Party Earrings?

I recently bought these earrings at a holiday party and jewelry sale. I love the coppery tones.  They are a nice compliment to my skin tone. And of course they have a Guyot finding in them. At about 1 3/4" they are a little to big for me to wear at work, but I think they make a great pair to wear to a party. So that's what I will do - tomorrow morning is my book group's annual holiday brunch and Yankee swap, and I will turn up wearing these festive jingly drops.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Textured Teardrops

It's getting to be a little joke with myself....I love these earrings...seems like I say that to all the gorgeous dangles. But these are special. The primitive texture of these teardrops is subtle but alluring. They make you look twice. Are they hand-pounded? Hard to say. Lightweight and substantial at once. About 3/4" overall, small enough to be worn at work. Or even Yoga class.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Fallen Coins

My dad, Marshall Guyot, loved the texture in this finding. He called it the "fallen coins" texture, and he loved the heaviness of the design combined with the simplicity of the shape. I like the Art Deco nature of them. They do make a nice pair of earrings. At one inch, they are big enough to be noticed and small enough to be worn to work, although I have seen earrings made with this finding where this is the top, posted, and a larger piece of the same style hangs below. 

The original design probably dates back to the 1930's. 

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Hoops with Panache

This is another pair of earrings that I would love to wear but haven't yet. I love the rounded shape and the irregular hook-like area at the top where the ear wire loops on. At about two inches long, they are another pair of earrings that require a strong sense of fashion-self in order to wear them well. I'm not a fashion follower, truth be told. I like simple comfortable clothing and don't generally follow current fashions. It just occurred to me though, that I could wear these with all black...to a party. Hmm, maybe to tomorrow night's Halloween party?

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Dapped Filigree Hoops

When a company is as old as Guyot Brothers is, it's nearly impossible to guess what an item in the line was originally designed for. The records certainly go back for decades, but there are very few notes on how the item was to be used, and only sometimes is the customer's name listed. The company made a lot of items for button manufacturers, so it's quite possible this particular center pierce and dap was a rendition developed along that line from the original flat filigree that was already in production. The curious person in me would like to know, but we can't have everything. Fortunately, these dapped filigree hoops make a fine pair of earrings. So I'll be satisfied with that.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Must Try On

When I first saw this jewelry finding being used as a drop earring, it was surprising, because in my limited imagination, I always saw it as the backing for a brooch or for a pendant, linked together as a bracelet, anything but an earring, in fact. So it was out of curiosity more than anything that I pulled a couple of pieces from the stock drawer, had them antiqued and hung them on ear wires. When I put them on for the first time this morning, they took on a lovely, gentle look that I really liked. It's like that dress on the hanger in the store that you think is not suitable but a friend nudges you. "Try it on, even if for the laughs", she might say. And then you put the dress on, stand back from the mirror, and like it so much you buy it and wear it often. That's how I feel about these earrings. They need to be tried on for the best effect. About 1 3/4" overall.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Hearts or Leaves?

Another pair of my favorite earrings. Filigree will never get old. That really isn't true. Filigree has been around since around 3000 B.C. which makes some of it pretty darned old, but the look of filigree is always popping up in jewelry designs, no matter the current fad. This design was added to the line in the 1940's. We have customers who insist these are leaves and customers who use them as hearts. Either way, they make a beautiful pair of earrings. This pair is about three quarters of an inch long. We make them in a larger size as well.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Oversized Hammered Hoops

I love these earrings. They bring back a vivid memory from my childhood.

My parents and I were out for dinner at a local restaurant in the Cape Cod town where we had a summer cottage. I was probably twelve, maybe eleven - on the cusp of wanting to make fashion statements with every move and swish of my bell-bottom pants. I spotted a party of four at a nearby table. Among them was a woman, probably in her mid-thirties, who was beautiful, laughing, had long wavy flowing hair, just like I didn't, was wearing white bell-bottom pants, a blue and white French sailor-neck top and big hoop earrings. She was obviously having more fun than me too. I wanted to be her. I wanted her sense of style. I wanted her look, her fun, her beauty. Heck, I was even going to order the spaghetti and meatballs because that's what she ordered.

But truth be told, I'm too timid to wear big earrings like these.

Are they are too large for a woman my age? My stature would probably carry them with ease, but two-inch hoops do not suit my personality. But I love them nevertheless and feel jealous when I see a woman who can carry off the look, like Beyonce, Angelina Joli, Jennifer Lopez, and pretty much any young stylish woman with the Chutzpah to order spaghetti and meatballs while wearing white.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Art Deco Drops

Classic Art Deco style. The archives at the manufacturer where the decorative component is made tells me they are classic Art Deco. Their tooling records place them being originally produced in the 1920's. Just under an inch in length. A little heavier than some of the earrings I wear, and that's okay with me. It reminds me that I'm wearing earrings, that I took those few extra seconds to add a little flourish. That's the beauty of earrings. So little effort, so much effect.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Buttons to Earrings

This finding was originally tooled by the manufacturer to be used as a button, sometime in the 1940's. The back was rolled, a labor intensive, expensive operation, so they simplified it, and made good use of the original design. I like the whisper of Celtic influence in the clover shape. It's true that round is not the most flattering shape for some people, with oval and teardrop being more universally fitting, but sometimes the item is so lovely it just has to be worn.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Filigree Bead Caps

It isn't always all about the metal. Sometimes filigree plays a supporting role in a jewelry design. These earrings are an example. They enhance the black faceted bead without overpowering it. The earrings would be boring without the contrast in colors and the added filigree texture. I bought these earrings from a lovely woman who has since passed on from breast cancer. I send her peace every time I put them on. She will be remembered for being kind and for her good taste.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Tortoise

I have liked this primitive design since the first time I saw it. The manufacturer makes it with four rings or no rings, and since I wanted to hang them simply on an ear wire for earrings, I had two choices. I could cut and sand three rings, or I could get myself a handy Euro pierce punch tool and put a hole wherever seemed most suitable. I chose the latter. I like the old-fashioned fine gold kidney wires. 

Tortoise, ancient wisdom, simplicity, patience, survival. 

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Classic Filigree Fan

Often you will see this classic filigree fan shape hanging opposite from how these are shown, and there may be a bead or pearl hanging from the center of the fan at the bottom. Generally the design style I just described requires an odd number of petals on the filigree.

Ease of design use is part of what makes filigree so versatile. They are lightweight and dramatic, even when simply hung from ear wires and worn. This pair of earrings is just over an inch long.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904. 

Dragonflies

Are you like me?

I don't feel dressed unless I am wearing earrings.

They don't have to be fancy earrings, or studded with bling and glitter, but earrings top the outfit. Some days it may be a simple pair of gold or silver hoops I slip through my ear lobes, and some days it might be something more eye-catching with faceted beads or an elegant cabochon.

For the most part my earrings are pretty conservative, usually shorter than an inch and a half, and I don't like stud earrings because they stick into the side of my neck when I'm on the phone.

Today's earrings are simple dragonflies hanging from a non-tarnish silver fish-hook ear wire. They are just about an inch long and offer that magical combination of being so light you forget you are wearing them, while at the same time being easily recognizable and comment-worthy. Almost like a dragonfly.

www.guyotbrothers.com

We do not make jewelry. We are suppliers to the trade. Guyot Brothers has been leaders in ornamental stampings since 1904.