At 08:18 PM 7/15/2005, you wrote:
I agree that Steve Millingham's work is really fabulous but if your budget doesn't stretch that far look at http://www.sapphireandsage.com/index.html especially the portrait reproduction section, whilst these are not exact replicas (as she doesn't make her own settings) they do a very good job of imitating the style fairly closely (I'm lusting after the reproduction of Princess Mary Tudor's necklaces) the "Queen Elizabeth I" Cluster Necklace (under portrait reproductions) is fairly similar to this portrait http://www.photo.rmn.fr/c/htm/CSearchZ.aspx?o=&Total=2&FP=3825164&E=22S39UNTBJPH&SID=22S39UNTBJPH&New=T&Pic=2&SubE=2C6NU0XQAIT8 (or the short version http://snipurl.com/gagx) which is Spanish from the same era (I found it via Michaela's page) but if you're doing a large ruff a collar close to the neck may not show up very well. Alternately, some of the other examples show just a long strand of pearls (I use one short & one long strand of fake pearls with a pendant tied onto the shorter one) HTH Elizabeth
Thank you Elizabeth for the suggested site. I see she already has a repro of the jewelry I am looking for. However, this is more a secondary choice, as I would prefer the jewelry to look "thicker" and richer than what she has done, more like the paintings if possible. I also need "ouches" or something similar for the hats I am working on, which is even more tricky in some ways as they have to stay on the edge of buckram and wires, instead of flat on a neckline.
The eventual gown to go with the dress is mid 1540s Tudor style for Eleanore Brandon, with no ruff (too early for them) just lots of bare chest area (and a partlet depending on season). The collar and carcenet will work well with that.
When I do Elizabethans I do wear more pearl strands, especially as my character's husband brings them back from raiding the Spanish galleons when successful (gotta love an actual historical Pirate Earl). Eventually I will try to recreate that character's gown covered in pearls, when I can determine more about what it would look like.
http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/images/Russell,Margaret(CCumberland).jpg Kimiko Kimiko Small http://www.kimiko1.com Fresno, CA, USA "Lady of the Wardrobe" for Isle of Mann Guild Portraying at California's Central Valley Renaissance Faires Lady Clifford, Countess of Cumberland (Margaret Percy, Eleanor Brandon, or Margaret Russell) _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
