Vintage Heirlooms
The vintage jewellery trend really started with him proposing to her with his grandmother's engagement ring. But instead of getting a little old like one might've expected, the vintage jewellery trend has literally mushroomed over the past couple of seasons, in the form of birdcage veils, strings of pearls, fascinators, lockets, and, and, and...
Wearing a family heirloom is a fantastic way of honouring a relative who might not be present to celebrate your big day with you. However it's also important not to get too caught up in the sentiment and end up wearing a piece that clashes with your outfit. If you're really set on wearing a particular vintage piece, be sure to plan the rest of your outfit and jewellery around it.
Because not every family necessarily has a valuable heirloom stashed away in the safe, couples have started putting a spin on the tradition of heirlooms by creating their own. This really just means spending a little more on valuable and durable pieces that can one day be handed down to your children and become your very own family heirloom. After all, even the oldest heirlooms were spanking new at some stage or another.
Another alternative is to put a modern spin on an antique piece. These days jewellers can turn just about any simple piece into a masterpiece, whether it be converting a sapphire brooch into a necklace or making bracelets out of an old pearl necklace. Also worth considering is having old rings, jewellery and odd bits of gold melted down and reshaped into wedding bands. Not only is this alternative slightly cheaper than buying a ring, you're also saving on valuable earthly resources and the finished piece will have that much more sentiment to it than an off-the-shelf stunner.
While there's really nothing quite like the real thing, there are plenty of ways to put a vintage twist on a brand new and sparkling piece of jewellery. One such tried and tested method involves covering your silver jewellery in crushed bits of hard boiled egg yolk and placing it in a zip-loc bag overnight. If all goes well, the egg should blacken the silver completely. Using a normal silver polish and an ear bud, it's then up to you to polish parts of the silver, leaving some of the black in place to give it that antique finish.
Unlike pink drinks, vintage isn't just for girls. Rose-coloured gold and matt silver are the popular choices for groom wedding bands, and you can also have it engraved with a vintage pattern. Brides looking to spoil the husband-to-be with a little something-something before the wedding, should keep eyes peeled for an authentic vintage pocket watch or beautiful cuff links. One thing is certain: The jewellery may be old, but there's certainly nothing stale about this stunning new trend.
For more ideas on Vintage Jewellery or to check out the original photos displayed above and their credits, make sure to check out our Vintage Jewellery Pinterest Board!
