Here's something for all you fans of vintage! Heard of Lina Baretti? Well, she was a couture jeweller living in Paris .... She would use materials such as velvet, cork, cellulose acetate, pearls and mother of pearl. She was around in the 1940s and 50s, designing and making. She embroidered, plaited straw and raffia, and even sculpted little buttons from pine in her native Corsica. In the post-war years she was friendly with Balenciaga and Schiaparelli, and her costume jewellery was still in the news right into the 1970s. She supplied couture houses with her work, and her fans included Rochas, Lanvin and Chanel. Why not put her name into your search engine and view some of her work. You'll find auction houses in the USA who still trade in her pieces. You'll also notice how she influenced many of today's jewellery designers and makers.