JC Joseph Cleary vintage costume jewelry

JC Joseph Cleary costume jewelry
Although there is not so much information about JC brand, yet it is known that the company owned by Joseph Cleary worked for a short period of the 1950s.
According to “American Jewelry Manufacturers” by Dorothy Rainwater’s, JC manufactory existed in the 1950s in Newark, New Jersey. Made in limited series, JC marked handcrafted ornaments enjoyed great popularity. Very rare today, JC jewelry is in high demand among the collectors of vintage jewelry.
Traditionally, the craftsmen paid special attention to carved multicolor lucite. Also, they used gold or silver tone metal alloys, enamel resin, cubic zirconia and multicolor rhinestones.
Notably, due to the similarity of the JC markings, Joseph Cleary’s design is often confused with that of Jackie Collins. For example, Jackie Collins’ iconic leopard design, which Cleary also had. However, the marking style of the two designers is different, which helps to identify authorship.