Kaleidoscope effect

Masterpiece of 19th century jewellery art – gold brooch with micromosaic. Castellani antique style jewellery

Castellani antique style jewellery
Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794-1865) became known as the pioneer of the revival of Greek and Etruscan styles. He produced his masterpieces in antique style in cooperation with his sons: Alessandro (1823-1883) and Augusto (1829-1914). By the end of the 1850s, Castellani’s workshop in Rome became a pilgrimage site for the British, who sought to obtain delightful gold ornaments with decorative motifs from the arsenal of classicism: shells, rosettes, urns, amphorae, rams, etc.
Noteworthy, Castellani reinterpreted the Greek and Etruscan styles in a new way. And before him the jewelers believed that nothing new could be learned from this period. Castellani also turned to the recent past, studied the methods of gold processing, but then set himself a difficult task: to discover the secret of Etruscan granulation. He managed to achieve impressive results and create a method, similar o that used by the Etruscans.
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A gold enameled necklace with moonstone. Work by Fred Partridge. 1900. British vintage jewelry Liberty and Co

British vintage jewelry Liberty and Co
English merchant Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty (13 August 1843 – 11 May 1917) opened his first shop in London in 1875. And since 1894 he began to receive orders for jewelry of famous jewelers and companies. In particular, Archibald Knox, the leading designer of the movement “Arts and Crafts” and Jesse Marion King (1875-1949).
Liberty jewelry is often made of forged silver, which creates a handmade effect, decorated with blue and green enamel and semiprecious stones. A great interest for collectors – his necklaces in floral motifs. Traditionally, the decorations of Liberty show the influence of Celtic motifs.
The jewelry company “Liberty and Co.” became famous for making author’s jewelry available to the general public. Its design skilfully combined the principles of the “Arts and Crafts” movement with quality mass production. Besides, the products of this company were simultaneously fashionable, beautiful and affordable.
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Lucite heart flower brooch. 1960s. Judy Lee vintage costume jewellery

Judy Lee vintage costume jewellery
Blanche Viano, a fashionista and a beauty, in 1949, opened a small company Judy Lee for the sale of jewelry in Chicago (USA). However, the origin of the company name remains unknown. According to Blanche, the company was only a means of additional income for a young family. Soon her husband Aldo Viano became an assistant and general manager of the company.
Originally, the company Judy Lee was not a jewelry manufacturer working as a well-known company Emmons, or Sarah Coventry, i.e. invested in projects. In particular, found the best designers, the best manufacturers and sold products at parties or wholesale in the country’s largest stores.
Judy Lee jewelery had excellent designs, reasonable price for the average buyers. According to Aldo Viano, the rapid success and prosperity of the company was due to the “fair play”, i.e. high quality products and customer service. With special gratitude he remembered a lot of talented designers with whom he was lucky to work, but in order not to miss someone, to offend his inattention, he deliberately did not mention the names.
The company worked until 1968. All of the company’s magnificent jewelry is now highly valued by collectors of the vintage jewelry.
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Exquisite Christmas Brooch, transparent and emerald rock crystal, cabochons of ruby glass. The 1990s. length 11 cm £ 95-100 CRIS. Cristobal London vintage costume jewellery

Cristobal London vintage costume jewellery
Founded in London in 1986, “Cristobal” is an international company for the sale of bijouterie in the XX century. In the late 1990s, owners Steven Miners and Yay Tammakote issued their own line of jewelry, in which four series stand out: The Butterfly Collection, The Secret Garden Collection, The London Collection (earrings and necklaces) and The Christmas Collection (with several Christmas brooches). These amazing decorations are popular among collectors not only in England. Noteworthy, the designers used Austrian crystals (mostly 1940-1950’s), manually inserted into magnificent color compositions. Also, frosted plastic, glass, colored rhinestones, Swarovski crystals, and other high-quality materials.
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Scary face bracelet. Golden copper. Herve Van der Straeten jewellery

Herve Van der Straeten jewellery

Known for its interior design, the Herve Van der Straighten company, based in Paris, began to manufacture costume jewelry in limited quantities in the 1990s. Rare and very popular among collectors, many of the company’s works are made of 24-karat yellow gold-plated brass, gilded copper, decorated with pearls and semiprecious stones of manual processing. The firing and polishing are characteristic for Herve Van der Straeten work on metal.
Traditionally, each Hervé Van der Straeten jewelry decoration with its geometrical design is a statement piece that will reinvent your look.
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Vintage, 1950s brooch. Green Rhinestone, gold tone metal. Beautiful Hollycraft costume jewellery

Hollycraft costume jewellery
The history of Hollycraft began in 1939 in New York, when an Armenian immigrant Joseph Chorbajian founded a company called The Hollywood Jewelry Manufacturing Company. The talent and oriental temperament of Joseph Chorbaijan allowed him to invent unusually bright expressive ornaments, which the customers liked very much. The company gradually increased production. At the same time, the circulation of jewelry was still quite limited. In 1939, Archie Chorbajian and Jack Hazard, who previously worked as a jeweler at CORO, joined the company and brought a lot of ideas.
However, with the outbreak of the Second World War, the development of the family business was somewhat suspended. A new stage of development began after the end of the war. To begin with, the company had to change its name, becoming Hollycraft not to be confused with another famous company – Joseph of Hollywood. The peak of its popularity Hollycraft reached in the 1950s. Especially popular became Christmass jewelry collection, as well as charming floral decorations. Also, complete jewelry sets consisting of bracelet, earrings / clips, necklace and brooch. Among the collectors are in great demand jewelry made of patinated metal, reminiscent of antique gold.
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Brooch in the form of a horse’s head. Hand bent and corrugated gold. 1980. width 4.5 cm £ 100-150 LB. Internationally recognized Hermes jewellery

Internationally recognized Hermes jewellery
French businessman, Thierry Hermes (1801-1878) was the founder of high fashion brand Hermes International. Born in Germany in 1801, he moved to France in 1821. He founded his workshop for the manufacture of leather goods in 1837. Originally, he produced the highest quality saddles, shoes, household items, scarves and bags, as well as ornaments. The full name of the company was Hermès International S.A. Since 1950, the company’s logo is a horse-drawn carriage. Today we know “Hermes” mainly for its silk scarves, ties and exclusive bags and suitcases. Noteworthy, everything produced by Hermes – characterized by a stylish design, quality and high craftsmanship.
One of the charms of Hermes is the company’s individual approach to each design. Each clock and jewelery gets an injection of playful and somehow philosophically French energy. Fortunately, Hermès designers manage to maintain practicality, form and a healthy dose of indulgence in relation to whims in an ideal balance.
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