1911 - Back Collar Pins

These two pins are described in a 1911 jewelry catalog as "Back Collar Pins". I haven't been able to learn yet how they were used, but I thought it was at least helpful to put a name to this type of pin shape. These two pins were also listed on the "dainty inexpensive jewellery" page of the catalog - as opposed to the many pages of 14k and other fine jewelry. They sold for 25 cents and 75 cents. The pages also mentions that "all stones are doublets".

Pantone Color Trends in the News - helpful for vintage sales?

It occured to me as I looked at all the news reports of Pantone's release of their Spring 2010 Fashion Color trends report, that for those of us who sell vintage jewelry, knowing the color trends might be useful in planning a sales strategy. In any case it's fun to see what the color trends and designers are up to! You can find the Pantone report here: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20694&ca=4

Searching for International Trademarks - a tip!

Had an "a-ha!" moment today while searching for international trademarks. The World Intellectual Propery Organization (WIPO) has a cool website for searching international trademarks. You can find it here: http://www.wipo.int/ipdl/en/search/madrid/search-struct.jsp

The A-ha part was realizing today that to narrow the search to show only trademarks where the product is classified as jewelry, use the "Nice Classification" of "14".

Secondary A-ha and a bit more technical, is, if you are familiar with using "design codes" on the US trademark site, these translate into the Vienna classification codes on the WIPO site. With US trademarks, they assign "design codes" to the graphic elements in a trademark. For instance, if the trademark is just a picture of a flower, then you can look in the design code manual and see that code "050525" is for flower shapes. On the WIPO site, use the first 4 digits, so the Vienna Classification for a flower shape is "0505". So, as an example to search for international trademarks for jewelry that show the shape of a flower, enter "14" in the "Nice classification" box and "0505" in the Vienna classification. This example brings up 225 trademarks that you can view, all having some kind of flower element in the design of the trademark and all having at least some products that are jewelry.

Happy trademark hunting!

Style Notes - 1935 - Different from the Barbaric Jewels of last year..

As seen in a department store ad from 1935, "bracelets are imperative this season". The ad shows big bangles described as coming from the Hindu or Renaissance influence.."directing attention to gold jewelry of the massive type, yet different from the barbaric jewels of last year". Okay, what I want to know is, what were the barbaric jewels from 1934? LOL!

click pic to enlarge

A Trifari "must have" to add to my list..

I found this in a Trifari ad from 1977. The "Peanut" neckace. I want one! LOL!

Actually, 1977 was the year that Jimmy Carter became President, so I'm guessing that's the reason for the peanut pendant, but definitely a unique item!

Does knowing a patent number help sell on ebay?

You would think so. At least I'd think so! Today I did a quick search of items in the Vintage Jewelry category that had the word "patent" in the title and took a look at how helpful the information about the patent was in the seller's listing.

It was pretty discouraging. While the sellers of the 15 items that I found, believed that the fact that there was a patent number on their piece, was important enough to highlight it in the title of their auction, most of them went on to leave out any useful info in their listing. So, I think a real missed opportunity!

Some of the non/mis-information I found was:

• saying there was a patent, and describing that the piece then dates to a certain time frame, or by a certain designer, but then not giving the patent number or showing it at all on the piece.
  
• listing the incorrect patent number. Okay, I know they are hard to read, sometimes near impossible! But if you are selling a piece of jewelry and the patent number you list is for a dress, it isn't very helpful.
  
• Using a utility patent number to "date" a piece. For example saying that a piece with an earring clip mechanism patent from 1945, dates the earrings themselves to 1945. Utility patents really can't be used that way, since often, things like earring mechanisms were used again and again over the years. About all you can establish is that your piece is no earlier than the date of the mechanism (utility) patent.

All in all, of the 15 listed, I'd say 3 or 4 had accurate info, mostly because they simply stated what they saw on the piece and didn't actually try and make fabulous and strange connections with the info. At best, a missed opportunity..at worst, providing misleading and possibly fraudulent info.

Liz Claiborne - Monet, Marvella and Trifari

The Liz Claiborne company currently owns the Monet, Marvella and Trifari brands. Here is a description from their 2008 annual report that describes the market segment for each of the three brands, which together are called the "Monet Family" of brands.

MARVELLA, a jewelry line sold primarily at Target Corporation Stores

MONET, a signature jewelry brand for women sold in department stores as well as in our own outlet stores and online

TRIFARI, a signature jewelry brand for women sold primarily in mid-tier department stores.


I recently saw Monet jewelry for sale in Macy's but have not seen Trifari anywhere lately. Although I have to say that I spend very little time in department stores, preferring antique malls digging for our beloved vintage jewelry. However, I think it is interesting to note the status of some of our favorite vintage brands!

Improvement in Paper Jewelry - 1876

Well I just thought this was a really cool patent! In patent number 177889, Mr Seidewitz came up with a way to make inexpensive paper jewelry for Centennial badges (this was 1876!), made to look like metal jewelry by using gilded paper with a stamped or embossed design glued to a small bent pin with a little disk. The jewelry was designed specifically for short term use for celebrations, conventions, etc. I like the idea! I'm guessing that not too many of these survived, if they were even produced. I did not find any other patents by Mr Seidewitz, so unknown if he was in the jewelry business at all. Here is the drawing that was included in the patent:

click pic to enlarge

Coro trademark abandoned!

As of January of this year the last remaining "live" Coro trademark has been abandoned. Last owned by FGX International (they make Foster Grant Sunglasses), they have let the trademark for Coro lapse. In recent news I saw that they had plans to sell their jewelry division.

So, at this point, searching "Coro" in the US Trademark listings, shows that all of the jewelry Coro trademarks (just the ones that are exactly the name Coro), are listed as "dead", either expired or abandoned.

Dating items by patents - legit?

Some jewelry books have theorized that when you find the patent date of a jewelry design, that it is a good indicator of when the item was made and sold. Styles and designs changed often and so it makes sense that finding a patent would be a good indicator of when the piece was sold.

I've been wondering just how well that theory holds out and so have started some research comparing patent dates and advertisement dates. Here is one example, a Mazer pin, which really only brings up more questions than answers but give some clues, and has me hankering for more info!

In this case, there is about a year between when the patent was granted and when the pin shows up in the ad. What I don't know, is whether the pin had been sold all through 1941 and this is just the first ad that I happened to find, or was it not produced and sold until almost a year later?

This is a face pin from Mazer as shown in patent D123910. The patent was applied for in September of 1940 and granted in December 1940.

And here is the pin as shown in an ad from November 1941

I am sure there are those would say that dating a piece to the 1940-1941 time frame is pretty darn good! And I agree. But what if the companies patented an item years after it was produced? Or what if, once patented, it was sold across many years? (a more likely scenario in my opinion). I am intrigued to see what patterns I can find and will report more as discover more!

The Hope Diamond gets a new setting - you can vote for which one!

The famous Hope Diamond is getting a new setting in honor of the 50th anniversary of Harry Winston's donation of the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. Harry Winston's has designed three new possible settings and you can visit the Smithsonian's web page to vote for the one you like best. Click here to vote: http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/smithsonian/hope.html

They are also having a contest were you can submit a design of your own. Here is more info on the contest: http://www.designyourhope.com/

Terrific site for researching Owl Pendants!

I ran across Daniel W. VanArsdale's wonderful site and photo gallery of vintage owl pendants today. He has very carefully cataloged and then organized them so they are easy to search if you are trying to identify a pendant. You can visit his site here:

http://www.silcom.com/~barnowl/Owl-Pendants.html

A good site to keep handy when you need it!

Coro white beads - 1953 and 1962

Two ads showing Coro's spring line of white jewelry. One from 1953 and one from 1962. In both ads, the beads are described as "porcelain". It is interesting to see the similarities and differences in the styles almost 10 years apart.

(click pics to enlarge) Left (first) pic is 1953, right (second) pic 1962

Affordable Costume Jewelry?

Looking at the advertised price in 1947 for this pretty CoroCraft pin, I got to thinking that $29.95 must have been pretty expensive in 1947. I wondered just how it would compare in today's prices. Searching the Internet I found a couple of calculators that will let you enter the price in whatever year and convert it to 2009 dollars, taking into account inflation and the CPI. Putting in the price of our little pin, it caclulated that it would cost almost $290 in today's dollars. Wow! Would I spend that much on a "costume jewelry" pin? Granted CoroCraft was the higher end from Coro, but it would have been a real treat to purchase, at least in my budget!

"Snob Appeal" a quality of those who wear antique jewelry?

In 1957, the LA times reported that an un-named jewelry manufacturer did a study on what type of woman wears what type of jewelry. The conclusions?

Women who wear lots of bracelets and other baubles are warm and extroverted
Women who balance their jewelry with their wardrobe are organized
Women who wear bizarre unconventional jewelry are insecure
and finally
Women who wear antique jewelry are "definitely a type of snob appeal". (editor: uh oh, that's me! LOL)

Trifari's Cute Colorful Cabochon Critters!

From a 1953 ad, the "Animal Kingdom" line is described as animals made with "Trifanium set with ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue and Moonstone" cabachons. Pins with earrings to match.

click pic to enlarge

The 1932 Bicentennial - red, white and blue jewelry

I recently ran across some ads for "bicentennial" celebration jewelry in patriotic themes and red, white and blue color schemes. Not so unusual except that the ads were from 1932! Thinking about the celebration here in the US in 1976, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of our nation, I wondered what the 1932 bicentennial was. It turns out it was the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington and there were celebrations throughout the year. Below is an example of an ad from 1932 showing some of the jewelry created in the bicentennial theme.

click pic to enlarge

Trifari manufactures two lines: The Basic Line and the Fashion Line

I found this interesting tidbit in the background section of a lawsuit against Trifari in the 1980's. They describe that during this time, "Trifari manufactures under it's name, two lines of jewelry, a Basic Line and a Fashion Line. The only difference between the two lines is that Basic Line styles tend to remain the same over time, while the Fashion Line styles change approximately every six months. The Basic line constitutes abou seventy percent of the company's business"

I wonder if this was true over the life of the company, or only during the time surrounding this lawsuit - the 1980s?

Sytle notes - Bibs in 1949

Seen in a department store ad from 1949 - "not mere costume jewelry but a most important part of the costume. Bold, gold-washed chains..gleaming metallics mail ..or mock pearls fashioned in loops and swirls". They mention that some of the brands they have that feature bibs are Monet, Coro and Trifari. They do not specify which brands are shown in the ad.

click pic to enlarge

W E Richards - trademark - 1908

As a fan of WE Richards jewelry, I was tickled to run across this ad from 1908. In addition to showing the trademark in use at that time, it also mentions that they used Amazonite in their jewelry, which may help when identifying pieces.

click pic to enlarge

Style Notes - 1951 - Curvaceous

From an article in the L.A. Times in 1951...changes in jewelry styles for the season include:

"designs that are feminine, curvaceous and delicate in shape. Earrings curve up the lobe and bedeck the ear with flower, leaf, ribbon or fountain-spray motifs. Throat hugging necklines curve in wave lines festooned with "floating" fringe.......the most fetching adornments....is the re-created lavaliere, a necklace and pendant made for each other. Flowers...ferns, feathers and bowknots are "frozen" into the lacy metal of bracelets, brooches and clips"

Shown below is a nice example from Trifari in 1951

Fluttering Flowers and Gadgets - 1940

From a 1940 ad, a reference to movable flower pins with enamel and rhinestones. No brand name is mentioned in this particular ad. But what the heck were "gadgets"? At first I thought it was reference to pins, but in the ad, they specify "gadgets, pins and clips" as different things.

click pic to enlarge

Coin-Tainers! Carry 40 cents with you at all times!

A fad that doesn't seem to have lasted long, at least in this version. Coin-tainers: chatelaines for your lapel to carry up to 40 cents in nickels. Seems like a pretty cool idea. I wonder why they didn't catch on? Maybe the change clanked too much while you wore it. LOL. This ad is from 1940. Note that the inventor is identified as "actress Ann Fulton". I didn't turn up much info when I did a quick search for more about her. Nor, did I find any additional ads or any patents for Ms Fulton's Coin-tainers.

click pic to enlarge

Retro jewelry - 1937 styles inspired by the 1900s

It seems in 1937 some styles were inspired by the 1900s-1910s according to this ad. Included is a mention of jewelry in a "grape" motif in the "vintage of the 1900s". This is interesting to note when trying to date found jewelry. Keeping track of all the "revivals" of styles over the years can get really confusing!

(click pic to enlarge)

Whiting and Davis manufactures for Coro - 1948

Seen in a newspaper ad from May 1948, "Two great designers put a bib on golden mesh...Whiting & Davis.... for Coro"

(click pics to enlarge)

Another ad from October 1949 - unknown if these were also made by Whiting & Davis. In this ad the styles are named: "King Arthur", "Joan of Arc" and "Warrier"

Rhinestones in your oatmeal - 1949

Eat your quick cooking oatmeal in the morning and then send away for your beautiful rhinestone jewelry! As seen in a newspaper ad from 1949. (click small pic to expand)

New website with terrific gem and jewelry consumer info!

I just found out about a new website that looks really interesting! The Roskin Gem News Report has 10 sections that cover everything from consumer news, to television gem and jewelry sellers, to estate jewels, to diamond and colored gem news and info.

In the first "issue", Gary Roskin, founder of the website takes us on a journey to learn about the the necklace that Michelle Pfeiffer is wearing on the cover of Style magazine this month. What is the necklace made of? What is the designer claiming it is made of? Is the designer telling the truth? We follow him on an interesting journey to find out just what the facts are.

Other articles discuss disclosures on black diamonds by the Jewelry Television shopping channel and info in the colored gems section on a new find of Color Change Garnets.

Gary Roskin founder of the website is a gemologist with over 3 decades of experience and brings a unique perspective to the topics covered. The information is very readable, and I for one, am happily anticipating all of the articles and topics to come!

Judith McCann's Wingback earrings - for Coro

In Oct 1949, this ad describes Judith McCann's "revolutionary" Wingback idea for earrings and shows how they work. It also says that she will be at the store to help people adjust their wingback earrings. The ad is titled "Wingback Earrings by Coro"

(click pic to enlarge)

Danecraft Perfume Pins

I thought this was a nice idea. Seen in a 1960 newspaper ad. It describes Danecraft's perfume pins which had a hidden pocket where you could put "a drop or two" of perfume.

(click pic to enlarge)

Coro with real gemstones - Topaz and Amethyst

Found in an ad from Sep 1949 - the ad declares that "the law says you can't say real unless they're real". It then shows and describes pieces by Coro with Amethyst and Topaz stones, desribing them as "real, deep, flashing yellow topazes and purple amethysts".

(click pic to enlarge)

St Bernard to the Rescue!

I always love jewelry with surprises or unusual features. This cute St Bernard puppy from Napier claims to arrive with an emergency dollar to rescue you from any unpleasant situation. (ed: I wonder if it really did come with a dollar inside?) From a department store newspaper ad in December 1942. (click pic to enlarge)

Rings or Earring? Can you tell?

Napier's clipless earrings seen in a newspaper ad from 1965. If you found these in a jewelry lot, would you think that they were earrings? Not me, I'd probably assume they were rings!

(click pic to enlarge)

Ivory from West Germany - 1968

A combination I hadn't seen before, Ivory jewelry from West Germany. Newspaper ad from 1968

(click pic to enlarge)

Jewelry Deception in Washingon D.C.?

Seen in a gossip column from an April 1890 newspaper, discussing Washington DC society...

"I have heard of women hiring jewelry, but I do not believe this prevails to any great extent here. There is an immense deal of shoddy worn, and half the brilliants you see at a White House reception are rhinestones. The stones worn by Senator's wives and millionaires' daughters are supposed to be pure, but who can tell? The fact that they wear them would, if they were paste, make them pass current, and the better class of imitation stones are so fine that it is now impossible for any but a dealer to detect the false from the true"

Joe Namath Punts a Poisonous Pin!

More on the saga of the poisonous pins! One newspaper story reported that television actress Kay Stevens had two of the poisonous pins in her possession along with a gold identification bracelet inscribed to "Broadway Joe", intended as a gift for Joe Namath. While staying in a hotel, those items along with an estimated $40,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from Miss Stevens room. The article describes that Miss Stevens was aware that the pins had been recalled, so I wonder why was she keeping them? Did she have plans for those poisonous pins? LOL!

I had to smile at another article which reported that an 10 year old girl had bought one of the pins for her mother. The mother's comment.. "I don't know what she will get me for Christmas now?" Soooo.. your young daughter has been walking around with poisonous jewelry and your concern is what you are going to get from her for Christmas? LOL!

By 5 days after the recall notice from Sears, the FDA reported that all but 252 of about 19,000 pins had been recovered or accounted for throughout the nation. Most of the pins, about 15,000 were initially in the possession of Sears, but 4,500 were in the hands of 33 other distributors around the country.

Here's a bit more specific info about the pins. The beans are shiny and egg shaped and are red or orange with black tips. The pins were from 1" to 2" across. They were imported from Japan by Alster Importing Company in New York. Apparently not all of the pins made had the poisonous beand. Each box of pins had 48 pins, with 12 in each box having the poisonous beans.

Shown below is a sample of the recall notice that was placed in
newsapers and another pic included in one of the news stories. (click to enlarge)

Poisonous Pins - the case of the deadly decorations

In 1968 Sears inadvertently sold pins that were decorated with deadly beans. The pins, imported from Japan, were discovered to be decorated with highly poisonous jequirity beans. The fact that the beans were poisonous was brought to Sear's attention when a man who worked for the Agriculture Department in Maryland, was shopping at Sears and noticed the beans.

Sears immediately issued an urgent recall for an estimated 300 to 400 pins sold nationwide in their stores.

There were two designs to the pins, one with a face, with the beans used as eyes, and one with a flower with the beans used in the center.

(click pic to enlarge)

Coro Jewelry for Teens - 1965 - "47 West"

In 1965, the Broadway department stores in Los Angeles unveiled a jewelry line created by Coro at the request of the store chain, designed to appeal to teens. The line was part of the "Hi-Deb" department at the stores and the jewelry line was named "47 West". In a press release announcing the new line of jewelry, the Broadway noted that the designs were two years in the making.

The article describes some of the lines included as:

• Greco-Roman design rings, 3 inch key pins and chain pendants
• An outsized wine keeper's key and chain that can be worn as a necklace or belt
• A-line animal pins with satin-toned pewter and brass finishes with a futuristic look (ed: what the heck is an "A-line" pin?)
• Kilt pins with enameled emblems
• Stamps with authentic old hand cancelled stamps that have been shellacked
• Makeup mirrors made to be worn like monacles
• Key chains with cigarette lighters that work
• Zodiac designs

I was able to find one ad with some of the designs included. (click pic to enlarge)

Everyday Manners for American Boys and Girls - 1922

Advice on the wearing of jewelry found in a guide to everyday manners, written by teachers for high school students in 1922......I wonder what those teachers would think of what kids wear in school today? LOL!

"Jewelry as a rule should not be worn by young people; the excessive use of it is in very bad taste. A school ring and at the most one other ring are sufficient adornment for a girl. Necklaces are apt to be a nuisance. Earrings and fancy combs are in bad taste and tend to make the wearer look tawdry"

Trifari Perfume Charm Bracelet - 1958

Thanks to our favorite intrepid reporter for finding this cool ad from 1958 for Trifari's perfume called Triége that can be clipped onto a charm bracelet! (click pic to view full size)

Lisner Black Beauty

From a 1948 ad - Lisner's Black Beauty- sparkling jet black beads. (click pic to enlarge)

Trifari Enamel Flowers - 1939

As seen in a newspaper ad in 1939. Trifari enamel flowers. The ad notes that designs are available in colored coral, cyclamen, baby blue or butter-cup enamel with hand-set stones (click pic to enlarge)

New jewelry that looks vintage..

I ran across a website today for a jewelry wholesaler that has quite a few items that look vintage. So, it might be a good resource to check when you are wondering if an item is "new" rather than vintage. I saw a number of vintage looking items, particularly in the "Pins" category. Unknown if they mark their jewelry, or if it is obvious in person that items are "new". but I did see a bunch of stuff that often shows up in the GW bags that I love to grab and dig through. LOL! The company is SW Imports.

Coro Oceana 1956 - sea shell shapes

Newspaper ad 1956 - Coro Oceana. Colors mentioned are shell pink, coral, sun-yellow and white, set in gold-tone. Blue in silver tone.

(click to enlarge)

"Many a life has been saved" ...with jewelry!

Found in a department store ad in 1943, a plea for people to donate their discarded costume jewelry to become "Barter Jewelry" for the boys in the South Pacific. A group of women connected with the Fourth Fighter Command were gathering the jewelry to send to the South Pacific for the troops to use for bartering for food shelter and information from the natives. Note the slogan at the bottom of the ad...it was certainly a different time! Wartime to be exact! (click pic to enlarge)

Style Notes - 1947 - Lacy Jewelry

From the L.A. Times - August 1947 - For jewelry.. "the trend is away from massive designs toward lacy work with a fragile look"

Ledo - Frozen Fire Pins - 1951

Newspaper ad - 1951 - Ledo Frozen Fire Rhinestone Pins. (click to enlarge pic)

Recycling your old jewelry - responsible or destructive?

One company, Foxy Originals, has started a recycling program where, if you send them your old Foxy jewelry, they will melt it down for re-use and send you a discount coupon to use on new styles.

I wonder what effect this may have on the collectibility of this jewelry. Now granted, it's a pretty new company, so at the moment, it would not be classified as vintage. But if it's jewelry that you believe will some day be collected, would this affect your decision to collect it now? Do you like the idea that they are promoting recycling, or cringing at the idea of perfectly good jewelry getting melted down?

Read more about their recycling program and their jewelry at their website http://www.foxyoriginals.com/

Coro and AAi trademarks up for sale

FGX International, which were the most recent owners of the Coro and AAi trademarks, has indicated this spring that they intend to sell their costume jewelry division. The costume jewelry division accounted for just 3.3 percent of sales in a recent report, and they mention that jewelry sales have been declining. FGX is best known for their sunglasses and eyeglasses brands, such as the Foster Grant brand, but they have also carried costume jewelry lines in the past.

On their website, I didn't see a specific description of the brand names of costume jewelry that they sell. But their financial reports indicate that they basically wholesale jewelry to major stores like Walmart and do house brands for various retailers.

A while back, I had discovered that they own the AAi jewelry trademark and checking the trademark listings today, I was reminded that they also own two Coro trademarks! Both the word mark "Coro", and the mark shown below with the pegasus. Both are listed as status: "dead" in the trademark listings.

So, since the trademarks are not current, it is unknown if they will be sold as part of the intellectual property when FGX sells the costume jewelry division. But it seems clear that they will no longer be using those trademarks.

Last fall I contacted them to ask if they had plans to reintroduce Coro as a brand, since they had acquired the trademark. They replied that they did not have any plans at that time. The AAi and Coro trademarks are listed as "dead" with the updated status as of January of 2009. AAi was cancelled. The Coro word mark was abandoned in 2009 and the Coro Pegasus mark expired in 2007.

Additionally, they have used the trademarks "FGX" and "Pure Expressions" for jewelry (according to the US Trademark listings). Pure Expressions is the only trademark for jewelry that is currently listed as "live". But the status for that one hasn't been updated since 2005

Coro - Pop beads - 1956

Newspaper ad from March 1956. Coro's pop beads. Colors mentioned are "spring pastels" and "first in Los Angeles, gold and silver tone"

click to enlarge

Style notes - 1927 - Hat pins

Seen in a newspaper article from 1927 - style notes from Paris describes the newest pins for hats as having definite shapes, getting away from the geometrical jewelry. Anchors, arrows and crescents are mounted by gold or silver chains on short tabs of ribbon, almost like a fob.

Coro - adhere directly to your skin! - 1951

I found this newspaper ad from 1951, it talks about Coro "Glamour Magic", "costume pieces that magically adhere to your skin with Glamour Magic Glue".

Here is the ad (click to enlarge)

Ralph de Rosa Rhinestones - 1935

As seen in a newspaper ad from 1935 - Ralph DeRosa Rhinestone jewelry

Coro Duette trademark first used 1929

Was digging through trademark records today, and found the record showing that Cohn & Rosenberger (Coro) trademarked the name "Duette" in 1929, stating that the Duette mark was first used Oct 10, 1929

B.A. Ballou back in business?

Michelle Graff at the National Jeweler website reports that W.R. Cobb Co in Cranston R.I outbid two other companies to acquire the name and assests of B.A. Ballou in the april 29th sale. W.R. Cobb is a 132-year-old manufacturer of jewelry findings, castings and precious metals for the jewelry industry.

Long term plans were unknown, but the article notes that the company is currently up and running and filling orders!

Monet 1937 - Hindu Bells

Seen in a Los Angeles Times ad from 1937, Monet introduced a line called Hindu Bells, "Today's version of jewelry worn by Indian princesses". The drawing shows a 3 strand necklace, 2 strand bracelet and a cluster pin. The style is chain with round bells hanging at intervals. The necklace has 5 bells per strand (15 bells total) and the bracelet has 3 (6 bells total).

Whiting & Davis "Florodora Bracelets" 1902

From the Jeweler's Circular Weekly, 1902, this ad for the new "Florodora" bracelets by Whiting & Davis. Shown is a snake bracelet with mention of 50 other patterns! These bracelets used a newly patented hinge mechanism that is described in the patent as allowing the bracelet to be "opened and held open until desired to be closed...and closed until desired to be opened".

click to enlarge the ad

Style Notes - 1937 - Convertible Jewelry

From the Los Angeles Time, Feb 1937

"Women are indulging in beautiful matched ensembles, in perfect separate pieces, or in single pieces that can be transformed into others"

"Bracelets are important. For daytime, heavy gold bracelets sometimes set with gems. Flexible gold or platinum bracelets with jeweled clasps fashioned from two clips that can be worn separately, and gold chain and link bracelets ad infinitum - all are smart with tweeds and sport clothes. For evening the formula is to wear as many on one or both arms asyou like"

"Brooches, very much in style now, are frequently made up of clips which may be used as such or as pins. Some of the newest clips turn on swivels to point up or down, according to the way they are to be worn"

New Book! Costume Jewelry 303 - the Flip Side

I'm a big fan of Julia Carroll's Costume Jewelry 101 and 202 books. Looks like 303 will be coming out in the fall! The title of the book is "Collecting Costume Jewelry 303, The Flip Side, Exploring Costume Jewelry from the Back". The description says that the book will focus on hardware traits, construction elements, interesting stones and signatures. This sounds really cool!!! I can't wait to get my hands on this one in the hopes that it lives up to the description!

You can pre-order the book from Amazon or Collector Books. Click the image below to pre-order on Amazon. (note: JewelryPatentProject.com gets a small percentage if you order from the link below - so if you'd rather not do that, you can go to Amazon directly or Collector Books directly and search for the book that way).

Consolidated page for researching Coro

Seems like I often need to research Coro items, as they are some of my favorites and I snap them up when I see them. Over time, I've found a bunch of great websites that have old Coro advertisements, patents and info on the various Coro marks.

So, I've consolidated my most often used links onto one web page. I'll keep working on it, adding more links, but the basics are there. You can visit the page on the main JPP website here. I hope you also find it helpful! I would love suggestions for more places to add!

Joolies Tweeting

Just for fun, I did a search on Twitter for "vintage jewelry" tonight. How cool to see people searching for jewelry, others selling and many just expressing their enjoyment of vintage jewelry!

Bye Bye B.A. Ballou?

Seen in the news at the National Jeweler Network website, B.A. Ballou and Co, Inc of Providence Rhode Island will be up for sale on April 29. Apparently another victim of the current economy, B.A. Ballou recently was put into receivership and will be sold on April 29.

A 140-year-old company, B.A. Ballou makes jewelry and jewelry findings. A quick search found patents that span the life of the company, including one as far back as 1880 for earring findings.

The good news, is that the article notes that there is at least one prospective purchaser.

Seen in a 1935 ad - Duoettes v Duettes

In a 1935 ad for Coulter Dry Goods Company in Los Angeles. A drawing of a generic "Duette" type pin, described as "two clips that may be instantly transformed into a brooch...available in many striking styles". It is called a "Duoette Clip". No manufacturer or brand is mentioned, so perhaps a play on the Coro Duettes available at the time - or perhaps a misprint, since this was during the time that the Coro Duettes were being introduced.

Coro "Tag" Bracelets - 1949

Coro Tag Bracelets were described in a 1949 ad as "Flexible link bracelets with a tag for monogramming." Think a charm bracelet with a flat charm that could be monogrammed. The tags (charm) could be square, round, rectangular and "charm" shapes.

There were different price points ranging from about $1 to $5 (in the two ads that I saw). And they were made from a range of materials. One ad describes the following materials:

• gold plated
• silver plated
• gold filled
• sterling silver

The ad also shows differing chain types; snake chains, and thick and thin regular type chains

Coro Victorian 1949 ad

Found in a newspaper ad from fall 1949 (click to enlarge)

Can a patent number be used on an item before the patent is issued?

Quick answer: Nope

Common sense would tell us that when you see a patent number on an item, it means that the patent has been formally granted/issued. But then, we are dealing with the government here, so I thought it might be a good idea to look it up to make sure. I was wondering if possibly the patent number was given to an applicant early in the process - just for record keeping. And if that was true, would some companies mark an item with a patent number before it was granted?

What I've been able to find on the US Patent site is, that it is definitely against the rules to include a patent number on an item before it is issued. And that the words "patent pending", or "patent applied for" have no legal effect. There is a separate "application number" that is issued at the time that the patent is applied for.

So, yep, if you see a patent number written on an item, it was manufactured on or after the date the the patent was issued.

Style notes - 1930 - Snake Jewelry

From the Los Angeles Times in 1930 -

"Snake jewelry, the latest fad in Hollywood last year, is all the rage in Europe"...

Actress Louise Brooks was in Europe starring in both French and German pictures and brought back news that jewelry of the reptilian type has become quite popular, especially in Paris.

Mentioned also is that "Hollywood jewelers, predict a return to this type of adornment"

Style Notes - Spring 1920 - Oriental and Egyptian

From a NY Times article, Feb 29, 1920....

"Bead necklaces continue to be good and jade is the leading color for the new season. Last Spring red was the color. There is a touch of the Oriental in all necklaces. One manufacturer displays a line of necklaces in both round and odd shaped beads. Complete sets, consisting of beads, bar pins, and bracelets, in which the same design appears are being shown. Some of the necklaces are beads and links, while others are made entirely of the beads

Bracelets are once again becoming favorites..... A vogue for wearing two or three bracelets one each arm is promised. Earrings will not be worn so much this Spring....a change in the style of coiffure must occur before much interest will be taken with earrings. Those that are being shown are mostly the long Egyptian designs, some of which seem almost like weights, because a large French pearl or fancy jade ball hangs on a slender sterling chain."

Krementz, Van Dell jewelry lines rise again?

From a press release on Business Wire... Bidz.com has aquired the inventory, intellectual property, trademarks and tools of the jewelry lines of the Colibri Group. The Colibri Group held a bankruptcy auction earlier this month. The lot purchased is valued at approximately $6 million.

Jewelry lines in the auction purchased by Bidz.com include:

• Krementz
• Van Dell
• Shiman
• Dolan & Bullock
• Taylor Avedon
• Angelite
• Skal
• Skalet
• Magical Years
• Little Miss Pride
• Sideways
• Darling Diamonds
• Fingerprint Locket

The company states that it expects to begin to auction the jewelry on it's website in May.

The CEO of Bidz.com, David Zinberg noted that "we are honored to have the opportunity to revive these iconic jewelry brands....Purchasing the trademarks and tools to Krementz, Shiman and others will allow us to continue to provide a broad and beautiful assortment of quality jewelry to our customers"

read the full press release here

Richelieu Design Patents

Recently I found 46 design patents that I suspected belonged to the Joseph H Meyer Bros company who made Richelieu jewelry. While neither the Joseph H Meyer Bros company, nor Richelieu are mentioned in the patents, they are designs by Maximilian C Meyer, who according to a NY Times article from 1941 was the President of the company. Today I received an adverstisement from 1942 that confirms at least some of the patents! Here is an example of one patent, shown with a cut out from the ad of the item that matches. To see all the design patents, click here (page on the main JPP site). To see more about the patents, advertisements and grading systems for Richelieu, click here (page on the main JPP site)

5 Designers for Carl-Art

A number of patents are attributed to Carl Schraysshuen a partner in Carl-Art. But I recently found some additional patents by other designers where Carl-Art was the "Assignee" (which generally means that the designer was working for, or "assigned" the patent to that company).

The designer names include: Paul F Volk, Gustav A Loercher, Frizt Regelmann, Laurence Valcourt and Eugene Demmler.

Check out the patents and some nice links to other Carl-Art info on the main JPP site, here

Is Richelieu jewelry marked?

I have heard that Richelieu jewelry is not often marked. Most of the ads I have looked at show attached tags. I do know that the jewelry is sometimes marked, but found it interesting that in their trademark filing in 1943, they state that "The trade-mark is applied or affixed to the goods by attaching thereto a tag on which the trade-mark is shown" So, by their description both methods were used.

How Popular is Vintage Costume Jewelry Collecting?

I heard somewhere that vintage costume jewelry was the number 2 collectible. So, I thought I'd see if I could track down some statistics to confirm that.

I pretty much struck out. I did find the reference where I heard the rumor though. The Kovel Antiques website, keeps track of the top 20 collector searches each month. In January 2009, "jewelry" was the 2nd highest search term. This is searching within their online price guide. So, while not a general statistic about the popularity of vintage jewelry collecting, it does mean that lots of people seem to be trying to establish jewelry values.

I did some more googling to see if I could find any statistics on the most popular collectibles and really didn't turn up anything useful.

So, unknown just how popular it is in general, but it sure is #1 in my book!

More Richelieu Grades..

Ran across an ad in a vintage jewelry reference book for Richelieu "pearls" last night that designated the items in that particular ad as quality level "J". Hmmm, wonder just how many grades there were? We are up to 8 so far.

Grading simulated pearls. Richelieu 1924

Richelieu simulated pearls manufactured originally by the Joseph H Meyer Bros company were sold in different quality levels. Apparently the level was sometimes marked on the item. So far, I have found descriptions of 7 levels, "XXX", "A", "B", "C", "PO", "M" and "XL". The prices for the first six levels started at XXX as the highest, M as the lowest. I have not found info on prices for the XL level.

Each level is also described as being "perfect reproductions" of pearls from different parts of the world. For example, XXX grade pearls, sold for $50 to $300 (in 1924!) are described as "prefect reproductions of genuine Red Sea Pearls that cost from $5,000 to $200,000.

I have seen some info that I haven't pinned down yet, that some levels had clasps with diamonds, 14k gold, silver, etc. I'm guessing that this went along with the different grade levels.

If you'd like more info, and to see two ads from 1924 which describe the levels, I've created a page on the main JPP site with some of what I'm learning about Joseph H Meyer and Richelieu: here

Jewelry marked 'XXX' - who made it?

Doing some research today on Joseph H Meyer Bros company, best known for producing for "Richelieu" pearls, and happened to look at some of their trademarks, where I ran across "XXX"


Apparently, the trademark "XXX" was used as early as 1905 and is described as being used on pearl jewelry. The trademark was registered officially in 1950, so it was also in use at that time. It was renewed in 1971, but as of 1992, it was considered expired.

Tips on Reading Patents

Found a nice website with an illustrated example on how to read patents. It is nice in that it gives some detail on each of the sections of the patent and what they mean. For example, it explains that the filing date is generally used to determine the date that the inventor came up with his/her invention. Check out more here: http://www.inventorbasics.com/Patent%20Layout.htm

Secret Message in Abraham Lincoln's Watch

Did you hear about this cool story of the secret message that is contained inside Abraham Lincoln's watch?

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History announced a few days ago that it had found a "secret" message engraved in President Abraham Lincoln's watch by a watchmaker who was repairing it in 1861 when news of the attack on Fort Sumter reached Washington DC.

In an interview with the New York Times in 1906, Jonathon Dillon recalled that he was working on the watch in 1861, and when he heard that the first shot of the civil war had been fired, he said in the article that he unscrewed the dial of the watch and wrote on the metal beneath: "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try"

After being contacted by Dillon's great-great-grandson, the museum agreed to remove the dial to see if the message was inside. The message was found! It differs a bit from what Jonathon Dillon said in his interview, but it is fascinating..... click here to see a photo and read more about this amazing story! Apparently Lincoln never new of the inscription!

Be sure to check out the comments to the blog that accompanies the article. They add another element and some controversy to the story!

Duettes that aren't Coro?

In browsing the book American Jewelry Manufacturers by Dorothy Rainwater, I found reference to a company called "Certified Metals Company". In the description it shows a logo that says "Loves Duette" for wedding rings and engagement rings, and mentions an ad from 1978

Given that this brand was used for fine jewelry, and apparently generally for rings, it will probably not cause any confusion in identifying pieces that we may find, but just in case, I thought it might be good to know that the name was actually used for items other than Coro.

Searching European Trademarks

I ran across the official website recently for the Trade Marks and Designs Registration Office for the European Union. It describes the office as the European Union agency responsible for registering trade marks and designs that are valid in all 27 countries of the EU.

There are searchable databases - start here

I haven't seen specifically how far back the database goes, but they do mention that the office was created in 1996. I need to dig around some more to see if I can find the actual date range of data included in the database...so more on that later, if I manage to dig up the info

Krementz on the auction block

According to the National Jeweler magazine, Krementz, as one of the current lines of the Colibri Group will be auctioned off in Rhode Island on March 19.

Colibri recently shut down due to financial troubles. According to www.illusionjewels.com, Krementz was sold by the famly to Colibri in 1997.

Wonder where it will end up and whether anyone will continue to produce the Krementz line..we'll have to wait and see!

Leys, Christie & Co

Having found this ad in a copy of Jeweler's Circular 1902, I was off to see what I could find about this company.

They are still in business today, specializing in cultured pearl jewelry. So far, I haven't really found any info on the items they sold in 1902. I was able to uncover the names of the partners and some of the other trademarks that they used, but not much else. You can read more on what I found here if you are interested.

Cool Site with Patents and Photos of found items

Found a wonderful page by Elizabeth Rowlands showing photos of jewelry that she has found patents for! She has a photo and the patent shown together which is really cool! The page can be found here: http://www.emcity.com/patents.htm


She has items from Bogoff, Boucher, Coro, Danecraft, Mazer, Trifari and more!

Trademark infringement "Caro" vs "Coro"

Ran across a description of a trademark infringement case where Coro had sued a company called the "Caro Jewelry Company" for trademark infringement. The information I found is for the appeal, but has some cool tidbits.

First, don't panic! This isn't a case (as far as I can tell), where anybody marked actual jewelry with "Caro". Whew!

This was a case in Mississippi where a local jewelry store sold Coro jewelry. The store was then sold to new owners who named the company "Caro" and then apparently used block and script forms of the name that looked very similar to "Coro" in their advertising for the store. Coro won the suit, and you can read more about it here: http://altlaw.org/v1/cases/795346

The interesting (to me) research tidbits found in the case description are listed below. I am of the opinion that this type of background information provided in court documents is probably pretty accurate, as the information would seemingly be provided by the company to their lawyers at the time of the lawsuit

snippet from the case:

"The word "Coro" as a trademark was formulated by joining the first two letters of the names of the founders of the business, Cohen and Rosenberger, and since 1919, plaintiff has used in connection with the sale of its costume jewelry the name and style of "Coro" written both in block letters and in script. In 1921 plaintiff registered with the Commissioner of Patents the name "Coro" as a trademark and has used this trademark continuously since that date. And subsequent thereto it has obtained numerous renewals of its trademark in a number of forms and for a variety of jewelry items and ornaments"


Also, I'm kind of collecting the names of lawyers associated with Coro - thinking that this may be useful in "connecting the dots" of other research. The names of the NY lawyers listed on this case are: Ira M Millstein and Robert Todd Lang. I'm assuming the Mississippi lawyers listed were hired locally for this case.

Coro beads from Germany - before and after WWI

....more from Google books today.

In 1921 there were Senate hearings about a proposed law that would change the customs duties on imports after the war. Coro, through their customs agent submitted some information as testimony for this hearing. What I find interesting in this snippet is learning the name of someone that they purchased pearl beads from, both before and after the war. That being Heinrich Heinz of Geiersthal, Germany. Also interesting is the name of who signed this letter. Jerome H. Oppenheim Co. What is his relationship with Coro? For info, the name of the man that this is addressed to: Carl Stern, is described in the Senate testinony as working for the customhouse agent for Coro - M.T. Corbett & Co.

click the graphic below to see the full graphic if the right side is cut off on your screen - I didn't want to make is too small to read so I didn't shrink it to fit)

Coro factory conditions in 1915

Having recently discovered Google books, I'm having fun searching for tidbits. Here's one that I found today.

In the Annual Report of Factory Inspections of 1915 made to the Rhode Island General Assembly by the Chief Factory Inspector, J Ellory Hudson, the Cohn & Rosenberger factory is listed as having employed 60 men, 60 women, 4 boys under 16, 4 girls under 16 and sanitary conditions as "Excellent"! Sounds like a good report!

Trademark searching tip

Here's a tip for limiting trademark searches to only trademarks that are classified in the "jewelry" category of goods and services. Start by selecting the "Structured Search" option from the main Trademark page. Start at http://www.uspto.gov/, select "Trademarks", "Search TM database" and then "Structured Search".

In my example, I was searching for the trademark "FCA", so I put that in the first part - leave the field as "All", then make sure that you have the "AND" option selected. The fill in the word "jewelry" in the second line with "Goods and Services" selected for the Field name. This limits your search results to trademarks that have your search term (in this case for me, FCA), and that fall into the category of jewelry.

(click the graphic below to see the full graphic if the right side is cut off on your screen - I didn't want to make is too small to read so I didn't shrink it to fit)

Oldest design patent?

I went searching through the US patent site, looking for the oldest design patent I could find. The oldest one I could dig up in the database was from October 1858 for a locket. The designer is Albert C Randall of Providence Rhode Island. Was this the beginning of the prominence of Providence? It's hard to be certain that this is the oldest jewelry design patent, since the really old patents are often classified in unusual ways, but this is the oldest that is classified in the basic jewelry category.

Here's the drawing from the patent



It is described as "a new and ornamental design for lockets usually worn to decorate the person ..... the design consists of embellishing the sides...(some words are hard to make out)..valise formed lockets or charms for containing hair, likenesses and other souvenirs, with clusters of flowers or foliage ...and nail heads at their ends in such a manner as to give an ornamental finish and appearance...the configuration ..at the center consists of a stem, on which are formed flowers and other foliage of a corresponding ornamental character and the corners of the spaces between the ....bands and nail heads are adorned and relieved from their sameness by smaller configurations or chasings of flowers similar to those situated in the center and the sides of the locket or charm are thus made to present a simple, chaste and highly ornamental appearance in keeping with the objects for which the locket or charm is designed"

I have to say I love the "simple, chaste and highly ornamental" description! I did do a quick search to see if I could find any other patents by A. C. Randall at that time, but i did not see any. However, the only way to search these really old patents by designer name is with the Google patent search which relies on the computer being able to interpret text. Handwritten cursive text would be unlikely to be correctly interpreted. And in fact this particular patent is not listed on Google.

159 year old brooch patent.. special? - how?

I am fascinated by this patent from 1859. Patent #23042. When I first saw the drawing, it didn't strike me as particularly unusual, other than that is is a very old patent. A very nice pin with a design of a mother and children. But as I started to read the description I was amazed! This patent is for a photographic brooch! With the photograph made directly onto the glass front of the brooch! As an amateur photographer and joolie, my interest was piqued!

The patent describes enthusiastically that "a peculiar and beautiful effect is produced by placing a photographic picture upon the concave surface and the appearance of the finest enamel painting is readily imitated"

The process to make the brooch is described as using a watch crystal, which is held in the camera. ...the production of a permanent photographic or sun picture by causing the picture to be taken on a collodion film..on the surface of the glass. When the picture is finished, the concavity is filled with cement composed of gum shellac, resin and coal tar.

Pretty cool, considering that the National Geographic's website page about the history of photography says that the first permanent image was made in 1826 and the first photo of a person was made in 1839!