Bellini vintage costume jewelry

Rose flower brooch. Antique gold tone metal alloy, pave rhinestones, faux pearl. 6 cm. 1950s. Bellini vintage costume jewelry
Bellini vintage costume jewelry
The history of the American costume jewelry brand “Bellini” spans a period of no more than four decades – from the 1940s to the 1980s.
“Bellini” means beautiful, grandiose, and there is no doubt that the founder of the company was of Italian origin. The marking includes oval cartouche on the back which reads “Bellini” in upper case block letters. In addition, since the 1940s each piece had a foil hangtag attached to the jewelry. The tag had a beautiful black and gold design in the form of notes and a clef with ‘Jewels by Bellini NY” inscription. The designer clearly compared his pieces to the works of the “Creator of Italian Melodies” Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835).
Founded in New York, Bellini handcrafted high quality costume jewellery which has become a collectible rarity. Traditionally, the company jewelers used gold and silver tone alloys, rhinestones, faux pearls, and enamel.
Noteworthy, there are several more brands of costume jewelry of the same name. In particular, Bellini Jewelers Inc. (Las Vegas, founded 1973), Bellini founded in 1978 and closed in 1987, Bellini Creations, and Ugo Bellini (Florence). However, if you look closely at the labeling of these products, it is different for all these companies. Founded by Sheung Mei Liuin in 1988 Bellini By FormArt Corp. (312 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York) is still active. According to the company statement, “artisans bring over 100 years of combined experience in gluing crystal and jewelry manufacturing”. However, it is another company which signs their pieces with full name “Bellini by Formart”.