Which costume jewelry is valuable

Dior Christian Dior utilized the creation of Swarovski crystals in costume jewelry, especially the "aurora borealis" rainbow stones. Eisenberg Jonas Eisenberg immigrated to Chicago and began a clothing company. Miriam Haskell Miriam Haskell's jewelry highlighted floral designs using Swarovski crystals, faux beads, and other popular materials of the time, many utilizing nature for their designs..

Schiaparelli Elsa Schiaparelli started as a fashion designer but also made costume jewelry pieces as well. Trifari Many Trifari pieces were also designed to look like more valuable fine jewelry.

What to Look For in Collectible Costume Jewelry When searching for collectible costume and rhinestone jewelry , you should know not only the brand but a few key factors that will add to the value.

Condition - Look for pieces that are in excellent condition with no repairs; determine whether jewels or beads were glued in or are held in with prongs. Missing parts and rust green in vintage pieces are a bad sign.

Materials - Vintage jewelry is made out of a variety of materials, from glass to plastic to reisn to Bakelite , and a variety of metals, of which brass was common. Faux pearls were popular in the mids and vintage rhinestone jewelry often included faux diamonds.

Brand and design - Identifying vintage costume jewelry marks is the best way to tell who made it and whether it's collectible. However, you also want to look for more unusual designs, especially those that represent various style movements like Art Deco. Additionally, well-known pieces used in Hollywood movies or worn at famous events are valuable.

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Drag Racing Memorabilia. Antique Dry Sink. Vintage Higgins Glass. Her name was Miriam Haskell. At the time the genre of costume jewelry was something of a novelty, as mass production had not yet been fully applied to creation of jewelry. It stands to reason then that if a company was going to spend the time to make something by hand -either all or in part- it better fetch a pretty penny in the shops and be made from precious materials.

The glitzy Roaring Twenties and the rise of the middle class made it the perfect time to launch this new kind of jewelry.

However, her jewelry was not intended to simulate the huge diamonds and sapphires of the wealthy, but instead to create an air of magic and playfulness. Instead they were hand-beaded, made from glass pearls, and captured a sense of the artistic.

Many of the designs used brass stampings as the foundations, which were then beaded or beset with rhinestones entirely by hand. A miriamhaskell filigree board from the olden, golden days. As the world plunged into the Great Depression, Haskell benefitted from the lowered expectations of an altered economy. Many women no longer aspired to collect a chest full of rubies, but instead wanted something fun to wear to lift their spirits and look fashionable.

Juliana jewelry is not signed, but can sometimes be found with its original hangtag. Parure is a French term for three or more matching jewelry pieces. Aurora borealis those with an iridescent finish rhinestones were not introduced by Swarovski until the mids, which helps date many costume pieces. The dangle beads on this set are often referred to as fruit. Select pieces were originally marked with paper hang tags.

Aurora borealis rhinestones indicate this brooch and earring set was made after Signed "Kramer of NY" on the necklace, "Kramer" on the earrings. Rhodium plated. White jewelry was popularized by Dior in the s, and other designers and manufacturers followed suit. This style of jewelry is commonly referred to as "retro" by collectors and dealers. This Napier "boutique" jewelry set was made in very limited quantities and rarely comes on the market. Signed Napier brooch featuring black rhinestones with aurora borealis accents in a heavy goldtone setting.

This Napier necklace made up of clear crystals and goldtone beads feature a flattering Egyptian Revival influence. Oval baroque pearls were commonly used by Regency in a number of colors. Regency signed bracelet featuring stones of exceptional quality. Signed "Regency" on oval plaque.

A set of two or more matching pieces is also referred to as a demi-parure. This is a s imitation of a very finely crafted and well-made Hattie Carnegie design. This one by Reinad, while beautiful, is not as nicely detailed.

Sandor mark indicates jewelry manufactured by Sandor Goldberger. The terms brooch and pin are often used interchangeably with pieces like this one.

Unsigned Schiaparelli necklace in excellent condition, unsigned bracelet with repair and single signed earring included for identification purposes. Schoffel pieces made in Austria are marked only with a crown logo , but have the look of other pieces often found marked "Made in Austria. Schreiner vintage pieces remain popular with collectors due to their beautiful use of stones and excellent craftsmanship.

This piece has wings mounted on springs making it move slightly when worn, thus the term "trembler. Cabochons are the stones with rounded tops rather than facets. This set is unsigned but attributed to Schreiner due to construction characteristics. Brooch is marked "Schreiner New York", earrings are not marked.

Corners of the brooch turn upward for a three-dimensional effect. Brooch signed "Schreiner New York" featuring high-quality rhinestones. Funky charm bracelets from the s have been gaining popularity recently and prices are on the rise.

This piece is an example of Trifari's prime work. It is considered a rarity in the costume jewelry world and is highly sought by avid collectors.