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Vintage Costume Jewelry

 
Last Updated June, 2008
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Hollycraft Brooch

Hollycraft Brooch

Beaded Earrings

Vintage Earrings

Retro Moderne Ring

Sterling Ring

Little Nemo Pendant

Little Nemo Pendant

     

Glass & Sterling Deco Necklace

Deco Necklace

Red Crystal Faux Pearl Bib Necklace

Crystal Necklace

Enamel on Copper Ring

Copper Ring

Celluloid Twisted Necklace

Celluloid Necklace

     

Sterling Collie Dog Brooch

Sterling Brooch

Confetti Lucite and Rhinestone Earrings

Lucite Earrings

Pastel Crystal Necklace

Crystal Necklace

Regency Bracelet

Regency Bracelet

Vintage Costume Jewelry Dot Com offers you a variety of vintage and antique costume jewelry including Rhinestone, Art Deco, Retro Modern, Czech, Italian, French, German, Austrian, Mexican, Sterling Silver, Vintage Plastics, Designer Signed and more!

Also, signed designer by Anton Michelsen, Art, Austria, B. David, Bogoff, Bond Boyd, Boucher, Castlecliff, Ciner, Coro, Czechoslovakia, D'Orlan, Florenza, France, Hattie Carnegie, Hobe, HollyCraft, Japan, Jomaz, Jonne, Juliana, KJL, Krementz, Les Bernard, Lisner, L/N, Marvella, Matisse, Mazer, Miracle, Napier, Regency, Reja, Robert, Rousselet, Schreiner, Selini, Sherman, Staret , Trifari, Vendome, Weiss, West Germany and Whiting and Davis.

As well as Unsigned Jewelry and Contemporary Estate Jewelry!

So, when is it vintage and what exactly is costume jewelry? How do you know how old it is?

Costume Jewelry is considered to be vintage when it is 20+ years old. It becomes classified as "antique costume jewelry" when it is 50+ years because it is a new collecting field and because costume does not last as long as fine jewelry.

Although some people may call it junk jewelry it is often far from that. A more fitting term would be "fashion jewelry" because it is made more to go with the fashions of the times as opposed to being something that is classic, timeless and meant to be passed down. It is made with components which are less valuable than those used in fine jewellery such as rhinestones, glass, crystals, plastic, wood, sterling silver, base metals and just about anything else you can imagine! It is often more flamboyant or flashy than fine jewelry because designers can make bigger items and are more free to experiment given the cost of the materials. Some designers even crossed over from the fine to the fashion business bringing knowledge about quality with them.

Dating old costume jewelry can be tricky but there signs and clues of age. Most obviously is if there are signs of wear on a piece. Is the metal darkened? Do the rhinestones show age? Does the back look worn? Is there any plating loss?

Another way to tell is through the construction. Certain types of pin backs were made primarily in certain time periods. Necklace clasps changed with the times as well as earring attachments. Certain metals were used during war times to free up other more needed ones for the war effort.

Patents can help you date when certain components were made but caution should be taken with these because many findings and complete pieces were sold before the patent was filed and or granted.

Knowing jewelry designers and when they were most likely to have made a certain piece is a valuable asset.

This combines with knowing a bit about fashion and design history and the periods such as art nouveau, art deco and retro modern. What symbols were used during the time you suspect your piece is from? What elements of design were popular? What was the fashion of the time? What was going on in history? How big is the jewelry? Is that a more common size for that time? In victorian times, women were smaller. In the 60's, the bigger the jewelry (in size, not measurement) the better!

Read below to find out what some of our newsletter subscribers had to say about their own vintage collections.

Vintage Jewelry Survey!
Results Published June, 2008

What do other people who buy vintage jewelery collect? Which jewelry 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. (Join our newsletter now!)

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

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

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

Q. Have you bought any 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 resource books and guides do you own?
A. 1-5.

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

So who are the most popular designers and what do people do with all their collectible jewelry? Some answers may surprise you. Read about it in our blog.

Archives: see past tips.

On This Page
• Newly Added Vintage Jewelry

• Vintage VS Antique & Determining Age

• Collector Survey Results
Newest Resource Pages

• Visit Our Blog for more great information and resources.
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