Can we talk? I love this little charm because it appears to be a tea kettle on a stand or hot plate, and the eBay seller I bought it from said it was a Joan Rivers jewelry collection charm. I haven't been able to document that, although I do have Joan's jewelry book and was delighted to learn how seriously she takes her jewelry work for QVC. (Also on a tea-ish note, Joan was recently profiled in New York magazine and I learned she and Prince Charles are pals, and he often sends her two fancy teacups as a Christmas gift. Who knew?)
I've shown this charmholder before, but I must tell you it's perhaps the most-commented on piece of tea jewelry I have. Women have stopped me in antique malls to ask where I got it (eBay). The teapot charm on the charmholder was a gift given to the women at one of our church teas. I love the idea of having the ladies start a charm bracelet and give them an inexpensive charm as their souvenir or treat at each year's tea.
This charm is still offered by Brighton, and it's the only tea charm I know of that is reversible.
The necklace on the left was a gift from my husband, and the bracelet on the right was a gift from my friend Susan. I think these glass charms with rose decals are just beautiful, and you can often find ads for them in magazines such as Tea Time.
These vintage charms are ones I bought because of their history, really. You know all those ball-shaped teapot design pieces I've shared all week? I've wondered how old they were, and the eBay seller told me these charms are jewelry factory leftovers from the forties. That sounds about right, and they sure seem to have produced a lot of them.
But moving to the present, I must tell you that today I am simply mad about the sterling silver beads which are now being collected just as charms were in the fifties and sixties. My husband gave me a Pandora bracelet with a heart on it the first Christmas after we married, and it is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry and one I wear frequently. One of the first beads I added was this teapot.
Here is my completed bracelet, with beads from my husband (all the heart ones are from him), parents, a girlfriend, and some I bought myself. I read recently that a charm bracelet can serve as an autobiography of a life, and I think that's true of bead bracelets as well since my beads are all so meaningful! (My friend ParTea Lady recently began her own Pandora bracelet, and you can see her beautiful beads, including the teapot, of course,
here.)
DH enjoyed the Pandora-collecting years because he always knew what to buy me for gifts, so when that one filled up he surprised me with a Troll bracelet. While my Pandora bracelet contains only Pandora beads, my Troll bracelet is not exclusively Troll. It has beads from Chamilia (which also makes a style of bead bracelet), including a teapot I got at the Charleston City Market the afternoon I toured the Charleston Tea Plantation a few years ago. Belk also sells similar beads and bead bracelets, so some of their glass beads are on my Troll bracelet as well. I'm no bead snob!
And I've purposely avoided completing my Troll bracelet because I want the option of adding a few more beads -- especially if jewelry makers come out with more tea-themed ones. I know they're all the rage around here, but are bead bracelets popular where you live?
Can we talk? I love this little charm because it appears to be a tea kettle on a stand or hot plate, and the eBay seller I bought it from said it was a Joan Rivers jewelry collection charm. I haven't been able to document that, although I do have Joan's jewelry book and was delighted to learn how seriously she takes her jewelry work for QVC. (Also on a tea-ish note, Joan was recently profiled in New York magazine and I learned she and Prince Charles are pals, and he often sends her two fancy teacups as a Christmas gift. Who knew?)
I've shown this charmholder before, but I must tell you it's perhaps the most-commented on piece of tea jewelry I have. Women have stopped me in antique malls to ask where I got it (eBay). The teapot charm on the charmholder was a gift given to the women at one of our church teas. I love the idea of having the ladies start a charm bracelet and give them an inexpensive charm as their souvenir or treat at each year's tea.
This charm is still offered by Brighton, and it's the only tea charm I know of that is reversible.
The necklace on the left was a gift from my husband, and the bracelet on the right was a gift from my friend Susan. I think these glass charms with rose decals are just beautiful, and you can often find ads for them in magazines such as Tea Time.
These vintage charms are ones I bought because of their history, really. You know all those ball-shaped teapot design pieces I've shared all week? I've wondered how old they were, and the eBay seller told me these charms are jewelry factory leftovers from the forties. That sounds about right, and they sure seem to have produced a lot of them.
But moving to the present, I must tell you that today I am simply mad about the sterling silver beads which are now being collected just as charms were in the fifties and sixties. My husband gave me a Pandora bracelet with a heart on it the first Christmas after we married, and it is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry and one I wear frequently. One of the first beads I added was this teapot. 
Here is my completed bracelet, with beads from my husband (all the heart ones are from him), parents, a girlfriend, and some I bought myself. I read recently that a charm bracelet can serve as an autobiography of a life, and I think that's true of bead bracelets as well since my beads are all so meaningful! (My friend ParTea Lady recently began her own Pandora bracelet, and you can see her beautiful beads, including the teapot, of course, here.)
DH enjoyed the Pandora-collecting years because he always knew what to buy me for gifts, so when that one filled up he surprised me with a Troll bracelet. While my Pandora bracelet contains only Pandora beads, my Troll bracelet is not exclusively Troll. It has beads from Chamilia (which also makes a style of bead bracelet), including a teapot I got at the Charleston City Market the afternoon I toured the Charleston Tea Plantation a few years ago. Belk also sells similar beads and bead bracelets, so some of their glass beads are on my Troll bracelet as well. I'm no bead snob!
And I've purposely avoided completing my Troll bracelet because I want the option of adding a few more beads -- especially if jewelry makers come out with more tea-themed ones. I know they're all the rage around here, but are bead bracelets popular where you live?
Love the enamalware and the charm on the bracelet that says "tea"
ReplyDeleteMore pretty pieces, so hard to pick a favorite. (but the glass charms look especially pretty!) They are all lovely and you have such a good 'collector's eye,' Joanie
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are the glass and crystal beads. I especially like the ones with roses on them and have several of them in my collection.
ReplyDeleteMy DH also loves to give me tea jewelry and for my birthday I was the lucky recipient of a sparkling Swarovski Crystal teapot and teacup necklace from their Alice in Wonderland Collection.
Do you have any teapot rings, Angela? Oh, maybe that is your next post. Hope so!
All of your charms are great and you have a nice variety. I'd never have guessed that Joan Rivers and Prince Charles would be pals. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of giving teapot charms as favors at tea parties. Your Pandora bracelet is lovely and it's sweet that all the special heart beads are from hubby.
I love all your tea charms and beads! Joan and Charles -- what an odd combo!
ReplyDeleteI really like your Brighton charm, I'll have to see if the local store has it. I don't know if bead bracelets are in around here, I haven't paid attention. I did not know Belk sold them, I'll have to look next time I'm there.
ReplyDeletePandora is very fashionable and wearing Pandora can certainly make people feel better about themselves. This is especially important when people find themselves in situations where they lack confidence. Pandora is so lovely to look at that observers may well comment on the Pandora Jewelery they see and make a positive and kind comment.
ReplyDeleteLove the charm holder necklace!
ReplyDeleteI can see why you hear so many compliments when you wear your charm holder. Such a unique piece of jewelry. I must also say that from now on whenever I see Joan Rivers I will be thinking of tea.
ReplyDeleteJanet P.