Thursday, June 26, 2008

The DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIGNED & UNSIGNED SHERMANS IS DOLLAR VALUE!



Today some interesting auctions finished on eBay. I had put watches on them, as I always do, because it's generally on eBay that folks pay the least for Sherman jewelry and also take the biggest risk that what they have won is an authentic Sherman. Like I've said elsewhere in this blog, if a Sherman isn't signed, how can you be sure it's a Sherman?

Well obviously from today's auctions, that uncertainty impacts very much on the price bidders will pay. Take the gorgeous wide aurora borealis bracelet shown above. It's absolutely awesome and this style is in demand for collectors. Now most Sherman bracelets on ebay go for in excess of $100 and some, big ones like this one, depending on colors, will even go for $1000 or more. Well imagine my shock when I checked back later to see what this sold for and found it had gone for only $88!! Gosh, had I known it'd do that, I would have bid on it myself! I re-read the ad, and there it was: the explanation for that low dollar: this bracelet is unsigned. Even though the seller included a photo of a brooch she claimed came from the same set but which she was selling separately, bidders put on the brakes and stopped at $88. Yet, recently, the very pretty but clear rhinestone Sherman bracelet sbown on the left sold for over $150! (If that bracelet had colored stones and not clear, it might have gone for another $100 on top of that.) Why did this one go for nearly twice as much? It's a signed Sherman of course.


Now here's another example from recent eBay auctions: the very pretty fuschia "set" below immediately caught my eye. I had to watch this one, knowing how much Sherman collectors will pay for fuschia, especially when it's a set.
Well again, I was stunned to see this set sold for a mere $125. That's really cheap for a Sherman set, even one that's not fuschia. Something had to be wrong ... and it was. While the earrings shown in the set were signed Sherman, the necklace was not! Several photos were provided, but a statement provided in the description indicated it was the seller's opinion only that the earrings and necklace were a set. There was no other proof. Now, it has been stated that not all Shermans were signed i.e. you might get signed earrings and an unsigned necklace that originally came only with a paper tag. But if the tag is gone, how do YOU know? The only thing you can go by, if you're buying online, or once you receive the item, is to closely compare the construction, the stones, the layout and if you then conclude they are identical and belong together, then yes, you most likely have a full Sherman set.

But to the point here: whether you invest in Sherman as a collector or as a buyer who wants to sell down the way, it's obvious buyers hesitate to bid on or buy unsigned pieces. If they do buy, they won't pay top dollar. They'll buy the piece as an "unsigned beauty" because that's what it is ... lovely but not as valuable. For my money as both a buyer and seller, I look for only signed pieces. A set like my fuschia set below, with necklace, earrings and brooch is "safe". All the pieces are signed Sherman.

And one more thing: if you're shopping on Ebay for your Shermans or any designer vintage jewelry, for heaven's sake READ THOSE ADS CAREFULLY. Even I missed the fact that those pieces mentioned above weren't signed pieces! But then I wasn't buying. And beware the person
who uses SHERMAN in the title to catch your eye. The seller of the necklace shown on the right used SHERMAN in the title. The colors in this piece are awesome and the style is very much like a Sherman. Maybe it's a Sherman and maybe it isn't. Bottom line is it's another "unsigned beauty" but the seller led you to believe it was a Sherman right in the headline! Fortunately, most bidders did read the ad and this very pretty necklace went for what is was worth: $39. But if an unwary bidder had missed that, they might have spent another $100 on this one!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

KNOCKOUT SHERMAN SET FEATURES ALEXANDRITE-TYPE STONES


Today I want to introduce you to what is probably my favourite Sherman set. Not only is it an exquisite design, but it features the scarce Alexandrite-type stones that are sought after almost as much as the Siam red and fuschia Shermans.

What's so special about Alexandrite-type stones? Well they have the same color-changing property of true alexandrite, a precious gem. True alexandrite can change from ash gray to green to pale blue to purple in minutes, depending on what kind of light it's exposed to. It's utterly fascinating to watch the color changing and it does it quite quickly. You can purchase genuine alexandrite stones HERE ... just a perfect size to set in a ring.

I look for jewelry with genuine alexandrite or costume jewelry like this Sherman set constantly. They are not easy to find and when I do get a piece, I never have them for long. I recently listed this ring with genuine alexandrite in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It was sold in 24 hours! I managed to acquire a gorgeous WEISS necklace and earrings that used the Alexandrite-type stones and it sold in under a month ... just last week as a matter of fact. You can see that one HERE. (Both those sold items will display for only one month from now)

And so now, we have this gorgeous Sherman set of necklace and earrings. That first photo shows you an all Lavender or mauve colored set. But now look at this other photo of the necklace:


Yes, it's one and the same necklace but as you can see, now part of the necklace is pale blue. If you click on that photo, you can see many more photos of this set showing the earrings in both blue and mauve, and also showing the backings on the jewelry. It's in mint condition. Further information on this set is provided at both SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Slip over and take a look at all those photos. This one is rare, beautiful and highly collectible!

Monday, June 23, 2008

URANIUM GLASS JEWELRY by SHERMAN GLOWS IN THE DARK


Never heard of uranium glass? Isn't uranium dangerous and if so, why would a vintage designer like Gustave Sherman use it in his beautiful jewellery?

Those were the first questions that popped into my mind when a knowledgeable colleague who also sells Sherman jewellery alerted me to the fact that one of my lovely Sherman sets (shown below) looked like it had stones made with a uranium glass component.

First off, she assured me it wasn't dangerous i.e the amount of uranium in the crystals is too minimal to pose any danger. As to why would Sherman or any vintage designer use uranium glass crystals, the answer lies in the properties of those crystals. Look at the photo above of the necklace being shown under UV light. The crystals glow! That, by the way, is how you can determine if your green-colored jewelry has uranium glass crystals. Just get the pieces under UV light and watch for the glow.



Well then, so the crystals glow. So what? The "so what" is that suddenly you have a rather rare Sherman set on your hands! Furthermore, because it's rare and because it uses uranium glass crystals, your set is now a lot more valuable. As my esteemed colleague informed me, "that Sherman of yours is now of interest not only to collectors of Sherman jewelry, but collectors of uranium glass!" WOW! And I had no idea of that when I acquired this piece.

So now this set is not only pretty, not only a Sherman, but it's rare and valuable. And I tell you what: it looks awesome when you're wearing it in a darkened lounge where there's Ultra Violet lighting. It just can't go un-noticed as it glows in the dark!

If you'd like to add this set to your Sherman collection, I am currently offering it at a 15% discount. You can see more photos and purchase it through my SHOP at RUBY LANE or directly through my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. That discount is good only until June 30, 2008. And by the way, I also have a lovely 2-row bracelet with Uranium glass stones that would go beautifully with this set. You'll find it on the BRACELET page of my site.

PLEASE NOTE: Since this post appeared, the Uranium Glass Bracelet mentioned above has been SOLD. That collector of Sherman knew a good buy when she found it!

Friday, June 20, 2008

WELCOME SUMMER with SHERMAN JEWELLERY - SALE!

Well tomorrow is the first day of summer, June 21st. Yep, summer's officially arrived. And to celebrate summer, I'm having a SUMMER SALE on SHERMAN JEWELRY.

Visit my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and MY SHOP at RUBY LANE and take 15% off any of the Sherman pieces shown there. Choose from necklaces, bracelets, brooch sets, necklace sets and earrings. Get your calculator out and apply a 15% discount to any piece you fancy.

15% still not low enough to let you afford a lovely necklace or set by Gustave Sherman? Make me an offer I can't refuse between now and midnight June 30, 2008. You just never know. I might say "okay!" You never know if you don't try, right?

You know, I could put these lovely pieces on auction at eBay, and you might get lucky getting a bargain if you're the top bidder. But then again, you might end up paying more than you would if you accepted my offer of a 15% discount! Imagine getting the gorgeous Sherman below for only $106! That's all it will cost with a 15% discount!



Or what about this stunning blue brooch and earring set? It's exquisite and in terrific condition both front and rear. The rhodium plate backing is silver and shiny as when it was new. How can you go wrong when the price, with 15% discount is only $123!

This offer of a 15% discount is only good for the next 10 days. It finishes at midnight on June 30th. Take advantage of my offer to save you money on jewellery by Gustave Sherman. And by the way, I offer combined shipping at no extra charge if you want to buy more than one piece.

What are you waiting for? Check out the links above and add to your Sherman collection today!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

WHAT IS SHERMAN WORTH? HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?


That's a loaded question! A quick answer would probably be what you hear when you're buying a home or any major investment: it's worth what a buyer is willing to pay! And when it comes to jewellery by Sherman, some buyers are willing to pay a lot!

Take the examples in the photos in this blog. They are of Sherman jewelry sold since June 1, 2008 on eBay, which after all is where we're supposed to be able to find bargains. So if these are bargains, then be prepared to pay a lot for a piece of Sherman jewelry.

That stunning fuschia cuff bracelet recently sold on Ebay for $4500! Yes, you read right. Now we currently have a T.Michaels designer gold & diamond jewelry set on our site at VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE

for which we're asking only $1425 and given the high cost of gold right now, it's a steal. But so far, it remains unsold. And yet that Sherman cuff bracelet sold for $4500! Ouch. In fact, that's not the highest dollar I've seen on eBay recently for cuff bracelets. There was another in excess of $5300!

Sure makes my gorgeous green/blue bracelet shown on the lower right seem way underpriced at $350 including insured shipping, doesn't it! And I keep thinking my prices are too high? Yeah right! If you'd like to see more photos of this beauty, just click on the photo.











Here's another comparison: the large smoke gray cuff bracelet shown on the left sold for ... are you ready? $2747! And I'm talking US dollars by the way.

Moving away from bracelets and into necklaces, what about this beautiful blue necklace below that sold for just below $175. No matching earrings, just the necklace:

Now not all Sherman necklaces get a dollar as high as that but this one's unique: it's large marquise stones, surrounded by clear crystals and its lovely design set it apart from other Sherman necklaces out there.

That probably also explains why some time ago, one of my sets shown on the right sold on Ebay for $320. It was just fabulous and the bidding was intense. But the set was so unique with its huge stones and superb condition. And after all, it was a set! You can click on that photo to see other items sold from my site at SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE but it's far from the complete list. Surf around the site to find more recently sold items.

What I do find intriguing, given the high interest in Sherman jewelry is how few visitors to my sites will not buy directly from the site where the price is so reasonable, but they'll bid on it on eBay. I guess they're still hoping to snag the Sherman for less on eBay. Well l'll say this much: I usually get more for my Shermans when they're being auctioned off on eBay. Why do I tell you this? Simply because if you're looking for a bargain on Sherman Jewellery, eBay might NOT just be the best place to find it! If those prices above are any indication, it's something to think about, isn't it.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

YOUR CHANCE TO SNAG 3 ORIGINAL SHERMAN JEWELRY BOXES


Just a few days back in this blog I was telling you it's a good idea to acquire Sherman Jewelry boxes if you can find them: very hard to get.

Well lo and behold, on eBay right now, a seller is auctioning off 3 such boxes! Two of them are the same as the black box with dots shown in the photo. The third is the gold brocade box shown in other photo. What an opportunity to grab some boxes for your own Sherman Jewelry, or if you sell Sherman, to be able to supply boxes for your buyer. Having an original "Jewels of Elegance by Sherman" box for authentic Sherman jewelry just increases the overall value of your piece.




These auctions end on June 16, 2008 just after 10pm EST but you'll have to be quick as they end with about only a minute in between. Expect to pay up to $25 or more per box. Like I said, they are rare and there's always a lot of interest from bidders. As I write this, the bids are only at $7.75, but don't kid yourself that you can get them for that low a dollar. I'll be bidding too LOL!

Gosh, I should charge the seller for the free advertising I'm giving him/her don't you think?! Just click on the photos to go directly to the auctions now!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Studio 5. First day


This spring I won 2008 Annual Jury for Torpedo Factory Artist and became a member of this well known in Washington Metropolitan Area (and not only) Artist Association. Since June I have shared Studio 5 at the Torpedo Factory Art Center ( Torpedo Factory ).


Nancy Reinke, an artist and printmaker, has been working in Studio 5 for about 30 years, and it looks like a museum. What a cozy place!


I've got not so much room for my jewelry display, but that is my first public-open place, and I feel comfortable here.


In the studio I can work and sell my jewelry, that is what I need.


I'm so impressed and happy! Seems, I love the whole world!

First day in Studio 5

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2008 Bead Dreams. Pictures

People say that the Bead & Button Show is the most popular bead show in the whole world. And they are right! Students and exhibiters from more than 30 countries came this year to the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a full week of beading, jewelry making, shopping, and talking about beads.

The main event of course was the Bead Dreams exhibit. Works of all finalists were on display in the show’s lobby area. The winners in six categories received award ribbons and the outstanding piece among category winners received a Beast in Show trophy

There were two additional displays this year. One was the Japanese exhibit which presented the top award-winning pieces from the beadwork and jewelry contest held in the Hakone Open-Air Museum. The other one was the Out of the Box exhibit of glass beads.

Bead Dreams 2008 pictures

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BRACELETS BY GUSTAVE SHERMAN

Tonight I want to talk about Sherman bracelets, those exquisite adornments for ladies' wrists!

Gustave Sherman made some incredibly beautiful bracelets and what I've found hard is trying to acquire them. For one thing, while you'll find tons of brooches, earrings and necklaces by Sherman, bracelets are much harder to come by. Valerie Hammond, in her book "All that Glitters" states that while bracelets were popular when Sherman was making them, they weren't as prolific, and hence today, they are somewhat scarce. Again, how accurate that statement is is anyone's guess. What I have found though to support her statement is that when someone is auctioning off Sherman bracelets on Ebay, there's always lots of interest and the price sometimes is unbelievable.


Take the one in the photo above. It sold on July 9, 2008 for just short of $1600 US! Ouch! Mind you, it's a rare bracelet with its rigid cuff construction and it's huge size i.e. about 2 1/4" large and 2 1/2" in diameter.

Apart from their beauty, Sherman bracelets have much attention to detail e.g. his use of the "butterfly" clasp closure in such a way that the clasp was nearly invisible. Sherman placed interlocking crystals over the clasp so you couldn't easily tell where the bracelet started or ended except for the little safety chain found on all Sherman bracelets.


Unfortuately, I don't have too many Sherman bracelets in my collection but I do have the magnificent 3-piece set (parure) above. This photo is good but it just doesn't do it justice. The blue color is fantastic. The bracelet is 6 3/4" long with alternating rows of swarovski crystals and aurora borealis. The triangular brooch is about 1 3/4" in diameter. Please click the photo above to see more views of this fabulous Sherman set. Remember, when you're buying designer vintage jewelry, sets and parures are more valuable to a collector than single individual pieces. And you'll be pleased to know you can purchase this set from my RUBY LANE SHOP for 1/4 of the price that person paid for just the bracelet mentioned in this blog!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

CAN'T BELIEVE THIS JEWELRY IS BY SHERMAN?!


Have you ever come across a piece of Sherman jewelry that you can't believe is a Sherman? I have, and more than once. I now own 3 pieces that I wouldn't have given a second glance except that I noticed that famous scripted Sherman signature on the pieces.

Take the one shown in the photo: it has none of what we usually associate with jewelry by Gustave Sherman. Where are the Swarovski crystals? The Aurora Borealis stones? What, no glitter?

Well actually it does glitter thanks to the excellent gold plate Sherman used in this piece and the construction is superb: 3 gold-plated interlocking chains hang to a length of 24 inches from which dangles a shiny gold-plated bezel is an owl-like pendant measuring 2 1/2" X 1 1/2". Then some more tassles. So different from any Sherman I've seen and yet decidedly Sherman. There's that signature right beside the locking piece. Click on any of the photos to see more views of this piece.

This kind of Sherman jewelry doesn't fetch the dollars that traditional Shermans do, so I would look at it less as an investment piece, and more as a fabulous piece of jewelry that is utterly contemporary in its styling. It's one of these pieces you can wear to the office to add that feminine touch to a suit, or simply to jazz up an everyday bit of clothing.

I have noticed lately how much of a comeback costume jewelry is making. In this past weekend's GLOBE and MAIL (Life Style) they had a section titled "Costume Drama". I couldn't believe how the chunky look of wood & plastics etc. are making a comeback. And the prices! Ay yay yay! While I expect to pay big dollars for gold and gemstones, who would guess some of this stuff is going for hundreds, even thousands of dollars?! What I'm wondering is what will it be worth in 50 years time ... if it lasts that long? At least Sherman jewelry has been around for 50 years or more and some of the pieces are still as good as new, thanks to the quality of the workmanship and materials. Oh by the way, in case you're curious, I'm only asking $65 for that delightful Sherman in this post. You can buy it from my SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or via MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It's unique! It's quality and it's Sherman!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE IT'S JEWELRY by SHERMAN?


That's a tough one to answer. I used to be adamant on this subject: if it wasn't signed Sherman, I didn't buy it. And quite honestly, I still feel that way about Shermans and most designer vintage jewelry, especially since the vintage jewelry market is being penetrated by very authentic looking fakes.

It also doesn't help that in a reference and guide book titled "All That Glitters" by Valerie Hammond, she states emphatically that no Shermans were ever unsigned. She bases that statement on conversations she has held with the Sherman family who still reside in Quebec.

However, in conversations I've had with other Sherman collectors, there's quite a bit of disagreement on this subject since according to them, there were pieces with paper hang tags that came in the distinctive "Jewels of Elegance" box that Sherman used, shown in photo. Incidentally, if you come across a jewellery box like the one above, buy it! They themselves are collector's items. And if you can get Sherman jewellery in its original box, so much the better. We have only one like that: it's the stunning signed Sherman bracelet in its own box shown in this photo: But now back to the question of authenticity: as with all vintage designer jewelry, you need to learn to recognize the style and craftsmanship of a designer piece. Sherman was partial to slender navette stones. He liked alternating aurora borealis with clear swarovski crystals in similar shades. On bracelets, the clasp was usually hidden by stones so that the clasp became unseen when it was being worn.

As for his signature, he used either block lettering, often seen on the earlier earrings, or the very familiar script-style Sherman, with a big "S". Sometimes the signature was stamped right into a piece, but he also used an oval cartouche bearing that scripted signature. If you visit my SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE or OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE and type in "Sherman", you'll see lots of photos of the Sherman signature on the back of our authentic Sherman jewelry.

Bottom line, for me at least, I still prefer to buy a signed piece anytime over an unsigned piece ... and given the cost of Sherman, you should too!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

SURPRISE: THIS SHERMAN DIDN'T SELL FOR AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD HAVE!

In yesterday's blog, titled "THE MOST POPULAR SHERMAN COLORS", I told you about a fuschia Sherman set consisting of bracelet, brooch and earrings that was on auction on eBay. Well that auction just ended and much to my surprise, it didn't get the dollar I thought it would. After all, bidders on eBay have been almost going silly for fuschia or red Shermans in the last month or so, fetching not hundreds, but thousands of dollars.

So what happened? Why did this rather lovely set that I would have added to my collection go for only $212.49? (The winning bidder must be grinning from ear to ear!)
My guess is it had more to do with the time of day the auction ended ... 5:45 pm EST ... than it did with the set itself. That's close to dinner time for some of us while our neighbours on the west coast are still at work.

The other possibility is that this particular seller warned bidders that they'd have to pay taxes. For those of us in Ontario, that would add another 14% to the cost of the Sherman. Then add in shipping for another $13 - $15, and hey presto, that Sherman has become an expensive buy. And that's okay if you're only buying as a collector and money is no object: a set like this is well worth it. But it would stop those who buy to sell down the way. You see, like anything you hope to make money with, whether it's stocks or jewelry, you're always looking to buy low and sell high if you can.

In scouting around websites selling Shermans, I find the price range is extremely varied. Only a handful, like myself, have reasonable prices on Sherman, though I'm sure visitors to my SHERMAN JEWELLERY site who aren't familiar with how expensive Sherman Jewelry can be would probably find me expensive too. But let me tell you this: I've been floored by the prices I've seen charged not only on websites, but at heritage and antique shows. I went to one about a month back and well, I couldn't afford the Shermans I saw on display. I did purchase one set and
it's very lovely (pictured here ... click photo to see more views and read about it) but even it cost more than I wanted to pay. The rest, well forget it. In short, if you love Sherman jewelry and want to collect it or wear it, start saving now.

Monday, June 2, 2008

THE MOST POPULAR SHERMAN COLORS


Right now on Ebay, the set shown in the photo is on auction. I'm watching it, not because I want to try and win it but just out of curiosity. You see, this set will probably go for huge dollars for two reasons:

1) It's a 3-piece set

2) Its color: FUSCHIA

I don't usually draw attention to jewelry being sold by others since I have plenty of my own to sell, but if you're interested in investing in Sherman jewelry, an auction like this one is a good one to either bid on or at least watch.

Shermans in fuschia or red shades command the highest dollar. With reds, the dollar will be even higher if it's what is known as "SIAM RED". Be it earrings, a brooch, a bracelet, whatever, if it's SIAM RED, collectors want it and they'll pay for it. It's much the same with Sherman jewellery in fuschia. These colors are also hard to get simply because those who own them hold onto them. About a month back, I actually saw a set of Sherman jewelry, bracelet & necklace, go for over $7,000 on Ebay ... and they weren't even a perfect match. The match wasn't perfect but the colors were!

So are there any other colors of Sherman that are popular? Well all Sherman jewelry is highly collectible, but preferences for both those who wear Sherman and those who collect it are the deeper colors: Purple is rare and sought after. Deeper shades tend to be more popular than lighter colors. Blues are very common, easier to obtain. Also highly desirable and hard to get are the "Alexandrite" type stones that change color in different lighting situations. I have 2 such pieces available from my website at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. They are absolutely gorgeous. My favourite is the one pictured in this post. Click on the photo to see other photos that show the color changes. It's magnificent!

While you're on my site, don't miss the exquisite Fuschia set that I'm also selling. It's a 3-piece set consisting of dangling earrings, necklace and brooch. It also has something else that Sherman collectors are always looking for: the backing is "japanned". That means that the backing has a black finish, meant to give even richer color to the jewelry. It's definitely a set that anyone who wants valuable Sherman and is willing to pay for it should be adding to the collection. Here's what I'm talking about:

Sunday, June 1, 2008

SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION on JEWELLERY by SHERMAN

The Sherman Jewellery company was a baby boomer business i.e. it began operating in Montreal, Canada in 1947.

The "Jewels of Excellence" produced by Gustave Sherman's company have become so valuable because Sherman's goal was to use only the finest quality materials and stones available at the time. Sherman imported his "findings" as they are called, from the B.A. Ballou company in Rhode Island. The stones in Sherman pieces were made by Swarovski in Austria.

(Click photo above to see enlarged view. This is gorgeous!)

Another thing that set Sherman jewellery apart was the backings: rather than using chromium plating which was prone to peeling and chipping, Sherman used rhodium-plating. Rhodium comes from the platinum family of metals and is extremely durable. Durable is right! Some of my Shermans still have their original silvery shiny rhodium backing showing next to no wear. They look brand new!

Sherman's insistance on the highest quality made his pieces more expensive than other vintage jewelry of the time. But if they were expensive then, they have become even more so now. Sherman jewellery still fetches a high dollar today and is as much a collector's item as Miriam Haskell, Schiaparelli, Trifari, Schreiner, or Hobe or many others.

In future posts, I'll fill you in some more or just which pieces and colors are most in demand. While you're waiting, be sure to check out some of my gorgeous Sherman pieces at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE

DISCOVERING SHERMAN JEWELLERY: My Story

Blindsided by the gold rush!

(click photo for larger view)

Over a year ago, while selling on Ebay, I got caught up the "gold rush" ie. if you wanted to make money, you sold gold. Gold bracelets, rings, necklaces or scrap ... it didn't matter. You'd always find a buyer for your gold pieces!

So one Saturday, I headed out gold hunting at garage sales. Foolish me thinking anyone would sell gold at a garage sale! I hit the ritzier area of our city. Much to my surprise and delight, I found a lady selling gold, rings and some super sparkly stuff that was very beautiful but not of interest to me at that time.

I purchased a lovely vintage gold bracelet from her which took all the money I had on me and as I walked away, she said "You're not interested in any of the Shermans?" She looked incredulous when I said "no", I was just after gold. She shook her head, probably thinking I was passing up on the real gold: jewellery from vintage Canadian designer, Gustave Sherman.

Some months later, while surfing vintage designers on Ebay, I discovered why she shook her head in disbelief. Jewelry by Sherman was selling like hotcakes at prices I couldn't imagine folks would pay for pretty, but pre-loved (nice word for used or worn) swarovski crystals and rhinestones. I had to find out more ... and did I ever!

And that, dear reader, is what I hope to share with you in this new blog. Stay tuned! By the way, that gorgeous set shown in the photo is available from both my website at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or via my SHOP AT RUBY LANE Lots more photos of this piece too in the RUBY LANE SHOP.