Kaleidoscope effect

Starburst clear rhinestone faux pearls brooch. 1990s. Dillards vintage costume jewelry

Dillards vintage costume jewelry (1976-2000)

One of America’s largest department store chains, Dillard’s, Inc. headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, was founded in 1938 by William T. Dillard. The company grew and expanded its business especially rapidly in the 1970s, acquiring smaller companies, chains and stores. In addition, the company has launched hundreds of its own brands, including dozens of jewelry trademarks. The oldest of these was the eponymous jewelry brand, which appeared in 1976. Later, Dillard’s launched such jewelry brands as Laura Gayle (1988-2009), Gallery Design (1990-2016), Pinnacle (1990-2003), Cezanne (1991), IN-VEST-COPIES (1992-2016), Copper Key ( 1995-1999) and many others.
Among most notable Dillard’s jewelry lines are Crystal Collection and Dillard’s Boxed Collection with classic and holiday designs of brooches, earrings and pendants. The company collaborated with various jewelry designers, who made jewelry for Dillard’s. This explains the variety of designs, styles, and materials used to create jewelry. In particular, gold, silver and alloys of gold and silver tone, enamels, crystals, mother-of-pearl, glass, faux and natural pearls, etc.
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Basset Hound Dog brooch. 18 K gold, diamond, enamel, ruby, black onyx. 1960s. Signed FC Frascarolo bestiary jewelry

Signed FC Frascarolo bestiary jewelry (1946-1976)
The history of the Italian jewelry brand Frascarolo began after the Second World War and ended in 1976.
Italian jewelry designer Pierino Frascarolo (1928–1976), aka Rino was born into a wealthy family in Milan. In 1945 he began his career as an apprentice at Fratelli Lunati. Already in 1946, together with his two colleagues Aldo Lenti (1910-1982) and Daniele Valiera (1912-1978), 20 year-old Rino founded “Frascarolo and C” in Ferrara, northern Italy.
Since 1966, the company specialized in the design of animals in gemstones, enamel and gold. A small team of 20 designers, artists and jewelers created unique designs for brooches, rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, cufflinks and tie clips. The greatest success, especially in the United States, was the “Bestiario” collection, with designs of birds, small mammals and large cats. Also, the company produced money clips, key rings, watches, lighters, lipsticks and even umbrella handles.
Strong demand for the company’s jewelry led to business expansion and a doubling of the workforce. In addition, Frascarolo & Co. Inc. was opened in 1970 in New York.
However, despite great success and prosperity, for many reasons, the company ceased to exist in the 1970s. The collapse of the company was influenced by the departure of iconic employees such as the Tizzani brothers, and then Aldo Lenti, not to mention the tragic death of Pierino Frascarolo himself in 1976.
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Cat brooch of gold tone. 6 cm. 1980s. Signed Chloris vintage costume jewelry

Signed Chloris vintage costume jewelry (January 1985- October 1993)
The history of the French jewelry brand Chloris lasted a little less than a decade. Founded in 1985, the jewelry company Chloris Ltd. ceased to exist in 1993. The costume jewelry atelier was located in Sausset-les-Pins on the Côte d’Azur in the south of France, near Marseille. The company’s craftsmen hand-crafted brooches, earrings, bracelets and necklaces, which today are extremely rare and highly collectible.
The traditional materials used in the creation of jewelry were gold, silver, lucite, hematite, crystals and art glass imitating natural stones. Carefully crafted from high-quality materials, Chloris jewelry was sold in jewelry boutiques throughout France.
The markings on the back of the items included the word “Chloris” in block type on a rectangular cartouche and without a copyright mark.
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Genuine pearl 12 K gold flower brooch. 1960s. Signed R Inc vintage costume jewelry

Signed R Inc vintage costume jewelry (1963-1971)
The history of Rolyn Inc began sixty years ago in Rhode Island as a family business owned by Anthony A. Rendine (1929-1993).
Incorporated in August 1963, the Rolyn manufacturing company was located at 189 Macklin street, Cranston. According to 1967 RI Supreme Court record, Rolyn used to organize jewelry shows and had a display booth showing jewelry items sold by the company at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence.
A small team of jewelers handcrafted exquisite classic floral-leaf design brooches, circle pins, earrings and necklaces. They traditionally used precious metals and natural stones. In particular, 12 and 14 carat gold, sterling silver, jade, genuine pearls, cubic zirconia, crystals and rhinestones.
The marking included the word “INC” inside a wide letter “R”, copyright symbol and ‘Sterling”, or “1/20 12k G F” for metal purity.
Made primarily in the 1960s, Rolyn costume jewelry has become a collector’s item.
Notably, since 1971, Rolyn, Inc. continued to produce quality jewelry under the new brand name Chante, which is a division of Rolyn. Chante supplies retailers worldwide under a private label agreement.
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Christmas tree vintage brooch. Silver tone, enamel, rhinestones. 1970s. Signed Avante vintage costume jewelry

Signed Avante vintage costume jewelry (1957-1983)
The history of the Avante jewelry brand spans less than three decades. It was originally a family business founded in North Bergen, New Jersey in 1957. Avante Products Corporation owned three jewelry trademarks, experienced ups and downs in the 1970s, and finally ceased to exist in 1983.
The company’s small design team handcrafted two lines of jewelry. Firstly, holiday pins and brooches with traditional Christmas motifs – Santa Claus, sleigh, deer, wreath, etc. Secondly, floral, leafy and classic design brooches, bracelets and earrings. A characteristic feature of the Avante design is the exquisite filigree technique. Most often, craftsmen used gilding and silvering, metal alloys, art glass imitating natural stones, multi-colored enamel, mother-of-pearl, faux pearls, crystals and Aurora Borealis rhinestones. The markings included the word “Avante” on an oval or rectangular cartouche, depending on the design. Noteworthy, the copyright sign in the marking appeared only after 1970.
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Heart and ribbon brooch. Light green guilloche enamel, silver. Norwegian jewelry designer Albert Scharning (1875 – 1950)

Norwegian jewelry designer Albert Scharning (1875 – 1950)
Born in Oslo, Albert Scharning was a brilliant Scandinavian silversmith whose fine jewelry is now highly collectible. Noteworthy, his handcrafted silver and guilloche enamel jewelry is reminiscent of the work of another famous Norwegian silversmith David Andersen. Perhaps it would be difficult to distinguish the products of these two jewelers, if not for the markings on the reverse side of the products.
25-year-old Albert opened his own jewelry store in Molde, where he sold, designed and commissioned traditional Norwegian jewelry known as Bunad. One of the companies he collaborated with was the Oslo-based Norsk Filigransfabrikk, which made silver filigree jewelry. Albert took over this company in 1910, and headed it until 1927. In addition, he continued his business in Molde.
Albert’s son Per Scharning assisted his father in the family business and took over the company after his father’s death in 1950. Per successfully managed the company and produced contemporary silver and enamel jewelry of his own design. The company, founded in 1900, ceased to exist in 1980.
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Asian man in the garden round pendant. Black metal, faux stained glass. 1970s. Signed Jan Max vintage costume jewelry

Signed Jan Max vintage costume jewelry (1970s)
The history of the Jan Max jewelry brand lasted for a rather short period, less than five years. Founded in 1970 in Trenton, New Jersey, a domestic profit corporation Jan-Max Inc ceased to exist in the mid-1970s. Due to the short period of the company’s activity, the brand is almost unknown, and jewelry from this brand is rare on the vintage jewelry market.
Jan-Max handcrafted brooches, pendants and earrings have become collectible today. Hallmarked “Jan Max” jewelry has its own unique design, clearly different from other brands. So, the most characteristic is the use of the “stained glass” style with East Asian and Art Nouveau motifs. Traditionally, the company’s craftsmen used such materials as paper, plastic and black metal, along with metal alloys of gold tone, multicolor enamels and rhinestones.
Noteworthy, maker’s mark includes “1971 Jan Max” with a copyright sign.
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