• Frozen Charlotte Pearls and Peony necklace worn over a white lace dress: a blush pink peony pinned at the collarbone with dusty pink ribbon streamers, a strand of glass pearls and silver chain leading down to a small silver house-shaped frame holding an antique bisque doll, model standing in a pink Victorian-papered room.
  • Close view of the Pearls and Peony necklace at the collarbone: dusty pink silk ribbon ties, a blush peony pinned in dark hair above, and a pearl and silver chain strand disappearing into shadow against a cream lace neckline.
  • Detail of the Pearls and Peony necklace on a cream velvet dress: a full blush pink peony with pink ribbon streamers above a strand of ivory glass pearls and a silver ring chain, ending in a small silver house-shaped frame with an antique bisque doll inside.
  • Pearls and Peony Frozen Charlotte necklace worn on a linen dress form, front view: a large pale pink silk peony at the collarbone above a double strand of ivory faux pearls, frosted pink beads and textured silver ring chain, with pink sari silk ribbon ties.
  • Close-up of the Pearls and Peony necklace on a linen dress form, showing hand-dyed pale pink sari silk ribbon and frayed white velvet ribbon tied at the shoulder, with a pink and red flower garland blurred behind.
  • Detail of the Pearls and Peony pendant on a dress form: a small white bisque doll figure enclosed behind glass in a house-shaped antique silver frame, hanging from a textured silver ring chain over pink sari ribbon and cream lace.
  • Full-length front view of the Pearls and Peony necklace on a dress form before a bookcase: the pink silk peony at the collar, long double strands of pearls and silver chain falling to the hip where the house-shaped silver frame holding the bisque doll hangs, with pink silk ribbon streamers.
  • Flat lay of the Pearls and Peony necklace on cream tulle lace over wood: the arched silver reliquary frame with the white bisque doll, a strand of glass pearls and pale rose quartz beads, textured silver chain, pink sari silk ribbon and scattered dried rose petals.
  • Close flat-lay of the Pearls and Peony pendant on cream lace: a white bisque Frozen Charlotte doll standing behind glass inside an ornate house-shaped antique silver frame, with pink sari silk ribbon, cream lace and dried rose petals around it.
  • Video of the Pearls and Peony Frozen Charlotte necklace turning to show the pink silk peony, the double pearl and silver chain strands, pink sari ribbon streamers, and the bisque doll enclosed in a house-shaped silver frame.
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My Nostalgic Soul

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Frozen Charlotte: Pearls and Peony

Frozen Charlotte: Pearls and Peony

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She got dressed for the ball same way she always did, humming under her breath, pearls around her neck and a peony pinned right at her throat like she had somewhere warm to be. Her mother held out a blanket for her, the way mothers do. Charlotte waved it off, the way daughters do, because the night was clear and the ball was fifteen miles off. She was not about to arrive looking bundled up like a sack of laundry.

What she did not know is that she was carrying her own ending with her the whole ride there. Pinned right over her heart, a little silver reliquary, a small window built for exactly one small girl, and inside it, a bisque porcelain girl already unable to move. Her future rode along with her present for the whole fifteen miles and neither she, nor the doll, said a word about it.

The doll inside the frame is authentic antique German bisque, the same early era as the first Frozen Charlottes, pale and brittle and small enough to disappear into your palm. This necklace has two strands, To memorialize the living Charlotte, an alternating glass pearl and faceted rose quartz bead strand hangs prettily above. Below, the bisque doll is enshrined inside a tiny house shaped silver frame, a window with nowhere left to go, hanging from a silver twisted link chain. 

Above it all sits a removable blush pink peony, soft and full, the kind of flower a girl pins on when she wants to look like spring even with a storm coming. Long ribbons of dusty pink silk trail down both sides of it, torn rather than cut, the way things tend to fray at the edges of a story like this one.

Read the full story: Frozen Charlotte – My Nostalgic Soul

Details

  • Authentic antique German bisque Frozen Charlotte doll, same early era as the original dolls
  • Small house shaped silver reliquary frame
  • Two-strand necklace: silver twisted link chain and alternating glass pearl and faceted rose quartz beads
  • Large removable blush pink peony with torn dusty pink silk ribbon streamers
  • One of a kind — you will receive the exact necklace shown
  • Handmade with love in my cottage studio in Kansas

From My Nostalgic Soul to yours. — Gwendalynn Grey

Care, Wear & Provenance

A little history, a little care

Every piece I make is built by hand from things that have already lived a life. Antique bisque doll fragments, old keys and photographs, lace, silk ribbon, chandelier crystals and vintage beads, all put back together into something you can wear. They're sturdier than they look (the bisque in particular), but they are still old, and a little care goes a long way toward keeping them beautiful.

Wearing your piece

  • Put your jewelry on last, after perfume, lotion and hairspray, and take it off before you bathe, swim, sleep or do anything strenuous.
  • Keep the whole piece away from water and harsh chemicals and high heat. 
  • Be gentle with the bisque and the other fragile parts. A drop onto a hard floor or a hard knock can chip or crack them.

Cleaning

A soft, dry cloth is all it needs. Please don't use jewelry dips, silver polish or an ultrasonic cleaner, and don't rub the bisque with a polishing cloth, because they can strip old finishes, lift paint and loosen joints. Old silver-tone and brass metal darkens with time. That's normal, a naturally protective coating, and it's part of the look, so there's no need to polish it away.

Storing it

Keep each piece on its own in a dry place out of direct sunlight, so nothing scratches or tangles. Pieces with ribbon or lace keep their shape best laid flat, and the box or pouch yours came in makes a good home for it.

Please note

These are keepsakes for grown-ups, not toys, and they aren't meant for children. They have small parts that can come loose, and some old metal findings may possibly contain lead or nickel. If your skin is sensitive to base metals, you may want to wear yours over clothing or for shorter stretches.

Provenance and materials

Every bisque doll in my Frozen Charlotte and Frozen Charlie pieces is an authentic antique. The rest of a piece is a mix. Some parts are antique or vintage, like keys, lace, photographs and beads, and some are newer replicas. When I know how old something is or where it came from, I say so in that piece's description. Otherwise I can't promise the exact age, maker or history of every part.

Because these pieces are made from old things, they can show small variations, signs of age and little imperfections. I think that's a big part of their charm, and it's what makes each one the only one of its kind. That's why they chose you and me.

From My Nostalgic Soul to yours. — Gwendalynn Grey

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