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.

Kenneth Jay Lane Vintage Jewelry Guide

Kenneth Jay Lane (1963-present)
- started out as a shoe designer working for Delman Shoes and later Christian Dior Shoes
- began designing earrings (1963) for which he immediately started receiving orders
- Saks Fifth Avenue sold out of his designs during the first day of sale
- designed shoes during the day and jewelry at night and on the weekends until it was profitable to become a full time business
- Kenneth Lane Jewelry is well known for being large, daring, flashy, imaginative, and fun. It is also known to be worn by the "rich and famous"
- His "pearls" have been worn by royalty

Marks Used:
Kenneth Lane
Kenneth J. Lane
K.J.L.
K.J.L. For Avon
K.J.L. For Laguana
The exact dates of when these marks were used is unclear. Personal research indicates that earlier pieces were marked K.J.L however this mark has been seen on recent pieces although it is accompanied by the words Tiawan or China.

Additional and Suggested References:
Kenneth Jay Lane: Faking It, Kenneth Jay Lane, Harrice Simons Miller, John Bigelow Taylor (Photographer), ISBN 0-81093-579-1, Published October 1996, Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Costume Jewelry: The Great Pretenders (Schiffer Book for Collectors) Third Edition With Revised Price Guide, Lyngerda Kelley, Nancy Schiffer, ISBN 0-7643-0613-8, Published April 1996, Revised 1998, Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

Fifty Years of Collectible Fashion Jewelry 1925-1975, Lillian Baker, ISBN 0-89145-319-9, Published April 1986, Published by Collector Books.

Popular Jewelry of the 60s, 70s & 80s (Schiffer Book for Collectors), Roseann Ettinger, ISBN 0-88740-998-9, Published March 1997, Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.


          

         

Art Deco Vintage Jewelry Guide

What is Art Deco?

Art Deco is known as a style or era relating to the years 1920-1935. Of course, it didn't start on January 1, 1920 and end at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1935, but the years mentioned are when we see the strongest examples of Art Deco characteristics. As the Deco era approached and as it faded away, we see signs of it mixed in with the era that preceded it and the era that followed. These times are known as transitional times as one era transitions into another.

•     •     •     •    •     •     •

Costume jewelry from this time consisted of (but is not limited to):

geometric shapes
angles
strong lines
bright color contrasts
copied from expensive Paris examples
Czech jewelry
German jewelry made with sterling silver, dyed chalcedony (made to imitate chrysoprase), and marcasites
marcasites (faux and real) or what is known as marcasite that is actually pyrite
butterfly wing jewelry
speed related themes such as greyhounds, rockets, airplanes, etc.
Bakelite
Celluloid
filigree
enamel
"fruit salad" jewelry
real and synthetic gems such as jade, coral, onyx, mother of pearl, ivory, lapis, rock crystal, chrysoprase, carnelian, rubies, emeralds, smoky quartz, amozonite
dress clips
duettes
"white" metal made to resemble platinum, often rhodium plated
birthstone jewelry

Art Deco Geometric Step Vauxhall Glass Necklace

 

This Art Deco era bracelet is made with sterling silver and has sparkling marcasite accents and a big glowing ribbed molded glass center stone.

•     •     •     •    •     •     •

Influences

Egyptian themes (following the discovery of the Pyramid tombs)
African and Japanese influences
modern technology influences (The Machine Age)
Jazz Age influences
Hollywood influences
the Paris Exposition - the International Exposition des Arts Decoratifs
the Russian Ballet
Cubism 

the Bauhaus

Art Deco Era Cleopatra Belt Buckle

•     •     •     •    •     •     •

Art Deco Jewelry in Different Forms

Necklaces

long flapper beaded necklaces
Czech necklaces with angular glass stones and marcasites
long necklaces worn together with short chokers or wrapped around the neck once to simulate a choker look
faux pearls and glass beads
use of Venetian beads
amber beaded necklaces
rectangular pendants with "Lalique-like" crystals

Art Deco Geometric Open Back Stones Necklace

Bracelets

many worn at one time on both wrists (as a symbol of fashion as well as status)
the "bangle" and the "tennis bracelet"
flexible link bracelets

Art Deco bracelet with alexandrite crystal 

Earrings

long dangles worn with "bobbed" hair
screw-back

Art Deco Reverse Carved Sterling Crystal Earrings

Brooches and Pins

circle and oval shapes
"white" clear rhinestone pave set brooches
Florida theme (flamingos and palm trees)
Scottie dogs (Franklin D. Roosevelt had a Scottie dog in the 30's)
gazelles
arrows
air travel themes

Rings

use of large synthetic or semiprecious stones (commonly seen is chrysoprase or onyx)
filigree settings
rectangular shape

Sterling Marcasite and Chrysoprase Glass Deco Ring

Dress Clips

enamel
rhinestones / paste
worn just about everywhere on the body
a staple for the stylish woman

 

Green Glass Geometric Deco Dress Clip

Buckles

carved and molded glass

•     •     •     •    •     •     •

Sources:

Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry, 1840-1950 - 5th Ed by Jeanenne Bell, G.G. C. Jeanenne Bell, C. Jeanenne Bell (Producer)

Warman's Jewelry: A Fully Illustrated Price Guide to 19th and 20th Century Jewelry, Including Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Costume (2nd Ed) by Christie Romero

Guide created: 17/08/06 (updated 01/19/11)

This blog and all contents Copyright © Vintage Jewelry Girl. All rights reserved.

The Results Are In! Vintage Jewelry Survey

Vintage Jewelry Survey - Results Published June, 2008

What do other people who buy vintage jewelry collect? What kinds of designers do people enjoy? How many pieces do they own? Are their interests similar to yours? Here are the most popular answers given by our newsletter subscribers. 

Q. What is your primary reason for buying vintage jewelry?
A. I enjoy collecting it.

Q. What types of costume jewelry do you enjoy buying?
A. Rhinestone, designer signed and "Whatever I like."

Q. 3. Where do you like to buy your jewelry?
A. Antique malls and shops.

Q. Have you bought any vintage costume jewelry in the last year?
A. Yes.

Q. How many pieces do you currently have in your collection?
A. More than 100.

Q. What sources do you use for learning about vintage jewelry?
A. Mostly internet, then books.

Q. How many vintage costume jewelry resource books and guides do you own?
A. 1-5.

Q. Do you have a favorite vintage jewelry designer?
A. No, I like many different designers.

Q. If you had to pick a few, who would be your favorites?

RESULTS (each list of designers is ordered from most to least votes within each category)

Very Popular (Chosen by more than 20 people): Miriam Haskell, Weiss, Trifari

Popular (Chosen by 10-19 people): Coro, Eisenberg, D&E (Juliana)

Moderately Popular (Chosen by 5-9 people): Sherman, Kenneth Jay Lane (KJL), Florenza, Har, Sarah Coventry, Hobe, Kramer, Boucher, Various Mexican Sterling Designers

Less Popular (Chosen by 2-4 people): Mazer / Jomaz, Lisner, Joan Rivers, Joseff of Hollywood, Hollycraft, Demario, David Andersen, JJ, Chanel, Art, Heidi Daus, Matisse, Ciner, Vendome, Schreiner, Nolan Miller, Cini, Pennino, Kirk's Folley, Van Dell, Monet, Whiting & Davis, Panetta, Alice Caviness, WIlliam Kerr

Special Mention (Chosen by 1 person): Bogoff, Hattie Carnegie, Schiaparelli, BSK, Barklay, VRBA, Staret, Sandor, Sweet Romance, Lunch at the Ritz, Piddley Links, Miracle, Sphinx, Butler & Wilson, Selro, Christian Dior, Avon, Jensen, DeRosa, Laguana

So why do all these people like to buy vintage jewelry? What do they do with it? Some answers may surprise you!

The answers in no particular order are:
- to restore
- to wear
- to study
- for re-enactment purposes
- to frame for art display and keepsake
- to re-sell
- for gifting
- to appreciate
- to remind of a loved one
- to brighten up the day
- to capture art and beauty of the past
- to play with

Do you have an interesting collection? Tell us about it!

Vintage Jewelry Tip: Resource Guides

Vintage Jewelry Tip Of The Month:Most Useful Reference and Price Guides 05/07

There are so many resource and price guides available for vintage jewelry but how are you supposed to know which ones are most worth investing in? Our library contains over 50 of these books so we've outlined the ones we find most useful for identification, information, and pricing.

1. Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values by Marcia Sparkles Brown: A collector favorite! - This book has many photos of jewelry of all different kinds. It's fun to search through or pieces you already own! The price guide is reasonable although consideration is not given to unsigned pieces that are known to be from certain manufactures which results in an under pricing for some items.

2. Collecting Rhinestone & Colored Jewelry by Maryanne Dolan. - We like this book not only for the pictures and price guide (most pictures are in black and white) but for the extensive section on designer trademarks. It will encourage you to search for designers you had never heard of before! Almost half of the large 399 page book is dedicated to this topic with images of each mark included.

3. Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry: Covers 1840-1950 by Jeanenne Bell - This book has information about jewelry and fashion specific to each time period with pictures and values to support it. If you are purely interested in costume jewelry, you may be put off by the amount of fine jewelry represented in this book. However, it is a valuable resource for learning about fine pieces and styles which costume jewelry you collect was modeled after.

If you have a more refined, eclectic taste for vintage jewelry, we strongly recommend the following three books. I don't believe "American Costume Jewelry" is being produced anymore so you may have to find it in the second hand market. Please feel free to comment on this if you know more.

A TRIBUTE TO AMERICA by Carla and Roberto Brunialti

AMERICAN COSTUME JEWELRY by Carla and Roberto Brunialti

EUROPEAN DESIGNER JEWELRY by Ginger Moro

What are your favorite books on vintage jewelry? Let us and others know by leaving a comment.