Vintage Clothing, Eyewear Eyeglasses & Dress, 1950's 1960's 1970's

Necklace Sets

Bracelets

Brooch and Earring Sets

Cuff Link Sets

The following are a list of jewelry manufacturers and the approximate dates when they were made as a guide for beginning collectors.

Art / ModeArt - 1940’s -1970’s
Quite prolific, Arthur Pepper's company Modeart produced a wide variety of styles including florals, figurals, and Chistmas tree pins as well as other holiday designs.
Accessocraft - 1935 - 1996
Around antique shows you'll find collectors and dealers proudly wearing their Accessocraft magnifying glass necklaces in goldtone fillagree style to check more closely the condition of their potential purchases. But Accessocraft's real claim to fame was their war relief pins in which all profits were donated to charity during World War II. In later decades the company produced the jewelry designs of Pauline Trigere and Anne Klein.
Adele Simpson - 1940’s - 1970’s
Jewelry by American Designer Adele Simpson is quite rare and collectible today. Worn by every First Lady from Mamie Eisenhower to Roselin Carter her conservative clothing designs had appeal to professional women everywhere.
Austria - This mark denotes that the rhinestones in the piece are Austrian crystals.
Avon - 1971 - Present
Although Avon is not widely collected is is worth noting that Kenneth J Lane designed some pieces exclusively marketed by Avon which were marked K.J.L. for Avon from 1886 to 1995.
Barclay - 1946 -1957
Very nice mid-century modern designs classic to this era. Not to be confused with McClelland Barclay.
Bergere -1946 - 1979
Although not well known Bergere pieces tend to be high quality, pretty designs which are both good reasons to have a Bergere piece in your collection. I have run across very little of this brand which could simply be a geographic issue or could also suggest it’s a rarer brand.
Beau Jewels - 1950's - 1970's
This brand had some nicely designed sets . Contructed very much like Judy Lee - similar in quality and design.
B. David - 1945 - 1990's
Nicely made and well finished B David's work is well worth collecting. A person may want to concentrate on B David's lovely crown pins that came in a variety of multi-colored designs with pastel and aurora borealis stones.
Bogoff - 1946 -1960’s
Head designer and company founder Henry Bogoff’s beautiful designs are sought out by collectors today for their high quality and amazing beauty. Often the pieces had a rhodium finish which adds to the high quality of the look.
Boucher - 1937 -1972
Decades recommends Marcel Boucher’s beautiful designs as being good investment pieces because of his early association with Cartier as well as the jewelry being of high quality and distinguished design. His jewelry sold in higher end stores such as Saks 5th Avenue and is currently undervalued.
B.S.K. - 1948 - 1970's
Marketed through lower end department stores like Woolworth's.
Hattie Carnegie - 1918 - 1976
Fashion designer Hattie Carnegie began producing jewelry to compliment her clothing line in 1939. The company continued after her death in 1956 for another 20 years. Any jewelry made before her death is the most sought after by collectors. Jewelry associated with a fashion designer or house is a cross collectible and therefore commands higher prices.
Carolee - 1972 - Present
Castlecliff - 1937 - 1977
Castlecliff jewelry wasn't marked until 1941 though scholarship on this company is slightly contradictory Castlecliff produced their jewelry at least through the 1960's.
Cathe - 1961 - ?
Indications are that Cathe, like Judy Lee was sold at jewelry parties in the 1960’s. They tend to be fun designs with unusual art glass stones.
Alice Caviness - 1945 - 1997
Another cross over from the fashion industry Alice Caviness began designing jewelry just postwar and died in 1983 although jewelry that bears her name continued to be manufactured well into the 90’s. Well liked by collectors her older jewelry is quite pricey when found.
Charel - 1945 - ?
Collectors will find Charel pieces similar in design and quality to Lisner.
Ciner - 1931 - Present
Although not highly collected any nice signed piece is worth collecting and Ciner’s older work tends to look like the real thing as the company was originally a manufacturer of fine jewelry. They switched their focus in 1931 to costume jewelry but probably only signed their work after the 2nd world war.
Coro - Corocraft - 1901 - 1998
Early Coro pieces such as Coro’s Duette’s (brooches that separate into two pieces) or Jelly Bellies (brooches with large lucite center stones) are quite expensive and collectible and will hold their value in the future. Later pieces from the 60’s and 70’s are much less desirable unless they are in complete 2 or 3 piece sets. In much of the later jewelry the rhinestones were glued in instead of being prong set so they are much more apt to loose stones with use or be missing stones when found.
Sarah Coventry - 1949 - 1984
You laugh now but this sleeper brand although quite common is very reasonably priced for just that reason so grab some nicer examples while they’re still reasonable. Sets are best.
Danecraft - 1939 - Present
Known for it’s lovely Art Nouveau designs Danecraft silver is still quite reasonably priced and as such is a good investment. Who knows what will happen in the silver market next?
David-Andersen - 1876 - Present
Well known for their enameled sterling silver jewelry, often with a leaf or floral motif. This jewelry will be marked DA Norway. Quite expensive and well collected today.
Delizza & Elster - 1947 - 1990
Delizza and Elster manufactured jewelry of the highest quality. Always very solidly made this company unfortunately never signed their pieces but did paper label a line called Juliana in the late 60's. More and more is known about this company's jewelry thanks to the efforts of several studious dealers and the company founder himself. D and E's secret ingredient was the extra helping of fabulousness they put into every piece.
DeMario - 1945 - 1960’s
At first glance many of DeMario’s faux pearl designs look much like Miriam Haskell’s work with lovely gold tone filigree. The DeMario jewelry I’ve come across is very beautiful but has not held up well with time. If stored in a damp or humid climate (like a damp Oregon basement) this jewelry is likely to have some sort of corrosion of the metal parts turning bluish green or black this corrosion is irreversible and usually not cleanable as once you’ve cleaned the green away you’ve worn the gold tone off the metal or the metal will be black under it. Stay away from any piece that shows this type of damage.
Christian Dior - 1947 - Present
Dior’s untimely death in 1957 at the height of his career was indeed a loss to the fashion world. His fashion sensibility ruled the post war world with the introduction of his New Look. Any of his jewelry designs from this era would command a very high price - if you could get your hands on one. Most of what a collector can find today will be licensed jewelry from the 80’s or 90’s and should be reasonably priced.
Eisenberg - 1914 - Present
One of the most collected of the vintage jewelry brands Eisenberg is still in business today. Originally a clothing manufacturer that made dress clips and rhinestone buckles to adorn their dresses. The clips became so popular that the company started to manufacture them to be sold on their own. Eventually in the 1950’s Eisenberg gave up on the clothing line altogether in order to concentrate on their jewelry line. Most collectible today are the earlier art deco pieces marked Eisenberg Originals. Look out for yellowing stones or missing stones as Eisenberg tended to use a combination of prong set stones and paves of glued stones.
Elzac - 1940's
Known for their fabulous ethnic face pins in lucite and ceramic, Elzac's figural pins have increased in value over the years often fetching $100 or more.
Emmons - 1949 -1981
Sold at home Tupperware style parties.
Eugene - Early 1950's - 1960's
This designer for Miriam Haskell's jewelry line broke out on his own in the early 1950's. Working out of New York, Eugene continued to design Haskell-esque jewelry. Very high quality and beautiful Eugene's jewelry is sure to increase in value.
Florenza - 1948 - 1981
Florenza is quite well thought of by dealers and collectors today. The signature look is gold tone or antiqued gold tone settings with large colorful rhinestones. Named to honor his wife Florence, Dan Kassoff’s company also manufactured pieces for other quality jewelry companies of the time.
Gale - 1955 -?
The jewelry I’ve seen from this company has been higher quality prong set rhinestone sets. Although not well known this company’s jewelry is harder to find than other manufacturers of the time and it’s for this reason that I recommend picking it up when you can find a nice piece in mint condition.
Garne -1945 - 1960’s
Givenchy - 1952 - Present
Another notable fashion house Givenchy was founded by Hubert de Givenchy in 1952. This French designer’s work is highly collectible and the house is still a major presence in the fashion world.
Goldette - 1958 - 1970's
Hardly worth mentioning except to say that a Goldette tag will be greeted with a ho-hum by most dealers and collectors.
Har - 1950’s -1960’s
Quite rare and always fabulous Har’s fantasy pieces are a great find for any collector. Expect prices to be quite high.
Laguna - 1944 - 1980
Maker of aurora borealis crystal bead necklaces and other beaded pieces from the 50's and 60's.
Robert Larin - 1968 - 1972
Canadian modernist Robert Larin was working out of Montreal in the late 60's and early 1970's. Most pieces are signed R. Larin and are made from cast pewter.
Les Bernard - 1963 - 1996
Bernard Shapiro, son of Harold Shapiro of the Vogue jewelry company joined forces with Lester Joy and formed the LesBernard company in 1963. Because it is more recent the Les Bernard company’s jewelry is not highly collectible as yet but many pretty pieces can be found quite reasonably today for just that reason.
Miriam Haskell - 1924 - Present
Best known for her faux pearl jewelry Haskell’s work is wonderfully intricate and beautiful. With hoards of fans including dealers and collectors alike, Miriam Haskell jewelry remains quite high in price and for good reason. Haskell used the highest quality materials and the beauty of the work speaks for itself.
Hobe - 1927 - 1990’s
William Hobe founded the American Hobe Cie jewelry company in 1927 and sold mainly through high end stores. From bead work to rhinestones to sterling Hobe’s pieces are always top quality and are prized by collectors today.
Hollycraft - 1948 - 1971
Hollycraft was the trademark of the Hollywood Jewelry Manufacturing Company. Hollycraft has a signature look usually characterized by multi colored pastel rhinestones on a gold tone or antiqued gold tone setting. Though very pretty Hollycraft rhinestone jewelry is rarely prong set so check the piece over very carefully for missing stones.
Georg Jensen -
Georg Jensen founded his silver company in 1904 and died in 1935 but his company and legacy live on. Collectors of modern design covet the work from this company which include pieces from modern architect Arne Jacobsen of Ant and Swan chair fame. Jewelry with the Georg Jensen mark commands very high prices in today’s market. Even a small unassuming brooch can fetch over $200. The older more intricate jewelry would make fine investment pieces.
Jomaz - 1946 - 1981
An offshoot of the Mazer Brothers Company, Joseph Mazer founded his company in 1946. Some of the jewelry by Jomaz was designed by Andre Fleuidas in the 50’s and more recently Adolfo in the 70’s.
Joseff of Hollywood - 1935 - Present
Eugene Joseff, a designer of jewelry for Hollywood films founded Joseff of Hollywood in 1935 and continued designing for the company until his death in 1948. His widow Joan Castle took over operations of the company after that and later pieces may bear her name. Joseff’s work can be seen in a myriad of films ranging from Gone With The Wind to Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The association to such films and to many movie stars who wore his jewelry keeps prices for his jewelry very high.
Juliana - 1967 - 1968
Recently discovered by collectors Juliana is the house brand label of Delizza and Elster. This company’s high quality rhinestone jewelry is unmarked and can only be identified through particular manufacturing techniques.
Karu -1940 - 1970’s
At first glance Karu’s quality designs look much like the work of another quality manufacturer Weiss. Though not well known Karu’s jewelry is well made and as such is quite collectible.
Kramer - 1943 - 1979
Also marked Kramer of New York, Kramer jewelry is avidly collected as it is always high quality and well designed. Prices of Kramer jewelry are quite reasonable considering quality and demand.
Krementz - 1930’s -1960’s
Krementz is best known for it’s gold filled jewelry from the art deco to mid-century periods. Krementz made men’s cuff links, tie clips and a full line of women’s jewelry also.
Kenneth J Lane - 1963 - Present
After working for Vogue and Dior, Kenneth Jay Lane (K.J.L.) founds his own costume jewelry business in 1963. His designs adorned a long list of notables from Liz Taylor to Princess Dianna and he is still in business today.
Laguna - 1944 - 1980's
If multi-strand necklaces are your thing Laguna is right up your alley. Laguna often used colorful art glass beads in their work. Strangely interspersing plastic beads with beautiful glass ones they somehow make this work for stunning results. You'll find the signature on the hook clasp.
Judy Lee - 1958 - 1980’s
Sold in Tupperware style jewelry parties the Judy Lee brand is not widely collected which makes it a pretty good buy as it’s moderately priced and the pieces were usually well put together and nicely designed.
Leru - 1956 - 1960's
Classic mid-century designs, you'll find the look similar to Coro and Lisner of this era. Lots of moon glow lucite sets as well as plastic and rhinestone pieces.
Lisner - 1904 - 1979
With a long history of jewelry manufacturing the Lisner pieces a collector is likely to find today date from the 1950’s and 60’s when costume jewelry was at it’s height. Like the later Coro pieces much of Lisner’s later pieces did not use prong set stones and often lose stones with storage and wear. Some of the better of the future collectible Lisner are the pieces with plastic elements like leaves or flowers. Try to buy these in full sets but it shouldn’t be hard to piece a set together if you found a single piece you like as Lisner jewelry is quite common.
Marvella - 1911 - Present
Marvella is not highly sought after however there are many nice pieces of Marvella out there. This company specialized in faux pearl jewelry. Pearls come in and out of fashion so expect prices to raise when you see pearls in the fashion magazines.
Matisse - 1952 - 1964
See Renoir
Mazer - 1926 - 1951 and 1946 - 1981
Joseph and Louis Mazer started their company in 1927 and made jewelry with the Mazer Bros mark. Marcel Boucher designed for the Mazer Bros company for a time before striking out on his own in 1937. Joseph Mazer left the Mazer Brothers company in 1946 to start Joseph J. Mazer & Co. The Mazer and Jomaz marks were first used in 1946. See Jomaz
Monet - 1937 - Present
Like Trifari the key to collecting Monet is to buy the older pieces as Monet is easy to find at department stores at reduced prices most of what I see around tends to be made within the last 2 decades and is quite easy to find.
Napier - 1922 - Present
Another maker that is currently in business selling through large department stores is Napier. Early pieces will be hard to find but the newer pieces are plentiful and prices are cheap.
Ora - 1940's - Present
Ora's beautiful art deco designs were great quality and are being produced today from the original molds. For this reason collectors should be shy about buying a piece without knowing the provenance.
Pannetta -1945 -1995
Designer Beneditto Panetta started his company in 1945 after working for both Trifari and Pennino. Collectors appreciate the high quality of his work and prices reflect that.
Pennino - 1926 - 1961
Brothers Frank and Oreste Pennino started their company in 1926. Austrian crystal rhinestones and vermeil were often used and this jewelry is very collectible in today’s market.
Phyllis - 1940’s - 1960’s
Well made, though not well known the Phyllis jewelry company sometimes used sterling silver settings.
H. Pomerantz - 1930's - 1960's
Founded by Herman Pomerantz, jewelry by this designer is quite rare and very little is known about the company. Older pieces are marked H POMERANTZ INC. N.Y. Some pieces are reminiscent of Joseff of Hollywood designs
Pauline Rader - 1963 - 1980's
Reja - 1939 - 1953
From 1939 to 1941 marked Deja.
Regency - 1950’s - 1970’s
I’m a big fan of Regency jewelry. It is always of the highest quality and often used unusually shaped stones like leaf motifs. Their beautiful color combinations and quality settings were often Japanned and were always well designed. I highly recommend Regency jewelry for all of the above reasons.
Renior - 1946 - 1964
This beautiful copper based jewelry is usually modern in design reflecting mid 20th century design esthetics. My favorites of these are the multicolored enameled pieces made by Renoir’s sister company Matisse which opened in 1952. This jewelry has lots of fans and is much harder to find than it used to be. Snap it up next time you see a piece you like.
Robert - 1942 -1979
Like DeMario, Robert’s faux pearl work resembles Miriam Haskell’s designs. Look the metal over very carefully for corrosion. Other pieces may be rhinestone or enamel.
Nettie Rosenstein - 1935 - 1960's
Starting her career as a milliner the Austrian born designer produced clothing from the 1920's through the early 1960's. Look for her silver vermiel pieces with colorful enamel.
Elsa Schiaparelli - 1930’s - 1960’s
From surrealism in fashion design to shocking pink, Schiaparelli’s designs and reputation speak for themselves. The legendary fashion designer created jewelry designs as well. Very colorful, high quality bold designs are her signature look. Very collectible, very expensive, jewelry with her signature will hold it’s value for years to come. Beware of fake Schiaparelli jewelry in which the name is misspelled.
Schreiner - 1951 - 1970’s
High quality and beautiful, this New York maker’s designs are quite desirable now. Known for “reversing” the rhinestones so the facets catch the light Schreiner often used crystal rhinestones.
Adele Simpson -1950’s
Very high quality classic mid-century jewelry designs produced in limited quantities originally priced very high all contribute to this designers jewelry being rare and expensive today - if you can find it!
Star - 1940’s -1960’s
Lea Stein - 1969 - 1981 and 1988 - Present
Often mistaken for lucite, celluloid or even bakelite Lea Stein's rhodoid figural pins especially the fox pins are simple, colorful and collectible.
Taxco - Many Mexican silver designers have a huge following today. Especially designers that were working in the 1940's. During World War II shortages and rationing of brass, copper and other hard metals made silver the metal of choice for much of the jewelry of that period. Much of this work came out of a small town in Mexico called Taxco. Some pieces will be signed and some will not. Names to look for are William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Hector Aguilar, Los Ballesteros, and Los Castillo. There are many many other silver marks and designers. Collectors of these pieces often settle into collecting the work of one or two designers. Beware of items bearing the mark "Alpaca" as they are not silver.
Trifari - 1918 - Present
With Trifari as with any maker that is still producing jewelry the key is collecting the older stuff. The Trifari Jelly Belly as well as the Coro versions are sought after today bringing high prices as they have been collected for many years.
Vendome 1944 - 1979
Known to collectors for beautiful bead work Vendome’s parent company Coro started using this name for their higher end jewelry in 1944. Eventually in the 1950’s the Vendome brand had a full line of jewelry
Vogue - 1936 - 1973
Volupte - 1926 - 1950’s
Better known for their elegant compacts Volupte had a very nice line of jewelry in the 1950’s.
Warner - 1953 - 1971
Joseph Warner’s lovely rhinestone jewelry is solidly made and could remind one of other makers such as Karu, Weiss or Regency. Also of note are his “blooming” mechanical flower pins which open and shut by moving a lever.
Weiss - 1942 -1971
Weiss is a maker that used Austrian crystal rhinestones which speaks to the quality of the work. Weiss jewelry is highly collected today but is still reasonably priced. Most of Weiss’ early jewelry uses prong set stones on beautiful settings. Some of their later work is not as high quality with the stones just glued in. Check these pieces over carefully for missing or replaced stones and pass on them if they are not perfect.
Joseph Wiesner - 1950's
I haven't found any reliable information showing a connection between the jewelry marked Wiesner and the accessories marked Wiesner. Neither is rare by any means, both are always lovely designs.
Wiesner of Miami- 1950's
This multi faceted accessory company advertized heavily in Vouge magazine. Their Trickettes line featured compacts, perfume bottles, lipsticks, pill boxes and the like encrusted with rhinestones, faux pearls and genuine mother of pearl.
Whiting and Davis - 1930’s - 1991
Vintage clothing collectors and antique enthusiasts will recognize the Whiting and Davis name as being associated with metal mesh purses from the 1920’s, 30's and 40’s (as well as a come back in the 1980’s). They did however produce a line of jewelry that is coveted by collectors today. Look for their cuff bracelets or mesh bib necklaces.

The following is a list of tems used in jewelry collecting as a guide for beginning collectors.

Antiquing - the process of giving something a faux patina to make it look aged.

Aurora Borealis - an iridescent coating washed over crystal, glass beads or rhinestones.

Art Deco - An art movement characterized by clean lines popularized after the Paris Exhibition of 1925.

Art Nouveau - A decorative art movement of the late Victorian and early 20th century period characterized by flowy floraform designs.

Bakelite - Named after the inventor Leo Baekeland this early plastic was invented in the first decade of the 20th century and was widely used in product and jewelry design throughout the middle part of the century. The words catalin and bakelite are associated with brand names of the manufacturers and tend to be used interchangeably as a generic term for the same phenolic plastic material. Highly collected, this material came in a wide array of colors and was used in everything from silverware handles to multicolored child’s crib toys. The jewelry made from bakelite can be very expensive now and there are reproductions and fakes on the market so buy from a reputable dealer. Many less experienced dealers will mark items bakelite that aren’t so learn how to test bakelite yourself if this is a field of collecting you enjoy.

Bangle - a cylindrical or oval bracelet which slips over the hand onto the wrist.

Cameo - a relief cut shell often in the profile of a woman’s head used as the centerpiece of a piece of jewelry. Costume versions may also be of molded plastic or reverse cut glass.

Celluloid - Invented in the Victorian period this material was the first plastic made.

Clamper - a bangle style bracelet with a spring hinge that when closed makes a clamping sound.

Confetti - sparkling confetti in Lucite sometimes in the shape of tiny stars, crescent moons and diamonds popular in the late 50’s into the 60’s.

Cuff - an open ended bangle style bracelet with enough space between the ends so it can be slid onto the wrist from the side instead of slipping the hand into it like a standard bangle.

Duette -a brooch that separates into two pieces that can then be worn as dress, collar or shoe clips.

Expansion bracelet - a circular bracelet that expands to fit over the hand like a metal watch band.

Foiling - a reflective mirror like film flashed to the back of a rhinestone or cabochon to make the stone brighter and improve light reflectiveness.

Jelly Belly - Primarily made by Trifari and Coro these whimsical brooch and earring designs are characterized by a large lucite or glass center stone.

Jet - term used generically for any black glass or rhinestone jewelry. Also refers to petrified coal used in Victorian mourning jewelry.

Lariat - a long beaded rope-like necklace usually worn knotted in front popularized in the 1920’s

Lavaliere - an ornamental charm or pendant usually worn on a fine metal chain.

Lucite - A translucent clear plastic originally invented in the early 1930’s lucite wasn’t in wide use until the 1940’s and beyond.

New Old Stock - New old stock - also known as "dead stock" - is an antiques industry term for vintage items that have never been used. Sometimes coming from forgotten stashes of stores that closed long ago, sometimes items purchased but for whatever reason never worn. Items in this category may have the original price tags on them. Sometimes abreviated N.O.S. sometimes NWOT - new without tags or NWT.

Paste - this term is interchangeable with the word rhinestone perhaps used because rhinestones are often pasted (glued) into a setting.

Patina - refers to the look of a piece as the result of the natural aging process.

Rhinestone - a glass or crystal “stone” cut or molded to look like a natural gemstone often backed with mirror-like foiling for maximum reflectiveness.

Rhodoid - a type of cellulose plastic made from natural fibers rather than petroleum. See Lea Stein.

Seed Pearl - a tiny pearl or faux pearl the size of a small seed.

Suite - A large group of matching jewelry; parure.

Rhinestone - cut or molded glass or crystal “stone”.

Trembler - a piece of jewelry with a part or parts attached with springs allowing the part to shake or "tremble" when worn.

Vermeil - gold plated sterling silver.

Watermelon Stone - a rhinestone with a pink center feathering into a green outer ring.