded booby traps!

The backing for the mosaic appears to be mother of pearl, and the design is just staggering in its intricacy. Most of the pieces are 0.5mm long, so it’s difficult to comprehend the skill required in cutting each individual gem or stone to create this picture. These pieces are typical of those purchased as souvenirs by wealthy Victorians – this piece is 18ct gold and was more than likely made in Rome. The image is that of a bird with a fish in it’s beak. I’ve tried to find what this may be symbolic of but am still unsure, if anyone out there would like to hazard a guess I’d be very interested!!

The faded picture in the back is the original; it could be replaced but I don’t think that’s our decision to make. I love it, but then (as dad tells me) I love most antique jewellery. Still, I don’t think it’s difficult to see why in this case. It’s unique, beautifully crafted and very wearable. Personally, I think it would go fabulously with any outfit; dressed down with trousers or jeans or dressed up with a fabulous LBD!

We are always being asked for tips regarding care of jewellery, and there is one very simple thing everyone can do which would drastically lessen the chance of your jewellery being damaged – antique or otherwise:

DO NOT SLEEP IN IT

I must admit this was one fatal error I made every night until I awoke one morning with a two stone engagement ring which had been a three stone the night before. Not for the first time I had to hunt for hours under the bed (not a pleasant experience) before paying to have all three stones reset. It is so easy to catch and weaken claws during the night and you should never underestimate the long term effects of nightly wear and tear.

You can effectively double the life of your shank and setting by removing rings at night, and bracelets and necklaces are under worse pressure! For a while I forgot to put my jewellery back on in the morning, but I soon managed to get into a routine and my jewellery is better for it.

As for cleaning there are many different theories, from vinegar to dishwasher powder – none of which are endorsed by Bonner’s I hasten to add! There are a variety of jewellery cleaning liquids on the market, and we stock specific jewellery cleaners in the shop but for cheap and effective results the safest bet is warm water, a drop of washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush. It is an urban myth (and an incorrect one at that) that gems should not be immersed in water, providing that it is clean. Be sure to check all claws/settings before and after cleaning to ensure that none of the stones have become loose and take extra care with antique jewellery not to rub too hard.

If you’re worried you can always pop it into the shop for a free check over while you wait! Or we can clean it onsite for you!

Other tips you may find useful are:

1. Remove rings before using soap as it clogs up the setting leaving your pride and joy dull and lifeless – it’s also a nightmare to remove!

2. Don’t do the gardening or in your jewellery. Sounds silly but I know there are a lot of guilty parties out there… Nichola! I had a hard time finding a Diamond under the bed – imagine trying to find one in a rockery…

3. The same applies to housework. Again, it’s pure common sense but changing duvets can increase the risk of ripped claws and many household products contain chemicals which simply won’t do either your gold/plat/silver or gems any good at all.

4. Regularly check all jewellery to make sure the claws are covering the stones and none have become loose. Particularly if you are of a heavy handed disposition like my mother who regularly bashes her claws beyond all recognition…. If you are in the slightest unsure bring them in for a free “health check!” Better to be safe than sorry…

5. Woolly jumpers lead to more broken necklaces and bracelets than is believable, so take extra care during the winter months. This is also true of many antique rings which feature incredibly slender claws as was the fashion of the day. These are VERY easily pulled, or even torn away from the setting and can result in the loss of a stone which can be costly to replace.

6. NEVER clean pearls, opals, emeralds, turquoise or any other porous or polished stones with jewellery cleaner unless you are 100% certain it is for delicate gems. Many are far too abrasive and can remove the sheen on your stone leaving it looking pitted and dead.

7. Regularly feed Emeralds with oil. Sunflower or cooking oil is ideal. They are incredibly porous and will easily chip and crack if left to dry out. Leave the oil to soak in overnight for best results. NB: This is not the same as “oiling,” a practice Bonner’s strongly opposes which involves drilling into the stone and filling inclusions with oil to lessen their visibility. This technique is not purely reserved for emeralds as unscrupulous dealers often fill poor quality diamonds with glass to try to hide the inclusions.

8. Opals should be regularly left to soak in an eggcup of water. We have heard many people advised against putting opals near water for a variety of reasons – none of which are true. Opals always contain water, and over time can lose water, diminish in colour and even crack and break. This aging process is best avoided by storing opals in moist cotton wool or soaking in water (or oil as above.)

9. Antique jewellery really should not be worn everyday, in part due to it’s rarity and also due to its fragility. Once damaged or lost, many antique gems can be costly (and sometimes impossible) to replace and wear to settings devalues the piece immediately, so if you cannot bear to be without your prized antique item try to be extra vigilant for any signs of erosion or wear. Also bear in mind that rings worn alongside each other will wear each other down and can distort the setting and underbezels not to mention thinning the shank. If possible try to rest your jewellery, or alter the way it is worn to minimise the damage caused by constant wear.

10. Take extra care with Antique pearls which are prone to “skinning.”

11. Try to store your items in the individual presentation boxes in which they are received. This prevents necklaces becoming tangled and claws catching in a larger jewel box. Some jewel boxes do have separate compartments for items and these are infinitely better for your jewels than a simple square box where everything can become jumbled.

12. Last but not least treat all Antique Jewellery with the respect it deserves. It didn’t survive all those years immersed in washing up water, clogged with soil, pulled by heavy shopping bags, smothered in moisturiser, and tangled in the duvet so make sure you give it all the care and attention you would like to have when you reach the grand old age of 100.

TTFN!

Way before Swarovski became the global icon it is today, ladies were drawn to crystal not only for its glistening beauty but also its affordability.

High quality pieces were out if reach for some, but crystal jewellery made sparkle more accessible to the masses and surviving pieces are as wearable today as they were at the turn of the century.

Cut glass is more prized than moulded, and so called “pools of light” necklaces which feature large faceted and graduated crystal balls are some of the most beautiful examples.

We have several pieces in the shop, all in excellent condition and fresh from restringing. I just can’t decide which is my favourite!!

Information

New Buyer Appointed!

Outside of the box..

Thank you!!

Pre-Loved Wedding Ring? I Do!!

No Need to be Blue

History of Hallmarks

Life before Skype

Bringing Micro Mosaic into the 21st Century

Care of Antique Jewellery

Before Swarovski…. pools of light!