Sunday, September 23, 2012

Link sharing

I admit it, I love necklaces.  I get the most excited when I found out that a movie or series I like has developed jewelry accessories for the fans.  I think it is a very subtle way of showing your support for something without being too obvious, which sometimes can be tricky in a place with a dressing code such as school or office environment.

Sometimes these replicas are official merchandise; sometimes they are not, but it is because an official replica was never made or it was sold out.  

I think the first one I ever had was Arwen's  pendant from the Lord of the Rings.  We bought it locally when the movie came out, and it was the sterling silver version - it was the only one available then, and all the crystals had the same length.  The one they made later resembles more the one in the movie, but still, I like it very much.  We also bought the Nenya ring that belonged to Galadriel, and of course, the One Ring in sterling silver.  There are plenty of places you can still buy these, but my favorites are Tolkien Town and Tolkien Shop.

Later it was Lucian's necklace from the Underwold series; we would discover later it belonged to his beloved Sonya, but I think it is fair to say it was his necklace more than hers:
Picture from the Costumebase shop on Ebay
There never was official merchandise for this movie- or if there was, I never found it; so I purchased this necklace from a vendor on Ebay called Costumebase.  They have a great collection of movies and series memorabilia, so they are worth a look. UPDATE: It seems Costumebase is no longer on eBay, but you still can get Lucian's pendant here.

Then came the Vampire Diaries locket - the one Stefan gave to Elena and belonged to Rebekah and her mother:
Pic of the show showing the locket
There are a lot of vendors on Ebay who have replicas of this necklace; I got mine from djingang2009. UPDATE: It seems djingang2009 is no longer on eBay, but I suspect this seller is her.

Just recently, I bought an H2O locket.  The places to buy this piece are limited and more so as days go by.  You have the official Australian replica, which has sold out and is no longer available (unless you find a particular willing to sell you his/hers); you have the Spanish version:

Picture from the Amazon listing
This one is available at Amazon and eBay (1) and (2)  You also have the German version:

Picture from the H2O Shop.
Available at the H2O Shop.  And then, you have my favorite, and the one that I got, from Sterling Silver Art:

Picture from the Amazon listing
These are made of sterling silver, and you can choose which stone you want added, instead of only a plastic moodstone.  They are available at the Sterling Silver Art website, Amazon and her Etsy shop.  You can even get a rolo chain upgrade (the locket comes with a free link chain) and the pretty shell box you can see in the picture (both upgrades cost a bit extra).  I will post a review on this purchase soon. UPDATE: She has a new velvet shell box in blue that you can buy with your purchase or separately.

This one I have not got yet - but I have every intention to save for it so I can buy it in the future.  It is the locket from the movie The Illusionist:
Picture from the Illusion Locket website
This is an amazing piece of work.  Each locket is hand-made, and it works exactly the same as the one in the movie.  You can even store safely two pictures inside.  You can buy it at the Illusionist Lockets website.

Even though I am always interested in buying sterling silver replicas, I understand this is not possible for everyone.  Even so, if you are a big, big fan, I would advice to wait a bit, see if you really want the replica and get the one that will last the most.  Why? Because if you are a big, big fan, chances are you will still love the series or the movie several years later, and you will want a prop that resists the passing of time so you can use it more. 

Some other times we outgrow our interest for TV series or movies, and a metal or cheap replica will become rusted, or maybe broken with use or time.  Then you'll see it and think, "oh, that piece of junk I bought when I used to like the show".  If you get a lasting one, the love you had for the series may be gone, but you will have a real jewel you can use in everyday wear, store to use in the future, or to pass on to your children.  After all, we are talking about sterling silver lockets and rings.  Movie merchandise is more difficult to pass on, but who knows? Maybe your kids will love the same movies you used to love...

Here is another website I have perused for movie merchandise:
The Noble Collection

Now, do you know of any websites you can purchase well-made and amazing replicas?  Share them in the comments!