Archive for August, 2009
Mylu Costume Jewelry
Mylu costume jewelry is most well known for its wonderful Christmas pins. While Mylu did also make figural pins, it's the Christmas ones that are most collectible.
There isn't a whole lot known about Mylu's operation, aside from Lynne Gordon and Marge Borofsky founded it. Mylu was for a short while a division of Coro, presumably in the late 1960s to early-mid 1970s. Marge and Lynne eventually joined with Tancer II.
If you are searching for what's most collectible for Mylu costume jewelry, make a beeline for the Christmas tree pins -- worth more than the Santas, angels, etc.
And here's something to note; Mylu sometimes made earrings to match the Christmas jewelry. If you can find a brooch and earring set that's in good condition, snatch it!
Meanwhile, here are some pieces of Mylu vintage jewelry from which to shop. Enjoy!
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 VINTAGE MYLU gingerbread cookie CHRISTMAS TREE PIN bkpc  US $195.00
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 MYLU Peppermint Christmas Tree Brooch Pin Rhinestones US $145.00
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 VINTAGE MYLU PEACE CHRISTMAS TREE PIN w dangles US $199.99
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Vintage Swarovski Jewelry
Vintage Swarovski jewelry can be extraordinary; you can see colors and shapes that are no longer available. The glimmer and shine of these unique crystals and rhinestones are unparalleled. Let's take a look at Swarovski jewelry; a litte of the history and what's for sale.
Swarovski Background
Back in the late 1800's in the beautiful country of Austria, Daniel Swarovski perfected a means of creating crystal rhinestones. Using a mechanical process, Daniel was able to perfectly cut the rhinestones for the best sparkle, in far less time than if done by hand.
Swarovski rhinestones and beads are made with lead crystal, which has a superior look to rhinestones and beads made with regular glass.
Swarovski is still a major player today in jewelry. You can see everything from bracelets to rings to necklaces to brooches, all done up with these glorious stones. You can even find lovely (very popular indeed for collectors).
About Aurora Borealis
While I'm not sure who exactly developed the Aurora Borealis (AB) coating, you need to know that it was first used in costume jewelry in the early 1950's. I would say the year 1955 (since it's the date I most often see), but there's a chance that it might have been available a year or two earlier.
So as a general rule, jewelry with AB stones or beads were manufactured from 1955 onwards. If you see costume jewelry that supposedly dates to the 1930's or 1940's, either the seller is misinformed, or the original stones have been replaced with AB stones.
Swarovski Jewelry for Sale
Below is a sampling of the Swarovski available. You can also check out a .
Enjoy the wonderful world of Swarovski!
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Vintage Pearl Necklace
A vintage pearl necklace isn't all that hard to find, but you need to keep one thing in mind. Except in rare situations, costume jewelry pearls are "faux" (i.e., imitation). But many of the "pearls" are surprisingly well-made and still have a lovely look, even after 20, 30 or even 40 years.
What You Can Expect From Vintage Pearls
As I mentioned previously, the pearls are imitation (which is part of what makes them costume jewelry). Some manufacturers made some pearl jewelry, and some pretty much specialized in them. For example, Laguna and Deltah are famous for their pearl necklaces.
Coro made some necklaces of pearls for their graduation line. Packed in a box that looked like a graduation cap, the pearls were intended as a high school graduation gift.
Some pearls are made better than others, and some look more real than others. I have an Avon pearl necklace that I wore day in, day out for several months and the shine on the pearls lasted longer than the clasp.
In general, you should treat your vintage faux pearls much like you would treat real pearls. The reason being, the manufacturers used different formulas for their pearls, and some coatings are more stable than others.
The good news: vintage pearl necklaces are easy to find and usually are quite affordable. Below are some excellent examples of what you can buy and what they cost. You can click on the links to see larger photos are purchase details.
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 DAINTY PEARL VINTAGE LARIAT NECKLACE US $6.99
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 Vintage Jewelry Lot Beautiful Faux Pearl and Rhinestone Necklace US $9.99
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 Vintage Gold Tone 16 Necklace Pendant Pearls Curb Chain US $.99
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