Fabric was also rationed in England and wartime government policy was that suits and coats were not permitted to use more than three yards of fabric in their entire construction. The figure-hugging suit with straight skirt and padded shoulders evolved, and the classic stylish brooch followed.
As base metals were all being used for the manufacture of weapons, other materials had to be found. Large, bold metal brooches of heavily plated gold on silver, and stylish pieces made from Palladium, as a substitute for the durable platinium, were created. These elegant pieces were of stylised shapes and often used only one or two faux glass gemstones.
Aquamarines, amethysts and rubies were popular as they showed up well on the lapels of the navy blue or grey suits. Of course for the many women with husbands and lovers absent at war or who found themselves widowed at a young age, money was short. They often had young families to feed but in times of hardship it becomes even more important to put on a brave face, so women who could not afford the
desired jewellery, found ways of creating their own.
Personally I find home made jewellery charming. It took creativity and ingenuity and the end result, although often naive, is becoming highly collectable. There were three main sources of material that were available and successful. The tiny beads that had been used to embellish evening dresses, and handbags of the Twenties could be recycled and rewired into attractive floral brooches. These pieces because of their light construction quivered as their owner moved. Designs were only limited by their creator's imagination and I have had one floral bouquet measuring 5 inches across.
Another popular material was dough, or bread. Small pieces of bread were taken straight from the oven and whilst still steaming was compressed into floral shapes, then dried and painted. The dough could also be used in its raw state, moulded to the required shape, dried then decorated with cheerful colours, and varnished. A small gold safety pin could be pressed into the base whilst the material was still soft, to act as a clip.
Felt jewellery was also popular for both necklaces and brooches. These pieces tended to be larger as the thicker felt made for a bulkier end product, but had the advantage of being light to wear. A large oval base of coat or carpet felt could be cut and then a delicate nosegay of lighter felt flowers, complete with movable petals and stamens, could be stitched on to provide an enduring and versatile bouquet. Cut flowers
suitable for a corsage were also scarce as all available arable land was given over to provide food for the war effort, and in England, to ease the rationing situation.
The armed forces also contributed to this fascinating category of wartime jewellery. Many a soldier or sailor would attempt to escape the fear and monotony of long hours waiting for "Action", by whittling a piece of wood, or engraving a piece of spent metal cartridge, into a brooch for a loved one. Often an air-force pilot would make a pair of
air-force wings and engrave the central space with a message or initials, or a sailor would cut the shape of his battleship into a brooch. These charming handmade love tokens were sometimes referred to as "Sweetheart jewellery"; they are an enduring legacy of love, war, and the resilience of mankind.
air-force wings and engrave the central space with a message or initials, or a sailor would cut the shape of his battleship into a brooch. These charming handmade love tokens were sometimes referred to as "Sweetheart jewellery"; they are an enduring legacy of love, war, and the resilience of mankind.
The most common form of commercially assisted homemade jewellery; used the product Barb olla. This was a powder that you could purchase which when mixed with water ended up as a type of plaster. Small spikes or sausage shape pieces were made, and either painted or rolled in sparkling granules. These small finished pieces were then set into a plaster base that was attached to a fine pierced metal frame. The brass was stamped into a leaf shape, and the floral shape was either glued or wired onto the commercially manufactured clip and base. Although none of these forms of jewellery are worth much in purely money terms, they are important as pieces of our cultural history. They have a lot to recommend them, they are pretty, still affordable, and they make a fascinating collection that reflects our social history.
Best regards,
Gill Ward
Victorian Gilt
Gill Ward
Victorian Gilt
