Kaleidoscope effect

Butterfly brooch. Gold tone jewelry alloy, enamel, faux pearl, rhinestones. Gem Craft vintage costume jewelry

Gem Craft vintage costume jewelry

Gene Verrecchia (Gene Verri) founded his own jewelry company Gem – Craft in Providence, RI in 1945, after the WWII. By that time he had worked as Coro’s lead designer for more than 30 years. His hands created real masterpieces for Coro, that’s why even having his company, he continued working with Coro.
Originally called Craftsman, then Sample Art, he produced his own lines of jewelry as well as designed jewellery for famous jewelry companies and designers of the time. In particular, Oscar dear la Renta, Kenneth Jay Lane, Capri, R. Mandle, Tancer, Kramer, and Cadoro.
The company flourished in the 1950-80s, when bright expressive decorations of the original design were created. Necessarily labeled, all Gem-Craft Corp decorations used a Craft stamp with a copyright sign since 1979.
Gem – Craft brand jewelery is very rare, collectible, BUT the most important – beautiful, original and of excellent quality!
Noteworthy, talented designer Gene Verri actively worked until his death at age 101 on December 30, 2013.
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Barbie doll in a red dress embellished with golden glitter plastic brooch-pin. Hand painted. 1995. Hallmark cards vintage costume jewelry

Hallmark cards vintage costume jewelry
The American company HALLMARK is famous worldwide as one of the largest manufacturers of greeting cards. Noteworthy, it has its history since 1910! First, it was Joyce Hall alongside with his brother, who began to import cards from Europe, and then print themselves beautiful Christmas cards. However, in addition to printed products, the company also produced gifts, Christmas-tree decorations and wrapping paper. Meanwhile, starting in the 1960s, the company began producing cute costume jewelery.
Traditionally, Hallmark costume jewelery focuses on family values. In particular, decorations for birthday, Mother’s Day, family, faith and love stories. Made with the use of bakelite, jewelry alloy, porcelain, plastic and enamel – all these bright decorations are made by hand.
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Exquisite rose brooch. Textured jewelry alloy, gold plated, crystals. 6 cm. Capri vintage costume jewelry

Capri vintage costume jewelry
Founded in 1952, Capri Jewelry Company appeared on the Fifth Avenue in the very heart of New York. According to sources, the owner of the company was Sol Smith. For its short history, the company has produced very few collections and not large editions, but of very high quality and unique design. Noteworthy, Capri collaborated with many famous brands, such as, for example, Florenza. Besides, in 1960 DeNikola became part of it until 1973. The company released its latest collection in 1977 and ceased to exist. Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult to find Capri jewels, so Capri jewelry is rare and much appreciated by collectors.
Until 1955, Capri Jewelers marked their decorations “Capri”, and after 1955 they added a copyright sign. Also, advertising companies took place in 1952, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1965 and 1977.
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A couple of birds enameled brooch. 3.3 cm. Roman vintage costume jewelry

Roman vintage costume jewelry
Originally, founded in 1973 by Melvin Roman in Chicago, Roman Company produced brand jewelry skillfully imitating expensive jewelry. Soon, the decorations became very popular among jewelry lovers. The company used high quality materials and was famous for its performance. Traditionally, jewelers used high quality Austrian crystals, cabochons, rhinestones, mother of pearl, enamel and jewelry alloy of gold tone.
Meanwhile, ten years later, in 1984, Melvin sold his company and became a designer and distributor of jewelery made in Far Eastern countries.
According to jewelry lovers and collectors of vintage costume jewelry, excellent quality of materials has always distinguished Roman jewelry. The company has worked for just over 10 years, so its decorations are very rare.
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Traditional Signed Mexico vintage costume jewelry. ‘Stubborn Donkey’ vintage brooch. 1940s. Alpaca Silver

Signed Mexico vintage costume jewelry
Mexico is a generic label adopted for all silver jewelery made in Mexico. And next to it is the mark of the master and the sample, or just a sample, or just the mark of the master with the first letter of the name. Also, the name of the city where it was produced, for example, Taxco. But common in all markings always goes Mexico, which means produced in Mexico.
According to the law of Mexico, all silver products of this country, regardless of whether they were made by the master “on the knee” or at the factory, since 1948, must have the “Made in Mexico” or “Mexico” stamp and sample.
With this stamp you can find out the years jewelry production. Anyway, when buying silver Mexican vintage jewelry, there is no doubt that it will be a good 925 sterling silver, not to mention the value and beauty of the vintage item itself.
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Purple enameled background flower garden brooch decorated with crystals and glass cabochons. Brass, gold plated. Michal Golan handcrafted jewelry art

Michal Golan handcrafted jewelry art
American artist Michal Golan – designer and founder of the company, opened in 1982 in New York. Michal herself came from Israel. According to Golan, she finds inspiratrion in the art of the Victorian era, Byzantium and the Middle East. And the second source of her inspiration is the visual richness that she encounters in her everyday life. Perhaps, that’s why her bright and elegant decorations are not just costume jewelry, but a real piece of jewelry art.
Noteworthy, Michal Golan jewelry exhibits an abundance of stones, cabochons, crystals, and semi-precious stones. Creating decorations she usually uses varios metals and jewelry alloys of gold and silver tone, gold plating, brass and pewter. Traditionally unusual in their beauty and elegance, flowers and floral patterns are framed in round and oval, triangular and rectangular shapes. Combining geometry, beauty of nature, fantasy and high craftsmanship, jewelry is deservedly popular with women and lovers of costume jewelry.
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Ancient dancer (Egyptian motif) articulated legs vintage brooch. Jewelry alloy of gold and silver tone, enamel. Polcini Ledo vintage costume jewelry

Polcini Ledo vintage costume jewelry
The founder of the future jewelry brand Ralph Polcini moved from Italy to America at the beginning of the last century. In 1911, he founded the Polcini Company in Mamaroneck, not far from New York and began producing expensive jewelery. By 1949, Ralph renamed his company into a “Leading Jewelry Manufacturing Company” and changed the mark to Ledo. Thanks to these renames, you can quite accurately determine the age of a particular decoration. So, in 1949 the decorations had Ledo marks with capital letters. Decorations made from 1949 to 1962 had the name of the brand and year of manufacture. Since the beginning of the 1960s, decorations are beginning to be marked with the Polcini stamp.
Undoubtedly, jewelry marked Polcini and Ledo are genuine rarities. Made only by hand and with great skill and hign quality, his jewelry works surpassed many competitors. The basis for jewelry were expensive jewelry alloys and silver, often with a real gold coating, high-quality rhinestones, and natural stones.
Ralph Polcini died in 1954, having bequeathed the family business to his son Damon. Proud of his family business, in 1960, Damon returned the name Polcini to the company. However, in the early 1980s, the company Polcini ceased to exist.
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