Since opening the shop almost a year ago, I haven't been blogging nearly as much as I'd like to. Instead I've been using Instagram to share new additions to my jewellery box and the jewellery adventures I've been on. You can see photos from the Heart of Solid Gold Instagram account here.

Although I can't promise I'll be blogging as regularly as I used to, I don't want to stop writing posts, sharing the details of the jewellery I love. They may be sporadic,  but I'm making an effort to keep posting :)

So here goes...

Some of you may know that my  main jewellery love is rings, but I also have a love of necklaces too - especially pendants. Having fallen in love with Annina Vogel's signature charm necklaces when I first visited her concession at Liberty's several years ago, I've been on the look out to create my own, personal charm necklace. 

It took me quite a while to find a Victorian necklace that was just right (and in my price range!) but once I found this chain I began dreaming of the charms I could add. 

I wanted to theme the necklace, so I chose to hunt for charms that are lucky, bring positivity and ward off evil. 

So far I have collected a 9ct gold vintage wishbone, a 9ct gold vintage evil eye and a 9ct rose gold Victorian horseshoe. 

I'm still on the hunt for more charms, and possibly a split ring so I can fit more charms on the necklace, so I'll keep you updated with the hunt. If anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them, or if you'd like to share your own charm necklaces or bracelets, I'd love to see them.

Also new to the shop this week are these three antique rings. 

A popular motif with Victorians, buckles were used in jewellery including rings and bracelets to symbolise eternity, fidelity, loyalty, strength and protection. Similarly to snakes, the buckle curves around the wearer and fastens like a loop to create a never-ending/eternal circle. 

This hallmarked 9ct gold antique ring has been beautifully engraved and wraps around the wearer's finger - what an old fashioned way to be cherished by your loved one. For more details, click here.

Opals are said to be one of the most powerful healing stones, as well as the stone of hope and the stone of love to faithful lovers. 

Also the birthstone for October, this pretty vintage 9ct gold half eternity ring features seven vibrant blue opals. Perfect for wearing alone or as part of a ring stack, the gold band has been shaped to sit perfectly with other rings. For more information, click here.

Diamonds and pearls are two of the most common stones found in Victorian jewellery. Often used together in mourning jewellery, seed pearls represented tears and diamonds symbolised immortality of life.

This dainty Victorian gold ring features a central, gypsy set diamond, surrounded on either side by two seed pearls. The ring is also prettily engraved around the stones and on the shoulders.

As well as the detailed work to the front of the ring, the inside or the shank is just as interesting. Although not hallmarked (tested as at least 9ct gold), the ring has been loving hand engraved with the letters and date "R.T. to A.U.S 18/6/98". Could this be commemorating a romance between two lovers, a marriage or a death of a loved one? The sentiment is unclear, but the history this delicate ring holds makes it all the more cherished. To find out more, click here.

Keep a look out for more new shop items this week.

Known for it's lucky qualities, citrine is believed to bring success to its wearer. Earning itself the nickname 'merchant's stone' - many people think that keeping citrine close by to your business will bring good fortune and success. 

New to the shop this weekend, this Victorian ring features a huge 6 carat (approx) citrine, surrounded by 16 seed pearls and 2 turquoise stones. The setting and shank is made from 18ct gold. 

The shank is hallmarked for Birmingham, 18ct gold and the date letter U for 1894. A fantastic piece of history you can wear on your finger every day.

For more details click here.

Over the last few weeks I have been adding to the stock in the Heart of Solid Gold shop. My favorites have to be the Victorian gold fox head ring and the black enamel and diamond mourning ring.

Which one is your favorite?

Heart of Solid Gold shop

It's not often that the Royal Mail makes me really happy but after sending a lovely antique ring to its new owner in Georgia, I found out that the Royal Mail have updated the tracking they offer for international postage.

So why am I boring you with all this?

It means I can now post items from the shop at a reduced rate of just £12 :)

To see what treasures are available at the moment click here

Okay so we may not be 'physical' friends but who wouldn't love to be friends with jewellery designer Alex Monroe. (The rest of the team are also very lovely!)

For nearly as long as I've loved jewellery, my heart has been stolen by Alex's gold bee necklaces and mice rings. If you love whimsical animal and nature jewellery you couldn't find more perfect gems. 

So, to thank their Facebook followers they are offering the chance to win one of their beautiful owl necklaces if they help them reach 7000 likes - a very fair bargain I'd say. Be in with a chance to win a lovely necklace just by sharing the love for Alex Monroe jewellery with your friends and fellow bloggers and liking their page.

Surely you can't need any more convincing? https://www.facebook.com/alexmonroejewellery

Here are my two beautiful Alex Monroe necklaces:

Rose gold fox necklace

Gold bumble bee necklace

To fall in love with some more pieces visit www.alexmonroe.com 

I was so pleased to hear the news whilst I was away last week that Jane Austen's ring has finally been bought by the Jane Austen museum in Hampshire.

Originally it was sold by Sotherby's at auction to Kelly Clarkson. The Jane Austen museum could not raise the funds in time for the auction and the ring looked set to travel to the US. Although I can understand on a personal level why she would want to own such a beautiful and historic piece of jewellery, it was a massive loss to all Jane Austen and antique jewellery fans.

However, a temporary export ban was placed on the ring, allowing the museum to try and raise the £152,450 needed to keep in the UK. The campaign Bring the Ring Home began and after many generous donations were made, including one anonymous donation of £100,000, the total has been reached.

The museum has said that they plan to have the ring on display in the new year. I think a trip to Hampshire is in order to see this beautiful and much sought after ring in person.

After talking about it for so long - and hunting for suitable treasures the last few months - the Heart of Solid Gold store is now open. 

Selling a variety of antique and vintage pieces, new items will be added weekly. If you're looking for something in particular, drop me an email. 

To visit the store click here or use the shop tab in the menu bar above.

Let me know what you think! 

Earlier this week the lovely Danielle over at Gem Gossip featured an interview about Heart of Solid Gold on her jewellery blog.  I was thrilled to answer her questions, having been an avid follower of her blog for quite some time now.  

To read the interview and see exclusive photos of my antique jewellery collection click here

I've been a bit slow on the blogging front so far in 2013 - not a good start to the new year!  I'm still deciding whether or not to re-brand the blog and I am in the process of designing a new site which is better suited to jewellery so  please bear with me, I will be back on form soon and will keep you all updated!

Here are my beautiful Christmas and birthday presents that I haven't shared yet (If you follow me on Instagram - Heart of Solid Gold - you may have seen a sneak peak of these already).  I am wearing them with my Annina Vogel chain ring. 

Watch this space - Heart of Solid Gold will be undergoing some changes during 2013! If you have any comments or suggestions as to how I could improve the blog I would love to hear them - please leave a comment of e-mail me :)

As many of you may have guessed by now I just love to collect things, jewellery in particular.  In addition to collecting rings I also have a bit of an addiction to collecting bird jewellery and I seem to have acquired quite a lot of brooches, rings and pins all in the shapes of difference birds over the years.

Here are my favourites - I just can't resist a marcasite swallow or a turquoise and silver dove.  I am hoping to convert some of these pieces into necklaces, brooches and rings in the new year.  Watch this space for a few jewellery updates!

You can't beat the feeling you get when you buy a piece of antique jewellery that you know you most probably will never see for sale again in your life and that is exactly how I felt when I bought this lovely gem.  

The gold snake band entwines itself to form the Victorian symbol of eternity and holds in its mouth a gold heart charm featuring a seed pearl and turquoise flower.  I think at some point in its life, the two extra seed pearls have been added to replace missing turquoise stones, which I think only adds to the rings unique charm.  

If you haven't spotted already, Heart of Solid Gold is also now on Instagram :)

I love nothing better than to discover a new jewellery website with a wondrous collection of jewels for sale - especially rings! So you can imagine my excitement when I came across Catbirdnyc.com, an online jewellery shop that offers a simply breathtaking collection of jewellery which is also sold in their eclectic store in Williamsburg, New York. 

Specialising in stocking local designers, Catbird also stock worldwide designer pieces and their very own collection.  The more I have perused their site, the more jewellery I have fallen in love with.  I simply can not get enough - my Christmas list is growing by the second (and yes I know it is a while off yet!).

Here are the rings that have made their way to the top of my wish list;

Jezebel Evil Eye Ring

Odette New York Klaia Cage Ring

Polly Wales Ruby Yellow Gold Band

Yayoi Forest Crossing Ring 

Catbird Dark Side of the Moon Ring

I also couldn't resist sharing this lovely slave bracelet Catbird have to offer.  I have been searching for a delicate gold slave bracelet for some time, one that looks both lovely as a stand alone piece or layered with several other rings and bracelets - I think I have found a winner!

Catbird Star Crossed Hand Bracelet

All images sourced via Catbird

I challenge you to visit Catbird's site and not fall in love with at least one piece!

Image source: Liberty

Combining just the right amount of heavy metal and delicate crocheted lace, Venessa Arizaga has created a stunning and unusual bracelet perfect for the Autumn/Winter '12 Gothic trend.  

Available at Liberty

Although we haven't had the best of summers in the UK this year, there is already a definite chill in the air reminding us that Autumn is on its way.  

Image source: Jana Reinhardt

What better way to cheer yourself up about the darker evenings and colder weather than with this lovely autumnal Jana Reinhardt sleeping fox ring. The gold plated sterling silver fox is encased between two amber brown diamonds.

If you haven't already fallen in love, Jana also offers 15% off your first order if you sign up to her newsletter. To take a closer look at this cute fox ring click here.

This post is long over due and I hope the lovely Penny will forgive me for my delay in posting about the gorgeous necklace I bought from her shop, Little Nell, a few weeks ago.

Arriving in lovely, hand-crafted packaging was this rough amethyst slice necklace and it looks just as beautiful in real life as it does in the photo! Having admired Penny's hand made jewellery for quite a long time, and deliberating over which piece to buy, I finally settled on this particular necklace having searched for the perfect crystal necklace for several months. 

I can't recommend Little Nell jewellery enough, the delivery was super quick and the quality of the pieces is excellent for the prices charged.  I was even sent a free studded friendship bracelet - what more can a girl ask for!?

I have worn this necklace several times already and never fails to attract attention.  It is definitely one of my favourite pieces of jewellery. Visit Little Nell to see what other jewels Penny has to offer and check out her blog, Crafty Nell.

Image source: Bottcca 

A favourite way to spend my lunch hour is longingly browsing the jewellery collections available at Boticca.  On one of my many perusals I found this delicate angel wing necklace by Peggy Li, a jewellery designer based in San Francisco. 

This angelic necklace would be the perfect jewellery staple, easily layered with other gold and silver necklaces or simply worn alone as an eye catching piece.  

Needless to say this necklace was quickly added to my Boticca wishlist and I have already spotted a few other of Peggy's designs to swoon over.

Another Instagram post tonight (sorry if you do follow me on Instagram and have seen these pieces before!), this time about my favourite antique charms of the moment. I really love layering necklaces and pendants for a more personal jewellery style and these silver charms fit perfectly together.

The silver and moonstone Hamsa hand charm I picked up on a trip to Marrakesh a few years ago. The centre swallow and horseshoe charm has a butterfly wing background. I found this charm on eBay and managed to win it for just a couple of pounds due to the butterfly wing being faded.  I think despite this damage it still makes for a lovely piece of jewellery! The antique silver coin on the right has a tiny opal inset into it.  I also have a similar coin that I bought a few years ago with a tiny sapphire inset into it and have seen a couple of others over the years.  I'd love to know more about these coins and if there was a certain reason for the stones.  They are definitely something I am going to do a bit more research into.

The chain is a Fashionology chain taken from one of their silver claw necklaces that I one in a competition a while ago.  There necklaces are great long length and are very hard wearing - their jewellery is definitely worth taking a look at as they also make gorgeous rings.

I've been wearing this necklaces quite a lot recently, I love the eclectic style of layering charms and necklaces.  They look lovely worn with summer dresses - if only we could have some better British weather!

Apologies - it has been far too long since I blogged last.  I'm blaming it on a combination of house renovating, moving the blog from Blogger to Wordpress and work! If anyone follows me on Instagram you may have noticed that I have become addicted to using the app to record my jewellery, both new and old.  I love how easily Instagram can turn a simple snap into a great jewellery shot.  I feel have gained photography skills overnight! This photo of my Daisy Knights ring and eternity ring looks reasonably great considering it was a quick snap before going to work!  

I have to confess I have blogged about this Daisy Knights feather ring before, but a ring this beautiful surely deserves more than just the one mention - right? I've been wearing this ring quite a lot over the last few days and it always attracts a compliment or two.  I love teaming it with my diamond and gold, antique eternity ring - something old with something new.

I promise I will be back on blogging form very soon!

All this cold  and snowy weather is enough to put any one off leaving the house and what better way to brighten up your day than to dress up with a little extra jewellery.  

Sapphires are the perfect winter stone, complementing the blue and icy conditions. I couldn't resist pairing up my silver fox ring with sapphire eyes and my antique art deco sapphire and diamond ring.  Teamed with a triple link ring, I think they make the perfect combination.

What jewels have you been using to brighten up these cold and snowy days?  

Recently I bought this lovely antique, rose rolled gold crescent bangle to add to my ever growing collection of rose gold jewellery.  The pink hue metal complements the turquoise stone and seed pearls perfectly and, although the piece is in great condition for its age, the rose gold colouring reminds you that your are wearing a little piece of history. 

The bangle really complements my turquoise and seed pearl, rose rolled gold, antique bracelet and both look  fantastic when worn with my rose gold Guess watch.  I am so pleased that rose gold is becoming increasingly popular once again and it really is the perfect choice for summer jewellery.

A few days ago I found out I was the lucky winner of EC One's Alex Monroe Bumblebee competition.  I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the e-mail from the lovely EC One's press department letting me know I would be the new owner of this coveted necklace! 

As I'm sure you will know by now I am a huge fan of Alex Monroe's jewellery.  Having closely followed Alex's collections for many years I made my first purchase at the end of last year, buying one of his 12 Days of Christmas pieces, a lovely rose gold fox necklace and if it was possible I fell deeper in love with Alex's jewellery.  I had been eyeing up a few more of his pieces recently, adding them to my pay day wish list each month and the little gold bumblebee necklace had been a strong contender for top place.  

My gold bumblebee came winging it's way (I couldn't resist!) to me today in this beautifully wrapped parcel - it felt like Christmas had come early!

As the sun was shining I couldn't resist taking a few photos of the little guy outside enjoying some rays.

I'd like to say a huge thanks to EC One and Alex Monroe - I couldn't be happier! If you'd like to own your very own bumblebee you can shop Alex Monroe's collection via EC One here.

Okay, so with all the rain we have been experiencing recently, Summer may feel years, never mind months away. The sun did shine in Yorkshire today and in celebration of a few rays I want to share this lovely daisy necklace by Dicha available at Matches.

Image source: Matches

The necklace is part of Dicha's Decades collection which features jewellery inspired by the decades of time. The pieces are original vintage items of jewellery which have been restyled to revitalise otherwise outdated and forgotten gems.

Although it is hard to pick a favourite from the Decades collection, I can't help but smile and think of Summer when I catch sight of the two bright daisies.  If the daisies weren't enough to brighten even the wettest of British Summer days, the tiny bells will definitely put a jingle in your step!



To make the most of the weather today Cleo and I went for a lovely walk by the river and I couldn't help but take a photo of her sat amongst the flowers - she just loves the sunshine!

A few months ago I managed to snap up this Daisy Knights Large Shell ring on The Outnet for a bargain of a price.  I am a great lover of all of Daisy's collections, coveting both her skull and feather rings, so I knew it was fate that I had happened to check The Outnet website when this lovely ring was up for grabs.  The ring, which is handmade in the UK from recycled silver, features an inverted blue hue, cubic zirconia stone.  

Although no longer available via The Outnet, the ring is still available on Daisy Knights' website in her sale.  

Image source: Kabiri

Following on from my obsession with infinity rings I have found this bracelet alternative by Ginette NY available at Kabiri. Made from 18 carat rose gold, the bracelet features a handmade infinity cut out motif.

Frederique Dessemond, the woman behind Ginette NY, desribes her style as pure, sensitive, uncluttered and elegeant which I think sums up this gorgeous bracelet perfectly.

Image Source: Annina Vogel

Whenever I am on the hunt to update my jewellery wish list I find myself returning to this beautiful necklace by Annina Vogel available in her on-line shop.

The Mother Nature necklace features in Annina's Iconic range and is made from seven diamond encrusted antique gems, sourced from second hand jewellery.

Need I say any more?

You can buy the necklace online here

Image source: Google Images

It's not often I comment about celebrities and their jewellery but I just couldn't resist posting about the much talked about Brangelina engagement ring.

The diamond ring is the result of a year long collaboration between jewellery designer, Robert Procop and Brad Pitt, with each oblong diamond having been cut to perfectly encirle Angleina's finger.

Who wouldn't say yes to the proposal with a ring like this, Brad Pitt or no Brad Pitt?!

Kabiri's Mid Season Sale is now on-line and I have to admit there are more than a few pieces that have caught my eye. Here are my highlights, although if I'm honest I wouldn't say no to any of the pieces on offer!

Jennifer Meyer Turquoise Tiny Band Ring

Ahkah Bow Tie Necklace

Jennifer Meyer Rose Gold Heart Studs

Roberto Marroni Necklace

Roberto Marroni Knot Ring

Jennifer Meyer Diamond Bar Ring

Images Source: Kabiri

Image source: Kabiri

I'm still on the hunt for more tiny rings I can wear as pinkie rings, so you can imagine my response when I found these gorgeous rings by Scosha available at Kabiri. Available in small sizes, especially for pinkies, these rings are handmade from 10ct yellow gold and feature tiny diamonds and other little gems.

Image source: Kabiri

A sure way to perk up a Monday is to have quick browse at Kabiri's New In page. This yellow gold plater star ring by Henriette Loftstrom definitely banished my Monday blues. A simple yet unusual design, this ring would transform any ones jewellery collection.

If you need a cheering up this Monday take a peek at Kabiri's other new arrivals...