Kaleidoscope effect

Tourmaline cabochons 18K gold and diamond. Andrew Clunn fine jewelry

Andrew Clunn fine jewelry
Born in the English city of Kent in 1928, Andrew Clunn (1928-2016) launched the eponymous jewelry trademark in 1981. Incorporated 42 years ago, Andrew Clunn Ltd. had been active for more than three decades and ceased to exist in 2013. In fact, before launching his own jewelry company, Clunn was already a well-known designer.
Clunn came to the US in 1951 and began his career at the Matson Navigation Company, where he worked for several years. However, in the early 1960s he decided to connect his life with the jewelry business. So, in 1963, he began his fast-paced career at the famous jewelry company David Webb. There, he made a successful career from an apprentice to the right hand of the famous designer. Noteworthy, in design and sales, he dealt with stellar clients including Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland and Wallis, Duchess of Windsor.
In 1975, when David Webb died, Andrew Clunn moved to England and became managing director of Bonds Jewelers in London. However, within five years he returned to New York to open an eponymous company and a boutique on Madison Avenue.
Creating jewelry, the designer traditionally used precious metals and stones – gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, etc. The maker’s mark includes “18k” and “A. Clunn” in capital letters.
Read more »

Blue crystal flower brooch. 1/20 12K rose gold filled. 4.7 cm. 1940s. Signed Linc vintage costume jewelry

Signed Linc vintage costume jewelry (1940-50s)
The history of the American fine costume jewelry brand Linc covers a short period of the 1940s – 1950s. Linc’s jewelry design is a typical example of the jewelry fashion of the 40s and 50s of the last century. These are classic and art deco brooches in the form of flowers and bouquets intertwined with ribbons, floristic compositions made by hand from 12 carat yellow and rose gold, sterling silver and crystals. Noteworthy, the design of most brooches allows them to be worn both as brooches and as pendants.
Rare high-quality Linc jewelry has a high collector rating among fans of antique and vintage costume jewelry.
Significantly, Vogue editor Carol Woolton wrote the book “Floral Jewels” (2014), which includes Linc’s jewels among over 200 images of floral jewelry made by the most famous fashion houses in the last century.
The markings on the oval cartouche include the stylized word Linc, where the elongated base of the letter “L” seems to emphasize the word “inc”. Also, the marking indicates the purity of gold or silver – 1/20 12K or “sterling”.
Read more »

Rose flower brooch of silver and gold tone. 1960s. Signed Pago vintage costume jewelry

Signed Pago vintage costume jewelry (1957-1965)
The history of the Pago jewelry brand began in the mid-1950s in San Francisco, California. In the vintage jewelry market, products marked “Pago” are extremely rare. Unfortunately, there is no much information about the company and its founders. One of the reasons for this uncertainty is the short life of the company, less than one decade.
Noteworthy, according to the 1959 US Catalog of Copyright Entries, the company patented several jewelry designs. Among them, in particular, bracelets made of metal and jewels with animal design charms. Also, the company’s jewelers created brooches, pendants and earrings using gold-tone metal alloys, pewter, rhinestones, art glass and faux pearls. The maker’s mark on oval cartouche includes the word “Pago” in capital letters and a copyright sign.
The company ceased to exist in the mid-1960s.
Read more »

Floral design marcasite silver brooch with rock crystals. 3.8 cm. 1954. English jewelry designer Sibyl Dunlop

English jewelry designer Sibyl Dunlop (1889 – 20 December 1968)
British jewelry designer Sybil Dunlop (1889–1968) was best known for her Late Arts and Crafts jewelry and silver objects. Sybil studied jewelry in Brussels, and upon her return to London in the 1920s, she began a business in partnership with W. Nathanson. In 1939, due to ill health, she closed her workshop at 69 Kensington Church Street, London W8. However, Nathanson resumed the business in the 1940s and continued to produce jewelry in the late Arts and Crafts style. He marked the pieces with the initials SD for Sybil Dunlop, as well as the traditional London and the year of manufacture hallmarks. With Nathanson’s retirement in 1971, the business ceased to exist.
Dunlop’s work is characterized by the use of semi-precious and precious gemstones such as chalcedony, chrysoprase, moonstone, amethyst, agate, quartz and opals, along with silver. Remarkably, the gemstones were cut for Dunlop in workshops in Germany until the outbreak of World War II.
Judging by the design, her jewelry has a visual resemblance to the work of another English designer, Dorrie Nossiter (1893-1977), who was a contemporary of Dunlop. Moreover, some items attributed to Dunlop (the so-called “gem carpet”) are in fact works by Nossiter. Yet, the design, and even more so the markings, allow jewelry collectors to distinguish between these designers.
Read more »

Acrobats climbing a link chain. Closeup. Gabriella Kiss anatomical jewelry

Gabriella Kiss anatomical jewelry
Jewelry pieces created by New York designer Gabriella Kiss resemble miniature sculptures embodied in brooches, earrings, necklaces and pendants. Gabriella studied sculpture at the Pratt Institute, and after graduating she improved her skills at Ted Muehling. According to Gabriella herself, these eight years in his studio were the most valuable experience in mastering the art.
The designer created her first anatomical line jewelry with the movement of the hands and individual parts of the body in the early 1990s. The same anatomical line can be traced in the next collection of the artist – “Love Token”. Inspired by the tradition of the Victorian era to give to a loved one a painted eye. In addition to eyes, the designer added “a nose” design, as well as inscriptions in Latin. Also noteworthy is a series of ornaments in the form of insects, snakes or birds.
Remarkably, the jewelry designs and materials are so diverse that it is hard to believe that the same designer created them. Other significant collections include classic jewelry made with the use of precious metals, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and other precious and semi-precious stones.
The maker’s mark may include initials GK, or hand-scribbled designer’s name on the back and purity of gold.
Read more »

Floral branch purple glass gold tone brooch. 1960s. Signed West vintage costume jewelry

Signed West vintage costume jewelry
The American jewelry company West Jewelry Co., Inc. began its activity in the 1930s in Mississippi. It was a family business owned and founded by Mr. and Mrs. R.C. West and R.C. West Jr. Founded in 1935, West Jewelry Co., Inc. ceased to exist in 1989.
The design of jewelry is quite traditional for the first half and the middle of the last century, with classic and art deco, geometric and modernist style. However, the characteristic common feature of the design is the attention to detail and exquisite filigree work. Traditional materials for creating brooches, pendants, rings and earrings are metal alloys plated with gold and silver, high quality crystals, glass, faux pearls and semi-precious stones.
The maker’s mark includes the word “WEST” in capital block letters on a rectangular cartouche with rounded corners. Noteworthy, there is no copyright sign on the label. As you know, most jewelry companies began to use the copyright mark in their markings only after 1955. However, West was not one of them.
Read more »

Christmas tree pewter brooch. 4.5 cm. 1980s. Ms Dee vintage costume jewelry

Ms Dee vintage costume jewelry (1982-2013)
Incorporated in 1974 in Mound, Minnesota, Ms. Dee Inc. began its activity in 1970. Headed by Ms Deanne Moss (b. 1944), the company launched four trademarks on production of various goods. In particular, lace and embroidery, buttons and needles, artificial flowers and ribbons, hair accessories and costume jewelry. Among these trademarks were “Fame Tapes”, “Molly ‘n Me”, and “Ms. Dee”, all registered in 1982.
The company’s craftsmen created beautiful finely detailed multi-functional trinket boxes, sets of brooches with earrings made by hand with the use of genuine pewter. The marking on the cartouche included “Ms.Dee” with a copyright sign, sometimes “genuine pewter” and “collectable #1”, etc. Most jewelry ornaments made in 1980-90s have become highly collectible today.
Due to the bankruptcy, the company ceased to exist in 2013.
Read more »