Category Archive: Vintage

Leaf brooch pin. Gold tone textured metal, rhinestones. 4 cm. 1970s. Signed Anson vintage costume jewelry

Signed Anson vintage costume jewelry

Produced by one of the leading American manufacturers, Anson jewelry embodied high quality and the highest craftsmanship. Swedish born silversmith Olaf Anderson who emigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1929, owned the company for almost half a century. At first, he founded Anderson Tool & Die Co. (1938), which made tools for jewelry making. And during the WWII, the plant worked on military contracts. After the war, in 1945 he switched to the production of men’s accessories, including tie pins, money clips, cufflinks, collar holders, key rings and bracelets.
Traditionally, the craftsmen used sterling silver and silver with gilding, and sometimes – metal with silver plating. Noteworthy, in 1948, the company changed its name to Anson Inc. and since 1967, the brand has added women’s jewelry and accessories to its line. The highest quality products allowed the company to sell their brand products in the Tiffany stores.
However, in October 1983, Anson Inc. filed for bankruptcy. The same year, C&J Jewelry company bought Anson with all the equipment, which allowed not to stop production. C&J still uses the Anson brand on its products, and the factory still supplies jewelry to its main distributor, Tiffany & Co.
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Wreath leaf brooch. 12 K gold filled, faux pearl. Charles Reis CR Co vintage costume jewelry

Charles Reis CR Co vintage costume jewelry

Indianapolis, Indiana based jewelry company Charles Reis produced high quality handmade costume jewelry for more than fifty years, from 1919 to 1971. However, in 1972 William Nichols bought the company and renamed it to Reis-Nichols, Inc. (Indianapolis, Indiana). Traditionally, Charles Reis Co designers used 12 K gold, and marked their decorations 12K GF alongside with the CR co hallmark. In addition, they used textured metal base, sterling silver, faux pearls, jade, rhinestones, crystals and enamel. The most common designs include leaves and flowers in classic or Art Deco style.
All products of this company are marked and desirable for lovers and collectors of vintage jewelry.
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Venetian Mask brooch. Red and black enamel, pave crystal glass. 1980s. Ugo Correani vintage costume jewelry

Ugo Correani vintage costume jewelry

For 20 years, starting in 1973, Ugo Correani had created jewelry in his Milan atelier for the biggest names in the fashion industry such as Chanel, Versace, Valentino and Christian Lacroix. It was Correani who designed the ‘pearls’ that shone in Karl Lagerfeld’s first collection for Chanel in 1983, and before that he collaborated with Karl during his work at Chloe.

But the most fruitful was the creative union of Hugo Correani with Gianni Versace, with whom he met in the 1970s. Correani created jewelry for Versace, which shone not only on the catwalks, but also at La Scala in such productions as Evita, Andre Malraux and Salome.

Besides, he produced jewelry decorations under its own name. Their design is varied: something closer to the ‘classic’, something like ‘Versace’, there are rather minimalistic plastic decorations. But any of his jewelry has its own character and is inimitable. To find a second one is almost impossible.

Correani died of AIDS in 1992, leaving no heirs behind. Italian designer was a star. “When I die, I want to be buried in a red suit and a Versace shirt.”
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I Love You XOXO house brooch pin of gold tone. Signed In-Vest-Ments vintage costume jewelry

Signed In-Vest-Ments vintage costume jewelry
American largest fashion retailer company Dillard’s, Inc. registered jewelry trade mark IN-VEST-MENTS on March 4, 1992. In fact, the current status of this trademark is inactive (cancelled on 12 February 2016). However, in the costume jewelry market, you will find very few jewelry decorations made by this brand after 2000, since most of their products were made in the 1990s, and now they are vintage. In-Vest-Ments designers produced earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches and ornamental lapel pins. Traditionally, they used metal alloys, gold and silver plating, crystals, rhinestones and enamel.
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Aster brooch of gold tone with faux pearls. 1960s. Signed Brooks vintage costume jewelry

Signed Brooks vintage costume jewelry
Founded in 1932, the American costume jewelry company Brooks operated for about three decades, until the 1960s. Traditionally, jewelers of the company used gold-tone metal alloy, often textured, and gilding. Also, almost all designs include the use of faux pearls. Noteworthy is the use of fine gold-tone wire. Elegant design, high quality, detailing and craftsmanship distinguish all jewelry from this brand. All handcrafted items are clearly marked “Brooks”. Considered collectible, these decorations are rare in the vintage costume jewelry market, and their price will increase every year.
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Brushed gold heart shaped pin. 1980s. Edouard Rambaud vintage costume jewelry

Edouard Rambaud vintage costume jewelry
Today the French brand Edouard Rambaud is famous primarily for its collections of furniture and decor items. However, back in the 1980s, its creator, the talented designer Edouard Rambeau, attracted the attention of the public with his extraordinary collections of costume jewelry.
One of the great French jewelry designers, Rambaud founded his label in 1984. Inspired by ancient Greek or Roman jewels, his decorations have a characteristic baroque touch. Traditionally, his designs included hearts, sun, stars and crosses in his works. He made big bold jewelry using a lot of gold and platinum, deliberately rough texture of materials and matte, “fluted” effect. Also, large crystals and semi-precious stones with uneven surfaces, deliberate “melting” effect and significant weight of the pieces. Without a doubt, Rambeau was the designer who shaped his era.
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Domestic violence pin. Plastic, lacquer coating. 5 cm. 1980s. Lucinda vintage costume jewelry

Lucinda vintage costume jewelry
First of all, Lucinda’s decorations is not just costume jewelry, but a unique design that brings out serious social issues like homelessness, illiteracy and domestic violence.
Meanwhile, the very touching story of these brooches began after the divorce, when American Lucinda Yates was left virtually on the street without a livelihood. In order to somehow earn a living, she worked hard and in her free time she began creating brooches in the form of houses. Interestingly, she sold the first set of brooches for just $ 6. Today, Lucinda’s fortune is estimated at $ 24 million, and her house brooches have become collectible. Noteworthy, part of the proceeds from the sale of these brooches went to charity, including the homeless.
Traditionally, these brooches include different series: houses, pets, little people, flowers, etc. Handmade and unique, they are very popular and willingly collected.
Also, these bright brooches with houses can be a wonderful talisman for those who dream of their home and a wonderful transformation, good luck and a happy occasion, love and creative realization!
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