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FEATURE: WIRE WORK JEWELRY

I realized just the other day that some of the pieces I wear and enjoy most are the hand made wire work items made by makers like Hobe, Vogue, Fred Block and others. Many of these pieces are 3" wide and larger, which is a size I like to wear, and many are showy and colorful.

VOGUE Jewelry 
     mid-1930s to the late 1970s

The Vogue Jewelry Company made jewelry spanning over 3 decades so their styles changed over all that time, as is to be expected. Among my favorite examples of their work are the earlier hand-manipulated wire work pieces, often set with unfoiled rhinestones. Although many of the brooches are large they also tend to be light weight and easy to wear. And often, nestled among the other rhinestones, they used the striped "Iris" stones with stripes of red, blue and green as subtle accents.

Bows and leaves are two of the most classic shapes and this maker stylizes these motifs in a charming way. The most unusual design so far is the ear of corn brooch, shown at the right.

To BUY VOGUE for your own collection, please CLICK HERE.

FEATURE: FRED BLOCK Jewelry circa 1940s

The Fred Block name also promises unusual pieces. Some are similar to the Vogue 1940s wire work brooches and they, too, are hand fashioned wire work with both foiled and unfoiled stones.

My long-time favorite, pre-1950s Hobe, also used the wire work settings with tiny florets and bows and unfoiled rhinestones. Hobe made whole parures of certain styles, and gathering a grand parure is a real adventure.

FRED BLOCK JEWELRY for sale can be seen by clicking HERE.

HOBE jewelry is available HERE.


To see other lovely wire work jewelry please click HERE.