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| JEWELRY FAVORITES Dealer’s and Collectors Top Choices Survey, December 2004 |

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I am delighted with the insightful comments from so many dealers and collectors, and thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts. The surprise is that, almost without exception, there were few "name" designers mentioned in the this year’s top sellers, and none of them made the top four list. What a shock! Who would have thought it a year ago? Yes, Haskell is still strong, and a few mentioned Trifari, Schreiner and a couple of others, but the only category mentioned by almost every single dealer and collector was… "UNSIGNED". Just when attributing each and every piece of unsigned jewelry to a well-known maker has become something of an obsession, it seems that collectors are less interested in "name" than in "look". Molly Garza said it for a lot of us who both sell and collect. "Our best selling items are gorgeous unsigned….and I am aiding the economy by spending, too!" Said Myrna Seale, "In last year’s contest, ‘category’ meant almost exclusively specific designers. But for me as a collector it isn’t the designer, it’s "type". Carol Bell. after naming some well-known makers that sold well for her, also said, "A surprise seller for me (since I sell mostly glitzy pieces) were pot metal pins with flower motif, enamel and a few rhinestones." And Jenny Wren said it the funniest, "For me, unsigned pins are smokin’ like a fresh-fired Saturday night special!" I heard it over and over… unsigned, unusual quality pieces won this year, hands down! |
PALE yellow unfoiled and clear rhinestones set in silver and gold tone brooch, 3-1/8". View #Y26172 | ORNATE gold tone 17" by 1-1/2" necklace, 2" brooch and 1-1/4" earrings with mother-of-pearl, art glass cabs and purple and green rhinestones. View View View View View View #Y26348 | SILVER and silver tone leaves and flowers pin with purple stone bug, 5". View View #Y26164 |
AQUA and lavender rhinestone butterfly brooch, 2-7/8". View View View #Y27418 | BASKET brooch with molded glass flowers and clear rhinestones set in pot metal, 2-3/4". View View #Y23932 | AQUA cabochons, clear rhinestones and gold tone acorns pin, 3". View #Y23552 |
GRAPES rose and blue cabochons and green rhinestones grapes brooch, 2-1/3". View #Y25911 | GRAY opalescent cabochons, red rhinestones and cream set in gold tone 6-1/2" by 1-1/2" bracelet, 2" brooch and 1-1/2" earrings. View View View View View View #Y26025 | ENAMEL on pot metal with multi-colored cabochons stylized flower brooch. #Y21295 |
To accent any outfit, this pin and earring set has large pink art glass cabochons surrounded by white, pale lavender, blue and yellow rhinestones. The pin is 2 inches by 2-3/4 inches. Each earring measures 1-1/4 inches high and 1 inch across. Courtesy Carol Bell | LADY with multi-colored head dress brooch. Courtesy Carol Bell | Beautiful seashell art glass trembler stones accent this lovely bracelet. Rhinestone rondells and garnet faceted stones are all hand wired. The bracelet is vermeil finished with a pressure push closure and measures 7×1". A most unusual bracelet and in excellent condition. Courtesy of Molly Garza |
BUTTERFLY, pink and aurora set in gold tone butterfly brooch, 2-1/2". View #Y27480 | ROSE purple watermelon and purple, rose and pink rhinestones set in antiqued gold tone round 2-1/3" brooch with dangle 2" earrings. View #Y27455 | RED and gray rhinestone and pink aurora borealis in japanned setting brooch, 2-1/3". View #Y26927 |
Victorian jewelry is now 100 to 170 years old and like most really great jewelry, it is getting harder to find truly wonderful pieces. Cathy Gordon says, "Two new areas for me this year–Deco, including some fabulous Fahrner pieces and Victorian–lover’s eye, portrait brooches on ivory, garnets, even a Silesian wirework brooch". The appreciation for it has revived again this year, with collectors looking for engraved pieces, hand painted pieces and pieces using unusual materials. Buckle and snake motifs were mentioned, as were earrings. |
VICTORIAN lady photo brooch with seed pearls, black enameling, scroll design, safety chain, 1-1/3". View View #V27581 | VICTORIAN hand tinted little girl photo brooch with seed pearls set in sterling, 7/8". #V27599 | VICTORIAN hair brooch, ornate silver setting with pastes, hair curls, 1-1/2". View #V27578 |
VICTORIAN yellow gold portrait pierced earrings, pendant portion 1-1/3". View View #V27338 | ELGIN 14k lady’s pendant 1-1/4" watch with 1-1/2" watch holder brooch. Watch is #15386609, circa 1910. View View #w25029 | VICTORIAN hair set in etched and enameled gold pierced earrings with three pendants, 1-3/4" top to bottom. View #V27335 |
VICTORIAN gold and enameled 1-7/8" hair brooch with "In Memory Of" encircling frame, engraved on back:
Ms Buchannan died 12th Nov 1843 John Wilson died 4th June 1843
Engraving (Seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed, page 35.) #V9521 | VICTORIAN hair locket brooch with etched flowers and embossed scrolls, engraved on back "FHN". View View #V27368 | VICTORIAN 18k hair brooch/pendant, oval with braided hair in two blonde colors, hair back, 2" wide. View #V18982 |
VICTORIAN vulcanite butterfly pin, 2". See page 121 of Helen Muller’s book "Jet". View #V25282 | VICTORIAN jet pendant with painted porcelain lady portrait, 2". View #V25926 | VICTORIAN vulcanite hand holding key and rose pin, 2-7/8" . See page 127 of Helen Muller’s book "Jet". View #V25281 |
VICTORIAN eye brooch.
Called "Lover’s Eye" jewelry, this brooch is a wonderful hand painted on ivory of a woman’s eye set in gold with pearls, dated 1845. Courtesy of Cathy Gordon | VICTORIAN cut steel set circa 1860, the necklace is 18" by 1-1/3", the bracelet 7" by 1-1/3", early to mid-1800’s. Polished steel faceted studs were riveted to a steel backing to fashion this type of jewelry. View View View View #V25841
| SILESIA wire work brooch in the shaper of a bunch of grapes. Origins of this are still unknown (see Warman’s page 30) though conjectured to come from Silesia. The woven wire mesh is machine-made and Christie Romero circa dates this pin to 1840. Courtesy of Cathy Gordon |
Continuing the interest in older jewelry, the era of the 1920s and 1930s has a very strong following and received many votes from both dealers and collectors. Whether it is Deco, Czech, or filigree, strong unusual pieces fly off the web sites. Sash brooches with Art Nouveau or bizarre motifs won some fans, and Retro was also mentioned by several as a new interest this year. |
Signed Czech oval pin with dark red enamel around the edge, green enamel leaves, and rhinestones. The background looks like basket-weave. Courtesy Carol Bell | FAHRNER Deco necklace and bracelet with rectangular faceted stones in blues and greens, marcasites, all set in sterling, circa 1920, signed Germany.
Courtesy of Cathy Gordon | GERMAN
Deco bracelet–possibly German. Sterling, enamel, marcasites, and green glass stones, some tiny hallmarks. Courtesy of Cathy Gordon |
CZECH CzechoSlovakia multi-colored enameled and rhinestone 3-1/3" pendant 22" chain. View #Q25337 | DECO embossed sterling and carnelian-colored glass "O’s" bracelet, 8" long and each "O" is 1". View #Q24797 | CELLULOID hand painted and set with blue rhinestones 2-1/2" by 3-1/4" pendant on a blue grosgrain 32" ribbon. View View #Q24870 |
RHINESTONE "CheckoSlovak" marked frosted glass and clear rhinestones 3-1/4" brooch. View Mark #Y24802 | DECO clear rhinestones set in silver tone buckle motif 14" necklace and 7" bracelet. View View View #Q26764 | RING Deco marcasite and green glass ring, size 5. View View #G22080 |
FILIGREE silver tone filigree hinged bangle with deep aqua center rhinestone and black and yellow enameling, 7-1/4" by 5/8". View #Q24438 | FILIGREE silver tone filigree 1-1/2" pendant with lavender rhinestone on 24" chain . View #Q24437 | FILIGREE silver tone heavily filigreed hinged bangle with melon molded cranberry center stone, clear rhinestones, 7" by 5/8" by 1/3". View View #Q25401 |
FILIGREE silver filigree, blue molded glass and clear rhinestones necklace, "patn 1257158", 2-1/2" pendant on 16" necklace. View #Q26356 | STERLING and faux carnelian glass cabochon 16" necklace with a 2" front drop and hammered links in the Arts & Crafts style. View View View #Q14982 | DECO crystal balls and clear rhinestones necklace. View View #Q26369 |
DRAGONFLY and poppy sash pin circa 1900. View #Q19163 | SASH pin with unfoiled lavender and pale yellow rhinestones, 2-1/4". Maker’s mark "CS" on the back. View View #i24436 | SASH pin with a serpent curling around an amethyst-colored rhinestone. It is 3" wide and has the older style c-clasp. VIEW #i16557 |
Pam Brooks was one of many who said, "The biggest sleeper is non-jewelry. I’m still in shock!" It seems that many jewelry collectors and dealers are branching out into accessories in a big way… purses, chatelaines, and even old spectacles with the proper new lenses so that they can be used. Natural as it seems to pair accessories with jewelry, it is an area new to some jewelry fans. Accessories this year have taken off like a rocket. |
JUSTIN Arts & Crafts leather purse with enameled frame and latch, tree motif, 5-1/4" by 7". View View View #P26804 | | AMITY Arts & Crafts leather purse with pussy willow motif, 6-1/2″ by 6-3/4″ , 12″ handle. View View View #P26746 |
TIFFANY 1930-40’s petit point evening bag, enameled and sterling metal filigree, frame floral still life motif, 5-3/4" by 8-1/3". ViewView View #P20978 | BLACK petit point purse with colorful floral and leaf motif, 7" by 8". The silver floral and scroll embossed frame is intricate and lovely, with dolphin loops holding a 16" double chain handle. ViewView View View View #P26687 | PETIT POINT purse 9 inches long and 7-1/2" wide across the frame. Beautiful garden motif with many flowers and wonderful colors, the chain handle is decorated with glass beads. View View View View View View #P20987 |
UNGER sterling lady face lorgnette, circa 1900, 4-3/4" by 1-1/2". (Seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed, page 112.) View View #V14745 | | LORGNETTE tortoise ornate pierced 6" lorgnette with inlaid metal dots, edge break on one end of glasses portion. View View View #V23679 |
| CHATELAINE the mirror is hallmarked Birmingham 1904-05, maker’s mark C&N; the pencil holder is marked Chester 1902-3; the match safe is engraved with the initials "HHA"; the envelope-shaped stamp holder is hallmarked Birmingham 1977. The length from top to bottom is 9". View View View View #V20954 | |
Haskell Schreiner Trifari Swarovski Corocraft sterling vermeil McClelland Barclay Regency
| Honorable Mention | European jewelry Contemporary jewelry Clampers & hinged bangles Wood jewelry Figurals Beads |
Many many thanks to all the dealers and collectors who contributed to this years survey! |
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