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IntroductionWhat Is Vintage, Really? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

What Not to Redux: Collectible vs . Redux-able . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

How to Use This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Cleaning, Repairing, and Storing Jewelry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

How to Redux: What Makes Jewelry Up-to-Date? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

A Re-Stringing Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

New Order ReduxThe Ol’ Switch-arooni A Brooch Makes a Magical Conversion to a Necklace . . . . . . . 16

Mr(s) . T An Eighties Gold Chain Collection Gets Baubled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Owl and the Pussycat Fish Articulated Necklaces Go from Kitsch to Cute . . . . 20

Ring-let Costume Rings Link Up to Build a Bracelet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

A Ribbon Runs Through It An Eighties Chain Splits to Form Two Mixed-Media Bracelet Combos . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Fantastic Plastic and Elastic A Plastic Link Bracelet Tells It’s Time for Fun . . . . . . 26

Mod Squad Basic Cuffs Blossom with a Collection of Flower Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Steppin’ Stones A Contemporary Plaque Necklace Rocks Out to a New Groove . . . . 30

A Necklace with Fili Pedigree A Filigree Pendant Stars in a Collage-y Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

So Stilletto Great Eighties Earrings Click (Clip-on) Your Heels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Chandelearring A Silvery Teardrop Earring Pair Says “Chandelier,” Literally . . . . . . 36

Plastic with a Twist A Faux-Bakelite Necklace Tangles with Nuts and a Melon (Clasp) 38

A Few of My Favorite Things A Mix of Materials and Origins Tie Together in a Cream-Colored Theme . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Mona Lisas’ Smiles A Graduated Cameo Necklace Exhibits Its Own Five-Woman Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Bombastic Plastic A Few Already Re-done Necklaces Get Redux Part Two . . . . . . . 44

Comment Dit-On “Purse” en Français? (How Do You Say “Purse” in French?) A French Embroidered Purse Comes Full Bloom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

The Amazing Technicolor Dream Necklace Colored Gemstones Congregate for a Zealous (Jealous?) Neckpiece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Danish Anyone? A Danish Pendant Is Treated to a New Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Newfangled Old Bangles An Old Set of Bangles Gets a New (Jump Ring) Twist . . . . . . 52

The New Definition of Studly Plastic Bangles Get a Studded Face-lift . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Unexpected Redux—Vintage Collectibles Become JewelryOne Buckle, Two Buckle, Three Buckle, Four . . . A Belt Buckle Collection Teams Up to Become a Necklace or Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Very Millinery Berry Millinery Berries Cluster in a Chic Choker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Curtain Call A Chandelier Prism Duet Debuts as Earrings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

With a Click of Her Heels A Rhinestone Shoe Buckle Finds a New Home as a Bracelet . . .64

Cape(d) Crusader Cape Closure Sinks to a New Low as Belt Buckle . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

A Change Will Do It Good A Lovely Thimble Gets a Second Chance at a Happy Ending .68

Heirloom Redux—Sentimental Pieces Kept CloseReally Scary Pearls Heirloom Pearls Scare Up a (Temporarily) Frightening Look . . . . 72

Caught in Time A Vintage Watch Charms Now More Than Ever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Getting Pinned A Pretty Pin Is Housed in a Tapestry of Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Pass It On A Traditional Swiss Costume Button Fastens onto a Bracelet . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Classy Ring A High School Ring is Reclassified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

The Dad Piece A Bolo Focal Piece Turns Heirloom Bracelet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Regifting—It’s Good to Be Me! A Cloisonné Necklace Gets Clipped (in a Good Way) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Inspirational Redux—A Gallery of Work by Inspiring Artists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

How Do You Know If Things Are Old? An Interview with Merilyn Lauria, proprietress, A Wrinkle in Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Contents

18 19

CCan it really be this easy? Sometimes an update is effortless. Knowing when to say

when wasn’t Mr. T’s forté (at least in the jewelry department), but the Mrs. gets all

the bennies from his fashion fallout now with a few head pins and some well-chosen

beads. I’m happy for her, but I pity the fool!

StepS1. Load a head pin with a vintage bead (optional: add spacers for interest) and turn the first half of a wrapped loop (Techniques) [a]. Repeat with all the beads.2. Determine a bead pattern for your necklace. Put a bead component onto its determined link [b] and complete the wrapped loop (Techniques). Repeat with all the beads.3. Add the pre-looped beads to the heavier chain links with jump rings (Techniques) [c].

AlternAteSTry different baubles, spacers, and head pins for beautiful and complementary combinations, as seen in the two longer necklaces.

noteBe careful of excess layering! Forward tipping possible!

a

b

c

MAteriAlS

the old . . .• hefty gold-tone necklaces (1980s)

the new . . .• 13 9mm vintage glass beads, white

with platinum bands• 4 8mm vintage white glass beads

with loops• 4 6mm vintage white glass beads

with loops• 13 2-in. (5cm) ball-tipped head pins,

vermeil• 8 5mm jump rings, gold-filled

toolS• cutters • roundnose pliers• chainnose pliers

An Eighties Gold Chain Collection Gets Baubled

Mr(s). T

19

30 31

Steppin’ Stones Materials

the old . . .• plaquenecklacewithfauxleather

(post-1983)

the new . . .• 2yds.(1.8m)4-plywaxedlinen

thread,black• 11–1322x35mmgeometric-cut

Africanturquoise(Rings&Things,rings-things.com)

• 6in.(15cm)20-gaugesteelwire• G-SHypoCement tools• cutters• roundnosepliers• smallball-peenhammer• anvilorbenchblock

steps1. Fold the waxed linen length in half and tie a lark’s head knot (Techniques) to the end ring at the back of the plaque [a].2. Arrange the geometric turquoise beads in a necklace shape, considering the length of the finished piece and how the edges will fit together due to the hole placements. String a turquoise bead on one linen length [b].3. Flip the piece over. Run the remaining length of linen along the back of the turquoise bead and tie a square knot close to the bead hole (Techniques) [c]. Repeat until the necklace is the desired length.4. To make the clasp, use roundnose pliers to turn a small loop at the end of the steel wire [d]. This loop will be the connecting loop of the piece.5. Flip the pliers and nestle the largest part just above the small loop between the largest part of the pliers’ nose. Curve the wire around the jaw [e], making sure the loop is just large enough to fit over the connecting loop on the back of the necklace plaque. Flip the pliers again and make another small decorative loop. Trim any excess wire.6. Harden the hook by hammering both sides against a small anvil or bench block. Texture both sides with the ball end of a ball-peen hammer [f].7. Tie the hook onto the end knot with a double knot [g], orienting the hook to connect over the top of the plaque loop [h]. Trim the linen tails and dot with glue.

TAContemporaryPlaqueNecklaceRocksOuttoaNewGroove

This original piece, a signed Chico’s necklace (now how vintage can that be?), smacks

of pure eighties style! It’s minimal. It’s gold. And, well—it’s minimal and gold. Ah,

the nostalgia of the decade when accessorizing meant accentuating with anything that

matched our all-black wardrobes. This redux updates à la Simon Sebbag, who is known

for taking a shape, repeating it, and then offering it in a different material or color.

a b

c d

fe

g h

42 43

Mona Lisas’ Smiles

Materials

the old . . .• Victoriangraduatedresincameo

necklace(1940scameos,1950schain)

the new . . .• 66mmfreshwaterpearls,

lightgold• 54mmSwarovskiart.5810crystal

pearls,CrystalPowderDiamondPearl

• brassswirlclaspset• 144.5mmbrassjumprings• 30in.(76cm)2mmbrassfine

ornatechain• 24in.(61cm)3mmbrass

cablechain• 42links/11½in.(29.2cm)7mm

brassetchedcablechain• 1124-gaugebrasspearlheadpins

Supplynote:allbrasschain,jumprings,andclaspfromVintajNaturalBrassCompany,vintaj.com

tools• cutters• roundnosepliers• chainnosepliers• mannequin(orsimilarform),

optional

steps1. Disassemble the original piece into components, recycling the fine chain for a future project. (I discarded the jump rings, as they were broken or brittle.)2. Make the foundation chain length by combining the old S-connectors and new lengths of etched oval chain by opening the chain links as you would a jump ring (Techniques) [a]. Starting and ending with chain lengths, alternate six link lengths with the connectors for a total of seven chain lengths and six connectors.3. Use 4.5mm jump rings to attach the end links of the foundation chain length and the other two chain types with the swirl clasp set (the swirl to one end, the ring to the other) [b].4. Make the cameo components by using 4.5mm jump rings to attach seven-link segments of 3mm chain to each loop [c].5. Clasp the necklace and place it on a mannequin or other form. With pins, mark three points to swag, and connect the 3mm chain to the foundation chain, adding one each of the large, medium, and small cameo components. When you are happy with the placement, use 4.5mm jump rings to attach the center link of each cameo chain hanger [d].6. Repeat Step 6 with the 2mm chain and the remaining medium and small cameos [e].7. Load the freshwater and crystal pearls onto brass pearl head pins. Make the first half of a wrapped loop (Techniques) [f].8. Play with the placement of the pearl components by attaching their unwrapped loops to chain links [g]. When you are happy with the placement, take the piece off the mannequin and complete the wraps (Techniques).

SGraduatedCameoNecklaceExhibitsItsOwnFive-WomanShow

Some pieces just shout “makeover!” But this one? Not

so much. Still very cute and wearable in its original

state, I winced as I convinced myself to update my

beloved cameo piece. Now I’m more than glad I did.

What was a lovely graduated Victorian cameo necklace

became an updated, edgy, rockin’ version. (I love how

the ladies have become little hanging portraits. The

whole thing is like a mini gallery for your neck!)

a b

c d

fe

g

Design note Hangingthepieceonamannequinorform(I’veusedthetopofmytasklightinapinch)helpsgettheplacementofthecameosandcharmsjustsoasyouwork.Justasfashioncouturiersdrapetheirgarmentsonthebodyforfitandplacement,designinginthismannerwillhelpeverythinglandintherightspotthefirsttimearound.