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Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ
Last Post Oct 11, 2009 10:57 AM by: the_jeweled_feline
Replies: 45
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rumor_has_it
Posts: 5,748

Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

May 12, 2005 9:48 PM

INTRO: I'M NEW TO VINTAGE JEWELRY. HOW DO I IDENTIFY WHAT I HAVE?


INTRO: GREAT PLACES TO START


ADVERTISEMENTS FOR VINTAGE JEWELRY


AMBER


AVON


ASIAN AND ORIENTIAL SYMBOLS


BAKELITE


BAKELITE - FAKE


BASIC JEWELRY FACTS


BLACK JEWELRY - IS THIS VICTORIAN "JET"?


BLACKAMOORS


CAMEOS


CLEANING


DATING JEWELRY


EBAY - CLOSED VINTAGE JEWELRY BY DESIGNER - SEE WHAT IT WENT FOR!


ENAMELS


EUROPEAN JEWELRY (VICTORIAN, CZECH, ART NOUVEAU, ART DECO, ETC.


FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS


FRATERNITY PINS


EARRING HISTORY


EARRINGS - WHY DID SAILORS WEAR THEM?


FAKES AND REPRODUCTIONS


GEMSTONES


GLASS VERSUS PLASTIC


GOLD


HERALDIC SYMBOLS AND SUCH


HASKELL SITE BY CATHY GORDON


HASKELL LIKE BUT NOT HASKELL


IVORY, BONE AND SUBSTITUTES


JULIANA


WHAT IS ATTRACTED TO MAGNETS


MARKS ON JEWELRY - VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS


MERDOKS BROS., LTD.


NATURAL STONES AND MINERALS (ID, COLORS, ETC.)


ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS TO JOIN


PEARLS


PATENTS - ALL


PATENTS - EUROPE


PATENTS - USA


PHOTOGRAPHING JEWELRY


PRETTY TO LOOK AT AND LOTS OF GOOD INFO


PLASTICS (PLASTIQUARIAN)


SARA COVENTRY


SILVER - IS THIS SILVER?


SILVER, GENERAL


SILVER - AMERICAN HALLMARKS


SILVER - BRITISH HALLMARKS


SILVER - MEXICAN HALLMARKS


SILVER - MODERN SILVER


SILVER - MYSTERY MARKS


SILVER STANDARDS


SWAROVKSI


TERMINOLOGY, HISTORY AND HELPFUL INFO


TRIFARI AND MORE


RHINESTONE styleS AND CUTS


RESOURCE SITES


WATCHES







I'M NEW TO VINTAGE JEWELRY. HOW DO I IDENTIFY WHAT I HAVE?


Like all of us we had to start somewhere.


This FAQ and the jewelry board are here to help. We love questions but be forewarned we're a little nuts and a lot of fun. We don't make fun of you because you don't know vintage costume jewelry. Before we became passionate about vintage jewelry we didn't know either...and we keep learning every day!


You may be a person who has acquired costume jewelry through a family or estate acquisition. Maybe it is not you area of expertise and you want to know NOW what the heck it is. Many of the experts on this board have become "experts" over years and years of handling and looking at vintage costume jewelry.
Understandably you may be anxious to list something on ebay quickly and come to this board for a fast answer. Understand however that not all answers are correct so doing your own research is the best way to ensure you know what you have to receive the best price in the current market.


In our fast pace society everyone wants everything now. But to help us we need you to do a bit of detective work on your own. Therefore we have put together this FAQ to help you "help yourself". Pictures of both the front and back (repeat the back) are critical. The front tells us the "glitter and glamour". The back can help us date the piece due to markings, attachments, etc.
If you are not sure how to post a picture here is a good link:


Link


Please read it because believe you me we will hound you for photos. We need to see!!!!


Vintage costume jewelry is a vast arena and some of the jewelry is documented however much is not. There are hundreds of thousands of pieces of unique vintage in existence that will never be explained on a web site or book or even by us. Like the Titanic some things will never be explained.
But if after viewing the links and informative posts you still are "stumped" then by all means post a topic and we will do the best we can to help you.


Back To Top




GREAT PLACE TO START


Link


Link


Link


Back To Top




ADVERTISEMENTS FOR VINTAGE JEWELRY


Link


Back To Top




AMBER


Link


Back To Top




AVON


Link


Back To Top




ASIAN AND ORIENTIAL SYMBOLS


Link


Back To Top




BAKELITE


Link


Link


Link


Back To Top




BAKELITE - FAKE


Link


Back To Top




BASIC JEWELRY FACTS


Link


Back To Top




BLACK JEWELRY - IS THIS VICTORIAN "JET"?


Link


Back To Top




BLACKAMOORS


Link


Back To Top




CAMEOS


Link


Back To Top




CLEANING


Link


Back To Top




DATING JEWELRY


Link


Back To Top




CLOSED VINTAGE JEWELRY EBAY AUCTION BY DESIGNER. JUST SELECT FROM THE LIST


Link


Back To Top





ENAMELS


Link


Back To Top




EUROPEAN JEWELRY (VICTORIAN, CZECH, ART NOUVEAU, ART DECO, ETC.


Link


Back To Top




FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS


Link


Back To Top




FRATERNITY PINS


Link


Back To Top




FAKES AND REPRODUCTIONS


Link


Link


Back To Top




GEMSTONES


Link


Link


Link


Back To Top




GLASS VERSUS PLASTIC


Often times we are asked the question about how to tell if something is glass or something is plastic.


One method to tell if a stone is plastic or glass is to tap them on your tooth. Glass will have a colder feel and a ring to the sound...where plastic is warmer and has a duller sound. Just tap a glass glass on your tooth and then a piece of plastic. You will feel and hear the difference


Back To Top




GOLD


Link


Back To Top




HERALDIC SYMBOLS AND SUCH


Link


Back To Top




HASKELL SITE BY CATHY GORDON


Link


Back To Top




HASKELL LIKE BUT NOT HASKELL


Link


Back To Top




IVORY, BONE AND SUBSTITUTES


Link


Link


Back To Top




JULIANA


Link


Back To Top




WHAT IS ATTRACTED TO MAGNETS


Link


Back To Top




MARKS ON JEWELRY - VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS


Link


Back To Top




MERDOKS BROS., LTD.


No sites have yet been found. All that is known is that the company was founded by two brothers Charlie and Francois Merdok in Paris sometime in the 1920's. No identifying marks have yet been found.


Back To Top




PLASTICS (PLASTIQUARIAN)


Link


Back To Top




NATURAL STONES AND MINERALS (ID, COLORS, ETC.)



Link


Link


Link


Back To Top




ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS TO JOIN


Link


Link


Center For Jewelry Studies:
Link


Back To Top




PEARLS


Link


Back To Top






PATENTS - ALL


Link


Back To Top






PATENTS EUROPE


Link


Back To Top






PATENTS USA


Link


Back To Top




PHOTOGRAPHING JEWELRY


Link


Back To Top




PRETTY TO LOOK AT AND LOTS OF GOOD INFO


A ZILLION SPARKLES


Link


ABSOLUTELY VINTAGE


Link


COSTUME JEWELRY THE COLLECTORS INDEX


Link
JUNKYARD JEWELERS


Link


MILKY WAY JEWELS


Link


MORNING GLORIES


Link


SASSY CLASSICS


Link




SARA COVENTRY


Link


Back To Top




SILVER - IS THIS SILVER?


Link


Back To Top






AMERICAN SILVER HALLMARKS


Link


Back To Top




BRITISH SILVER HALLMARKS


Link


Back To Top




MEXICAN SILVER HALLMARKS


Link


Back To Top




MODERN SILVER


Link


Back To Top






SILVER GENERAL
Link


Link


Back To Top




SILVER - MYSTERY MARKS


Link


Back To Top




SILVER STANDARDS


Link


Back To Top




SWAROVSKI


Link


Back To Top




TERMINOLOGY, HISTORY AND HELPFUL INFO


Link


Link


Back To Top




TRIFARI AND MORE


Link


Back To Top




RHINESTONE styleS AND CUTS


Link


Back To Top




RESOURCE SITES


Link


Back To Top




WATCHES


Link



Back To Top



EARRING HISTORY


Did you know that the oldest mummified body ever found (frozen in an Austrian glacier and discovered in 1991) was over 5,000 years old and had both ears pierced?


Did you know that many primitive tribes believed that by piercing ones ears, it prevented demons from entering the body? Their beliefs that demons entered the body through the ears lead them to wear metal earring, which supposedly repelled the evil spirits.


The use of an ornament attached to the ear lobe dates back to remote times. Such jewelry is even mentioned in the first book of the Bible, Genesis (35:4).


Ancient physicians like Hippocrates and Galen recorded clinical uses of earrings and other forms of ear stimulation for various problems, particularly "women's ailments".


In Europe, around the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the use of wigs and elaborate coiffures were fashionable, earrings were worn less frequently because the wigs and hairstyles tended to obscure the ear, and earrings became obsolete.


Not until the 19th and 20th centuries did earrings see a resurgence in popularity, especially after the introduction of the "new" clip earring around 1930. This innovation allowed those without pierced ears to wear this beautiful form of jewelry.


Screw backs were patented in 1894 and were popular into the 1950's.


After 1930 came the clip earring. Pierced earrings came back into fashion after 1930.


Long tassel earrings were fashionable during 1920 to 1930.


Back To Top





WHY DID SAILORS WEAR EARRINGS?


Did you know that sailors used to wear a gold earring in one ear so that if they died at sea and their bodies washed ashore, the earring would pay for a Christian burial? They also believed that having one ear pierced improved their eyesight.


Back To Top



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suzanbuckner
Posts: 3,241
(1 of 45)

Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

May 14, 2005 8:00 AM
OMG!!THANK YOU SO MUCH!! YOU are a wonderful goddess for this thread!!!!!!!!
Image hosted by Photobucket.com

***********
~~Suzan~~
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thinkpinkprincess
Posts: 4
(2 of 45)

Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

May 17, 2005 10:03 PM
Excellent information. A+!
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kookoolala2
Posts: 959
(3 of 45)

Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

May 23, 2005 8:18 AM
Wow - Amazing, awesome, sooo helpful. Thanks so much rumor_has_it!

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kathysuniqueitems
Posts: 115
(4 of 45)

Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

May 23, 2005 9:34 PM
I am spending alot of time checking these websites out and saving them to favorites. I am wishing I had a photography memory. Thanks for putting these on.

Kathy
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swtsara1201
Posts: 533
(5 of 45)

Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

May 29, 2005 8:24 AM
THANK YOU for this awesome information. I do not know anything about jewelry and am going to list a lot of things [eventually] and now I have something to refer to. I am forever grateful......now I won't be pestering all you guys for help..[as much]
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belle*dame
Posts: 11,377
(6 of 45)

Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 1, 2005 12:23 PM
From a poster, here's a link for information about gemstones and minerals with pictures and buying information:

Link

~Belle
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mc*opals
Posts: 3,373
(7 of 45)

Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 1, 2005 6:14 PM
Hi y'all,

I've been requested in another post to add this link here. I hope it can be helpfull to y'all.

Link
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kathysuniqueitems
Posts: 115
(8 of 45)

Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 2, 2005 12:18 PM
You might like this website...Link
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sandras_stuff
Posts: 5,326
(9 of 45)

Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 6, 2005 9:58 AM
I think you should change the name - this info applies to both costume and fine jewelry.

Great FAQ!

Sandra
Please look at the Costume Jewelry FAQ for all kinds of info! Be sure to visit the whatsit website too.
Both on the message board, near the top.
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skampf
Posts: 4
(10 of 45)

Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 10, 2005 1:30 PM
I found a vintage travel toothbrush holder that is made like a tube of lipstick. Would I advertise it in jewelry or what? The following is a picture
Link
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Sandy
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**special4you**l
Posts: 6
(11 of 45)

Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 15, 2005 8:11 AM
Years ago a friend of my mom gave me a large collection of "costume" jewelry--not sure it is all costume-- could someone please identify this necklace.Any help is appreciated.Thank you.
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**special4you**l
Posts: 6
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Re: Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jun 15, 2005 8:14 AM
sorry- here is url:
Link
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ccphilli1128
Posts: 1
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Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jul 22, 2005 7:05 PM
Hi I am interested in getting some info on some jewelry that belonged to my grandmother (DOB 1904), I think it is from the 1930' - 1950's, but one piece is from 1910. I am new at discussion boards too, so can you offer me any tips on getting info?
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wish-a-bead
Posts: 1,326
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Vintage Costume Jewelry FAQ

Jul 30, 2005 1:06 PM
There are lots of books out there that are specifically about costume jewelry...I'd suggest visiting your local bookstore (barnes & noble) or even the library and doing some research. The above post (first one) was really informative as well (I have it BM so I can read it thoroughly later)...and just cruise the listings ... see how or what other people are selling. You should find something. Or post a link here of a picture that shows what you want more info on. ;)

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
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