JEWELRY FAVORITES 

Collectors top choices

January 2001

and UPDATE June 2003

AND NOW... THE RESULTS!!

TRIFARI demi-lunes, wisteria 3-3/4" pin (converted from a fur clip) #T18642 
Violets bracelet 7" by 1-5/8".  #T18643
and violets  fur clip #T21205.   Backs

  TRIFARI "fruit salad"2-1/4"  fur clips, circa 1941.  View    View    view    #T11448

  TRIFARI blue faux moonstone, pave and enameled fur clips, pins and earrings.   #T11651

 
THE WINNER far and away, is Trifari!!! 

Linda Marques said it all for the winner when she said, "Trifari did so much with different styles, findings, and techniques that I have to pick...  Trifari! Trifari! Trifari!"

Trifari won by twice as many votes as any other maker, and Alfred Philippe is the man of choice with his fabulous, inventive and creative 1940's designs. A few examples are shown above, and the pictures tell why these pieces are such valued favorites.  

Much more information can be seen in the Jewel Chat ads "TRIFARI",  and in Morning Glory Collects Trifari. 

HASKELL circa 1940 unsigned parure done in poured glass pink and lavender petals accented with clear rhinestones.  This set includes both a brooch and a dress clip.   View    View    View     #H18804

HASKELL parure combines pastel glass beads and faux pearls with pink glass flowers.  View   View   View   View   View        #H10038/21192/22086/23028/23942

   HASKELL red glass beads and rhinestones 4-strand  13-15" necklace, 7-1/8" bracelet, 2-7/8" pin and 1-5/8" earrings. View   View  #H21195

Much more information can be seen in the Jewel Chat articles "Early Haskell" , "Haskell Jewelry",  and in Morning Glory Collects Haskell. 

HASKELL older unsigned necklace. 

HASKELL pink glass beaded set.
All these wonderful pieces courtesy of Cathy Gordon.

HASKELL red glass beads and mirror backs. 

THIRD PLACE was a two-way tie between Hollycraft and Eisenberg. 

Cathy Gordon's Hollycraft collection is dazzling. HOLLYCRAFT twisted green glass leaves and rhinestones set. 

And her HOLLYCRAFT opalescent and purple rhinestones set.

EISENBERG mermaid brooch, courtesy of Jane at Morning Glory Antiques.  

For six more pages of  pictures and information about fabulous Eisenberg jewelry, please see our article in Jewel Chat on line Magazine at "EISENBERG JEWELRY and Morning Glory Collects Eisenberg. 

FOURTH PLACE and all running very close to one another in votes were JULIANA, BOUCHER, and SHULTZ. 

This JULIANA watermelon bracelet and earrings is typical of why these are favorites... terrific color and dramatic presentation.         

Melt-in-your-mouth JULIANA pastels brooch and earrings.     

JULIANA in fall colors with the original tag, courtesy of Jane at Morning Glory Antiques.

More Juliana pictures and information can be seen in the Jewel Chat article "Juliana, What is it?" and in Morning Glory Collects Juliana. 

The BOUCHER softly and exquisitely enameled pieces, like the SWEET PEA and CHERRY brooches shown above are favorites of Jane Clarke's.    

Pat Seal shared her BOUCHER bracelet and earrings in gold tone with aqua and purple cabochons.    

BOUCHER set in clear and montana rhinestones is one of Beth Rowlands' favorites, and her EAR WRAPS are another.     

Barbara Wood, dealer and collector of SHULTZ bakelite, says, " Well.......I have three pieces of Shultz bakelite jewelry that would hide 'strategic' places, so I guess my vote is, Shultz, Shultz and Shultz.  Two of mine are in the 12-inch range and one is in the 8-inch range.  Wouldn't hide enough skin but would sure warm the spirits!

I have a 12 inch lizard and the palm tree with the Mexican man sitting under it. Also a pelican that is at least 8 inches and an alligator that is probably 8 inches. They are actually too big to wear but the alligator and a smaller 8 inch lizard do  have pin backs."

More on Shultz at "The Collectors: Shultz" and "Shultz Bakelite Jewelry".

This early paved Duette shimmers with light, and what a design triumph!   View

The Queen of Unsigned, and deserving of a big blue ribbon for the most unusual favorite, is Joan Elias' unsigned swami set, shown above.   View

About this set, Joan says, "I don't have the slightest idea who the maker is. It's a parure with the bracelet, necklace, pin and earrings.  The plaques that the steel looking swamis sit upon are Abalone and the bamboo/branch design frames are a soft antiqued gold. There are large red cabs in the bracelet, small red stones in all the turbans and three emerald cuts around the pin.  The large necklace has the emerald cuts and a large red round on the top. 

It is a very heavy set with the back being as beautifully worked as the front.  The heads are all fancy riveted to the backs.  Beautifully hinged.  The set is killer in person, but unsigned.  Any ideas?

Glad you like it too. It's one of the few pieces I am keeping." No wonder, Joan! It is a treasure.

Also from Joan,  a necklace made from huge Czech buttons.  View

Czech necklaces were mentioned often, and Lisa Botsko says of her blue one, shown above, "Jane, here is the one necklace I would take with me on my desert island.  It is what I wear even with jeans to the grocery store!"    View

Elizabeth Armstrong wears her Czech blue enameled and cabochons earrings with joy.   View

This fabulous Czech collar necklace in aqua glass beads was a favorite of Susan Corwin's, and no wonder!    View 

One of the things I have enjoyed most about doing Jewel Chat Magazine is the opportunity to learn, and collectors are all so generous with their jewelry and information. Although these makers did not top the voting list, they piqued my interest as I was not familiar with them. I thought you might enjoy seeing these, too.

From Cathy Gordon, who is a fascinating lady with exquisite taste and a wide range of interests, comes this magnificent ROUSSELET pink and lavender glass bib. The necklace and earrings in the center are also part of her ROUSSELET collection, and she says they are probably made of Lalique glass.    

And finally, a SELINI set that looks like a native from that deserted island! 

WINNERS! 

Over half of the voters guessed that Haskell, not Trifari, would be the winner. Only a few predicted that it would be Trifari. 

Here is the list of jewelry that received  the most votes, in order of preference.

Trifari
Haskell
Eisenberg
Hollycraft
Shultz
Boucher
Juliana
unsigned
Coppola e Toppo
Czech

Regency
Reja
Robert
Rousselet
Schreiner
Selini
Vendome
Victorian
Weiss
bakelite bangles
de Rosa
de la Renta
enamel portraits
filigree
glass beads

It is also interesting to think about all the makers who received no votes at all!

MOST FAVORITE DESIGNERS
in order of votes:

Trifari
Juliana
Haskell
Regency
Schiaparelli
McClelland Barclay
Florenza
Hollycraft
Coro
Dominique
Eisenberg
Hobe
Sherman
Art
Boucher
Coppola e Toppo
DeRosa
Napier
KJ Lane
Pennino
 

LEAST FAVORITE DESIGNERS
in order of votes:

Avon
Sarah Coventry
Monet
BSK
Lisner
Har
Coro
Gerry's
Renoir
Emmons
Haskell
Lane
Juliana
Marvella
Trifari
Schreiner
Les Bernard
Eisenberg
Weiss
Joan Rivers
Kirk's Folly
Swaboda
Lunch at the Ritz
Kramer