The indications of QUALITY
in costume jewelry

Vintage costume jewelry varies widely in price and desirability. I am often asked what makes one piece better quality, more expensive and more desirable than another, and below are some of the answers along with examples.

Note: These items were photographed from private collections and are for reference only.
 

Quality of materials~  
Jewelry manufacturers used different quality materials... this is evident even in the pieces we see today. Quality in rhinestones is determined best by brilliance and clarity. The lead content and cut of Swarovski stones, for instance, makes them incredibly brilliant and clear. Good rhinestones, like good diamonds, sparkle beautifully, and inferior ones are cloudier and less brilliant. Inferior stones can be the result of poor condition, but it can also be lower quality stones that were used in the jewelry originally.
 

Clear high quality stones with lots of sparkle and no foil damage (darkening of stones).

   A variety of sizes and shapes of rhinestones increases design appeal and desirability.

  Swarovski stones have a first-class reputation for sparkle, quality and consistency.

  Cloudy and/or grayed rhinestones devalue any piece of jewelry, as do inferior quality dull stones.

   WEISS necklace, bracelet and brooch and earrings in dazzling clear rhinestones.  View   View   View   View   #W1824 

 WEISS clear rhinestone brooch.   View   #W20716

SWAROVSKI  Christmas tree pin.  
View   #K19156 

   CLEAR rhinestone simple floral brooch with a flat design and dim stones .   #Y20731  

Quality of design~  
This may seem subjective but, just as in art, good design has quantifiable elements: composition, use of color, use of material, attention to detail and artistic merit of design. These pieces have it all!
 

Intricate well-balanced artistic design

Historic referenced design

Colorful cheerful design

Trifari "demi-lune" rhinestone pieces with detailed enameling.

   DeROSA 3" fur clip marked R DeROSA with a peacock surrounded by magnificent detail.   View   View   View   View   #d18663

  KRAMER  regal brushed gold tone winged crowned lion brooch with red cabochons and rhinestones, 3".   View   #X21197

   MB ENAMEL cherries brooch with high quality enameling.   View   #B16698

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

Creativity of motif~  
 Detailed hand work work, craftsmanship, mechanical elements and complexity all add to the desirability of pieces like these.
 

 Mechanical pieces

Attention to detail

   Unusual use of materials

Appeal of subject

  COROCRAFT day and night blue cabochon and pave floral 4" brooch.  View  View   OPEN   CLOSE     MECHANISM #C20223

Intricacy of construction~
Flat simple and common pieces with little dimension and design were less expensive when they were originally made, and are not as desirable to collectors now.
The three pictures below are examples of lower quality jewelry. They are wearable, and may even be marketable, but not at high prices.
 

    flat design

stringed rhinestones      

common brooch    

   Clear rhinestones floral brooch.  #Y21211

  RED rhinestones and aurora borealis necklace, 14-15".   View  #Y21977

Clear rhinestones circle brooch.  #Y21055

 
These pieces show more complex design and use of color, and each is more rare. Prices for these would be on the high end of the range of costume jewelry.
 

   Large amount of intricate hand work

  Creative use of stones    

 Combination of layers and materials    

    HASKELL parure composed of purple faceted crystal beads, chartreuse glass teardrops and poured glass leaves, it is enhanced by rhinestones, artificial pearls and filigree work. The necklace is 14 inches long with a 3 inch pendant, matching 2-1/2" wide brooch 1-3/4" earrings. So typical of the things best about Haskell... the intricate work, the wonderful colors, and the delicate detailing.   View   View   View    View    View   View    View   View   View    View    #H19083

  DeROSA rose bud fur clip, invisible set rose colored glass, rhinestones and faux pearl, 4" tall. This is a large piece with unusual elements and three dimensional design.  View    View    View   View   View   View   #d19517  

   FLORAL 3-1/2" brooch in the style of deRosa, but with no signature. Lovely purple glass beads, green enameling and rhinestones.  View   #Y20383  

Rarity~  
Rare and/or one-of-a-kind pieces are which are also well made and in good condition command the highest prices of all.
 

    HASKELL/VRBA this fabulous one-of-a-kind portrait pin was made for a Broadway play by Larry Vrba when he was the designer for Miriam Haskell Jewelry. There was more regal-looking jewelry made for the same play, and I dream of finding other pieces.    View   View   #H10012

  ROSE aurora cabochons and blue rhinestones unusual art glass necklace, probably Austrian.  View   View   View   View  #Y15720

  ROSENSTEIN sterling vermeil enameled and rhinestone frog pins and earrings set.  Set includes 2-1/3" pin, 2" pin, 1-1/4" pin and 1-1/4" earrings. From the 1940's, this set is not an easy one to find, especially with all the pieces shown.   View   View   #X23083

Historical Interest~  
Jewelry that has been featured in books and magazines or has been prominently worn or owned by well-known people has a cachet of its own.
 

 BAKELITE heart and key brooch seen on the cover of  a 1940's Life Magazine  

   "BOOK" pieces.

Pieces with provenance.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

  BAKELITE red heart and key pin.  View  #B16689

  HASKELL early Hess unsigned dress clip. Note the cast metal flower petals set with rhinestones.  #H18844 

VICTORIAN gold and enameled brooch with plaited thick blonde hair under glass with extended pin stem, "In Memory Of" encircling frame, and engraved on back, 1-1/2" by 2": 
Ms Buchannan, died 12th Nov 1843
John Wilson died 4th June 1843
Seen in Christie Romero's "Warman's Jewelry, 3rd Ed, page 35 and in Becker's "Antique & Twentieth Century Jewelry" on page 106.   It also was featured in Southeastern Antiquing & Collecting Magazine, August 2003.  View   View   View   View  #V9521

Ann Southern 1941
 This brooch looks like the STARET bleeding heart brooch circa 1940.    #S18228

Era or Maker Interest~  
Jewelry that is strongly typical of it's era and style is always popular. But conversely, this can also be true of jewelry that is very atypical of a designer or era. See JEWELRY BY THE DECADES to help date your jewelry.
 

 TYPICAL OF ERA  

       TYPICAL OF DESIGNER

UNUSUAL FOR ERA and DESIGNER     

   DRAGONFLY and poppy sash pin.   View  #Q19163 

     HASKELL lavender parure with glass beads, seed beads, petals and leaves.  #H19502

   CARNEGIE enameled cast metal angel child brooch, 4". This is a large and heavy piece with lustrous enameling, and unlike any Carnegie I have seen before.   View   #C23043 

Fashions and Trends~  
What is on the TV stars, what is being talked about by collectors, what is on the fashion run ways... all these influence what is hot and what is not. And like apparel, jewelry fashions may come and go, with prices following suite. Buying high quality, excellent condition, multiple pieces in a set and/or unusual items is a good hedge against the trends of the times.
 

STATEMENTS RINGS

STACKS of BANGLES

THE UNUSUAL

  VEGA enameled ring with a parrot design and red, green and burgundy enameling and Azurite/Malachite (The Azurite is the blue material and the Malachite is the green material), size 10, 2-1/2". Azurite was thought to be an aid to spiritualism by the Egyptians.   View   View   View   #X33331

 SHULTZ bakelite cream, black, red and white bangle stack.   #Bscz17

   Lovely lady brooch purple glass in an intricate and artistic setting. Exactly when and where she was made is uncertain, but she surely is a beauty.  View  View   View    View    View    View 

Personal Preferences and Associations~  
In spite of all other factors, personal taste, sentimental associations and general eye appeal count. Personal associations and preferences often over rule all the other decision making points listed above, so as is often said, "Buy what you like". It will make either your collection or your shop distinctive!
 

    Sentiment.. a piece reminiscent of an special event.

       Personal Tastes

Eye appeal

   SWAROVSKI red glass grapes and pave leaves brooch, a sentimental favorite of mine as it marked a special occasion.  
View   #K20104

     Signed R DeROSA on each piece, peacocks with enameling, faux pearls and rhinestones. A 6-1/2" by 1-1/4" bracelet  View   View   and matching 1-1/8" by 1" earrings and 3" by 2-1/4" dress clip   View     #d18666

    ENAMELED huge 5" floral brooch with rose colored cabochon centers.   View   View   #Y23057

  
Note: These items were photographed from private collections, and are for reference only.  Jewelry that is available for sale can be accessed at the links below.
 

JEWELRY AVAILABLE FOR SALE accessible below.