Friday Feature 4/5/13

I'm running terribly behind today! Please forgive my lateness- between the temperature being over 65 and sunny and losing a ring, my day ended up being more hectic than I had intended! This week I chose one of my favorite sterling pieces from the shop- thought it might be time to take a break from yellow gold! 

               Candy Blue Vintage Sterling Silver and Turquoise Ring

This gorgeous ring is a classic example of vintage sterling silver and turquoise jewelry. With the stone measuring easily more than an inch in length, it is an impressive piece! The elaborate detailing in sterling complements the unusual shape so well with first braiding and then an intricate pattern of eddies and whorls on the outer edge.

The turquoise is a gorgeous shade of candy hued cerulean that is in remarkable condition for its age which I believe to be at least 30-40 years old. The stone is a very unusual jelly bean shaped cabochon that goes perfectly with all of the bright colors and tribal patterns that are so popular right now. The ring is a US size 7.25 which is a great size as it can accommodate a range of hand sizes. 

What also makes this such a wonderful ring is that it has been signed. After seriously wearing out google, and looking at as much as I could find, I have found four different artists who utilize the "LC" signature. Lee Chee, Lucille Calladitto, Louise Clark, and finally, Luciano Chavez. Studying each signature style as well as craftsmanship, I believe this ring to be the work of Luciano Chavez. Aside from learning that he is from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, I was unable to discover any more. Regardless, a good signature always adds value, not forgetting an additional degree of intrigue as well as artistic appeal.

Simply put, I love everything about this ring! It has great quality, unique character, and even an air of mystery- where did it come from, how did it end up in Tiny Town, Kentucky, and who really is Luciano Chavez??

Maybe that isn't as much of a mystery as I am making it out to be... if you have more information about this artist, or just want to jump in with something to share, feel free!! We always love to learn something new!

You can find this week's ring here.

***We are more than happy to answer any questions or requests for additional information. Feel free to send us a message on etsy, to our email- thetigerandthefox@gmail.com or leave us a comment here!***

New Year, New Jewelry

I had intended to update here at least two days ago! But life gets in the way. It is the start of a new year, and although it is freezing cold, the days have begun to stretch out a little more sunlight, and the weather has been beautiful. My Christmas decorations are all tucked away, and I'm half way through getting all of our taxes prepared to take to the accountant. So there is really not too much to complain about! Except for that other half of the taxes... It can get pretty crazy when you and your spouse are both self employed and run two different businesses! In saying all that, with regards to our jewelry/antique/novelty shop- get excited! We have two new pieces ready for purchase:

1. 925 Sterling Silver Money Clip

I just love this vintage money clip! It's a Mexican piece, and the details on it are gorgeous. It's a perfect guy gift, of course, but how handy would it be to have this stashed in your car's console ready to grab and go when you need it? 

2. Sterling Silver Orchid Earrings

So pretty!! These orchid earrings are post style pierced, and are so unique! They have a great look to them, and are also stamped from Mexico. They are probably close to 30 years old, making them a great vintage item.

And there will be more going up today and throughout the weekend, including some beautiful diamond rings & cameo pieces. One of my goals for this year is to do a better job of also including some more kitschy pieces, both vintage and made by yours truly, instead of just saying that I am going to! We shall see...

Be sure to check out our shop and twitter over the next couple of days so you don't miss out on the new stuff, and thanks for stopping by!!


The Tiger

We Now Present...

I always have a difficult time starting new things, and this blog doesn't seem to be breaking the standard, either! I suppose the best way is to jump in feet first (not head first, because that is dangerous, my friends!) and go for it. 
A brief introductory so that we are all acquainted:
My husband, Thomas, and I have been married for nearly six years and have both been self-employed most of that time. He has been a barber at his grandfather's barber shop for nine years now, and I worked as a nanny for approximately four. We have been avid antique collectors since our marriage, and as our knowledge grew, we started buying not only for ourselves (we ran out of room pretty quickly in our little house!) but to re-purpose & re-sell. Once we got into the resale side, something clicked! We knew this was something we both enjoyed, and both were pretty good at doing, but our "real" jobs were our main focus and what kept the bills paid. Over time our interests grew to cover all kinds of neat things besides furniture. Glassware, cookware, miniatures- all sorts of fascinating old things that had been left behind as styles and people changed. One day while at our local flea market, we began talking with one of the other regulars who sold costume jewelry. That was her personal niche, but as we listened, we learned that her husband was someone who bought gold and silver to sell to the refineries. The more we heard, the more intrigued we became. With precious metals being at record prices, it was completely understandable to sell to refineries, but so much of the jewelry being scrapped was still gorgeous! It just needed a little love, a little polish and someone who could appreciate it and the character it had, instead of seeing it as an old junky thing. 
So our focus switched a bit- we still love going out on the hunt for a great piece of Pyrex, or finding old tables to put back together- but there is just something about taking an old, tarnished, beat to hell ring and bringing it back to its full glory. The last couple years it was more of a hobby than anything for us, but in April, Thomas was able to open up an actual store front right next door to the family barber shop. The kids I had taken care of for the last two years began school full time a couple months later, and it all kind of fell into place. He still runs the the barber shop with his sister, but between the two of us, managing everything has worked out well. We don't make a ton of money by any means, and working with your spouse can have its difficult moments, but the rewards of being able to be together and build something that we can call our own is so rewarding. We hope that you as a reader will enjoy our many hijinks we get into, and stick with us as we grow!