Kaleidoscope effect

Mimosa choker necklace. Gilt bronze, metal. Circa 1990. French jewelry designer Claude Lalanne

French jewelry designer Claude Lalanne
Creative team of jewelry designer Claude Lalanne (1924 – 2019) and her husband sculptor François-Xavier (1927-2008), became known as ‘Les Lalannes in the 1960s. It happened when Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Bergé and Christian Dior commissioned them to create some jewelry pieces. Claude also collaborated with many of renowned avant-garde artists and jewelry companies of the time. Among them, in particular, was the oldest and best of Greek jewelers of the time, Zolotas. Inspired by the aesthetics of fashion world, surrealism and Art Nouveau, floral and fauna, her jewelry is much-sought-after today.
Claude Lalanne began participating in jewelry art exhibitions in Paris in 1964. She handcrafted her unique earrings, necklaces and bracelets using bronze, silver, vermeil, gold and their alloys. In the 1970s she created floral jewelry and evening bags with a variety of flower designs, such as anemone, ginkgo, and hydrangea. She found inspiration for her botanical jewelry designs in her gardens implementing them in wearable art.
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Oak and maple leaves brooch pendant. Brushed gold, crystal. 1980s. Georgiou G vintage costume jewelry

Georgiou G vintage costume jewelry
The history of the Georgiou G jewelry brand began in 1984 in San Francisco, California, as a family business of George Georgiou and his wife Judith. Born in 1940 on the island of Cyprus, George Georgiou graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied economics and mathematics. In 1974, he founded Kolonaki Imports, Inc with a retail store on Union Street (San Francisco) where he sold gifts and clothing from Greece and around the world.
Creative and talented, Georgiou began designing his own clothes and accessories, including jewelry. This is how George Design Studios, Inc was born. It was a design, manufacturing and retail corporation with dozens of brands for the production and sale of textiles, clothing, footwear, hats and accessories.
In addition, the design team created exquisite high-quality jewelry using gold and silver metal alloys, multi-color and glitter enamel, art glass, imitation pearls and rhinestones.
Georgiou G jewelry trademark ceased to exist in 1999. Today, 82-year-old George Charal Georgiou lives in Ross, California, working as a fashion photographer, and his fashion brand Georgiou is popular all over the world.
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Art Deco crystal necklace and earrings. Gale Grant vintage costume jewelry

Gale Grant vintage costume jewelry
The history of one of the oldest American brands “Gale” began in 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, as a manufacturer of clothing, corsages and brassieres. In 1943, Sears, Roebuck and co of Chicago, Illinois adopted and began using the Gale trademark. In addition, the corporation established Gale Grant Jewelry Ltd (alternative name “By Gale Creations”) to produce fine costume jewelry. The company went through ups and downs, changing directors and addresses – 485 Madison Avenue, 818 Lexington Avenue and 24 West 40th street, New York, NY. Among the directors who ran the company were Gertrude Golden and Paula Gould. The company produced jewelry until the 1980s and ceased to exist in 2011.
Traditionally, Gale designers used high-quality rhinestones, crystals, art glass imitating natural stones, enamel, metal alloys of silver and gold, as well as rhodium plating.
The earliest marking consisted of a stylized word “Gale Grant” printed on paper tags or cards, and later maker’s mark included “By Gale” with a crown over the letters “al”. Noteworthy, jewelry marked “Gale” is rare and collectible.
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Hamsa hand pendant. 18k gold, tiger eye. 1970s. Jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo

Jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo
Born in Naples, Aldo Cipullo (1935-1984) grew up in Rome, the fifth child of a famous Italian jeweler. His father made costume jewelry and Aldo helped his father after school, gaining valuable experience in making and selling jewelry. As an adult, Aldo decided to move to the United States. Arriving in New York in 1959, he literally fell in love with this city. The same year he became a student of the famous Manhattan School of Visual Arts.
Cipullo began his career as a jeweler in the legendary company of David Webb (1960), then Tiffany (1963) and Cartier (1969).
However, an important turning point in the designer’s career was the opening of his own company, Aldo Cipullo, Ltd. in New York in 1974. The same year he received the prestigious Coty Award for pioneering influence on men’s jewelry design. From the early days, Aldo has shown a talent for innovative design inspired by modern life. Thus, the design of jewelry included machine parts – nails, screws and knots, along with dollar signs and even pasta.
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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.
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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”.
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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.
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