Kaleidoscope effect

Clown in a barrel vintage brooch. Gold tone, multicolor enamel. 1990s. Signed TAT vintage costume jewelry

Signed TAT vintage costume jewelry
TAT jewelers produced costume jewelry from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. These handmade products captivate with their beauty, variety and sophisticated design. In particular, figural artistic brooches, geometric design clip-on earrings, classic wave and leaf pins, art deco and runway jewelry.
The traditional materials used in TAT jewelry are gilded metal alloys, brilliant enamels, rhinestones, faux pearls and art glass imitating natural stones.
The marking on the back of each product consists of three capital letters “TAT” and a copyright symbol on the left.
Unfortunately, there is no information about the founder of the brand.
A revitalized private company, “TAT Jewelers”, located at Brannan Street, San Francisco, California, was incorporated in 1998. Its founder and owner is Hasari Temel, a Turkish retailer who also owns Oro Milano Jewelry in San Francisco. Online, T A T’s business is described as “A jewelry store offering repairs and custom designs.”
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Spider brooch pendant. Gold plated silver, red coral. 7 cm. 1990s. Italy. Symbolic coral vintage costume jewelry

Symbolic coral vintage costume jewelry

One of the very first materials that humans began to use as decoration was coral. Framed with gold or silver coral was found during excavations of ancient cities. The beautiful gem stone of up to 350 color shades has attracted people for so many centuries. As a result, there are almost no natural corals left in the world. Accordingly, jewelry with corals is becoming more expensive and every year its price will rise.
Like pearls, coral originates in water and there are more than 6,000 species of corals inhabiting salt waters.
However, only 27 of them can be processed, and only 7 are used in the jewelry industry.
According to belief, coral brings happiness, and different peoples used it as a talisman against the “evil eye”.
The Portugese believed that wearing red coral beads helps relieve headaches, while in England they used it to treat sore throat, and in Mexico – fever.
Noteworthy, people in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan believed that coral brings wealth and many children, carnelian – prosperity, joy and abundance, and turquoise bestows victory. Therefore, the combination of red (ruby, carnelian, and coral), blue and green (turquoise) has become traditional in oriental jewelry.
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Vintage brooch pendant. Metal alloy, enamel, rhinestones. 5.5 cm. 1990s. Symbolic 2022 Black-Blue Water Tiger Year

Symbolic 2022 Black-Blue Water Tiger Year
The year of the most beautiful Black-Blue Water Tiger is approaching. The majestic symbol of the zodiacal circle promises life in contrasts: ups and downs, love and hate, grandiose accomplishments and great mistakes.
The tiger is curious and practically does not feel fear. Water softens his aggression and pacifies.
The best way to attract good luck to your home is to get yourself a talisman. And it’s also great if it will always be with you, for example, in the form of a brooch, lapel pin, or a pendant. Better if it is made of common or semi-precious metal, and any transparent stone resembling water – glass and crystal. Also, any brooch, pin, or bracelet with tiger’s eye stone will give its owner the best qualities of a predator. In particular, patience, concentration, vigilance, determination, and endurance. Such a powerful energy is very helpful in both business and personal life.
Noteworthy, before the New Year comes, change talismans, removing from your eyes all those that you acquired last year. Remember, the tiger does not like rivals! So, avoid other cat designs – leopard, lion, or panther. Also, for any other accessories choose the colors of the water element.
As for the home decor, the tiger loves natural palms, ferns and other plants rich in green leaves, and, of course, no artificial flowers.
Stripe candles entwined with silver or gold cords or ribbons will also be appropriate on the table.
What to give in the Year of the Blue Water Tiger? Of course, accessories and jewelry with the image of the owner of the year – the Tiger.
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Scarecrow and ghost Halloween brooch. Gold tone alloy, rhinestones, enamel. 1970s. Bijoux Cascio vintage costume jewelry

Bijoux Cascio vintage costume jewelry
The history of the legendary Italian jewelry brand “Cascio” spans over half a century, when a hereditary jeweler and perfumer Gaetano Cascio started his family business in Florence in 1948. The company grew rapidly, having begun to make jewelry for prestigious Italian fashion houses, along with other well-known jewelry brands. Thanks to Giovanni Battista Giorgini, who organized the first fashion show in Florence on February 12, 1951, Bijoux Cascio decorations shone at the second show in July 1951.
The company, in which Riccardo, the son of the company’s founder, had worked since the 1960s, went through a change of ownership and renovation in 1970 and 1988. However, the business continued to expand with 21 new boutiques in Italy and 4 abroad (in 1970). The range of products expanded, and along with bracelets, brooches, cufflinks, necklaces and earrings, they produced key rings, lighter cases, eyeglass chains, money clips and other accessories.
Noteworthy, in 1988, Bijoux Cascio, LTD, was registered in the United States at 100 Park Avenue, New York, New York, 10017. This helped support the business in the late 90s, when everything changed to the worse for most jewelry companies. Thanks to a commercial agreements and a production license in the USA, Cascio remained on the market.
Unfortunately, the wonderful vintage jewelry created in the middle of the last century will not be repeated. This is not only due to globalization and the huge Chinese exports of dubious quality jewelry. According to Riccardo, the anthropological reason is no less important “when old jewelers die and, you can be sure, no robot will ever be able to replace them”. No doubt.
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Geometric design brooch pendant of silver tone. 1970s. Kelly Waters vintage costume jewelry

Kelly Waters vintage costume jewelry
The history of unique costume jewelry brand hallmarked Kelly Waters began almost sixty years ago. Registered at 5 Clementine Park Boston, Massachusetts, Kelly Waters, Inc. was the family business of John F. Waters and Frances Kelly.
Due to the high quality of workmanship, one-of-a-kind design (often geometric), a variety of styles from Art Deco to modernism, their jewelry has become world famous. Traditionally, craftsmen used a variety of materials – metal alloys, pewter, gold, silver, enamel, semi-precious stones, art glass and crystals. Noteworthy, early jewelry markings include “Kelly Waters”, the company’s full name, and the stylized KW letters and copyright mark have been added since the 1990s.
Kelly Waters, Inc. ceased to exist in 2005 following the death of its founder and President, John F. Waters in 2004. However, after a short break, the family business was revived thanks to the three sons of John and Frances – Kevin, John F. Jr. and Edward. Frances Waters died in Dorchester in 2020, but her sons continue to successfully maintain high jewelry manufacturing standards.
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Double Heart brooch. Gold tone, rhinestones. 5 cm. 1980s. Claire Garnett vintage costume jewelry

Claire Garnett vintage costume jewelry
The story of English costume jewelry brand “CG” is the success story of a woman born in 1945 in Iran. 15-year-old Claire Sonya Garnett and her family moved to England in 1960. Already three years later, she became a media personality appearing on television and in cinema as a talented oriental dancer. In addition, Claire was interested in jewelry design, which led her to open her first jewelry and perfume shop in London in 1965, and second shop in 1970. The autobiographical book “The Dancer: A remarkable journey” (published in 2018 by Alan and Claire) tells a story about her amazing life.
Marked CG, or Claire Garnett, and sold in branded gift boxes, many pieces were also made in Italy. Traditionally, the designer used metal alloys of gold and silver tone, pewter, gold plating, faux pearls, crystals and semi-precious stones, such as agate.
Registered in 1981 in Nottingham, England, Garnett Ltd jewelry company ceased to exist in 2016. Since 2013, the Garnetts have been happily living at Audley Binswood luxury retirement village in the heart of Leamington Spa.
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Swarovski crystals, faux pearls, rhinestones Xmas tree. David Husar Christmas costume jewelry

David Husar Christmas costume jewelry
The Czech jewelry industry, and in particular its jewelry capital, Jablonec nad Nisou, is very rich in historical traditions and legends. Renowned worldwide for its costume jewelry, buttons, beads, perfume bottles, and mirrors, Jablonex was one of the largest costume jewelry manufacturers in the world. Now there are many small bijouterie companies operating in the region, which mainly produce components for the bijouterie industry, as well as costume jewelry.
One of them, registered by David Husár in 2001, still operates at Lidická 1576/7 Jablonec nad Nisou 466 01. Due to the high quality of workmanship, meticulous handwork, the use of sparkling special cut stones, shimmering rhinestones, and breathtaking Czech beads, jewelry has a collectible vintage look. The company produces costume jewelry in a classic style typical of the middle of the last century. Also, most of their collections consist of brooches that create a special Christmas mood. The marking on an oval cartouche includes “Husar D.” without a copyright mark.
However, there is another explanation that the owners of these pieces are selling them as vintage pieces.
Husar creates jewelry from vintage components that once belonged to the famous jewelry manufacture Jablonec, which went bankrupt in 2009. The bankrupt enterprise was so huge that its warehouses had to be sold piece by piece, which was used by small jewelry companies. One of them was David Husár jewelry company.
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