Uma Therman's Stunning 19th Century Amethyst Rivière Necklace

In honor of Uma Therman's stunning 19th Century Amethyst Rivière necklace that sparkled on the red carpet of the 71st Annual Tony Awards on June 11th we decided to take a look at this timeless necklace style.

Wondering what a rivière is? The Rivière necklace received it's name from the French word for River, because the faceted gems of this necklace flow gracefully around the neck of the wearer.  Stones in a Rivière necklace are individually set and often graduating in size.  Rivière necklaces are typically shorter fitting necklaces ranging from 14-16 inches in length.  When the Rivière style was first developed in the Late 17th-Early 18th century the stones were set with closed backs, as the style became more popular this was adapted to open settings to allow more light and enhance the smoothly flowing, shining river effect.  Stones set in a Rivière necklace are the same shape and the same size (unless there is a slight graduation to the center of the necklace), and on some of the more ornate examples a pendant hangs in the center.

The rivière is a timeless setting that has been popular long after the Georgian period of its invention, and Uma Therman's outfit Sunday is a great example of how the Riviere's classic lines dazzle and enchant even as part of modern outfits.  We were inspired to capture images of some of our favorite Rivière necklaces from the Cynthia Findlay collection.

For more info click here.

Happy Antique & Vintage Father's Day Shopping

With Father's Day around the corner we thought it would be fun to find 10 interesting facts about this holiday celebrating the wonderful men in our lives! We've also found a few fun fact based gift ideas to inspire you in your Father's Day shopping.

1 - Father's Day is currently celebrated in over 50 countries around the World.  

For the Globe-trotter in your life you'll find a terrific selection of globes.

2 - Father's Day was Invented in 1910 by Sonora Dodd of Spokane Washington in honour of her father who raised his children as a single parent.  Dodd chose June 19th in honour of her father's birthday. 

Men's rings.

3 - Male sea horses carry the babies of their female counterparts.  

4 - The oldest first time father was Ramjit Raghar whose firstborn daughter was born after his 94th birthday.

If your 94 year old father figure is moving a little slower than Ramjit he might appreciate a handsome wooden cane for Father's Day.

5 - The necktie is the most popular Father's Day gift to date!

 A fashionable add on to this Father's Day classic is a handsome tie clip/tie bar.

6 - In a 2015 survey it was found that 1 in 10 stay at home parents were fathers.  As women become more active at work men are stepping up to the role of primary caregiver.

Wishing the Happiest of Father's Days to all the important men in our lives.

Click Here To Shop Our Father's Day Gift Guide.

Winston Churchill Recently Discovered

An active Winston Churchill enthusiast came to Toronto for a Chuchill association dinner and discovered Cynthia Findlay's Antiques.  He couldn't help but fall in love with a figure of Winston Churchill in Bulldog form by Royal Doulton.  The whimsical Royal Doulton bulldog figurine featured a top hat and Churchill's signature navy and white polka dot bow tie.  This tough character also held a cigar between his teeth to emulate the tenacious former British Prime Minister.

Churchill was considered a Bulldog and many of these desktop figurines were made in his image.  They became even more popular when they made their way into the James Bond film franchise as desktop ornaments on M's desk beginning in the 1940s.  The 007 version named 'Jack' sported variations of the Union Jack flag on his back and represented England.  A specialty version was recently created with extra 'damage' as a tongue in cheek joke after (spoiler alert) the MI6 headquarters were destroyed in 'Spectre'.

Although the top hat sporting bulldog has gone to a new home you can still find several versions of the Churchhill and Union Jack Bulldogs from Royal Doulton in store at 284 King St. W. by clicking here.