I know you all thought I forgot about you but I didn't! We're adding a new line to our jewelry, it's gorgeous! But, no peeking now... In the meantime, can you guess what designer manufactured this ring? (you'll never believe it...) Read Full Story
Whew! Did you think I forgot about you? I've been so busy around here the days are flying by... I've received a few more books since last month, both of the American Costume Jewelry volumes A-M and N-Z. I hope to have a book review up here soon. These are Brunialti books previously only available in Italian (and expensive). I bought mine at Amazon for $37.95 each. A real bargain as these books are the cornerstone to costume jewelry research. More later... Read Full Story
Wow! The folks at Juliana Jewelry have really worked hard on their site! There are lots of photos of verified Juliana jewelry as well as a section where you can upload pictures of your jewelry to confirm whether or not they were manufactured by D & E. Here's the latest: http://julianajewelry.net/juliana_jewelry_tutorial2.htm A nice picture tutorial of classic D & E characteristics. Read Full Story
Fascinated by jewelry? I love the American Society of Jewelry Historians! If you live in the northeast part of the US, you will gain a lot of information about jewelry, designers and fashions. The ASJH is not limited to antique/vintage, they welcome jewelry lovers of all kinds. I live too far to attend the meetings and seminars but they usually have a page of web exhibits. If you are into Native American jewelry, check out the older exhibit: Totems to Turquoise for 2005. http://www... Read Full Story
In business from 1940's to late 1970'sOwner name: Arthur PepperWell known for Victorian and Renaissance RevivalGood quality workmanship, wholesale only. What was the name of this costume jewelry company? Answer: ART aka MODEART Read Full Story
Rhinestones are most commonly found two ways. Foil back: A thin sheet of foil is attached to the bottom of the stone. This allows it tremendous sparkle when the light hits it. Rhinestones without a foil back are often in an open back setting (similar to diamonds/gemstones) which allows light to pass through. As moisture is a real enemy of foil back rhinestones, care should be taken to properly clean your jewelry without damaging the stones. Over time, dampness will disintegrate the... Read Full Story
You know how it is when you see something and smack your forehead thinking, "Geez! Why didn't I think of that?" It seems the simplest ideas are often the hardest to think of... Here are two innovative moms who found a way to wear jewelry that is safe for babies to put in their mouth. I hardly wore much jewelry when my kids were small, you know how they pull on everything and stick it in their mouths! SmartMom Jewelry is made from teething material in the shape of donuts and hangs from... Read Full Story
I worked mostly in sterling I took inspiration from Scandinavian designs popular at the time I patented a lot of my designs I was based in NYC ANSWER: VikingCraft (Albert Horwig) Read Full Story
(pulling out soapbox) You know I love looking at contemporary designers and their jewelry. RJ Graziano, Kendra Scott and Heidi Daus are some of my favorites and I would own a ton of jewelry made by these designers if they hadn't moved the bulk of their business to HSN and sent their designs to China. For example, take a look at this $225.00 Heidi Daus bangle: It's made in China, bronzetone (what is that?) and crystals (not even Swarovski). Now, maybe I'm wrong but I think China... Read Full Story
I recently received an email asking for the best way to get out a smoke odor from a piece of vintage jewelry. There are several methods I know are successful for the patient collector. First: Be cautious of any wet cleaning you do. Moisture is the number one reason for rhinestone damage. Although, I've heard of cleaning methods that supposedly would not damage your stones, I do not recommend them. Over time, moisture damages the foil on rhinestones so the tiniest bit of trapped... Read Full Story
