 |
| Designed by Kathy Mannix |
By: Andrea Morici, Senior Designer
It is hard to remember life as a jewelry designer before Vintaj Natural Brass Co. came along. Let's cast our minds back--what materials did we, as beaders, have available to us? Well, we had our beads. Beads are ancient, and although many new types have been designed over the centuries, not many can claim to have revolutionized the industry. After all, it is rather difficult to reinvent the wheel. What about metals, findings? We had silver. We had gold. We did the best we could with what we had.
As someone who has had very little experience with soldering, I often found that I was searching for ways to create pieces that appeared more "metal-smithed", as opposed to just simply "beaded". My options were limited as far as how to display a focal bead and make it look like it was placed in a real jeweler's setting. This notion was especially difficult for me since I desired to evoke a vintage feel with my work. I'm sure some (if not most) of you can relate.
Enter Vintaj Natural Brass Co.
Vintaj was started by sisters Wendy Mullane and Jeanne Holland along with their good pal, Jess Italia-Lincoln. It all began when the two sisters were teaching a jewelry design class to a women's group at their church. One day, a fortuitous thing happened: Jeanne decided to pry open a filigree bead and wrap it around a glass bead, creating a technique that the folks at Vintaj have since dubbed "creative settings". When they asked Jess Italia-Lincoln to climb on board, her marketing acumen and keen eye for unique design further propelled the sisters' vision. Thus, Vintaj was born, and the world of jewelry-making has been (in this humble beader's opinion) forever changed.
In the past decade, the price of silver has nearly quintupled. The price of gold has climbed into the stratosphere. So it is no surprise that, for a while now, beaders have been experimenting with new, more affordable metal options. Simultaneously, trends have been leaning toward vintage and earthy looks. This is the perfect storm that helped make Vintaj as popular as it is. The old-fashioned brass stampings, with the signature Vintaj natural, earthy patina are so versatile in color and in function. Finally, I can display my most precious beads by wrapping them like little treasures in warm, antique-ish stampings.
We, as beaders, are very lucky to be practicing our craft during a time of great innovation in the industry. The plated items that have come along in the past several years are of a much higher quality than those that used to be available. Also, we have seen some very interesting metals (and metal finishes) take center stage. Not only brass, but also copper, pewter, gunmetal, bronze and Shibuichi (among others), are becoming popular alternatives to standard silver and gold in the world of jewelry design. And almost every metal or plated metal is available in antiqued finishes. Of course, you cannot have all of these beads, pendants, and stampings coming in cool metals and finishes without the accompanying findings and chain, which are now widely available. We are fortunate to have these options at our fingertips. I personally think that Vintaj may have had a hand in opening the door to this brave new beading world. For that, I thank them.
