Sherman Vintage Jewelry Guide

For Updated Info On Sherman Jewelry, Visit Our New Sherman Jewelry Guides.

Sherman Jewelry, produced in Canada from 1947 to 1981, boasts exquisite craftsmanship and fine Austrian crystal rhinestones. Pieces are often plated in rhodium or gold, with some featuring japanned or "gun metal" finishes. Popular motifs include florals, wreaths, and leaves, alongside more uncommon figural designs like basket brooches and butterfly pins. Rare finds include coveted cat brooches.  Pink, purple, fuchsia, and red are the most sought after colors and pieces with opaque stones are generally harder to come by. Bright orange and emerald has also known to command higher prices as do unique fall color combinations of orange, topaz and green, or the tropical "tutti fruity" fuchsia, purple, green and pale yellow. Rhinestone brooch and earring sets, as well as less intricate necklaces are common. Wide glitzy bracelets are a collector favorite. You may also find crystal beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings by this company.  Not all pieces are always signed so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with common elements and construction of this popular designer.

Blue is a more common color although it is still desired by collectors. This particular striking showstopper of an earring design is highly sought after. 

This light topaz necklace has a subtle play of a neutral color scheme that is enhanced with stones featuring an "Aurora Borealis" finish. The large center stone is less common and desirable.

Full and partial sets are always exciting to Sherman collectors and enthusiasts and this "tutti-fruity" color scheme highly sought after.

Deep red is always a favorite by Sherman collectors.  This gorgeous necklace has a deep Siam red glass drop which makes it very special.

Sherman manufactured beaded sets such as this one.  Only the earrings are signed which means that there are likely a number of beaded necklaces out there being bought and sold without either party knowing that they are Sherman pieces. The necklace would have has a paper hang tag, which was removed before wearing. 

For Updated Info On Sherman Jewelry, Visit Our New Sherman Jewelry Guides.

Unusual, Strange, Unique Vintage Jewelry and Value

Why Would You Wear That?!

There are many pieces of jewelry out there the average consumer would look at and think are too strange to wear.  Some might think they are just plain ugly!  But others look at them and appreciate their oddly unique appeal and collectability.

Collectability is individual and is about you, the buyer.  Don't ever let a guide book or dealer tell you the value of something.  You determine market value as a consumer. Only ever pay as much as the item is worth to you and don't buy something just because it has a high perceived market value.  These are some ways you can maintain the actual worth of your collection.

Sometimes, it's these distinct pieces that are worth the most money for a few reasons. First, they often have a strong emotive attachment, meaning that it stirs, in the potential buyer, a strong emotional reaction due to subject matter, uniqueness and/or unconventional beauty.  Also, jewelry that was produced in larger quantities was generally more streamlined, less interesting and easier to construct so unique pieces are harder to come by which increases market value. Sometimes, it takes a strong knowledge of art, design and construction to appreciate a piece so what the average person doesn't see in it, a trained eye might.

Having said that, just because something is bizarre or peculiar, doesn't mean it's worth anything.  There are other factors involved such as availability, designer, construction, condition and  theme. 

Here are some of the strange and unusual pieces I have had over the years.  Do they appeal to you?  Would you wear them? What kind of value would you expect them to have and why? What do you have in your collection that you think would fit in this discussion?  

Whimsical Bakelite Flower Earrings - click to see in store

Lucite bubble ring

Elzac Lucite face brooch

Coro snake and lampwork glass eggs brooch - click to see in store

Vintage Jewelry Tip Of The Month - November 2006

Vintage Jewelry Tip Of The Month: Testing Pearls
11/06

Can you really tell if a pearl is real by biting it? Well, not really but you can tell a few things about a pearl using just your senses. First off, do not bite, but rub the pearl against your front tooth. If it feels gritty, not dirty but more textured, chances are that it is a cultured or genuine pearl. If it feels smooth, it is likely glass or plastic. 


Distinguishing the difference between cultured and genuine pearls is more tricky and it is recommended that you take your item to a jeweler to have it identified. If the pearl is drilled, look at the hole to see the thickness of the nacre. If it appears thin, it is a cultured pearl.

But how do you know if your synthetic pearl is glass or plastic? The teeth come into play here again. Tap the bead against your tooth. if it makes a "clunk" sound, it is likely plastic. If it makes a "clink" sound, it is likely glass. Test this with other items you know to be glass or plastic first to get a feel for the different feels and sounds. In addition, glass tends to be cold to the touch as opposed to plastic so temperature can be an indicator of material as well.

Welcome to The Vintage Costume Jewelry Blog!

I am very excited to announce the opening of The Vintage Costume Jewelry Blog!

Bookmark this blog for information, news and discussions covering a wide variety of topics under the broader topic of vintage costume jewelry. Topics may include designer marks, construction, current fashion, hot trends, remakes, design, style and our current findings.

My name is Jo-Ann and I am the proprietor of Vintage Jewelry Girl, an online store and resource site for vintage jewelry. That's my picture in the top right corner. I have been dealing in vintage jewelry for 8 years and am self taught with the help of various excellent internet resources and zillions of books which are the most precious part of my library. I treasure them as much as I treasure my jewelry!

We'll start off with a new find for today which is not yet listed on the site. The brooch above is a pink diamond or square (depending on how it is worn) piece with molded iridescent glass stones. Do you know who made this piece? Leave a comment with your guess and I'll update the blog later to tell you if you were right.

Well, that’s all for today. Take Care!
Jo-Ann