| The first time costume jewelry appeared
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| | Available Supply
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| in the United States was shortly after
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| | Material Quality
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| World War I. Purchased in small French
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| | Craftsmanship
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| boutiques by soldiers about to return
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| | Indeed, there were dozens of companies
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| from the war, the inexpensive but
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| | competing in this massive market but they
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| dazzling fashion jewelry was an immediate
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| | produced jewelry in varying quantities.
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| hit with the women back home. As new
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| | There were the larger companies such as
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| designs featuring a host of new
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| | Coventry and Coro who quite often
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| semi-precious stones and unique materials
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| | produced thousands of pieces in each
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| were released, it caused a rapid rise in
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| | design. Then again, you also had
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| popularity. These bright and vibrant
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| | manufacturers such as McClelland and
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| pieces became ubiquitous fashion
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| | Barclays who produced much smaller
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| accessories during the roaring twenties
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| | volumes. Accordingly and when all other
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| with American companies dominating the
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| | factors are held constant, such pieces
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| landscape. Some of the most popular
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| | made by them both rarer more prized by
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| American manufacturers of costume jewelry
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| | collectors. Doing your homework is
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| include:
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| | important because even the large players
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| Coro
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| | produced some designs in small quantities
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| Eisenberg
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| | making them more valuable than typical
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| Weiss
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| | pieces from the company.
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| Coventry
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| | Without question, stone quality is a
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| Trifari
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| | large variable when it comes to assessing
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| An Antique costume piece is any piece of
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| | the value of a piece of vintage jewelry.
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| jewelry that does not prominently feature
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| | While none of the stones would be
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| precious metals (though some feature
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| | considered "precious" in the traditional
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| silver and may be gold plated) or
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| | sense, there were companies that
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| gemstones while also being mass produced.
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| | manufactured pieces using superior
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| The cheap jewelry could be purchased for
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| | quality semi-precious stones and
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| a fraction of what the fine pieces cost.
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| | gemstones, such as:
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| Essentially, the fashion pieces became
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| | Eisenberg
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| the "cheap" alternative to similarly
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| | Bogoff
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| designed fine pieces made of out precious
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| | Weiss
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| metals and displaying precious gemstones
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| | Hollycraft
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| like sapphires or rubies.
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| | Eisenberg is famous for using exceptional
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| Virtually any vintage costume bracelet,
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| | stones so finding a piece that is not
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| necklace, or pendant could be purchased
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| | already high-priced is very difficult.
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| for $4-10 in most cases prior to World
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| | However, it is still possible to find an
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| War II. Poor sales and the Great
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| | inexpensive yet valuable an unsigned one.
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| Depression forced some manufacturers to
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| | Focus your efforts on locating pieces by
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| close their doors. Surprisingly, however,
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| | Weiss, Bogoff, and Hollycraft as they
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| a lot of the companies survived and did
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| | tend to be somewhat undervalued on the
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| quite well after the second world war.
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| | market and thus make a better investment.
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| All-time record sales were seen all
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| | Other than the stones and materials, the
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| throughout the 50's-60's thanks in no
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| | quality of metal and craftsmanship will
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| small part to advertising advances like
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| | factor into the value of a piece.
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| television. Today, high quality costume
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| | Manufacturers known to consistently craft
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| pieces are more popular than ever and
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| | superior pieces were:
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| make great gift for young girls,
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| | Eisenberg
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| teenagers, and even adults just looking
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| | Trifari
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| to add some diversity to their jewelry
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| | Kramer
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| collection.
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| | Money
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| Despite costing relatively little when
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| | Danecraft
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| first launched, vintage fashion jewelry
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| | If you develop a sharp eye and really
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| produced in the years 1920-1970
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| | learn how to identify the unsigned
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| potentially are worth many times their
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| | vintage pieces by top manufacturers like
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| initial value. Incredibly, there are many
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| | Eisenberg, you can really turn a hefty
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| pieces being sold in flea markets for a
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| | profit just by browsing e-Bay and flea
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| few bucks while being worth hundreds!
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| | markets. In many cases, the vendors don't
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| There are three main things that help
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| | realize the value of the piece and a
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| determine the value of vintage costume
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| | buyer can have it for pennies on the
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| jewelry:
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| | dollar.
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