Kaleidoscope effect

Diamond sterling silver 14 K gold heart pendant. Signed JWBR fine jewelry

Signed JWBR fine jewelry
Sparkle of diamonds and all kinds of precious stones fascinate and attract the eye. Looking at them, everything fades. They are so beautiful that they fascinate and beckon to themselves.
The history of JWBR jewelry trademark began twenty-three years ago. Registered in March 1998, and renewed in 2019, the trademark is still active. Noteworthy, JWBR was the first among 61 jewelry trademarks owned by Renaissance Jewelry New York, Inc. The company is a part of Renaissance Global group, which employs about 3000 people in various countries.
Traditionally, the company jewelers work with precious metals and gems – gold, silver, diamonds, garnets and other natural stones. Their fine jewelry pieces are sold in departmental stores like JC Penney, Kohls, Macys, Walmart, as well as at prestigious auctions.
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Kokoshnik brooch. Gold tone metal, crystals. Moscow, 1963. Soviet vintage costume jewelry

Soviet vintage costume jewelry
First of all, there were no private jewelry workshops in the Soviet Union, at least officially registered. Instead, there were state-owned jewelry workshops and factories producing both expensive and costume jewelry. Traditionally, the vintage jewelry market offers products from the Ural, Leningrad, Shcherbinsky metal haberdashery and jewelry factories. Also, products of the Soviet republics that were once part of a single country called the USSR. In particular, the products of the Kharkov (Ukrainian SSR), Tallinn (Estonian SSR) factories, the Yerevan experimental plant “Souvenir” (Armenian SSR), and others.
Formed on the basis of a workshop at the Ural Society of Natural Science Lovers, Sverdlovsk Jewelry Factory was one of the most significant and important factories. The craftsmen made jewelry from silver and gold with jasper, rhodonite, corundum and other gems and precious stones.
The Amber Factory of the city of Kaliningrad was and remains famous producer of amber jewelry. Also, Veliky Ustyug and the Severnaya Chern factory produced exquisite museum worth wearable art jewelry.
Noteworthy, Soviet jewelry designers preferred to use natural gems and semi-precious stones instead of rhinestones, or art glass imitating gems.
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Clown with balloons brooch. Gold tone metal, enamel. 7.8 cm. 1970s. Signed Elle vintage costume jewelry

Signed Elle vintage costume jewelry
Using fashion as a benchmark for creative inspiration, ELLE’s designs, like the pages of ELLE magazine, changed from season to season as colors and fashion trends changed. A series of figural clown brooches in colorful enamel clothing on gold-tone metal, marked on the back with capital letters “Elle”, appeared in the mid-1980s. Circus-inspired style, bright clothes, and statement jewelry was in the 1980s fashion trend, partly embodied in the casual style.
Magazine Elle was first published on October 1, 1945 in Paris, but the history of costume jewelry labeled Elle began in the 1960s. The English translation of the French word “Elle” is “She”, it was SHE who became the inspiration for the first jewelry pieces. A tall and slender model from the runway or from the pages of a fashion magazine formed the basis of the design of the 1960s.
The value of vintage jewelry made in the 1960-80s is that the jewelers made them by hand. Hand painted in bright colors, each brooch, each bracelet, or a pair of clips is a work of art. Traditionally, jewelers used high-quality alloys of metals, zinc, rhodium, and sometimes 10 K gold and silver. Jewelry made before the 1990s is quite heavy, in contrast to jewelry made from lightweight aluminum after the 1990s.
Elle markings include: “ELLE” (1960-80s), “Elle Woman Paris” (1980s), and since 1990s – “925 Elle China”.
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Proverbial designs rendered by the fine traditional silver smiths of Taxco, Mexico. Anne & Jane Harvey vintage artisan jewelry

Anne & Jane Harvey vintage artisan jewelry
American artist and silversmith, Jane Harvey (b. 1964) established her family business “Anne & Jane” in 1989. It was a jewelry studio located at 850 E Oak St Fort Bragg​, California. Anne Harvey, who worked in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico (since 1984), moved to Fort Bragg​ and joined the family business. Talented artists and designers, the sisters created whimsical pendants, earrings and brooches from sterling silver, metal alloys and enamel by hand. Traditionally, their designs included animalistic and nature inspired motifs, as well as houses and objects. They signed their jewelry creations with “A & J Harvey 925”.
In fact, most vintage items have marking “Anne Harvey Mexico sterling”, before Anne joined her sister’s business. Thus, the history of jewelry of the Harvey sisters is more than 30 years old. Noteworthy, their last large collection of realistic cats, dog breeds, as well as deer, leaves designs appeared in 2017.
Handcrafted in limited editions, these vintage pieces are collectible.
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Abstract design brooch by Caroline Strieb. Sterling silver, 18k gold, opals, carved onyx. 1987. Eric Russell and Caroline Strieb jewelry art

Eric Russell and Caroline Strieb jewelry art
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based innovative goldsmith, Eric Russell (b. 1954) began making jewelry at the age of fourteen. And he was hanging around craft shows while he was still in high school. Strieb and Russell met by chance in the Philadelphia studio of Jonathan Stember in 1979. Strieb was working there on her course artwork at Philadelphia College of Art. And Russell was working there for the Rhinebeck Craft Show. He got together with Caroline in 1979, and they both reinforced and supported each other.
In 1982, they launched their creative family business. Through the years, Russell and Strieb’s work has retained the sense of controlled chaos-there are many elements in each piece, but they always coexisted harmoniously. Russell’s work grew more complicated in technique as the years went by, and his skills grew along with his artistic vision. From 1981 through 1985, Russell and Strieb took part in art exhibitions and sold their jewelry at gallery shows.
Traditionally, the designers used sterling silver, 14k, 18k, and 22k gold, colored gemstones, tourmaline, pearls, diamonds and other gems and minerals.
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Rose flower brooch. 5 cm. Gold plated, faux pearl. 1980s. Signed Aconda vintage costume jewelry

Signed Aconda vintage costume jewelry
The history of Aconda-branded vintage jewelry spans about three decades, from the late 1950s to the 1980s. Based in West Germany, the company produced fur clips, tie pins, lapel pins and brooches in classic and Art Deco style. Traditionally, the craftsmen of this company used metal alloys, bronze and silver with 14 carat gold plating. They also used zirconia, crystals, rhinestones, faux pearls and enamel. Each product was marked with the word “Aconda” and a copyright sign. Distinguished by very fine workmanship and high-quality Aconda jewelry is rare and collectible.
Unfortunately, there is no more detailed information on the Internet about the company that produced costume jewelry in the 50-80s of the last century in West Germany. Nor is it in the archival documents on the registration of patents, companies and trademarks.
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Floral design bouquet brooch. Gold tone metal alloy, faux pearls. 5.5 cm. 1980s. Alexis Lahellec vintage costume jewelry

Alexis Lahellec vintage costume jewelry
A renowned French fashion and home interior designer, Alexis Lahellec began his creative career in the 1960s. In 1980-90-s the designer has created a unique collection of costume jewelry which is highly collectible now. Noteworthy, while creating his jewelry, the artist worked in collaboration with other designers. In particular, he collaborated with the jeweler Yaron for a long time, after whom he named his first jewelry collection, created in 1983. Also, he created a jewelry collection in collaboration with the artist and fashion designer Nicolas De Waël.
Handcrafted from chrome plastic “Cookware” collection (1985) was a great success. Since 1986 he started using hammered golden resin. Also, he created a series of colorful costume jewelry made of handpainted resin reminding the work of Niki de Saint Phalle. Traditionally, the designer marked his pieces with his full name “Alexis Lahellec” and “Paris”, or “made in France”.
Unfortunately, Lahellec is no longer creating jewellery. Instead, he is working on interior design, furniture and decorative items.
Wearable art, Avant Garde design statement costume jewelry created by Lahellec, is sold at art auctions, and the price of it will rise.
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