Showing posts with label vintage brooch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vintage brooch. Show all posts
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Welcome to 2015: Fall of the Brooch! #FallOfTheBrooch
Reposted with permission from Chris Cravens, Owner, VintageCravens
Since my very first peek into Grandma’s jewelry box, I’ve been fascinated by sparkly, colorful and fun pins. I love to wear vintage and antique brooches as accents to collars, jackets, handbags and even as additions to chokers and chains in the form of pendants. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see several prominent designers feature this classic style element with new twists in their fall 2015 collections.
To help you get started with this wonderful trend, I've included some of my favorite examples below and pieces from my fellow Vintage Jewelry Sellers on Etsy team members.
Want to celebrate with VJSE??? Use #FallOfTheBrooch to share your favorite ways to wear these classic beauties in new ways this fall and late summer!
Brilliant cobalt blue sets the stage for late summer/early fall and is a perfect canvas for pastel floral accents in this stunning outfit by Delpozo*. An easy way to get this look is to incorporate vintage Mid-century enamel flower pins - one or a few - on your flowing blouses.
Looking for a way to accent your bold fashion choices in a new way? Derek Lam* hit the nail on the head with this look. An abstract vest and pants with large zipper pockets leave little room for accessories. I love the sweet round brooch peeking out above the vest on the base of this model's turtleneck. There is a special place in my heart for rolled gold Victorian and Edwardian brooches in many shapes and sizes. While many are ornate, they tend to have strong design lines such which compliment their delicate engraving and would be perfect to re-create this look with an added measure of grace.
Do you see a brooch in this picture? Technically, Rodarte* didn't include a pin on their choker, but this is one of my favorite ways to wear small antique/vintage pins. Simply use a short leather choker or a ribbon tied around your neck and clasp your brooch onto it. Simple and chic!
I love the simple lines and geometric accents in this ensemble by Suno* - they remind me of one of my favorite eras, Art Deco. Wearing a bold brooch on a well constructed vest or poplin shirt is always a classic fashion style. Try pairing an Art Deco brooch with your vest in contrasting colors like Suno does here, or similar shades of the color for a subtler look.
Dolce and Gabanna* pairs gold and black in this stunning ensemble. During the 1950s/1960s, several leading designers produced pins similar to these. Some of my favorites are goldtone brooches accented by faux pearls and rhinestones by Crown Trifari, Coro, Hattie Carnegie, Weiss and Lisner. To get this look, try using multiple pins on a black sweater or heavy jersey shirt. These pins would also look great on white as summer fades into fall!
* Model photos courtesy of Elle magazine New York Fashion Week 2015 Highlights
Since my very first peek into Grandma’s jewelry box, I’ve been fascinated by sparkly, colorful and fun pins. I love to wear vintage and antique brooches as accents to collars, jackets, handbags and even as additions to chokers and chains in the form of pendants. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see several prominent designers feature this classic style element with new twists in their fall 2015 collections.
 |
| Alexander McQueen Resort 2016 via Vogue |
To help you get started with this wonderful trend, I've included some of my favorite examples below and pieces from my fellow Vintage Jewelry Sellers on Etsy team members.
Want to celebrate with VJSE??? Use #FallOfTheBrooch to share your favorite ways to wear these classic beauties in new ways this fall and late summer!
 |
| Click to See More VJSE Floral Brooches |
Looking for a way to accent your bold fashion choices in a new way? Derek Lam* hit the nail on the head with this look. An abstract vest and pants with large zipper pockets leave little room for accessories. I love the sweet round brooch peeking out above the vest on the base of this model's turtleneck. There is a special place in my heart for rolled gold Victorian and Edwardian brooches in many shapes and sizes. While many are ornate, they tend to have strong design lines such which compliment their delicate engraving and would be perfect to re-create this look with an added measure of grace.
 |
| Click to See More VJSE Victorian Brooches |
Do you see a brooch in this picture? Technically, Rodarte* didn't include a pin on their choker, but this is one of my favorite ways to wear small antique/vintage pins. Simply use a short leather choker or a ribbon tied around your neck and clasp your brooch onto it. Simple and chic!
 |
| Click to See More VJSE Small Brooches |
I love the simple lines and geometric accents in this ensemble by Suno* - they remind me of one of my favorite eras, Art Deco. Wearing a bold brooch on a well constructed vest or poplin shirt is always a classic fashion style. Try pairing an Art Deco brooch with your vest in contrasting colors like Suno does here, or similar shades of the color for a subtler look.
 |
| Click to See More VJSE Art Deco Brooches |
Dolce and Gabanna* pairs gold and black in this stunning ensemble. During the 1950s/1960s, several leading designers produced pins similar to these. Some of my favorites are goldtone brooches accented by faux pearls and rhinestones by Crown Trifari, Coro, Hattie Carnegie, Weiss and Lisner. To get this look, try using multiple pins on a black sweater or heavy jersey shirt. These pins would also look great on white as summer fades into fall!
 |
| Click to See More VJSE Goldtone Pins |
* Model photos courtesy of Elle magazine New York Fashion Week 2015 Highlights
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Christmas in July - Sensational Sales from VJSE
The following VJSE shops are having
Christmas in July Sales
I'm having a CIJ sale
starting July 1st and everything in the shop,
excluding home décor section will be 25% off. No coupon code needed.
excluding home décor section will be 25% off. No coupon code needed.
________________________________________________________________
CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE starts July 6 - at least 20% off all
vintage items and beads - some pieces are discounted more
________________________________________________________________
15% off everything in my shop through the month of July
with coupon code CIJ2015
________________________________________________________________
CIJ starts July 5 with 20%
off entire shop no code needed
________________________________________________________________
First time having a sales
event.CIJ 15% off everything starts now,
July 1 through July 31 with coupon
code: 15JULY15
________________________________________________________________
Merry Christmas in July -
Ho Ho HO! CIJ - 20% off entire
shop - no code, sale prices already taken off
Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas! (in July)
Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas! (in July)
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
The Classic Style of Kramer
By Pamela Lappin, owner of MadgesHatbox
When someone mentions vintage costume jewelry, what comes to mind for most of us are the fabulous rhinestone laden pieces of the 1950s. One of the foremost names in this classic jewelry style was Kramer.
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| 1950s "Diamond Look" Ad |
In 1943 Louis Kramer founded Kramer Jewelry Creations, Inc. His two brothers Harry and Morris arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and ran the business aspects of the company allowing Louis to concentrate on jewelry design.
Kramer was different from other companies in two respects. At a time when many costume jewelry manufacturers were located in Providence, Rhode Island, Kramer made their home in New York City. Also, while they designed all of their pieces, most of the actual manufacture was jobbed out to other companies such as Delizza & Elster.
Kramer was different from other companies in two respects. At a time when many costume jewelry manufacturers were located in Providence, Rhode Island, Kramer made their home in New York City. Also, while they designed all of their pieces, most of the actual manufacture was jobbed out to other companies such as Delizza & Elster.
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| Watermelon Rhinestone Full Parure from ZephyrVintage |
In addition to their classic pieces, Kramer was also well known for their more whimsical floral pieces in rhinestones and/or enamel.
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| Kramer Enamel & Green Bead Ear Clips from DianaKirkpatrickArt |
In the construction of the their jewelry, the rhinestones were usually prong-set. The backs of earlier pieces were either plated with gold or rhodium, a shiny silver-colored metal. Later pieces in the 60s and 70s had textured backs rather than smooth.
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| Kramer blue & Green Prong-Set Rhinestone Dome Brooch from VintageMeetModern |
There are several general rules for dating costume jewelry that can be applied to Kramer and many other companies. Prior to 1955 jewelry makers were not able to use copyright law to protect their designs. So any piece marked with a © is later than 1955. Often jewelry companies placed design patents on their pieces prior to that date as copy protection. These numbers are searchable online and show the date the patent was granted which will give you the earliest date a piece might be made. Design patent numbers start with a D.
Sometimes the patent number is for a mechanism, such as an earring back or a necklace clasp, rather than the design. These are called utility patents and these numbers are also searchable. Bear in mind, however, when searching a utility patent, companies usually used mechanisms for longer periods of time.
Metal was rationed during WWII so costume jewelry companies used sterling silver instead and pieces from that time period are marked as such.
Metal was rationed during WWII so costume jewelry companies used sterling silver instead and pieces from that time period are marked as such.
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| Brooch Design Patent from 1949 |
When dating Kramer Jewelry it is helpful to know the marks used by the company. These marks include Kramer, Kramer of NY, and Kramer of New York. Rarer marks include Kramer Austria, Kramer Sterling, the Diamond Look and the Golden Look. Kramer also made a second jewelry line in the 1960s called Amourelle, designed by Frank Hess who came to the company from Miriam Haskell. The Amourelle pieces are very reminiscent of Haskell pieces of the same vintage.
Dior pieces are usually marked Christian Dior by Kramer. You may also see Dior by Kramer or Kramer for Dior. The Beene pieces are marked in an oval with Kramer© in the middle of Geoffrey Beene. Unfortunately many Kramer pieces in the 1950s and 60s were unmarked and only identified with a paper hangtag, now long gone.
Some of the company’s marks that are helpful in dating their pieces:
- Kramer and Kramer Patent Pending - prior to 1955.
- The Diamond look late 40s - 1950s.
- The Golden Look – 1950s
- Dior marks 1950s – 60s
- Amourelle – 1960s
- Geoffrey Beene – 1970s
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| 60s Black Thermoset and Rhinestone Necklace from JoysShop |
Like so many other American costume jewelry companies, by the 1970s Kramer found it increasingly hard to compete with cheaper imports. The company closed at some point in 1979 or 1980.
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| Gold Metal Starburst with Faux Pearls from Blisstiques |
If you are interested in collecting costume jewelry Kramer is a good place to start as it fairly easy to find and is of such high quality. There is so much variety in Kramer jewelry you are sure to find something to your individual taste. If you find one of the rarer marks such as Geoffrey Beene sure to snatch it up before I do!
View all of the wonderful Kramer Jewelry
from the VJSE Team
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| Click for more Kramer |
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