Rhinestones Are a Girl’s Best Friend

If you’re going to go fake, I say, do it with panache. I am talking here, of course, about jewels – gems, brilliants, bling, whatever you may call ’em. I can never resist shiny, sparkly things (except for actual diamonds – I don’t like those; like Holly Golightly I think they are dreadfully aging).

Out with subtlety: get the biggest, boldest sparklers you can find. Heck, buy the necklace and the matching earrings too (I did). Unrealistic colours are preferable, because we’re not trying to pretend these baubles are real. They’re fun, and they provide a great pop of colour to an outfit.

Nicole Kidman’s gems for the film Moulin Rouge are actually real, designed by Stefano Canturi, all 134cts of it, and worth a bomb (with six zeros). I saw this in the jeweller’s window in Melbourne a few years ago – amazing!The proper terms for fake bling are rhinestones, or diamantes. Once, imitation jewels were called ‘paste’. Paste stones were made from a colourless and wet glass paste with a high lead content that could be moulded or cut. And originally, rhinestones were rock crystals found in the River Rhine – who knew! Inspired by their popularity, back in 1775 an Alasatian jeweller had the idea to imitate diamonds by coating the underside of cut glass stones with a metal powder. The modern counterpart is Swarovski of course. Their crystals, also coated with special metallic chemical powders, are actually crystal glass, as opposed to the cheaper and more plebeian glass without lead that commoners make do with.

At $34.99 (plus postage), these might be more affordable: Aurora Borealis Pink Elegant Bridal Wedding Crystal Chunky Necklace Set 15"–18"Here’s how to spot a fake when shopping vintage (if it isn’t clear by its sheer, exuberant size and rollicking design, see example above): paste gems have air bubbles while natural stones do not; paste feels warm to the touch, since it is a poor conductor of heat; and being relatively soft, paste gems are unable to cut ordinary glass – so don’t bother trying to scratch your initials in window panes.

If you’re hankering after some trumpery jewels of your own you could do no better than visit the aptly named eBay shop Bonny’s Glitz and Ritz.

NQR and Fabulous

I’ve been searching for a classic pair of 60s style black slingback kitten heels for a long time. Do you know how hard they are to find in this age of stomping platforms and aggressive pumps that bare their teeth and all but snap at the ankles of innocent passers-by? Not that I don’t love these fierce heels, but sometimes I long to trip lightly.

So I decided there was nothing for it but to shop vintage. I searched high and low and came upon these little French ladies by Bleu.C on eBay that were going for a song (really – I think I paid something like $11 for them). The original owner was English, and her aunt had bought them on the Continent for her, but they were just too low. She balked at wearing anything less than four inches.

Well I was just charmed by the black and tan leather, thin strips woven in a cross between Art Deco geometry and Incan zigzags. They remind me of the woven accessories by Bottega Veneta, a label I drool over. The colour combination is classic too, but I suppose you noticed they aren’t exactly what I was looking for? I guess I’ll just have to keep looking, and be forced to buy another pair of shoes. Darn it.

A Serendipitous Loss

I love the smooth opacity of stones such as turquoise, lapis lazuli, malachite, chalcedony – such magical names! – and have collected quite a few pieces over the years.

One of them was an amazing cabochon turquoise ring, set in sterling silver. It was extraordinary because of its size, and the fact that there were no inclusions to mar its clear robin’s egg blue surface. It was egg-shaped, and about an inch in length. Then alas, one evening the stone felt out of its setting while I was walking home. I mourned its loss for a suitable period, and set about looking for its replacement.

It took me three years, and I found it in a little jewellery boutique in a laneway in the Barri Gòtic in Barcelona. The jewellery was displayed in the open on white cubes, each ring attached to a steel cable, but one was still able to try them on. I eventually decided on my favourite: it forms a solid, curved oval, hollowed out off-centre, and is inset with sterling silver. It is a ring of substance, minimal yet striking with its vivid colour. In fact, I like it much more than the original ring I lost.

Spanish Souvenirs

Last year I got lost wandering the streets of Barcelona’s Barri Gòtic. This was a good thing (unlike getting lost in the Fez Medina, which was terrifying), because it is a wonderful way to discover all the hidden nooks and corners of the district, and all the delightful little shops hiding in them.

I spent a wonderful hour or so browsing in the shop Art Montfalcon, and eventually came away with a bundle of ceramic jewellery: a necklace and earring set, as well as two rings (oh, and a cool resin necklace that was supposed to be a gift, and which I, erm, ended up gifting to myself [hangs head in shame]).

The rings I only wear occasionally as they are fragile, but I adore the necklace and earrings and often show them the town. Thin, delicate disks, fashioned like buttons with holes through which the cord is threaded, are painted like textile swatches with different patterns. The colours – mint, chocolate and persimmon – are so pretty. They are Spanish souvenirs I will always treasure.

Tropical Punch

Although I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, a while back I had strange hankering for a vintage candy-pink cane handbag. This seems very specific, I know. At the time, I also had a desperate desire for a holiday in the tropics (only partially assuaged by a week in Noosa, which is not quite Far North Queensland). Somehow, a candy-pink cane handbag seemed to epitomise all those lovely summertime things: cotton candy, Mai Tais, flamingoes, hibiscus flowers and brilliant sunshine. Miraculously, I struck gold in my first search on Etsy. How often does that happen? Now I just have to book that tropical beach holiday …