Blog — compass rose design

The excavation of ancient sites in Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Egypt in the mid 1700s influenced art, jewelry and fashion from Italy to England. Carved jasper, onyx, carnelian and shell became popular with the revival of Classical themes.    When Napoleon placed ancient Roman cameos on his 1804 coronation crown, he began a trend that has continued to the present day. Greek, Roman, and Etruscan symbols including serpents, crescents, carved stone signets and mythological gods appeared in jewelry from 1830 - 1900.    At the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert received the first mechanical keyless wind watches,...

Time for a break from fashion history and new Compass Rose Jewelry collections - make way for garden tomatoes. It's just about that time of year for summer salsa! The tomatoes in my garden are just beginning to ripen. If you've never canned before, don't be afraid! It's just about having the right tools and learning the timing. Salsa is a great place to start since the acidity of tomatoes makes them easy to work with and there's no need to worry about pectin as with jams and jellies. You will need these basic canning tools: (available at your local...

The history of fashion and design is at the center of our work at Compass Rose Design Jewelry and I love sharing the historical moments of beauty and imagination that inspire our designs. This NeoClassical Revival choker made with a late-Victorian button is a direct reference to the jewelry worn the women in Napoleon's life from 1790-1814.Victorian Button Ornate Neoclassical Necklace by Compass Rose DesignThe emergence of fashion as an expression of individuality rather than social class alone was a concept that took form after the French Revolution as the old aristocratic regimes began to crumble and transform. We can...

It comes as no surprise that I find Victorian and Edwardian fashion, jewelry, design and technology endlessly fascinating, particularly as represented early photography.  Perhaps it is the very availability of photography and the ability to see faces of the past that is so compelling.  We are reminded that we are descended from actual people, like these ladies caught in a candid street style photos by Edward Linley Sanbourne. You might enjoy the fashion and photo collections I've compiled on Pinterest on Victorian Fashion and Jewelry and Edwardian Fashion. However, it's all too common for photos to appear without context and...