www.bagthejewels.co.uk  is the on-line shop of Caroline Henney Vintage Costume Jewellery and Accessories. 

Let me introduce myself.  For my whole life, as far back as I can remember, I have adored costume jewellery and bags.  At the age of three, I had my very own handbag and my first bead necklace!   The handbag was white and the beads were a string of pearl pop-it-beads! Do you remember pop-its? Well they were all the rage in the 1960's and from time-to-time I hope to be able to offer some for sale here. 

My business has grown out of a love for vintage costume jewellery. It is just so good to have something slightly different from the rest of the crowd! For the past 10 years I have bought and sold Vintage Costume Jewellery through my units in Antiques on High at 85 High Street, Oxford and Yarnton Antiques Centre, Oxford.  I  have a cabinet at Kelso, 41 Stert Street, Abingdon (which is run by handbag designer Liz Fletcher)  and  I can be seen at various local antique fairs and markets and also at London vintage fashion fairs. 

Highlights of the past have included selling some of my art deco jewellery and evening purses to the team behind TV's successful Poirot series and some 1950's costume jewellery and accessories to TV's Marple. It is so satisfying to view your finds on screen.  Another link, this time with Hollywood, was when artist, Lorraine Berkshire-Roe created my logo for me - Wow! The result was the bag the jewels lady! She's a bit like Audrey Hepburn mixed with Wilma Flintstone: both glamorous jewellery wearers, well known for their rocks! 

I collect bakelite, celluloid and early plastic bangles and Lucite brooches and am a member of the Plastics Historical Society, great website and very good publications for all those who prefer their jewellery to be made of Bakelite and think that Plastic is Fantastic! I have a small collection of Vintage Powder Compacts and find that the British Compact Collectors' Society is a great resource  for all things "Vintage Vanity". I also belong to The Bead Society of Great Britain who publish excellent magazines full of good stuff for all us bead-lovers. As well as producing information about Venetian glass beads, trade beads, amber and semi-precious beads, etc., the  members of the Society share their knowledge about antique beadwork and making your own beaded jewellery too. Just go to my 'LINKS' to get to any of these groups.

I  love art deco diamante and 1950s paste jewels. I have a passion for scandinavian silver jewellery,especially the enamels; adore old Victorian jet and vulcanite and can't resist the signed American costume jewellery of the 1940's and 1950's. If you love this sort of thing then join VFCJ - An  American group with interests in Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry.  There are one or two contemporary jewellery designers whose work I covet , so I also like new jewellery.

I like the quirky and unusual. I like things to be in good wearable, condition and I don't like people having to pay a fortune for their costume jewellery because there is just no fun in that!  Costume jewellery should be fun to wear, collect and gift!  If you agree shop with me!