Maejean Vintage - something gorgeous for everyone!

It was the opening words of a piece from Irish poet Thomas Moore that sprang to my mind instantly when I first began to flip through the pages of listing in etsy seller Maejean Vintage's shop, for Moore wrote, "Rich and rare were the gems she wore, and a bright gold ring on her wand she bore", and this beautiful line - penned more than two hundred years ago, seemed especially fitting for a seller with a profound passion for yesteryear jewels.


{Just a few of the timelessly lovely, fashionable, and totally covetable pieces of vintage jewelry in Maejean's excellently well stocked etsy shop. From top left to bottom right: 1950s-60s gold tone clear floral or grape cluster brooch | 1940s gold filled sweetheart stretch bracelet | 1930s art deco gold tone clear faceted glass necklace and earring set | Adorable 1960s sterling silver kitty cat earrings}

 
Helmed by two sisters every bit as vibrantly beautiful as the treasures they sell, Maejean Vintage is a thriving etsy shop that stocks a vast array of items from the the late 1800s to the 1980s, with an emphasis on unique, high quality, endlessly wearable vintage jewelry including rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and cuffs.





In addition to serving up an expertly curated collection of well priced jewelry, Maejean offers shoppers an array of vintage clothing, accessories (such as hats and handbags), jewelry boxes, (vintage) cameras, plus housewares and home decor and the occasion other cool old school item that has caught the eye of sisters Laura Mae and Amanda Jean (pictured above), the dynamic duo behind this highly appealing etsy shop.


 

{Four of the strikingly lovely vintage fashion accessories that Maejean offers. Can we say major swoon factor?! From top left to bottom right: 1940s black straw hat with flowers and veil | Large 1940s floral tapestry handbag | 1950s black suede gloves with brown letter detailing | 1920s-3-s art deco floral pattered belt/sash}


 
Founded just three years ago in 2010, Maejean Vintage took off like a shoot, boosting an impressive 3,800+ sales to date. With business booming, Laura Mae quit her day job last year in order to focus on the shop full time (a fact that was highlighted in this great post on the official etsy blog last year). The fact that both sisters are incredibly passionate about what they do shines through in each of their well detailed listings (which, at present, total more than seven hundred!) that feature several clear, beautiful photographs of each and every item they list.

One need only spend a few moments at Maejean Vintage's etsy shop to quickly see how and why they're amongst today’s leaders in the field of online vintage jewelry and accessories. The pieces they list perfectly embody a sense of timeless beauty and show stopping modern appeal. Large cocktail rings nestle beside delicate gold chains, rhinestones waltz with opals and classic silver and diamonds twinkle like stars in the night sky, beckoning shoppers to quickly fall in love and take home a treasure (or ten!) of their own.



{Antique and vintage rings are one of Maejean Vintage's specialties, and a wide array of captivatingly beautiful, budget-friendly pieces can be had around the clock in their shop. From top left to bottom right: 1970s Sarah Coventry silver tone and ruby red glass heart ring | 1960s gold tone adjustable floral costume jewelry ring | Antique 10K rose and yellow gold art deco cameo ring | Vintage silver plated spoon ring}


In addition their thriving etsy business, Maejean Vintage can also be found online in a number of spots, including their blog and the following sites:

-Facebook

-Instagram

-Pinterest

-Twitter

 
As you likely know, I'm a firm believer in accessories and adorning oneself with at least one piece of jewelry for almost any occasion. The ways in which one can express themself and their sartorial vision through jewelry is truly limitless and doing so allows us to dress our look up or down in a heartbeat, meaning a LBD, for example could work for anything from date night to a day of shopping with the girls. Throw vintage into the mix and I'm all the more smitten with accessorizing, so it was with no small amount of pleasure that I welcomed Maejean Vintage as one of Chronically Vintage's newest blog sponsors this month.


In putting together this post, I spent time going through each and everyone of the more than thirty pages of listings up on Maejean's stellar etsy site, and found myself thinking towards the end not only of Mr. Moore's poetic lines, but also of Elizabeth Tailor and her boundless love of jewelry, as well as the passion for vintage accessories and clothing that so many of my readers and I share.

It is truly a safe bet to say that there is something for just about everyone at Maejean Vintage, which no doubt is a big part of the reason why they're growing more and more popular each day, as well as why I am sincerely delighted to have them as a sponsor and to get the opportunity to introduce you all to their top-notch etsy shop this fine Monday morning.

Enter to win three gorgeous pendant necklaces from Know Your Onions

In celebration of Victoria Day here in Canada, I thought it was high time we had another giveaway on Chronically Vintage (holidays do tend to naturally equate themselves well with gifts after all!).

Recently I was contacted by a talented woman (Jayne) from the UK who runs a seriously interesting line of jewelry products by the rather fascinating name of Know Your Onions (for those on this side of the pond who may not be - as I previously wasn't - familiar with the expression "know your onions", it's a British phrase that means to be knowledgeable or experienced about, or in, in a particular subject).

To be honest, I'm contacted by a fair number of jewelry designers on a regular basis, yet when I decide to do a giveaway, I like to partner with artisans and companies that stand out from the pack in some regard, and for Know Your Onions does just that - thanks in large part to the engagingly unique, heirloom quality look of the line's intriguingly lovely pieces.

Crafted in slate and ivory hued resin, these pieces feature images with an etched looking design that instantly evokes an old fashioned charm, yet also manages to seem very current and on trend. Jayne cites the classic art of scrimshaw as one of the key influences behind what led her to create these pieces and upon seeing the items in the Know Your Onions line, one instantly sees a similarity between these (entirely animal friendly) resin pieces and the famous whale boning carvings of yesteryear.

Amongst the goods up for offer in the Know Your Onions line, one finds bangles, brooches and pendant necklaces, each of which is available in a wide array of seriously charming designs.

From a delightfully fun vintage tattoo inspired sailor girl brooch to a whimsical peacock feather patterned bracelet, the jewelry items in this line offer up an understated, immensely wearable allure and glamour that makes them terrifically easy to pair with a myriad of vintage and modern looks alike.

For the past week I've had the pleasure of wearing one of Know Your Onion's pendant necklaces (which, as someone with a fierce allergy to nickel - and thus a need to avoid a lot of jewelry that isn't free of this pesky metal - I am over-the-moon happy about, because it's entirely free of any metal components, being strung on a black that ribbon that is so gentle and soft on the skin you forget you're wearing it entirely), and must say – unbiasedly - that it's become my new favourite necklaces.

The ivory pocket watch pendant - which instantly telegraphs a sense of both steampunk chic and stunning vintage elegance - is substantial, yet not heavy or straining on the neck. It lays beautifully on one's skin and has a pleasant natural coolness to it that makes it especially lovely to sport now that we're heading in the scorchingly hot days of summer.

The ivory and black finish of this pendant makes it an instant neutral that pairs well with a vast number of colours and fabric choices.

I tried it out with everything from a vintage black and pink floral print dress to a rusty pumpkin hued fitted t-shirt and it looked fantastic with each colour - and pattern - I wore (in fact, I think I'd be hard pressed to find a shade this pendant clashed with!). Once tied securely, the silk cord stayed done up all day long and the pendent did a terrific job of remaining in place (I don't recall it flipping over once).

Perhaps above all else though, it looked seriously gorgeous. Banish any preconceived notions you might have about resin jewelry being best suited for middle schoolers or looking too twee from your mind. This pendant, which has an almost antique porcelain look to it, is seriously fashionable, wonderfully grown up, and more elegant than a room full of royals.

As such, I'm bubbling with happiness about the fact that I have a prize pack of three splendidly beautiful, delightfully vintage inspired Know Your Onions pendant necklaces (worth £65.00/approx. $105.00 US) to giveaway to one very lucky winner.

 

 

 

{The winner of this awesome three piece necklace set will win one of each of the – slate compass, ivory dragonfly, and slate heart - pendants shown above. These wonderfully attractive pendants are very nicely sized, the slate grey heart, for example, measures in at 78mm H x 59mm W.}

 

If you'd like to enter for your chance to win (and, I assure you, you do - these pendants are seriously stellar!), you've got five easy ways to so.

1.) Post a comment below about your favourite item from Know Your Onions line of chicly beautiful resin jewelry.

2.) Post about this giveaway (be sure to include a link back to this announcement post) on your own blog, telling your readers about this fun contest. Once you’ve written about the giveaway, come back here and let me know you’ve done so by leaving a comment with a link back to your post.

3.) Add Chronically Vintage to your blog roll (or other area of your site/blog where you list some of your favourite blogs) – or mention if you’re already doing so. Stop by to let me know in the comment section that CV’s on your blog roll, and you’ll gain another entry for the contest.

4.) Become (or let me know if you already are) a Google Follower of Chronically Vintage (see the right hand side bar to join), then take a moment and leave a comment saying so.

5.) Spread the good word about this contest via Twitter or Facebook. Again, be sure to jot down a comment letting me know you've done that.

Everybody is welcome to enter in however many of the five ways they wish, just be sure that you let me know about each entry in a separate comment, to better enhance your chances of winning (four comments for example, would give you four entries into the contest, thus four potential chances to win!). Please remember to post a separate comment for each entry!

 

This giveaway is open to participants from around the world (I've received the pendants from Jayne already and will be sending them on the lucky winner personally), and will run until 11:59pm EST on Sunday June 29th.

The winner will be drawn (using a random number generator) the following day, contacted directly (via email and/or through a blog comment on their site) and announced shortly thereafter in a Chronically Vintage post.

As well, starting today (June 23rd) and running until June 30, 2011, Chronically Vintage readers can take advantage of a wonderful 15% discount on all Know Your Onions pieces purchased from the Know Your Onions website. To avail of this great discount, enter coupon code vintage upon check out and 15% will automatically be whisked away from your total.

I want to thank Jayne for the opportunity to partner with Know Your Onions for this excellent giveaway. Her pieces are precisely the kind of vintage influenced, skilfully handcrafted jewelry (Jayne has a professional background in textile design and the ceramic industry, which instantly shines through in her exquisite pieces) that I - and I know a lot of my readers - utterly adore. I will cherish my Victorian pocket watch necklace forever - and know that it will be of the most frequently worn items of jewelry I own.

Massive thanks as well to everyone who enters this fabulous blog giveaway, I wish you the best of luck and can't wait to bestow this marvelous trio of pendants on one of my readers!