Coral bead jewelry set by K.Walters at the Sign of the Gray Horse – coral earrings, necklace, ring, and bracelets made from Swarovski coral beads |
I’ve never been much of a jewelry girl….until now. I’ve been thinking more about jewelry as important accessories to historical costume, both day and evening, but my collection is sparse, to say the least. Time for some shopping – oh darn!
There are a couple fantastic historical jewelry makers, one of whom is K.Walters, At the Sign of the Gray Horse. I’d seen her creations online, but never ordered anything, not being much of a jewelry girl.
But as I get more into accessorizing, I thought a couple coral pieces would be a good “starter” set, since coral jewelry is *so* historical, and *so* versatile. I asked Kim, the proprietrix of Gray Horse, if she could create a graduated coral bead necklace and bracelets. She encouraged me to also try the earrings with clip-on findings, and now I’m really glad I did!
Since the jewelry was made for me, the bracelets fit my spindly wrists perfectly – not too loose and not too tight. |
When the set arrived, I was impressed by the beauty and quality of it. The photos online do not do the Gray Horse jewelry justice! The beads are Swarovski crystal red coral beads. The findings are delicate silver – the bracelets and necklace have a slide/snap fastening that’s makes it really easy to get the jewelry on and off, especially the bracelets. Kim also included a ring as a surprise, and let me know that she is working on bringing tiaras to her shop (which I will definitely be getting, to complete my very first parure).
As for the earrings, I have to say I’ve never worn a more comfortable clip on. These have a screw-back for adjustment, and I could not feel them when they were on. They didn’t hurt my sensitive ears at all, and they stay put all day without incident.
The drop earrings are clip-ons, since I don’t have pierced ears. They are incredibly comfortable, lightweight, and add that something extra. I’m amazed at how much of a difference a pair of earrings makes in creating a fully finished look. |
One of the things I really like about Kim is that her work is full of love. She enjoys making the jewelry, she makes an effort to get to know her clients and create items they’ll love, and the profits from her craft go to support her rescue horses (hence the name of her shop). Supporting small businesses with heart is important to me, and I couldn’t be happier with supporting At The Sign of the Gray Horse.
If you are interested in historical jewelry, check out Kim’s online shops. She can make just about anything, so be sure to contact her for information on custom jewelry creation:
K.Walters At the Sign of the Gray Horse – website
Gray Horse on Etsy
Sign of the Gray Horse on Facebook
8 Comments
Rowenna
February 4, 2016 at 5:21 PMI heart coral jewelry–or faux-coral, I should say 🙂 So versatile–goes with everything 🙂 I found resin beads at a local craft shop and made myself a necklace and get comments all the time–for me, talking accessories is a great way to open dialogue with the public at living history events! Because who *doesn't* like talking about accessories? 🙂
Lauren Stowell
February 6, 2016 at 7:20 PMThat is a very good way to open dialogue, I guess because nearly everyone can relate!
Stephanie Lynn
February 4, 2016 at 10:31 PMVery pretty! And this set is so classic that you could totally wear this with vintage and modern looks if you decide you want to wear more jewelry on an everyday basis.
Lauren Stowell
February 6, 2016 at 7:19 PMIndeed! I plan to make a point of wearing more jewelry regularly. It really adds something to a look, which surprised me.
Unknown
February 6, 2016 at 3:24 PMI love the jewlery set and I am impressed on how well your wedding suit fits.
Lauren Stowell
February 6, 2016 at 7:19 PMThanks! I'm tickled that you mention how well my gown fits because originally it was WAY too small, haha. I had to seriously cinch to get into it on my wedding day (oops.). I altered it shortly after with great big gussets under the arms, which you can't see in the photos. They're not that noticeable, and I'm happy to be able to wear the dress again.
Elizabeth J. Neal
March 1, 2018 at 7:42 AMThis was a really great contest and hopefully I can attend the next one. It was alot of fun and I really enjoyed myself..
Signage West Midlands
Hancocks London
October 9, 2023 at 5:04 AMGreat post! So helpful post. Thanks for sharing wonderful post.