Collecting Vintage Costume Jewelry – A Primer

Do you love vintage costume jewelry? Are you an amateur collector? First and foremost you should buy jewelry that you really like! But if you are becoming a more serious collector, here are some tips to help you find pieces that will hold or even increase in value.

7 Vintage Costume Jewelry Shopping Tips

1. Condition, Condition, Condition!

Condition is everything in vintage jewelry collecting. Check for signs of wear, breakage, or replacement stones. Check clasps to make sure they are working properly. Rhinestones  should be clear and sparkly (no mottling or yellowing). Plating should be in good condition.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/714407591/vintage-weiss-red-and-pink-rhinestone

 

2. Age

Look for jewelry manufactured before the 1970s. Before that time there were many fine costume design houses with talented and well trained designers and craftspeople. Most of them were privately owned by people who took pride in the quality of their merchandise. In the years since the 1970s most manufacturing has been sent off shore, where cheap labor and inferior quality materials are utilized. Many of the better design houses closed their doors rather than succumb to the competitive marketing forces that would require them to make an inferior product. In many cases the older the better if the jewelry is in good condition.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/558129161/antique-blue-crystal-silver-necklace

 

3. Look for marks on the back

Any identifying marks on the back of a piece will make it easier to research and ascertain its value.

Marks for gold or 925 (sterling) are always good.

Some sure bet design house marks/signatures for high quality pieces include:

Boucher • Carnegie • Ciner • Coro • Eisenberg • Florenza • Har • Haskell• Hobe • Jomaz / Mazer • Kramer • Lisner • Original by Robert • Schiaparelli

This is an abbreviated list. You can find lots more information about vintage costume jewelry designers online.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/692624405/vintage-coro-sterlingcraft-repousse

 

4. Look for color

As a general rule, plain gold tone and silver tone pieces aren’t as popular as pieces with color. The same holds true for clear rhinestones vs. rhinestones with color.  Black, brown, grey and white stones are not as popular as more vivid colors.

If you like, look for big colorful metal and enamel “flower power” type brooches popular in the 1960s. These days, some brides like to create more permanent bouquets with flower jewelry instead of real flowers that will last only a few days. These large flower brooches can be worth more than you might think.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/783350841/vintage-10-piece-pastel-floral-jewelry

 

5. Sets

A “set” or “parure” is often much more valuable than the sum of the individual pieces.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/747880687/vintage-celluloid-flower-grand-parure

 

6. Settings, findings, clasps, etc.

Learn about the history of jewelry hardware settings and jewelry making techniques. They can give you a clue as to the time the piece was manufactured and its value.

For example, simple “c clasps” on the back of brooches might indicate older pieces, as safety clasps were not widely used until the 1930s and later.

Safety chains add extra security indicating nice quality bracelets, etc.

Prong set rhinestones, pearls, stones etc. will usually be of higher quality than stones that are glued in.

Strings of pearls or beads knotted between each individual bead indicate higher quality beads that you wouldn’t want to lose if the string was accidentally broken.

The quality of stones will usually match the quality of the setting. If the setting looks cheap, the stone will probably be cheap as well, and vice versa. If someone tells you that a stone is valuable, it should be in a good quality setting.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/770874787/vintage-weiss-green-rhinestone-bracelet

 

7. Rare,  Unique and Beautiful

Look for jewelry with these qualities. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may adore pieces that don’t appeal so much to others, which is just fine if its something that you will enjoy wearing.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/680025107/vintage-copper-coil-necklace-egyptian

These are just some basics. There is so much to  learn about vintage jewelry collection. If you are a person who likes to go on treasure hunts, solve mysteries, and learn about history you will really enjoy collecting vintage jewelry!

Please take a look at some of my vintage costume jewelry for sale at http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagejewelryetal

About Silver Jewelry

In jewelry, the word “silver” can have different meanings. It can refer to an alloy metal that is the color “silver,” but that actually contains no real silver at all. Or it can refer to a piece made with actual silver. A good way to identify the quality of silver is to turn it over and look for a mark.

Sterling

If it reads “Sterling” or has the number 925, it is 92.5% silver. This is the designation for Sterling silver.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/691335782/vintage-sterling-silver-reptile-ring

Sometimes you will see other numbers, such as 800, which means that it is 80% silver. (not quite Sterling, but still a piece that has a good amount of silver.)

Or you may see a number as high as 999, which signifies that it is 99.9% silver or  “fine silver.” This is an even higher quality than Sterling.

The higher the number the more valuable the metal.

 

Vermeil

Sometimes you will find an older piece of jewelry marked 925 silver that is actually gold in color. This could mean it is Vermeil (pronounced “ver-may,)” which is a thick gold plate of 10k gold or higher over 925 Sterling silver.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/601730414/huge-vintage-vermeil-brooch-gold-filled

Sterling and vermeil were commonly used in 1940’s “costume jewelry” during WWII when other metals were being used for the war effort.

 

Plate

Silver Plate is a metal covered with a thin layer of silver.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/740135611/vintage-monet-silver-bracelet-with

 

Pewter

Pewter is a gray metal that is a mixture of tin and other metals such as antimony, lead, copper, and sometimes some silver.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/540698449/vintage-pewter-dangle-post-earrings

 

Tribal

“Tribal” silver may contain base metal alloys that are only silver in appearance. Contents of the alloys vary tremendously and many contain no silver content whatsoever. Some of the imports from the 3rd World contain dangerous metals such as lead. This jewelry should be purchased with caution and never given to children. Tribal pieces can be very beautiful, but you should purchase them for the value of their design rather than the value of the metal.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/558129161/antique-blue-crystal-silver-necklace

 

Alpaca / Nickel

Alpaca Silver and Nickel Silver actually don’t contain any silver at all. Pieces with this mark are likely to be an alloy of – you guessed it – nickel, along with some other metals such as copper and zinc.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/768320614/set-of-4-vintage-blue-and-white-mother

 

Caveat Emptor

A word of caution about marks on jewelry.

You can’t always be sure the mark is correct. I once sold a bracelet marked 925 that turned out not to be silver at all. When the buyer took it to her jeweler he identified it as counterfeit. Fortunately the buyer assumed my mistake was unintentional and I had the opportunity to refund her money without any other negative consequences. On this particular piece, the number 925 was on a separate piece of metal welded to the bracelet. Beware when you see something like this rather than a mark that is pressed directly into the jewelry.

You can’t be absolutely certain it is real silver unless you have it tested by a jeweler.

Laurie Prindle is a collector and purveyor of vintage jewelry. You are welcome to visit her Etsy shoppe at www.etsy.com/shop/vintagejewelryetal

How to date jewelry with Aurora Borealis (AB) coating

https://www.etsy.com/listing/768642902/fabulous-vintage-weiss-blue-aurora

Jewelry with AB rhinestones, crystals and cabochons became wildly popular in the 1950s, and it is still very popular today.  The Aurora Borealis (named after the Northern Lights) rainbow coating process was invented in the early 1950s. By 1955 it became widely used by jewelry designers such as Manfred Swarovski and Christian Dior.

If you have a piece of jewelry with AB crystals that is in an older style, such as Victorian,  Art Nouveau, Art Deco, etc. , don’t be fooled. It is most likely a revival piece manufactured in the 1950s or more recently. Either that or the piece has had its original stones replaced.

Here is a perfect example. This is a lovely Victorian style brooch. The center Aurora Borealis rhinestone belies its age. It is actually a midcentury Victorian Revival brooch.

Midcentury Victorian Revival brooch with rhinestones

https://www.etsy.com/listing/287947845/vintage-mid-century-openwork-victorian

Do enjoy all of your lovely Aurora Borealis jewelry pieces.  Just know that they were created in the 1950s or later. Here’s another example of typical midcentury AB jewelry:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/738060977/vintage-signed-laguna-aurora-borealis

Find these vintage Aurora Borealis jewelry pieces and many more at my Etsy site, https://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagejewelryetal

 

Vintage Damascene jewelry

https://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagejewelryetal

Is it authentic Damascene? Or is it something else?

Here’s how to tell the difference.

Do you ever wonder why similar pieces of jewelry can have such a huge variation in price? Such is the case with Damascene jewelry.  It turns out that when you know what to look for, it’s pretty easy to tell the difference between authentic Damascene jewelry and its less expensive faux Damascene cousin.

With genuine Damascene jewelry:

• The background metal is oxidized to a very dark color
• The design is hand chiseled or etched into the black metal background.
• Gold and/or silver foil is pressed into the chiseled design

In other words, the gold or silver design are inlaid into the black background.

The Damascene process originated around 2,000 years ago in Damascus in what is now Syria. Over the years the craft migrated to Spain and Japan. Both faux and authentic versions are today crafted in Toledo, Spain, so don’t be fooled into thinking if it is marked “Toledo” or “Spain” it  is the real thing.  Just look for that etched, inlaid gold and silver design. (When I originally wrote this article I had several authentic Damascene pieces. They are popular and sold out quickly)

Here are a couple of nice examples that I have:

Vintage Damascene bird brooch in gold square setting

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/737276938/antique-damascene-dragon-pin-c-clasp

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/739324220/vintage-damascene-floral-brooch

 

With faux Damascene or “Toledoware” or “Damascene style”  jewelry:

• The “gold” and “silver” are painted on top of the black background.
• There is often some white “beading” included in the design.

Vintage faux damascene faux pearl flower brooch (sold)

Other processes that have a similar look

Niello

Although it may look similar to damascene, niello is a different process. Metal is engraved to create a raised design, then a mixture of silver, lead and sulphur, which creates a black enamel-like substance, is poured into the engraved areas. So with damascene, the black is oxidized metal which provides the background. With niello, the black is a compound added to the engraved areas of the metal. Colored enamel is often used in place of a black lead and sulphur compound to create more colorful pieces.

Niello has been produced in many countries, but you’ll most likely see vintage nielloware from Thailand. From the 1930s through the 1970s, handmade niello jewelry was made popular in the U.S. by American soldiers who brought it back as gifts for their wives and girlfriends. At the time, Thailand was known as Siam, so you will see many of these vintage pieces stamped “SIAM STERLING.”

Niello Sterling fan clip earrings (sold)

 

Niello Sterling dragon brooch (sold)

 

Chokin

Chokin is the ancient Japanese art of engraving copper and gilding it with precious gold and silver. These engravings were originally created to decorate the shrine, temple and the armament of the samurai warriors, but the technique has been employed in many different areas, including jewelry and accessories.

Chokin Japanese metal art powder compact (sold)

Please stay tuned for more articles about vintage jewelry!

Steps to a Healthy Sustainable Home

Steps to a Healthy Sustainable Home

Steps to a Healthy Sustainable Home

By Laurie Prindle, from an article in the October 2012 issue of the Valley Sentinel Home and Garden Section. (Resources referred to here are in Contra Costa County but you may be able to find similar organizations in your community.)

Would you like your home to be a healthier, more sustainable place to live? You can improve your indoor environment in many ways.

Solid waste reduction and recycling – what to do with all that “stuff”

• Remember the three R’s: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” in that order.

• Try to purchase recycled goods in minimal packaging. Avoid disposable products.

• Instead of buying water bottles, use a filtered container to keep in the refrigerator, or a filter attachment for your faucet. Water bottles pollute the environment more than almost any other litter (besides plastic bags.) The water quality from your tap is often as good or even better than many bottled waters. If it doesn’t say “spring water” or “mineral water” or “well water” on the label chances are it’s just water from somebody else’s tap.

• Compost. If you would like to start composting for your garden, the Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority website at http://www.wastediversion.org has great information for you. They sponsor regular composting workshops and provide high quality composting bins at a reduced cost for residents in their service area. (They also have a great search tool for their database where you can find the nearest recycling resources for various items. It’s everything you ever wanted to know about recycling but didn’t know who to ask.)

•  Take time to organize and recycle daily paperwork–mail, magazines and newspapers, etc. If you are receiving catalogs that you never look at, contact the catalog company and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

•  Recycle your plastic bags. Most large grocery stores have collection bins for this. Better yet, bring your own bags to market.

•  Simplify your life. Do you really need all that stuff?

Energy conservation–a great way to save money

•  Set your thermostat to 78° for cooling and 68° for heating.

•  Use Energy Star appliances. They can use up to 75% less energy than older appliances. Visit P.G.&E at http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney for information on how to get rebates for new appliances and how to implement additional energy saving strategies.

• Wash full loads in the washing machine, using cold water whenever practical. Wash full loads in the dishwasher and use the “cool dry” setting.

• Upgrade to solar energy! You may think the cost is high, but actually you’ll save a lot of money in the long term. Visit Go Solar California at http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov for information about financial incentives in your area.

•  Replace your incandescent lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

•  Unplug unused electronics and appliances–they draw electricity even when they’re not turned on. Use power strips around the house that you can turn on and off.

• Replace filters in your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) units on a regular basis.

• Use insulation and weather stripping to cut down on energy loss in your home. Put an insulation jacket on your water heater.

•  Use motion sensor lights outdoors and in hallways.

•  Plant a shade tree outside sun-exposed windows, walls and air conditioning units.

Water conservation–another great way to save money

Inside:

•  Don’t wait for your water to get warm by letting it run down the drain. Catch the cold water by filling up the tea kettle or the coffee pot. Use a bucket in the shower and water your plants or flush your toilet with the water saved.

• If you have a pre-1994 toilet it’s probably wasting water. Newer low flow toilets use about half the water than the older ones.

• Use aerators on your faucets. Visit EBMUD at ebmud.com/environment for information, free water-saving devices and rebates on water saving appliances.

Outside:

• Install a water-efficient irrigation system.

•  Don’t overwater. According to Stopwaste.org, most gardeners use about 40% more water than they really need. Group plants by their water needs. Plant thirsty plants nearest the house, and create drier zones further away. Water early in the morning and mulch or use ground cover to protect plants and prevent evaporation.

• Lose your lawn. Replace it with drought tolerant native plants or even a vegetable garden. Visit http://www.stopwaste.org for information on “Bay-friendly” gardening practices.

Pollution prevention for a cleaner more healthy environment

•      Purchase non-toxic cleaning supplies. Replace several similar items with one or two that do the same job. You can do many cleaning tasks with white vinegar and baking soda. The smell dissipates quickly, and besides, you’ll be glad to know you are not breathing poison! Visit the Environmental Working Group at http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips for more information.

• Dispose of hazardous waste properly. Cleansers, insecticides, paints, batteries, electronic devices and CFLs all contain hazardous materials. The Contra Costa County Household Hazardous Waste Program can help you find out how best to dispose of these things. The Central County Facility is located at 4797 Imhoff Place, Martinez. Visit their website at http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle or call (800) 646-1431 for information about what to do with hazardous materials.

• Take unwanted and expired medications to your local police department for disposal. Don’t throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. These chemicals can harm wildlife and contaminate the water supply.

• Avoid VOCs (volatile organic compounds) when purchasing paint products, furniture, flooring and carpets. Visit http://www.epa.gov/iaq/homes/index.html for more information on indoor air quality.

Starting fresh

If you are building a home from the ground up or doing a remodel there are lots of ways to do things more sustainably. Visit greenremodelforum.com for help with remodeling. Visit http://www.builditgreen.org and check their directory of Certified Green Building Professionals (CGBPs.)

There are lots of ways to become more “green.” If it seems daunting don’t let yourself be overwhelmed or become discouraged. Do the easiest things first or focus on one particular area to get started. Just do a little at a time. Be careful–You may get hooked!

Why hire a professional graphic designer?

Why hire a professional graphic designer?

Q: Why hire a professional graphic designer?

A: To attract new customers and clients and to save time, money and avoid headaches!

A good designer can help you to develop a professional look. S/he can help guide you through the process of developing your ideas by offering professional, objective insight into what can help or hurt your brand. She brings experience and creativity to the table, offering new ideas and ways to achieve your goals more economically. She abides by your branding guidelines so that you can maintain a consistent look across all your marketing materials. If you don’t have branding guidelines, a professional designer can help you develop them.

Experienced graphic designers have a wide variety of skills and abilities including knowledge of art and design, branding and marketing. They should have good communication and research skills, intuition, creativity, as well as technical expertise in illustration, photo editing and page layout, typography, color theory, print technology, and web design. They should own up-to-date software and hardware, as well as a collection of fonts and the ability to find and purchase appropriate stock images at a reasonable price. Without the appropriate expertise you risk getting to the end of the design process and finding that the design doesn’t work, or it looks just like someone else’s, or it simply cannot be printed or posted in its current format. You may have to do a “fix,” or a “workaround” or even start over.

A good designer goes to great lengths to maintain their reputation. This works in your favor in that the designer will produce her best work possible by communicating, getting things done right the first time, on time and making sure you are happy with the finished product. It is in her best interest to make you look good! She relies on you and her other clients for referrals, which are her best sources of new business.

It’s nice to develop a long-term trusting relationship with a designer. If you need additional design services sometime in the future, you can return to the same designer who will understand you and your business and have all of your files, fonts and guidelines at hand, saving you time and money. Otherwise you can wind up “recreating the wheel” every time you start a new project, which can be very expensive in the long run.

It may be tempting to utilize outsourcing, “crowdsourcing” or “design contests” online because they appear to be a bargain. These sites are peopled with the good, the bad and the ugly, just like the rest of the Internet. There may be some decent designers out there, but many are novices, or people who use the same designs over and over again, or even people who “lift” others’ designs with no regard to copyright. When dealing with designers overseas (or even out of state) you may have difficulty getting legal recourse if the work is not original and the legitimate owner wants to sue you for copyright infringement. Your Ukrainian designer who works for $10 an hour by this time will likely have disappeared into cyberspace. Most good designers will not participate in these kinds of schemes. They don’t need to.