Kaleidoscope effect

Made by Artique Ltd Barbara Lavallee artistic jewelry (1970s-2016)

Barbara Lavallee artistic jewelry
A world-renowned artist, Barbara Lavallee has lived in Alaska for over fifty years, celebrating the traditions and culture of its indigenous people with her art. Born in 1941 in Iowa, Barbara grew up in Wisconsin. Her mother was an art teacher, and the girl followed in her footsteps. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and taught art to the Alaska Natives for several years.
Her interest in Alaska Native culture is evident in her work. Paintings, prints and jewelry designs reflect the unique world of the Alaska Native people – women, children, cats and their daily activities.
Interesting and unusual are the brooches made by Artique, Ltd based on Barbara’s drawings depicting the inhabitants of Alaska. These are stylized women, men, animals – bizarre, lively and always dressed in bright colors, made in colorful enamel.
Founded in 1971 in Anchorage, Artique Ltd was the first gallery in Alaska to represent artists in the marketing of their work. The company ceased to exist in 2016.
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Fashionista jewelry lover brooch. Gold, seed pearls, rubies, turquoise. 1950s. French jewelry designer Andre Col

French jewelry designer Andre Col (1936-1970s)
The history of the André Col jewelry and watches brand began in 1936 in Paris. The founder of the eponymous brand, Andre Col was a hereditary jeweler who opened his own jewelry house at 10 Victor Hugo Avenue. Col collaborated with many jewelry companies located on Place Vendôme in Paris, carrying out special orders, including for VIPs. Notably, Andre Col jewelry ranged from expensive jewelry with the use of precious metals and diamonds to more affordable everyday wear jewelry. The marking traditionally included André Col Paris, and was often part of the design, such as on watch dials.
In fact, the jeweler became most famous in the 1960s, when cinema and opera stars became his clients. Also, in the 1960s, the legendary fashion house Christian Dior chose him to launch their first line of wristwatches. Noteworthy, the talented and creative designer collaborated with famous artists and photographers to create advertising posters. As a result, the advertisements they created in the 1960s promoting André Col jewelry and watches became collectibles in their own right.
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Plane brooch pin. Silver marcasite. 1970s. Signed FAS vintage costume jewelry

Signed FAS vintage costume jewelry
The history of the FAS jewelry trademark began in 1976 in New York. The trademark was owned by “Designs by FMC, Inc”, a jewelry company located at 1533 60th Street Brooklyn, New York, NY 11219 (USA).
FMC created bracelets, pendants, earrings and rings, as well as costume jewelry. In the early 1990s, jewelry production was moved to China and Thailand, and then sold to the United States. In addition to sterling silver, craftsmen created fashion jewelry using gold.
Noteworthy, there is some confusion with the FAS abbreviation, as Chinese silverware manufacturers used the abbreviation FAS as an alloy of silver.
Besides, some decipher the abbreviation as “Fused Alloy Silver” or “Fantastic Antique Silver Company”. In fact, there is a very similar FAS trademark in the China Trademark Registration Database. However, their labeling is different from that of the American company. In particular, the letter A in Chinese markings is without a horizontal line crossing the letter “A”. Thus, pay special attention to how the letter “A” looks on the stamp.
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Bird brooch. 18 K gold, platinum, emerald, turquoise, diamond. Made for Van Cleef & Arpels, 1960s. French jewelry designer Georges Lenfant

French jewelry designer Georges Lenfant
Born in the 1880s, French designer Georges L’Enfant grew up in the world of jewelry design. While still a teenager, he worked as an apprentice in jewelry workshops before studying goldsmithing in Paris and abroad. Having founded Duparc et L’Enfant in 1899, Georges opened his own workshops in 1909 at 47 rue des Petits-Champs and 31 rue Danielle-Casanova in Paris. Within three years, Georges attracted the attention of several jewelry magazines, including Revue de la Bijouterie and Joaillerie, which published articles about the young talented jeweler. In addition, the most prestigious jewelry houses of the time noticed his creative and exquisite design and workmanship. As a result, L’Enfant created jewelry for such famous brands as Cartier, Mellerio dits Meller, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co, Hermes, Sandoz, Jean Été, Boivin, Bulgari, Frères and others.
Noteworthy, the product labeling is different. Thus, L’Enfant’s earliest jewelry includes DL (Duparc et L’Enfant), and from 1909 he marked jewelry with his initials GL.
In 1915, his son Jacques, who was only 11 years old, joined the family business. He took over the business in the 1940s and created some of his father’s most memorable designs. Both designers Georges and Jacques collaborated with other jewelry houses. One of them was Sandoz. After many years with Sandoz, Georges Lenfant bought the Sandoz company (1927). In addition, at the end of World War II, L’Enfant acquired Frères.
In 2003, Georges Lenfant ceased to exist.
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Cuff bracelet. Sterling silver, turquoise. 1980s. Larry Sandoval vintage silver jewelry

Larry Sandoval vintage silver jewelry (1970s-1990)
Albuquerque-born American artist Larry Sandoval (1951–1990) handcrafted silver and gold jewelry in the 1970s–1990. A talented Navajo designer, he skillfully used sterling silver, gold and various natural stones – turquoise, coral, opal, amethyst, amber, malachite, abalone, and more. Also, the artist often used the technique of engraving on silver.
Traditionally, Navajo jewelry carries a lot of various symbolism. According to Navajo Indians’ belief, silver and turquoise have spiritual properties, symbolizing wealth and honor. Therefore, Sandoval pendants, bracelets, earrings, rings and brooches, made in accordance with cultural traditions, served as both decoration and amulets. The designer marked his products with the initials “LS”, “sterling” or “14 k gold”.
Noteworthy, among the most famous Navajo silversmiths, the surname Sandoval is quite widespread. In particular, Leroy Sandoval (LS), David Sandoval, Dean Sandoval, Sherry Sandoval, Frank Sandoval, Glen Sandoval and Harry Sandoval. Traditionally, jewelry art, craftsmanship and inspiration have been passed down from generation to generation.
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Squirrel brooch. Gold tone, glitter enamel, rhinestones. 1980s. Leritz vintage costume jewelry

Leritz vintage costume jewelry
The history of the Spanish jewelry brand Leritz began in the late 1970s in Barcelona, ​​and lasted no more than two decades. Faced competition in the 1990s, European costume jewelry companies were forced to move production to Asian countries, where materials and production were cheaper. However, small companies simply closed down or stopped making jewelry and accessories. Among these companies was Leritz Bijoux, Sl.
Leritz costume jewelry is famous for its unique style, high quality, and diverse designs. In the manufacture of jewelry, designers used traditional materials – gold-tone alloys, rhinestones, art glass imitating natural stones and faux pearls. Also, an important feature of the design was the use of multi-colored, including glitter enamel. The color scheme of one collection can have a fairly large number of shades and various color variations. For brave and strong-willed women, designers chose bright, saturated warm colors, and for modest women, cold, translucent ones.
The maker’s mark includes “LERITZ” in block capital letters on a rectangular cartouche.
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Button design silver tone clip on earrings. Linda Levinson vintage costume jewelry

Linda Levinson vintage costume jewelry (1986-2015)
The history of Linda Levinson Designs began over 40 years ago in Chicago, Illinois. Notably, the brand’s founder is a third-generation jeweler whose father, Don Levinson, owned Trabert and Hoeffer Jewels, and her grandfather, Harry Levinson, owned Levinson’s Jewels. They instilled in Linda a love of jewelry. Initially, she created hair and home accessories including frames, garbage cans and assorted trays. Although Linda began designing jewelry in 1980, she founded her own jewelry company, Linda Levinson Designs Inc. after graduating from Tulane University in 1986. Her company’s address was 111 E Oak St 3, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Inspired by ancient Greek, Roman and Victorian motifs, her designs included gold and silver tone alloys, faux pearls, rhinestones and glass imitating natural stones. The marking on the rectangular cartouche includes the designer’s name in capital letters. Linda Levinson jewelry was sold in boutiques and stores in the US and Europe. Her stylish design attracts a wide variety of clients, from celebrities to students.
Noteworthy, Levinson sketched in her studio in Chicago and then sent her drawings to modelers in Rhode Island. There they hand carved the model in wax or metal, hand-cast, electroplated and shipped back to the Chicago studio. The designer then manually finished the ornaments.
Linda Levinson Designs ceased to exist in 2015 and Linda Friend launched another business – “big.fat.cookie”, following her lifelong passion for baking.
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