Kaleidoscope effect

Jewellery kaleidoscope

Category Archive: Vintage

Allison Reed vintage costume jewelry

Allison Reed vintage costume jewelry

Flower brooch. Gold tone alloy, Swarovski crystals. 5.5 cm. 1980s. Allison Reed vintage costume jewelry

Allison Reed vintage costume jewelry
Formerly known as A&Z (1909), WEH (1957), and Hayward (1970), Allison Reed jewelry history began in East Providence, Rhode Island, in 1964. The president of the company is Lawrence J Cohen (born 1955). Jewelry manufacturer and distributor, Allison Reed specializes in vintage design and antique treasures. Allison Reed’s company name is random and not associated with any living person. Noteworthy, for more than a hundred years of operation, Allison Reed Group, Inc. has registered several jewelry brands. In particular, Spencer (1962), S (1968), America’s Fashion Jewelry (1986), David Donahue (1999), Bamboo Jungle (2005), and Tupelo Hill (2007).
Traditionally, the company’s craftsmen create classic design costume jewelry with the use of mixed metals of silver and gold tone, Swarovski crystals, and enamel. Also, they use archive designs of early 1900s to create vintage look earrings, pendants, pins, bracelets, and lockets. According to their motto, everything old is new again. The markings on the back side of each piece include Allison Reed’s full name in stylized writing.
More »

Cindy Adams vintage costume jewelry

Cindy Adams vintage costume jewelry

Lion brooch. Gold tone metal alloy, rhinestones. 1990s. Cindy Adams vintage costume jewelry

Cindy Adams vintage costume jewelry
Known in New York for her witty and irreverent gossip column in the New York Post and across America for her weekly appearance on TV Gossip Show, Cindy Adams (b. 1930) launched her own trademark Gossip By Cindy Adams in 1997. Her company produced eyeglass frames, sunglasses, watches, paper napkins, greeting cards, calendars, drinking mugs and many more. Also, on 10 November 1997 she launched her perfume, Gossip by Cindy Adams, in New York. According to press, many celebrities and jewelry designers attended her perfume kickoff in New York. Among them were jewelry designers Ivana Trump and Joan Rivers, to name a few. Of course, in addition to perfumes and accessories, she released a limited collection of costume jewelry.
A former beauty queen, she first made her name famous and then made her name a brand. Passionate jewelry lover, Cindy Adams also designed costume jewelry. Among her interviewed celebrities were known jewelry lovers, such as Marlene Dietrich, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford, to name a few. Once she wrote that during interviewing Lana Turner, she stared at the actress’s brooch. She didn’t write down a word of the interview, but remembers herself running right home and sketching the brooch.
Noteworthy, Cindy Adams created exquisite high quality costume jewelry for a very short time from the mid 1990s to 2000. Thus, vintage jewelry signed with capital letters “Cindy Adams” (on a rectangular base with star) is hard to find and highly collectible.
More »

Sutton Hoo vintage costume jewelry

Sutton Hoo vintage costume jewelry

Nutcracker gold plated brooch pin. 8.5 cm. 1992. Sutton Hoo vintage costume jewelry

Sutton Hoo vintage costume jewelry
The history of the American jewelry brand “Sutton Hoo” spans three decades, from 1975 to 2002. Its founder – Katharine Carlton Ridge, born December 31, 1946 in Louisville. She studied art and teaching in Holy Spirit School and Sacred Heart Academy. Also, she graduated from Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia in 1968. Beautiful woman and talented artist, she founded her own jewelry brand Sutton Hoo in 1975.
Traditionally, she used 24-carat gold-plated jewelry alloy, artificial pearls and art glass to create her brooches, earrings and pendants. The markings on the back side include the initials “SH” with the copyright sign and the year the product was created.
Katharine Carlton Ridge died 6 Oct 2015 at the age of 68 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA.
More »

Denton vintage costume jewelry

Denton vintage costume jewelry

Flower brooch. Brass, porcelain. 1940s. Denton vintage costume jewelry

Denton vintage costume jewelry
English antique bone china flower brooch carries the charm of the past and past eras. In Victorian England and Europe, many flowers had deep symbolic meaning. Such spectacular jewelry with precise detailing, painted and created by hand, is individual and unique. Undoubtedly, such brooch can be an exclusive gift or a worthy part of a vintage jewelry collection.
Traditionally, many English companies, such as Cara China, Aynsley Fine Bone, Coalport China Co, Crown Staffordshire China Co, Bone China Crafts Co, Paragon China Co, and Denton China Co produced jewelry in addition to china tableware.
The history of the British porcelain company Denton China began immediately after the end of the Second World War, in 1945. Initially, it was a family business of D M Lawson and Herbert Lawson, a former decorator and pottery wholesaler from Staffordshire. After his death in 1949, D. M. Lawson continued the business and worked until 1968. Previously Denton China mainly made bone china “fantasies” – flower arrangements, birds, brooches, earrings, and wicker baskets.
Noteworthy, in December 1968, a large English porcelain company John Aynsley & Sons Ltd. bought Denton and re-labeled its products to Aynsley.
More »

Ward Brothers vintage costume jewelry

Ward Brothers vintage costume jewelry

Symbolic thistle flower brooch. Sterling silver, art glass. 1960s. Ward Brothers vintage costume jewelry

Ward Brothers vintage costume jewelry

The history of the Scottish jewelry brand “Ward Brothers” began in the late 19th century in Glasgow. Handcrafted from sterling silver in Celtic, Victorian and Scottish style, the pieces had a symbolic meaning. For example, the Lucky Heather and Horseshoe designs were worn to attract good luck and success. Another traditional design is the thistle, an element of the Scottish coat of arms, symbolizing tenacity, tenacity, and resistance. According to belief, a thistle ornament is a powerful talisman that protects a person from damage and the evil eye.
Made with great craftsmanship, the company’s jewelry became very popular, and as a result, the company expanded its business. So, jewelry production began in Edinburgh and then in Birmingham. Traditionally, the craftsmen of this brand made jewelry from sterling silver, as well as using gold plating. Also, they used both natural stones – Scottish agate, and glass imitations of ruby, amethyst, zirconium and garnet.
Noteworthy, the markings on the back of the items differ, according to the year and place of production of the jewelry. In particular, the initials WBS, also the anchor mark of Birmingham, followed by the lion, and the year; the purity of gold or silver; Chester 1921 (for Ward Brothers); thistle with towers and letter B. The company ceased to exist in the 1970s and became the property of another British brand that still specializes in Celtic, Irish and Scottish style jewelry.
More »

Andreas Daub vintage costume jewelry

Andreas Daub vintage costume jewelry

Avant-garde design 925 sterling silver brooch. 4.2 cm. 1960s. Andreas Daub vintage costume jewelry

Andreas Daub vintage costume jewelry
The history of the German jewelry brand “Andreas Daub” began about 150 years ago in the jewelry capital of Germany, the city of Pforzheim. The young jeweler Andreas Daub founded his family business in 1872, which has worked for five generations. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the company became one of the leading companies in the German jewelry industry and one of the leading jewelry companies in Europe. Kurt Daub, the fifth generation jeweler, leads the company today.
The company produces premium, avant-garde, Victorian and Art Nouveau jewelry. Traditionally, jewelry markings include the initials A * D, as well as the purity of the metal. Noteworthy, the “Amerikaner” stamp is guaranteed to indicate the presence of gold in the product. Along with gold and copper, the company’s jewelers used sterling silver and natural stones such as corals, amethysts and even diamonds. Also, faux pearls, and glass cabochons imitating precious stones. High quality hand-made vintage jewelry hallmarked “Andreas Daub” is rare and highly collectible now.

More »

Elee vintage costume jewelry

Elee vintage costume jewelry

Sun drop dangle clip-on-earrings. Gold plated metal alloy, glass beads. 1980s. Elee vintage costume jewelry

Elee vintage costume jewelry
Dallas, Texas based “Elee Designs, Inc.” jewelry company was in business for a few years, from 11 October 1989 to 13 February 2004. Headed by Elaine Rutchik (b. 1938), director and president of the company, jewelers made high-quality, spectacular and large statement pieces. Traditionally made of rich 24 K gold plated metal, it was a series of long clip-on earrings or button shaped clips of bold, geometric and Art Deco design. Also, the craftsmen used enamel, rhinestones, glass beads, art glass, and faux pearls.
The marking on the back side of each piece includes the written word “Elee” on oval base.
More »