With temperatures in the high 90s, I am entertaining myself by going through jewelry boxes I have not opened in years. Today I want to share with you the contents of one box and pose a “subjective” design challenge.
The box contains four 1940s era vermeil (sterling with gold plating) pins. Each pin is in good shape considering the age. The top two pins are signed Jolle Sterling. (Jolle, founded by Jack Appel and Lester Hess, was in business for a short twelve years from 1942 – 1954.) The bottom two pins are signed Sterling.
KEEP reading…There are many photos. The challenge/quiz follows the photos.
When viewed this way, next to each other in a box, the design differences are striking. They are all from the same decade but very, very different. It occurred to me these differences might make a fun challenge.
First, if you could select only one pin from the box to keep, which pin would you select?
A. The green Jolle top left
B. The Jolle crown top right
C. The long-stemmed floral bottom left
D. The ruby snowflake bottom right.
Write this selection on a slip of paper.
Now I’m going to show you a front and back picture of each pin followed by more questions.
On the same slip of paper, answer each of the following questions with A, B, C, or D.
Which pin has the most interesting use of shape(s) in its design?
Which pin exhibits the most detailed design?
Which pin best utilizes color?
Which pin shows the best asymmetrical design?
Which pin has the most interesting motif?
Which pin has the most memorable, recognizable design?
In your opinion, which pin is the most wearable today?
Now count how many As, Bs, Cs, and Ds in your answers and note which letter was most often used. Does it match the answer to the first question asked at the beginning of the blog? (If you could select only one pin from the box to keep, which pin would you select?)
Conclusion(s): Do any of them apply to you?
If the pin you selected from the box to keep matches the pin most often used to answer the questions – congratulations, you collect what you love and you understand the design elements found in great design!
If the pin you selected from the box does NOT match the pin most used to answer the questions – congratulations own a collection you love, but it might be worthwhile to expand your definition of great design.
If you found the whole exercise difficult because you would not keep any of the pins – congratulations, you have a precise, curated collection AND a large measure of “jewelry willpower”.
Happy Collecting,
Love,
Julie
P.S.
This whole blog was made-up, just for a bit of FUN!
If I were to guess, I’d assume most readers selected the ruby snowflake (D) as the ONE design they would select from the box. While crown collectors might select (B) because it is a well-made and dimensional crown, few collectors would select the green Jolle pin (A). The very stylized interpretation of a floral may be too edgy for most collectors. The long-stemmed crystal floral (C) is an excellent example of sterling unbranded pins made in the 1940s. It is the work of a talented designer, so some collectors likely selected (C) as their favorite piece.
Me…I love all of them. However, beginning today I’m relocating the ruby snowflake pin from the box into an honored spot in my jewelry armoire. Of the four, it is the one I would most enjoy wearing.