Moonglow Button Earrings, Sterling Silver, Czech Glass, Lavender, 1950s Vintage, Romantic Gift, Upcycled Jewelry

Moonglow glass was made in Czechoslovakia in the mid-twentieth century, and the name is accurate. The glass has a soft internal luminosity, caused by layering a dome of clear glass over colored glass. In this case, it creates a pale lavender with a glow that seems to come from inside rather than the surface. These buttons were made in the 1950s, each one set with a ring of topically applied gold facets as part of the original design.

The bead border follows the curve of the button's edge. The gold of the button's original design reads warm against the cool silver and provides the contrast of a mixed metal design.

Earrings measure 1¼ inches (3.2 cm) long from top of ear wire to bottom of circle, and ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide. The size of a US dime. Total weight is 8.4 grams. Hallmarked Blue Piranha and .925.

Your purchase arrives gift boxed, presented in a soft pouch with a story card.

Good for: the woman who loves color but wears it quietly. For an occasion that calls for something considered. A gift for the person who still believes that the romance of the past is just as potent as the present.

Questions? Please message me. I'm happy to help.

About the buttons:

The "humble" button was once not-so-humble. Buttons are actually the earliest form of adornment, sewn onto garments as decoration before they had practical use as fasteners. They were once considered works of art.

Many buttons I come across are dusty and languishing in cardboard boxes or mason jars. I set them into precious metals and allow them to live a new life, with those who cherish the magic of past eras.

Victorian buttons take two forms: molded glass, and what are known as picture buttons, or pictorials. Each pictorial has a specific image, often flowers, birds, or other natural forms. These buttons are comprised of several parts, often three to five layers, which would have been hand-assembled in the 19th century. They're beautiful relics of a time long past.

The more colorful buttons are 1950s Czech glass, and are no longer made. These are known as "Moonglow" buttons, due to layering a dome of clear glass over a colored satin glass underlayer. Together the two layers create a sort of "cat's-eye" effect, with subtle shifts as the buttons catch the light. They had a short production window from about the early 1950s to the 1960s, when they were displaced by lighter weight (and less expensive) plastic buttons.