Lori McLean

Platinum

2010-12-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

PLATINUM

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Platinum Crystals

Platinum  is a rare element that came to Earth in meteorites and can be found in  the Earth's crust and in larger amounts on the moon. It has been on this earth for billions of years, but was mostly likely discovered sometime around the 16th century. 

Antonio de Ulloa

One  of the first writings about platinum came from Antonio de Ulloa, a  Spanish general and explorer, who in 1748 reported finding a Colombian  black sand, platina del Pinto or "little silver of the Pinto  river" in his account of his journey on the French Geodesic Mission, an  expedition with the goal of measuring the roundness of the Earth. In his  account, he described Platinum as neither separable nor calcinable.

Platinum Ore

Unsure  of what Platinum might be good for, scientists tried hammering it,  heating it, and dissolving it into gold but nothing seemed to benefit  them. For some time, it was discarded and banned by the Spanish trade  authorities. 

It  wasn't until Charles III of Spain provided a laboratory to the  scientist Pierre-François Chabaneau, that progress was made in realizing  Platinum's true value.  The trouble was, Platinum contained six  elements that would make the ore react in various ways when heated,  hammered, or alloyed.  These six elements are ruthenium, rhodium,  palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum. Once he realized this,  Chabaneau was able to produce pure platinum that he could form by  heating and hammering. Because platinum was not fusible, but was  malleable and strong, it became incredibly valuable. They put it to use  creating commercial goods like utensils, which began the Spanish  platinum age.

A 1919 Jeweler's Circular 

 reports excitement over platinum ban lift.

Platinum   quickly became a precious metal, with a variety of uses. Its   compatibility with the human body means it can be used to make pace   makers and medicine. Many chemical processes cannot be performed without   platinum as a catalyst. It is also used in computers, other  electronics, and automobiles. During war time it was even banned from  non-military uses.

The images below are just a few of the platinum pieces we carry in the shop:  

Edwardian Platinum, 18K Yellow Gold, and Diamond Ring

(SOLD)

Platinum Stackable Bands by Lori McLean

Platinum Pavé Diamond Engagement Setting 

by Max Bartashnik 

Because  of it's practical uses, platinum wasn't largely used to make jewelry  until the late 19th century/early 20th century.  It is now 35 times  rarer than gold and mined mostly in South Africa, Russia, and North America. Platinum's strength and weight make it ideal for heirloom jewelry. We encourage you to stop by the shop any time and take a peek! 

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Mourning Jewelry

2010-11-05T19:08:00.000-04:00

Angela and Lulu here, the newest additions to the Lori McLean jewelry store!

In honor of Halloween, we decided to (belatedly) post about one of our favorite types of antique jewelry: Mourning Jewelry.

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Mourning Jewelry became popular in the Victorian Era, when Queen Victoria entered an intense period of grief following Prince Albert's death in 1861. Renouncing ostentatious jewelry and choosing to wear drab, dark-colored clothing, the Queen set the tone for her stark reputation as an austere monarch who shunned opulence and subscribed to a strict code of morality.

Queen Victoria in mourning dress, 1873

Today, the concept of mourning attire strikes many as morbid, but Victorians found the practice deeply consoling, and used jewelry and somber dress as a vivid expression of remembrance and sentiment. The year immediately following the death of a loved one was known as "First Mourning," and dictated black clothes and minimal jewelry. Jet, a lustrous black mineral made from fossilized wood, was used extensively in early mourning jewelry.

Whitby Jet Mourning Ring

The marquis-shaped jet ring (above, c. 1880) is a great example of mourning jewelry  and a recently acquired favorite! 

After the first year began the "Half Mourning" stage, which allowed for the introduction of clothing in muted colors such as gray and lavender, and slightly more ornate jewelry with pearls, garnets and gold. Most jewelry we associate with mourning belongs to this later period, where the expectations for an outward expression of grief were relaxed. 

A great selection of mid- to late-19th century mourning jewelry on display in our vintage case; including a French Jet Ladies Watch Chain and a beautiful Vulcanite Locket (bottom right) and hand and garland brooch.

Also pictured above, and below in detail, is one of our favorite pieces, a late 19th century Piqué Tortoiseshell locket from Italy. Piqué is a technique where gold or silver is inlaid into the surface of horn or tortoiseshell. In this case, silver and mother of pearl spell out the word "Ricordo," which means memory.  

Late 19th Century Piqué Tortoiseshell Locket

Photographs, locks of hair (often taken from the recently deceased),  and velvet, which referenced funeral shrouds, were prized as relics of love and commonly incorporated. The bracelet below is a museum piece dating back from 1866. They were often woven by children whose tiny fingers were better suited for such intricate work! 

Hair Bracelet, c. 1866

We have several pieces in our vintage case which incorporate hair , like the pendant/pin shown below. It contains a tiny blonde lock, and according to the inscription on the back, dates back to 1828 in commemoration of "L.L." who died at only 3 years of age. The pearls symbolize tears, and the black jet border is typical of the style used in Half Mourning jewelry. 


Gold and Pearl Victorian Memorial Hair Locket (c. 1828) - $328

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Despite the ambivalence many people have regarding mourning jewelry, we find these pieces beautiful and compelling! We love how much history they carry with them as well as their sentimentality. Stop by the shop sometime if you are interested...new pieces are constantly arriving courtesy of Lori's incredible eye and we are more than happy to spend the day showing off her finds!

Introducing: The Vintage Watch Department!

2010-09-12T14:20:00.001-04:00

We're so pleased to announce the Vintage Watch Department!

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We're of the mind that they just don't make watches like they used to.  These beauties are more like jewelry with function.

All the watches have been thoroughly cleaned and some have brand new quartz movement that's guaranteed for one year.  Others maintain their wind-up charm. What's a more perfect time for a new watch than the start of the school year!

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Two shop favorites below...

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Lori's Pretty Sapphire Rings

2010-08-30T18:31:00.001-04:00

Pretty sapphire rings by Lori McLean for the shop's own LMc Private Label collection!

I love sapphires because even though the word sapphire comes from the Greek word sappheiros that means "blue stone" they actually come in almost any color you can imagine. The stones in the rings above are rectangle cabochons, meaning their top surface is shaped and polished rather than faceted.

The rings above to the left are emerald and ruby teardrops.  Rubies are really red sapphires, they get their red color from the higher amount of chromium they have in them which absorbs yellow-green light. The rings above to the right are all rubies or shades of red and pink sapphires.

I love the shades of blues in these rings. Some have rose gold bands, the contrast of the warm gold and cool stone is just enough contrast to be intriguing. Lori roughs up the bands so they have this really beautiful and interesting texture.

We love a few stacked together in different shades of the same color and with a different shape or two. Stop by the shop and find your perfect combination!

Lisa Ziff

2010-08-23T18:33:00.004-04:00

A few luxurious pieces from Lisa Ziff.  Working in solid 18 karat gold, Lisa's pieces are weighty with great textures.  We love the over sized rings that make a bold, yet elegant statement.  Her daisy earrings, necklace, and bracelet are not too sweet and perfectly organic.  Her larger zinnia earring and akebia ring are sprinkled with diamonds! Scroll down for more photos and read more about her and the collection here.

Vintage Additions!

2010-07-03T12:22:00.001-04:00

Lori's found some special pieces to add to our vintage collection. Take a look below.

Above is a gold filled pocket watch locket with two vintage watch chains linked together to make a necklace. Grandfatherly, yet feminine.

We're so in love with vintage compasses right now. They carry a great meaning and have that old world feel.

These Victorian enamel lockets are so special. Enamel saw a revival in the 19th century and lends whimsy to your otherwise classic gold engraved lockets. They also still have their original glass which is nice, thick and beveled.

The double glass locket above contains edelweiss, the white flower found in the alps. In German, edelweiss means noble white and was used as a political statement against the Nazis.

There's more to be seen in the shop and more on it's way to us. Stop in to see these beauties in person!

Polly Wales' Amazing Technical Wonder World

2010-06-18T16:36:00.002-04:00

Last January, I was very excited to have found a new British designer, Polly Wales, for the store. Her work has finally arrived and the long wait was well worth it. Miss Wales is working with lost wax casting in an amazing way. She is taking the wax models of her original pieces and then manipulating them by pushing gemstones into the wax and then casting the wax into sterling silver or gold. The metal replaces the wax and sets the stones in place.

My interpretation is that she draws inspiration from both ancient Greek and Roman as well as Victorian styles, creating classic shapes and forms with a modern twist. The result is a sort of structured deconstruction, a rough handled classicism, a precious sloppiness. This marriage of style and technique are like nothing I have ever seen in my fairly long spell of jewelry making and selling. (It is so exciting!!)

Sometimes in the process of casting, things go wrong. Stones are lost, metal shifts around, finger prints are left behind. These mistakes add to the exciting process and product. Neither the jeweler nor the caster know when something will succeed or fail. She calls the ring above The Decay Ring. Black diamonds are set in sterling, some are lost and some sink down into the 'remains' of the ring.

Black sapphires are set in oxidized sterling silver in the large pendant above. A bit of Miss Wales' fingerprint was left as an impression in the wax. The holes were left behind when other stones blew out during the casting. A perfect example of the exciting unpredictability in her jewelry.

She often works more wax on the top of the model. The resulting piece has gemstones trapped in layers of metal. A few seem to be sliding out from their frame in the gold ring above. Below, light passes through pink sapphires and a single ruby in a sterling ring.

The raw surface of the cast metal below will mellow and shine with wear so that these sterling and crystal rings grow even more special over time.

If you are interested in metal working and of course, beautiful jewelry, I encourage you to stop by and visit Polly Wales' Amazing Jewelry in the shop. She has managed to mix incredible designs with fairly affordable materials in a way that fits our favorite store credo: "Jewelry for the People!"

Comrade Gidget

2010-06-06T16:21:00.002-04:00

I am doing my best to write about our new jeweler Polly Wales, but I keep running into technical troubles. Instead of losing my patience, and in lieu of ignoring the blog for far too long, I would like to introduce you to the simple peasant girl who works here in the store. Her name is Gidget.

Intent in her aim to shake off the shackles of Capitalistic tyranny she is forced to wear, she spends her off hours participating in various worker's organizations. And napping, of course.

Pepita!

2010-05-13T18:43:00.008-04:00

You know summer is coming when Pepita arrives in the store! We couldn't stop staring at the wall once we put all these gorgeous and colorful necklaces up...take a peek.

How to Make a Ring

2010-04-22T11:40:00.015-04:00

It's wedding season and Lori's been busy carving wax for wedding bands.  We thought we'd show you how it's done.

The method we use is lost wax casting.  That means first we have to carve the ring out of wax and then send it to the caster who replaces the wax with metal.

First, you slice a ring of wax from a long wax tube.  This should be a bit bigger than the width you'd like the ring to be.

These are the wax rings ready to be carved down into the shape of the ring to be cast.

This electric tool helps to grind away the top of the ring quickly.

When the wax form is getting closer to the size you want it to be, you use less aggressive tools like a hand file. See all the pink shavings!?

The inside of the ring is a size five, so you have to use this sizer with a blade to slowly carve out the center of the ring until you reach the size that you'd like.

It's important to carve away all sides evenly to slowly arrive at the perfect size, width, and height. There are finer tools that resemble dentists tools and picks that allow you to add detail to your ring or to smooth out the surface of a plain band. Anything you can carve into the wax can be carved!

When you're finished, you have a wax version of the ring ready to be sent to the casters.  When it comes back you must cut off the sprue (a metal bit left over from where the molten metal was poured into the mold) and polish the metal.

In the end, you may have something like this platinum wedding band by Lori McLean herself!

A Video Tour of Lori McLean's Jewelry Shop!

2010-04-19T11:10:00.005-04:00

Here's a quick little video tour of the shop!

Alexander Stadler Draws on Our Wall!

2010-04-09T12:57:00.007-04:00

Alexander Stadler, author of the brilliant book, What Willie Wore: Scenes from the Life and Wardrobe of a Very Fashionable Dog comes to draw his dog Wilhelmina on our wall as the seasons change. Depending on the time of year she is depicted having a picnic on Governor's Island or delivering Chanakwanzmas gifts to Lena Horne.  Sometimes she is accompanied by our shop dog Gidget. See the progression to gorgeous wall-art below.  To catch up with Alexander himself check out his blog here.

The wall, pre Alexander.  Lori put up these embroidery hoops to hang lovely long Dennis Matthews necklaces.  But they needed some company from the glorious Willy who, sadly, recently passed away.  The wall is in honor of her and her amazing dog-ness.

Getting started...

A winged Willie emerges to look over the jewelry and the shop...

The finishing celestial touches...

And...voila! Our beautiful wall. Thank you Alexander!

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Mother's Day Personalized Jewelry!

2010-03-29T15:17:00.016-04:00

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

We're excited about anything personalized for mother's day this year as well as modern takes on timeless pieces! Check out a selection of what's in shop below:

Personalized Keys

Keys have been a big trend lately and a designer we carry, Emily Rosenfield, can make you keys that say anything you want!  Engraving children's names and dates of birth is always a good option or a sweet message of appreciation.  We have ones in the shop inscribed with "XOXO," "Love," and "Mom." It's also a nice idea to pair a larger key with a smaller key and have two words together.  Or a key for each child, the largest key being the oldest child and so forth.

Timeless Lockets

It's also a timeless gift to give a locket with an engraving.  We like these 14K gold ones with a little star set diamond.  You could have the back engraved with fancy vintage style letters.  On the tiny ones that seem a bit small for a photograph we like the idea of engraving the inside  with initials and a date. A locket like this is will become an heirloom, passed down and remembered always.

Updated Pearls

Pearls are a traditional motherly gift, but why not give her something more updated like these pearl drops and pearl necklace in a star-like 14k gold setting from our dear friend and jewelry designer, Carla Caruso.

We also think a simple pearl teardrop on a 14k gold chain is a modern take on the traditional pearl choker and a bit easier for a modern mom to wear.

If you do want the traditional look of knotted pearls we like them long, almost flapper style.  You can tie them in a knot or wear a few layered together.  The ones we have in the shop are high quality glass pearls which means you can buy them in the bunches! (Let me preface the picture below, by saying, yes, the lady wearing all the pearls is a smidge scary, but she's a very cool old lady that we use for display.  It makes more sense when you see her in context, I promise.)

Over-sized studs are coming back and a large, unusual colored pearl stud would be a great look for a Mom.  It's easy-style!

We'd love to help you pick out something special for mother's day so drop by and see what we've got.

Vintage Lockets

2010-02-25T15:22:00.018-05:00

Vintage Lockets

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The Hexagonal Locket

This is a sterling silver locket with six sides and the most adorable photos!

Baby Locket

A tiny baby locket inscribed with a fancy script "R."

Keepsake Glass Lockets

Glass lockets became popular so that you could see the keepsake without having to open the locket repeatedly. This ensured that the item inside was safe, but still showcased a lover's photo or lock of hair.

The one below shows a Scottish soldier.

This one we filled with our star paper as a placeholder.

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Next we'll be posting ideas for Mother's day gifts! It's coming up... May 9th!

Vintage Charms

2010-02-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

We're so excited about our collection of vintage pieces right now!  What's so exciting about these pieces is that they carry a history that we can only imagine from the photos and inscriptions left inside them.  They've lasted so many years and somehow made it to our little boutique. They're on their own journey that has lasted and will last longer than most of its wearers and admirers. Here are a few highlights of the collection, some gorgeous antique charms, but remember to come in and check out the rest if you live here in town.

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A carved amethyst wax seal fob with an ornate setting.  When this item first came in you could see red wax in some of it's grooves.  We cleaned it up and the carving in the amethyst became even more beautifully defined.  It's a leaping fox with the words "TALLY HO!" written above.

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This tiny book reads "Souvenir" in blue and white enamel.  It opens and contains a few photos of a town in England called Worthing. It is sweet as can be. I am constantly amazed by the moving parts in vintage jewelry.

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A sterling silver "good luck" letter charm. The bee is contemporary, but don't they look so cute together? I like to think someone gave this charm to a friend going on a long journey...

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This fob has a compass on one side and a carved carnelian portrait on the other.  It rotates in its setting which is an intertwined pair of serpent-like bodies with eagle-like faces. It's beautiful and unusual, a keepsake and yet functional.

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This is a jet charm with a rhinestone in the center.  Rhinestones were originally names for rock crystal found in the river Rhine.

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Stay tuned for future postings on Memorial Jewelry and Vintage Lockets!

Hello!

2010-02-01T19:19:00.000-05:00

At Lori McLean, we like jewelry made by hand. We like the stories behind beautiful objects. We like writing with pens and paper. We are a little bit old school.

Maybe the thought of a computer was a little intimidating, but now that we have it we're  blending the digital and the hand made and realizing what great things we can accomplish, like our very first BLOG.

The blog is our way to involve you in our daily conversations, the facts we discover about jewelry, the history behind the vintage pieces that come in, the trends we are excited about, and the little stories and conversations that fill up Lori McLean's jewelry shop.

We hope you'll follow our blog when you need a little jewelry fix.  We'll be posting images from the shop: the new items that come in and selections from our ever changing vintage collection.  Stay tuned for  a post on vintage charms and Lori's fabulous trip to Paris! Ou La La.