The History Of Miracle Jewellery

 Miracle jewellery is a collectable British UK Jewellery brand. The company was started in the late 1946 by A Hill and Company and was based in Birmingham.  Taking inspiration from ancient jewellery finds, they became leading British designers of Celtic Jewellery, Scottish Jewellery and Irish Jewellery.  They have also made some stunning Mackintosh, Renaissance, Egyptian, cameo and classical lines.

Celtic style faux amethyst brooch by Miracle.

 

 

This Celtic knot work design brooch can be found in quite a few different colour ways.

 

 

 

 Making their own reproductions of semi precious stones from mainly bohemian glass,  Miracle produced many uniquely coloured, beautiful jewellery pieces over the years.  Other companies associated with/bought by Miracle are Quarrier Ward & Ward Brothers, Mizpah and Sol D'or.  In 2006 the original Miracle Company closed down,  its ownership was taken over by St Justin who bought their design archive in 2013.  

We ourselves stock a wide range of vintage Miracle jewellery pieces, including stunning Miracle Celtic necklaces, Scottish style Miracle brooches, Celtic themed Miracle brooches, medieval style Miracle brooches as well as Miracle bracelets, earrings and rings. So please check out our Vintage Miracle items.

 

For those interested in finding more out about Miracle jewellery, there used to be a fantastic Miracle Jewellery collectors group based from the yahoo groups server of which I was lucky to be a member,  I can honestly say it was the best place for all information on Miracle jewellery sadly when Yahoo groups ended all the information was lost and it seems irrevocably so, there is still an image event page left on the internet but it is only a tiny fraction of the information that was in the groups sadly.  You can check out the image event site here https://imageevent.com/pastandpresent/miraclejewelry.

Some facts we do know about Miracle,  there seems to have been a Scottish works in their earlier times based in Coldstream, Berwickshire, sadly I havent been able to pull up much information on this location to date.  The Birmingham location was in Frederick Street making up part of the vibrant Jewellery quarter, the original building and factory is now gone and a new building is located where the original once stood. I am struggling to find exactly when the building was replaced but it seems to have been around 2013.  I have been able to find information tying Miracle to the this location dating back to 1962 though they most likely occupied it a lot earlier.

Other useful facts:

Miracle produced some rare and very sought after silver items in their lines.  These pieces are all fully hallmarked with the makers mark A.H though not all have the Miracle signature mark itself, the few Ive seen were assayed in Edinburgh but there were definately items assayed at the Birmingham assay office.

This ring one of the rarer silver pieces by Miracle.  It is fully hallmarked on the inside of the band A.H and was assayed in Edinburgh 1974-75.  Silver pieces whilst they are rarer do come up now and then and would make a great piece for a collector due to their scarcity.

 

 

 

Not all Miracle Pieces are signed, some Miracle pieces have other signatures or marks: Sol Dor for example.

Due to the not all Miracle pieces being signed a lot of pieces are attributed to Miracle that are not designed by them, there were other companies producing Celtic lines at the time such as Jemcraft, Jacobite and even Exquisite produced a few Celtic lines which Ive seen mistakenly seen referred to as Miracle

Miracle didn't just use faux gem glass stones they also used lucite and some real semi precious gemstones in some of their pieces, though the bohemian glass pieces seem to be the most common.

Arts and crafts style lucite set brooch.

 

 

 This vintage arts and craft style large brooch is set with a blue lucite cabochon like many Miracle pieces it was available in several different colour ways

 

 

 

 

Miracle didn't just produce Celtic style Jewellery, they produced many many other lines,  so unless that' s a line you wish to specialize in collecting make sure not to discount their other styles.

We hope to expand this page in future with further information so please keep checking back.

 

What Does AF mean on Jewellery Auctions

If you visit auctions or vintage sites you will no doubt see the term AF.
So what does it actually mean?
AF means ' as found ' apparently!, so what does ' as found ' actually mean?
Well it means you see it in the actual condition it is in ' As Found '. And AF whilst a lot of people will tell you AF means as found, it usually also simultaneously means ' At fault ' . So if you have the ability to view the goods you should. As soon as a seller mentions AF, if you can you view that item, do so that's if you want to bid/buy it, or if they haven't explained why the piece is AF just ask. 

So why buy As Found or At Fault ' AF  ' Items?

Sometimes AF pieces can provide great finds if you are a crafter or looking for pieces to restore, or just after older piece you wouldn't normally find in a complete state.  There are some people who search for AF/not perfect pieces just to seek out rarer vintage parts. A lot of crafters/restorers will actively search for AF pieces as some pieces in vintage items are just literally not made any more
 

Mostly when the term AF is described to a vintage or antique piece it means its broken, incomplete or damaged in some way or ' As Fault ' , as stated above.

If you are searching for rare vintage stones, they can provide great finds.
If you still wish to bid you should ask the auction house/ seller what has made this piece be described as AF, if its just something simple like a broken link, or something you could fix then good luck,  it could be something like missing diamonds, or chain links beyond repair but even then if your'e savvy enough the parts themselves could provide themselves very worth the purchase.

New Arrivals For October

I can't believe its already October, time moves so fast. As usual we have  has seen some unique new arrivals to the shop. So I'll take this opportunity to highlight some of our new favorites.  Its all about necklaces right now, here are some of our new faves.

This lovely stainless steel, modernist style , large carnelian gemstone set pendant dates from approx the 1970's .

The raw and simplistic nature of the 60' s - 70's modernist style resonates so well with minimalist and feng shui ideals.










Remember the 80's I know when I type this not many people will. Sob, for my showing my own age. But remember early Madonna ( the singer ) and her pearls.  Yes this long faux glass pearl necklace, totally rocks the 80's style. Its formed from pearlised creamy tone glass beads, rather than plastic ones and is long so can be twisted up or knotted. It so 80's.

Quality Creamy faux pearl long length necklace, totally 80's, hand knotted between each faux pearl.








Jewellery manufactured by Hollywood can be a bit hit and miss, their earlier pieces are fantastic and adorable and very collectable, but in later years they did skimp on a few pieces with thought and care when it came to manufacture.  Luckily this necklace is not one of those examples.

This is one of their stunning pieces, a pendant set with an art glass/ faux agate stone to its center, bordered by faux moonstones that have an opal sparkle, with a naturalistic Celtic inspired border.  It is just simply lovely.







As usual these are just a few of our pieces added please check out more of our necklaces by following the link.

Who We Sell To: Questions And Answers.

Who do we sell to? 

This is a valid question:
Who do we actually sell to?
Well its an open shop we sell to everyone, that is the simple answer.
If your interested in vintage, dressing up for a themed night, vintage cos player, love vintage or really unique pieces of jewellery, we hope to be here for you.
Yes we have antique items, we have vintage designer items as well as  general vintage costume jewellery, as well as unusual striking modern items that catch our eye.

Where Do We Sell.

We sell world wide, in fact I'm not sure there is a country we have not sold to.

Have we sold any items that have been featured anywhere:  Well,  yes, as well as selling to the general public we sell to many UK theater companies, UK and worldwide movie production companies, designer fashion shoots etc.

We have recently sold items that have appeared on several Netflix series's as well as some UK produced TV shows and should appear on some films ' Exciting '. !!!

Customer Service 

This is really important to us, we are a dedicated but small business, and we do have to sleep at some point. Although we answer all emails , within 24 hours. Sometimes we are super busy.

Valuations Online Or Over The Phone.

No, this is not possible over the phone or even through email, even with photos or you telling me every aspect of a piece.  Why because I cant tell if something is set with precious stones, for example diamonds. There is no human being alive, who can tell genuinely, whether  a piece is genuine diamond set from a photo, as well as other precious gemstones.
If you live in Birmingham and wish for the best valuation for a vintage piece,  I would recommend visiting the jewellery quarter.

New For September

As with all months, September has seen some unique new arrivals to the shop. So I'll take this opportunity to highlight some of our new favorites.  Its all about bracelets right now, here are some of our new faves.

 This lovely clear rhinestone set double row empire bangle dates from the 1950's.  These bracelets where fantastic in the day as they offered a stretch to fit all size by a hinged mechanical movement, rather than elastic or cord. So they stand the tests of time very well.  This one is signed Empire Made, and dates from the 50's.




Lets move on from the 50's to the swinging 60's.

This stunning balloon link bracelet dates from the 1960's - 70's,  Though its more likely 70's rather than 60's.
Why is it called  balloon link bracelet?  The panels of the bracelet are designed like open work paper lanterns/hot air balloons.  It really is a stunning piece and has to be one of our current shop favorites.






Are personal favorites a bad thing? I don't care I love this one.

Yes sometimes my bias will shine through, I totally adore this bangle, its two tone lucite with a faux wood effect.  It's so 1960's - 70's, if I had to sum up that period with one piece of jewellery, this would be it.







Well these are just a few of the new pieces added to the shop please click the link to check out more of our current bracelets and bangles

Taking Care Of Vintage Costume Jewllery: Stage 1: Maintenance

Taking Care Of Vintage Costume Jewellery.  
Stage 1 Maintenance.

1. Don't sleep in it, take it off before you go to bed.
There are many reasons for this, obviously a very delicate piece could just be destroyed  by the every day tossing and turning of sleep.

2, Don't shower or bathe in it, take it off before hand. Hot water will slowly erode any glue settings, rhinestones will be lost.

3, Never ever do hot tubs with jewellery on, this shouldn't even be for vintage jewellery, it should be a warning sign for ANY jewellery, the chemicals in hot tubs affect all stones, ( I cant' even, there's chlorine and bromine usually added to the general maintenance disinfect as well as many others) even precious ones if you love pearls, don't even think about it.  Pearls are really badly affected by hot tubs, keep in mind pearl jewellery is mainly hand strung the older pieces on natural fibers, you are slowly bleaching both the pearls and material used to string them.  They just cant stand up to it.

4. Perfume. Put it on before jewellery and give it time to settle, or just don't wear it in places where you are wearing jewellery.  Perfume natural or not is still just a series of scented chemicals you are applying. Spraying over vintage jewellery will leave a coating, some of the chemicals may interact with and damage your pieces.

4. If its a valued piece family piece, keep it that way, store it carefully, don't mix it up with other jewellery. And Keep any family history alive, by any letters, mentions in letters, of the pieces, photos etc. 

5, If you buy a vintage piece be aware what you have bought, a costume jewellery piece from the 1920's - 90's  will still decay quickly if you don't love and look after it.

6. Verdigris, the dreaded green sign of decay to costume jewellery.  If you notice this on a piece, separate it from the other pieces. Clean it thoroughly, if you catch it early you may be able to save the piece, but still keep it separated from other jewellery.  Think of it like a virus it can be passed on by touch, but between jewellery.


Hope these tips help, we''ll add some more practical maintenance advice soon as this list was mainly a ' Do Not Do section '

Whats the difference, between antique and Vintage? What actually is vintage.

In terms of jewellery and many other items, what is the actual difference between antique and vintage and not vintage?



Vintage:
In terms of jewellery, clothes, toys, household and pretty much all goods its commonly accepted that after 20 years of age an item becomes vintage , hence 80's and some early 90's  items are now considered vintage as are 30's 40's, 50's and 60's items. ( Wine and spirits are a whole different cup of tea when describing vintage ).

This lovely blue enamel flower bracelet is vintage, likely 1960's - 70's.  Formed in a floral design its a truly statement piece for its time. You can view more of our Vintage bracelets by clicking the link. Visit Bracelets









Antique
This is a industry standard, widely accepted term, for an item and that is 100 years plus, not just jewellery, toys, household items everything, if its 100 years plus its considered an antique.

If somethings 100+ years its an antique.

This brooch lovely Scottish brooch is an antique, it's formed from early electroplating of silver onto a base metal. You can check out more of our brooches antique and vintage Brooches by clicking the link.View the brooches










Vintage Style:
Does not mean its vintage, it is a term often used for items designed that show a nod to the past in their style and design. If unsure just ask the seller.

These stunning earrings by the designer Monet aren't quite vintage though they are made in a vintage style.
You can see more of our truly vintage and vintage style style items by clicking the link View Earrings







So if somethings an 80's thingy yes its vintage,  as is a 30's thingy, both are vintage.  If its from Ebay, or any similar site saying its vintage and they have 20 -30 of this item item in stock then its doubtful its vintage it more than probably a modern item made in a vintage style. ( Though it could be a dead stock item, that another discussion for another day )!!!
Don't be afraid of asking the seller if you are unsure!
But also have realistic expectations if you are buying an item sold as vintage item, don't think its an antique 100+ years, it shouldn't be, it has been described to you as vintage.

So in basic and the most important terms,  a truly vintage item is 20+ years up to 99 in age. 
An Antique is 100+ Years Or Older.