Kaleidoscope effect

Rose flower brooch. 5 cm. Gold plated, faux pearl. 1980s. Signed Aconda vintage costume jewelry

Signed Aconda vintage costume jewelry
The history of Aconda-branded vintage jewelry spans about three decades, from the late 1950s to the 1980s. Based in West Germany, the company produced fur clips, tie pins, lapel pins and brooches in classic and Art Deco style. Traditionally, the craftsmen of this company used metal alloys, bronze and silver with 14 carat gold plating. They also used zirconia, crystals, rhinestones, faux pearls and enamel. Each product was marked with the word “Aconda” and a copyright sign. Distinguished by very fine workmanship and high-quality Aconda jewelry is rare and collectible.
Unfortunately, there is no more detailed information on the Internet about the company that produced costume jewelry in the 50-80s of the last century in West Germany. Nor is it in the archival documents on the registration of patents, companies and trademarks.
Read more »

Floral design bouquet brooch. Gold tone metal alloy, faux pearls. 5.5 cm. 1980s. Alexis Lahellec vintage costume jewelry

Alexis Lahellec vintage costume jewelry
A renowned French fashion and home interior designer, Alexis Lahellec began his creative career in the 1960s. In 1980-90-s the designer has created a unique collection of costume jewelry which is highly collectible now. Noteworthy, while creating his jewelry, the artist worked in collaboration with other designers. In particular, he collaborated with the jeweler Yaron for a long time, after whom he named his first jewelry collection, created in 1983. Also, he created a jewelry collection in collaboration with the artist and fashion designer Nicolas De Waël.
Handcrafted from chrome plastic “Cookware” collection (1985) was a great success. Since 1986 he started using hammered golden resin. Also, he created a series of colorful costume jewelry made of handpainted resin reminding the work of Niki de Saint Phalle. Traditionally, the designer marked his pieces with his full name “Alexis Lahellec” and “Paris”, or “made in France”.
Unfortunately, Lahellec is no longer creating jewellery. Instead, he is working on interior design, furniture and decorative items.
Wearable art, Avant Garde design statement costume jewelry created by Lahellec, is sold at art auctions, and the price of it will rise.
Read more »

Dewdrop on a leaf brooch. Textured sterling silver, gold plated, crystal. 1940s. Rodi Wienenberger vintage costume jewelry

Rodi Wienenberger vintage costume jewelry
The history of ROWI, or Rodi & Wienenberger jewelry began in Pforzheim, Germany, in 1885, when Eugen Rodi and Wilhelm Wienenberger founded their company. Initially, it was a small workshop with a staff of four to make medallions, bracelets and brooches. In 1904, they began to apply American gold plating technology, where two layers of gold plating were applied to a silver plated metal jewel. Thus, they could guarantee that their jewelry pieces would retain their golden luster throughout their life.
The company flourished in 1890, employing 80 people, and by the end of 1899 employed about 700 people. And five years later it was a joint stock company with a capital of 500,000 marks. Eugene Rodi retired in 1900, and Wienenberger became the head of the company. Already in 1910 they built a new five-story factory.
After the First World War, the production premises had to be expanded again by buying neighboring plots of land. In addition to jewelry, they began manufacturing pocket watch cases.
In 1924, Wilhelm Wienenberger resigned from the management due to his health problems and Karl-Wilhelm Katz, who was responsible for export, took over the business.
Noteworthy, the marking GR or OR means gilding, and R anchor W is an old marking used around the 1935-1940s.
Read more »

Autumn Leaf realistic design brooch pin. Bronze tone textured metal. 5.5 cm. 1980s. Signed CRA vintage costume jewelry

Signed CRA vintage costume jewelry
American costume jewelry labeled “C. R. A.” is extremely rare in the vintage costume jewelry market. According to sources, the company produced costume jewelry for a short time, in the 1980s. However, some owners of such brooches, pins and rings indicate the date of their release – the 1960s. In fact, it is impossible to refute or confirm this. Unfortunately, there is practically no information about the manufacturer or retailing company, or the registered trademark “CRA”. The designs of these pieces range from Egyptian motifs to Art Deco, figural and heraldic, as well as classic flower and plant motif. Jewelry materials traditionally included gold and silver tone alloys, 925 sterling silver, faux pearls, art glass, rhinestones, and enamel.
Read more »

Victorian design gold filled watch pin. 1930s. Robert Fitz Simmons vintage costume jewelry

Robert Fitz Simmons vintage costume jewelry
The history of Simmons jewelry dates back to 1873, when Robert Fitz Simmons, with his partners Joseph Lyman Sweet and Edgar L. Hixon, founded jewelry company in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Each of them invested $ 2,500 in the business, which then paid off. Fourteen years later, the company employed 200 people, and its offices and representatives appeared in New York, Berlin, Barcelona, ​​Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Sydney.
Initially, the company produced watch chains, eyeglass chains, key chains, bracelets, and even cane handles. Noteworthy, the company became the first jewelry house to publish a catalog (1881). Innovative jewelers, they were the first to stamp products with manufacturer ID and offer customers a quality assurance (1880s). They were also the first to use “combination – link chains” (1890s) and the practical Marlow lock bracelet in 1899.
Fine quality, gold-filled or sterling silver jewelry by Simmons is highly collectible now.
The RF Simmons Co founded by Robert Fitz Simmons (1842, New York – 1894, Attleboro MA) ceased to exist in 1952.
Read more »

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.
Read more »

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.
Read more »