Kaleidoscope effect

5-pointed star brooch. Gold tone metal, Turquoise, faux pearl. Adrienne Vittadini vintage costume jewelry

Adrienne Vittadini vintage costume jewelry
Vittadini is a former quite successful fashion model of Hungarian descent. Her family emigrated to the United States when the girl was 12 years old, in 1956. According to Adrienne, she has always loved painting and fashion.
Having graduated from the Moore college of art, this beautiful woman successfully got married. Adriana’s husband, an Italian born pharmaceutical magnate Gianluigi Vittadini, has contributed to his wife’s business. In particular, he helped open the perfume line of the brand of her name Adrienne Vittadini, which she launched in 1979. However, Vittadini soon expanded her business. Thus, in 1980s she began producing not only perfumes, but also clothes, shoes, luggage, accessories and costume jewelry. Noteworthy, Adriana became a woman, who entered the list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world (according to People magazine) in 1992.
Read more »

Anchor brooch pin. Jewelry alloy, rhinestones, crystals. Betsey Johnson vintage costume jewelry

Betsey Johnson vintage costume jewelry

New York-based designer Betsy Johnson soared to the top of her fame and became one of the most popular American designers in the 1960s. Moreover, she still holds the honorable place of a leader thanks to the fact that her ideas are always relevant, eccentric and individual. The talented Madame Johnson has received honorary awards many times for her enormous contribution to the fashion industry.
Johnson began her career developing designs for various brands. And in 1978, she founded her own brand, which successfully exists to this day. The same year, she opened the first boutique in the heart of Soho. Also, in the early 80s she was one of the first to open her store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Today in the world there are about 40 branded boutiques in which you can buy clothes, bags, accessories, as well as beautiful costume jewelry.
Read more »

Clip ‘Snail’, 1925 – 1930. White gold and silver, black enamel and pearls. French jewelry designer Raymond Templier (1891-1968)

French jewelry designer Raymond Templier
R. Templier is best known for his art deco and abstract design in the 1920s and 1930s. He became one of a small group of art deco innovators who created works in a minimalistic geometric style, focused on cubism and images of industrial production.
Born into a family of jewelers, Raymond Templier took courses at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris. His jewelry designs are composed of interlocking geometric shapes, and contrasts between polished and shiny. His work is a major part of 20th century jewelry creation through the excellence of forms, play of materials, and balances.
According to Templier, he saw ideas for jewelry literally everywhere. For example, when walking along the streets. He was ready to respond to everything – wheels, cars and modern mechanisms. The most daring of his contemporaries, he easily turned the propellers of an airplane, gears and connecting rods into brooches and clips made of precious materials.
Noteworthy, Raymond’s father and grandfather were jewelers. It was his grandfather who founded Maison Tamplier in 1849. His sophisticated clientele sought mainly jewelry for family celebrations: engagement, weddings and anniversaries … Could he imagine the modernist creations of his grandson?

Read more »

Rose brooch. Gold tone metal, gold plated, red enamel. 6 cm, 1980s. Cerrito vintage costume jewelry

Cerrito vintage costume jewelry
The history of “Giovanni Cerrito Jewelry Co” began in 1948 founded by Italian designer Giovanni Antonio Cerrito. Based in Rhode Island, the company began producing series of beautiful handmade fashion jewelry.
Traditionally, Cerrito designs included “The Symbol Of Love” – red rose enameled brooches made of gold tone metal, often 14 K gold plated. Also, his famous creation, so called “Christmas Rose” poinsettia brooch gained worldwide fame, winning the hearts of millions of people.

Cerrito was the undisputed leader in his industry, giving traditional jewelry a certain charm. Thanks to special methods of metal processing and many complex elements, so far none of the imitators could copy his masterpieces. The process of giving products a special shine of gold tone is also specific. The designers, in particular, used a two-layer coating of 18 and 22 carat gold. Noteworthy, all decorations are hand-made, which makes it possible to give the products lightness and airiness that is not inherent in metal.

After a short break, the renowned company Cerrito Jewelry Ltd existed from 1977 to 2005. Jewelry of this brand is quite rare, and at an auction it is quite expensive.

Read more »

Dragonfly woman stunning Art Nouveau pendant. 18 Karat Gold, Plique-à-Jour Enamel, Carved Moonstone, diamonds, pearls, ivory. Parisian modernist jeweler Louis Aucoc

Parisian modernist jeweler Louis Aucoc
The leading Parisian art nouveau jeweler Louis Aucoc (1850-1932) worked with his father and brother Andre. The family-owned company Aucoc at 6 Rue de la Paix was founded in Paris in 1821 by silver craftsman Jean-Baptiste Casimir Aucoc. Noteworthy, it was under the patronage of the house of King Louis Philippe, House of Orleans, Napoleon III and Empress Eugenia.
Having first become an apprentice at arms manufactories, the young man soon became interested in jewelry and by the 1820s he was qualified as a craftsman in silver. At first, the Aucoc manufactory worked only with silver, but later the commercial savvy of Jean-Baptiste allowed to complement the artel with glass-blowing production. Also, they begin to specialize in the so-called “Nécessaire de Voyage”, i.e. luggage of the traveler.
Read more »

1903 gold and silver brooch, framed female relief. Sprig of mistletoe, enameled gold and pearls. French jewelry designer Georges Fouquet (1862–1957)

French jewelry designer Georges Fouquet
The history of Fouquet Jewelry House with three generations of jewelers lasted only 76 years. The founder of the company was Alfons Fouquet (1828–1911), who in 1860 opened his first store. A decade passed and the company became known both in France and in Europe. In 1895, his son – Georges Fouquet took over the management of the company.
Georges Fouquet followed his father and developed the ideas of art nouveau. By the end of the 19th century he had organized the production of amazing jewelry with stained glass enamel. A hereditary jeweler, Georges Fouquet had two things: excellent taste and commercial flair. And when Georges decided to separate from his father and create his own jewelry brand, he turned to the creations of Alphonse Mucha.
Noteworthy, they started working together in 1900, when Fouquet recently opened his own jewelry workshop. Preparing for an exhibition in Paris, he asked Mucha to make sketches for his work. At that time, Mucha had already established himself in Europe as an artist and creator of promotional products. In particular, female images, which included virgins of Slavic and Persian appearance, with mysterious looks, elusively crafty faces and shining hair.
Read more »

Large seahorse brooch. Jewelry alloy, Swarovski crystals. 23 cm. 1980s. Moans Couture vintage costume jewelry

Moans Couture vintage costume jewelry

The protégé of Lawrence Vrba, Christopher Crouch turned out to be so talented that he opened his own business. Brought something of his own, he created incredible jewelry – large and complex brooches and high-quality crystals. Noteworthy, handcrafted in New York City in a single copy, each piece is wearable art.
Partnership with Lawrence Vrba began in 2006 in the famous studio at Fifth Avenue. And the conditions were more than harsh. In particular, if Christopher could not create jewelry to the highest standards within a short period of time (less than one month), Lawrence Vrba would terminate the contract with him. Exceeding all expectations, Christopher Crouch worked for 8 years as a senior assistant to the famous designer.
By 2009, a working relationship with Lawrence Vrba had grown into a close friendship. In coordination with Lawrence Vrba and with his support, Christopher Crouch, in parallel with his work in VRBA, starts his own business. By the way, Lawrence himself proposed the name for the new company – “Moans Couture”.
Read more »