Kaleidoscope effect

Gatsby girl of 1920s brooch. Black and gray plastic, makeup – enamel, transparent rock crystal, 1975. Size 9 cm. Estimated price $ 150-200 LB (Linda Bee, Gray Antique Market Stands). Barry Parman costume jewellery

Barry Parman costume jewellery
The author of this beautiful brooch “The girl of 1920s” is a London-based former theater artist and designer, Barry Parman. According to sources, he began designing jewelry quite late, in 1970s and worked for a short period. Creating his decorations, Barry Parman used traditional materials – alloys, rhinestones, enamel and crystals. However, even using traditional materials, the artist created truly unique and original designs. Unfortunately, the talented jewelry designer Barry Parman stopped producing costume jewellery due to his death 21 February 1990. Parman designed fine works for leading jewelry dealers, such as Linda Bee.
Noteworthy, Barry Parman jewellery pieces are truly very rare and incredibly popular among collectors.
Unfortunately, there is little information about the artist. Works by London based jewelry designer Barry Parman, featured in the catalogs of vintage jewelry, are difficult to find.
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‘Gentle embrace’ brooch and clips. 1980s. Gilding, silvering, tinted rock crystal, antique glass, glass, lucite, cubic zirconia, Swarovski crystals. Bettina and Michelle von Walhof costume jewellery

Bettina and Michelle von Walhof costume jewellery

The official history of Bettina von Walhof jewelry brand began in 1998 in Sarasota Florida, although the designer began making jewelry in the late 1980s. Known for her unique nature inspired imaginative and oversized jewelry creations, Bettina pieces were produced in limited editions. The collections included quaint shapes of figural brooches. For example, lobsters, parrots and whales, as well as flowers. Hand-made from antique glass, cast glass (leaves and flowers) and sparkling Swarovski crystals, many of her pieces are tremblers with the moving parts on springs.
Made with a sense of humor and distinguished by careful detailed elaboration these oversized decorations are for confident women.
Noteworthy, her daughter Michelle Fuhrman joined Bettina brand in 2006. Accordingly, the marking on products have changed to “B + M von Walhof”. Based in Sarasota, jewelry designers Bettina and Michelle often produced their creations in limited editions. Therefore, their whimsical and original pieces are in high demand among collectors now.
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Face gold tone brooch. 1987. BillyBoy surreal costume jewellery

BillyBoy surreal costume jewellery (1979-1993)
The history of “BillyBoy” jewelry brand began in 1979, when American artist and fashion designer BillyBoy (born 10 March 1960) moved to Paris. He handcrafted jewelry pieces marked “Surreal Bijoux” and sold them in Parisian boutiques and shops in Paris. Later, he opened his own boutique at 6 Rue de la Paix in Paris.
Noteworthy, BillyBoy created jewelry for such iconic brands as Emanuel Ungaro, Hanae Mori, Thierry Migler, Daniel Paris, and others.
Meanwhile, his designs combined various styles, from Schiaparelli and barbarian tribal, to surreal and geometrical designs. Most of his surreal brooches, pendants and bracelets still decorate museums, galleries and private collections.
Traditionally, his decorations have marks ByllyBoy BB, or just BB. Although the designer stopped making jewelry in 1993, he continued creating jewelry on order for specific customers.
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Green rhinestone spray brooch. Vintage, 1960s. Beau Jewels vintage costume jewelry

Beau Jewels vintage costume jewelry
The history of Beau Jewels trademark began in 1948 in New York and lasted for more than three decades. The trademark founder was Bowman Foster Inc., the New York based company incorporated in 1931. The company stopped making jewelry in 1979 and ceased to exist in 1980.
Notable, despite the similarity of the name with other jewelry brands, such as Beau Craft (Providence) and Beau Sterling, Beau Jewels is a completely different jewelry trademark.
Beau jewels craftsmen made their decorations using multi-colored stones, or more precisely, imitating precious stones of different colors, and Aurora Borealis rhinestones. Flowers and leaves are constantly repeating motifs, often in bright colors and unusual color combinations. Relatively inexpensive, many Beau Jewels pieces entered the reference books on vintage costume jewelry. In particular, Judith Miller’s reference book published in 2004.
Currently, the products of this company are collectible and rare.
“Beau”, translated as dandy, meant for those who kept up with the modern fashion of the time, but at the same time appreciated the classical style.
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Falcon vintage brooch, pendant. 1950s. Vintage costume jewellery Accessocraft

Exquisite vintage costume jewellery Accessocraft
The history of New York costume jewelry brand Accessocraft began in 1935 founded by Edgar Rodelheimer and Theodore Steinman. Although the company produced thousands of ornaments during World War II, but it became known for stylish jewelry and accessories years later.
In the 1960s, Gothic designs, alloys of antique metals imitating gold and bronze with unusual stones were very popular. Traditionally, the designs included Renaissance, Victorian and Art Deco styles with the use of colored enamels, Czech glass, crystals, cabochons and faux pearls of the highest quality.
Thanks to an impeccable reputation, famous design studios worked for this company, developing magnificent jewelry designs.
In addition to jewelry, the company produced accessories, such as belts, buckles, tie and collar clips, theater binoculars and magnifiers.
Noteworthy, the company ceased operations in 1998. The son of Theodore, Paul Steinman ran the company until its closure.
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Sapphire, pearl and diamond choker necklace, Princess Diana. Eternally Fashionable Precious choker

Eternally Fashionable Precious choker
In theory, collar is a decoration that fits tightly around your neck, while the choker located at its very base. Nevertheless, now these concepts have merged and became applied to both options.
At different times velvet choker was so popular that it inspired artists and writers to create their portraits and write novels. But, perhaps, Alexander Dumas-father went further than all of the writers. In particular, in his mystical “Woman with a choker on the Neck”. Thus, an important element of the story was a choker with diamond, hiding a scar from the guillotine around the neck of the main character: “When velvet, holding her executed head, unbuttoned, the head slid from the bed to the floor and stopped at the feet of Hoffmann “…
So, if the collars in general existed since ancient times, then velvet choker in particular appeared in the 18th century. It should shade the whiteness of the powdered beyond measure skin of a beauty.
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Josephine Baker Chocolate Dancer Brooch. French jewelry designer Lea Stein

French jewelry designer Lea Stein

In 1970-ies, French artist Léa Stein launched a unique collection of jewelry made from Rhodoid (high-quality plastic). Prior to that, she was little known outside France. Recently, her work has received worldwide recognition.
Léa Stein was born in Paris (France) in 1931. At the age of 26, she opens her own clothing design company, while developing the design of buttons for fashion and starts its production. Her buttons of laminate Rhodoid had a huge success. In 1969 she begins manufacture of jewelry.

The success became possible thanks to her husband, Fernando Steinberg, who discovered this material. It consisted of layers of painted rhodoid – cellulose acetate sheet, close to Bakelite. The layered structure of rhodoid allowed the inclusion of other materials, usually metal or fabric, such as lace. Making the cut and working on shapes, Léa Stein received a polychromatic “plastic”, varying in color and texture.
Jewellery, created in the 1970s includes rings, bracelets and earrings, but mostly brooches. The subjects are various: insects, cats, dogs, birds, children figurines, and ornaments copies Joan Crawford and Elvis Presley. Other favorite motifs included machines images, stars, hats, hearts, rainbow, eyes and flowers.
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