Miss Thrifty

One of my lovely work colleagues was off to a Blitz Party the other week, and asked if I had anything that she could borrow. She had the dress and the shoes, but not the accessories.

At a Blitz Party, everyone dresses up in Allied uniforms / glamorous 40s-style frocks, disappears into an “underground shelter” and bops around to a swing band like there’s no tomorrow.

As it happened, I had a couple of pieces of vintage jewellery that fitted the bill. I don’t wear my jewellery often enough, so I thought I’d show them on here before I put them away again.

Sixpence Bracelet

This bracelet spent about 50 years in Frugal Grandma’s jewellery box. Isn’t it pretty? You can see when it was made, too: those are all 1944 sixpences, stamped into little dome shapes and threaded onto links. This being the olden days, those sixpences are 50 per cent silver.

It was handmade for Frugal Grandma by an American G.I. – and making it must have taken such a long time! Sadly there is not an amazing story behind this one, as Frugal Grandma didn’t like him very much and didn’t really wear the bracelet after the war… which is how it ended up finding a new home here at Thrifty Towers.

I love it. It’s a proper Make Do And Mend bracelet, isn’t it?

Chunky Pearls

This string of pearls belonged to my late great-grandma (Frugal Grandma’s mother). They aren’t real pearls – they’re the size of marbles! – but are in remarkably good condition, given that they are c. 60 years old. A couple of tiny scratches, and the clasp has lost its diamante, but that’s it.

That’s the original padded case. Ciro of Bond Street is still going, too. To give you an idea of dating: Ciro’s New York outlet opened in 1938.

Oh, and that handwritten note you can see was scribbled by a youthful Frugal Grandma!

This is one of my favourite pieces of costume jewellery: pearls go with anything and everything. Here I am wearing them at a family wedding: