Archive for the ‘Brooches and Pins’ Category
AJMC Costume Jewelry
AJMC stands for American Jewelry Manufacturing Company. This manufacturer of costume jewelry is best known for figural pins, especially those with an angel or Christmas theme.
I really don't know much about this company. From looking at the costume jewelry available, I'd say that the heyday was in the 1980s and 1990s.
There are some cute pins available with the AJMC mark, but before you buy, keep in mind that the prices are fairly low and that it may never be a "hot" collectible. In other words, buy it if you like it and the price is reasonable; don't buy it hoping it will rise a great deal in price.
All that being said, here are some offerings for AJMC costume jewelry. Enjoy!
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 AJMC TRIO CAT PIN2 BELL PEWTER REINDEER TOP HAT PIN  US $8.88
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 Vintage AJMC Pin Diva of the House Lady Enamel US $60.75
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 Christmas n July Christmas Cat Silver Tone AJMC O US $9.99
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 AJMC 3 kids banner Worlds Best Teacher Pewter Enamel US $4.99
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 AJMC WITCH CAT SIT ON PUMPKIN STAR CHARM HALLOWEEN PIN US $9.99
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 PEWTER AJMC CHRISTMAS CAT WITH CHARM REAL POMPOM PIN US $10.10
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 AJMC Vintage Brooch Goddess of Love Pewter Signed EUC US $15.00
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 AJMC PEWTER ENAMEL CAT KEY RING BOOKMARK 2PC SET US $9.99
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 Christmas n July Christmas Cat Angel Silver Tone AJMC US $9.99
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“Jelly Belly” Costume Jewelry
Jelly belly costume jewelry is a term I see quite often in auctions. But are the costume jewelry really the highly collectible "jelly belly" or are they mis-named? Let's talk about what's real and what's not.
What is Jelly Belly Costume Jewelry?
Jelly belly is a term that really means Trifari jewelry in the 1940s time frame. What with the war, rhinestones were getting hard to come by and Trifari was experimenting with lucite as part of their jewelry designs. The lucite was clear to very slighly translucent, and used for the body/belly of the figural pin. I've only seen clear -- no colored lucite (as yet, anyway). Also, I have only seen these as figural pins.
A short while after, Coro (among others) came out with their own version of figural lucite jewelry pins. Coro's are the most sought after (after Trifari). Technically, only Trifari is the true jelly belly, but most collectors will extend the term to Coro's versions as well.
What Isn't Jelly Belly
I see many auctions calling the jewelry "jelly belly" when it merely has a plastic or glass cabachon. Sometimes the cabachon stone is transluscent, sometimes it's totally opaque. Sometimes even jewelry with pearls or rhinestones are tagged as being jelly belly.
I've also seen bracelets, necklaces, earrings and even rings referred to as jelly belly. Not!
(I think in most cases it's a situation where the person running the auction just isn't familiar with the real thing. They see the term used for other cabachon jewelry and figure theirs should be called that as well.)
While these pieces might be lovely and collectible in their own right, they are not jelly belly. Don't pay a high price thinking they are!
A Note on Jelly Belly
The very collectible jelly belly is from the 1940s timeframe. However, Trifari and Coro did make more of it along the way -- I've seen vintage ads from the 1960s for jelly belly pins. These newer version are also quite collectible, but won't bring as high a price as the older versions.
Somethiong you need to know -- Trifari also has done some re-releases of their older pin designs; fortunately, they have marked the re-releases with the year. (Remember, Trifari is still in business and manufacturing jewelry.)
One Final Thought
As with any highly collectible and high-priced piece of costume jewelry, there are fakes out there. Sometimes the not-really-real jewelry is listed as a "reproduction", which is absolutely fine. Just know it's a reproduction and not the real thing -- and don't pay a high price.
Sometimes, well, a fake is passed off as the genuine article. It could be an honest mistake -- the person thought it was real when they bought it, not realizing it wasn't. Then again, it could be someone looking to make big bucks.
So the moral of the story is this: if you love the look of the authentic jelly belly jewelry and want to add some to your collection, do your homework first. If you are uncertain, ask a more knowledgable person to help you out. Don't pay a high price for jelly belly costume jewelry without knowing for sure that it's real.
All that being said, here are some auctions listed as being "jelly belly". Take a look, you should now be able to tell the ones that definitely aren't!
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 Jelly Belly Scarab Owl Pin by dce 1 20 14K GF US $24.99
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 JJ Jelly Belly Cabachon Art Deco Cat Brooch NIB L14 US $8.50
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 Signed CORO CRAFT sterling jelly belly bird duette pin US $24.99
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 Vintage JJ Jonette Jelly Belly Fruit Salad Brooch Pin US $6.95
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 Vtg Jelly Belly Confetti Lucite Owl GERRYS Brooch Pin US $7.00
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 VTG JOMAZ JADE GREEN JELLY BELLY RHINESTONE TURTLE SIGN US $32.00
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 Vintage signed Lucite Rhinestone Jelly Belly Swan Duck US $7.00
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 Trifari JELLY BELLY Pin BUTTERFLY 1949 Philippe Design US $124.50
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 Whiting and Davis Jelly Belly Emerald Clipback Earrings US $9.99
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Blue Rhinestone Brooches
Blue rhinestone brooches are appropriate at any time of year. Their icy pastels are great for Spring. The deep blue jewel tones are perfect for Winter. The medium shades are like the sky on a Summer day. And for Autumn? The blue-grays are wonderful as Fall shades!
So, do you have any blue rhinestone brooches in your collection?
Signed or Unsigned?
If you don't have any in (or would like to add some to) your collection, your next question is should you buy signed or unsigned jewelry? (You can read a post I have on the pluses and minuses of unsigned costume jewelry.)
I just bought an unsigned blue rhinestone brooch the other day, but I also knew it was a Juliana / D&E piece. Normally I buy signed costume jewelry, but I've been known to buy an unsigned piece that called to me! 
Signed? By Who?
If you're going the signed route, you've got lots of costume jewelry manufacturers to choose from. Some of my favorites when it comes to rhinestones are Weiss, Eisenberg, Coro and Kramer. But certainly don't limit yourself to these manufacturers! There's a whole world of gorgeous rhinestone costume jewelry out there!
Below is a list of beautiful blue rhinestone brooches / pins for your viewing pleasure, both signed and unsigned. As always, click on a link to get more information and a larger photo.
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 Vintage Round Light Dark Blue Glass Rhinestone Brooch US $9.95
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 Unmarked American Flag Brooch Red White Blue Rhinestone US $1.99
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 VINTAGE BLUE RHINESTONE BIRD HEART FLOWER BROOCH PIN US $3.52
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 Costume Jewelry Brooch Lots of Rhinestone Glamour Blue US $1.55
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 LUCITE BLUE RHINESTONE BROOCH 3 LAYERS OF SPARKLE US $4.95
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 VTG BLUE ENAMEL RHINESTONE FLORAL BROOCH AUSTRIA EUC US $6.99
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 Vintage JULIANA Style Blue Rhinestone Flower Brooch US $17.49
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 VINTAGE SIGNED WEISS BLUE RHINESTONE BROOCH PIN US $10.99
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 VTG GT BROOCH PIN BLUE RHINESTONES CAT WITH BELL AVON US $6.99
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Buying a Costume Jewelry Brooch
A costume jewelry brooch is an excellent way to dive into the wonderful world of vintage jewelry. There are no sizes to worry about, like you'd have with a bracelet or necklace. They don't pinch, like some of the clip earrings can do. Instead, they just lie softly on your jacket or blouse, while you collect the compliments!
First: Decide What You Want
Costume Jewelry Brooch by Lisner (Click to Enlarge)
Yes, that's a loaded statment -- if you're like me, you want it all! But since you likely have to work within a budget of some sort, it's time for your first decision. Are you buying this costume jewelry brooch to wear, as an investment or both? Yes, it may effect what you purchase.
You can see the details in my post on buying signed or unsigned costume jewelry, but basically you need to decide what kind of collection you want to build. In a nutshell, if you only want to wear the jewelry, buy what you like! If you are also interested in the financial appreciation of your investment, other factors come into play.
OK, let's assume that you want to both wear at least some of the jewelry, but keep some of it for investment as well. That being the case, you want to go with signed pieces. You can read more about the designers to begin your collection with here.
What Kind of Costume Jewelry Brooch?
Now that you've decided on which designer(s) you want to target, is there a "best" kind of brooch or pin with which to start?
Rhinestone costume jewelry has a big audience, and you can't go wrong with a quality rhinestone brooch. Not only are they scrumptious to look at, but they tend to hold their value well. Just make sure that all the rhinestones are present and accounted for, and that none are "dead" (i.e. they don't reflect light anymore).
A pearl brooch has a timeless appeal, even if the pearls are faux and not real. Pearls are classy and work for just about any occasion. Make sure all the pearls are in place, and that there are no peeling spots on any of them.
Enameled pins and brooches can be a big draw, depending on the designer -- not all enamels are created equal! You might want to study the auctions for a bit before jumping into the enamel section.
What about a plain goldtone or silvertone brooch? Well, some are anything but plain, but here I mean they aren't adorned with anything else -- just the metalwork. You can usually pick one of these up inexpensively, which is great when you are first building your collection. But the resale value (when you want to upgrade your collection) isn't much. You'll likely just get what you paid for it (which can be just fine, too).
Look Out For...
Here's one I got caught on (almost literally). I bought a costume jewelry brooch without looking well at the back of the brooch. Yep, the pin was short...almost too short! It did manage to make it into the clasp, but it was a near thing. I had been concentrating too hard on reading the designer signature!
Along the same lines, make sure the pin mechanism isn't bent or the clasp catch broken. The vast majority of times in an auction the seller will mention if these problems exist, but looking carefully at photos of the pin back can save you from a pin you can't wear. And if in doubt -- ask! Most sellers are happy to answer questions.
Now I'll speed you on your way with some pretty eye candy of some costume jewelry brooch auctions. Enjoy!
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 Walter Lampl Pin Brooch Signed Sterling Branch Stones US $19.99
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 Vtg LISNER Goldtone Leaf Brooch Pin US $.99
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 Vintage Signed Weiss Rhinestone Pin Brooch US $17.50
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 VTG SIGNEDTRIFARI WHITE MILKGLASS GOLD FLORAL BROOCH US $16.50
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 Vtg Large Oval Art Glass Brooch w Rhinestones Dodds US $9.99
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 VINTAGE LISNER PINK RHINESTONES STONES BROOCH PIN LOT US $14.99
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 VINTAGE STUNNING LEDO 1963 BROOCH EARRINGS RHINESTONE US $12.99
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 SARAH COVENTRY RADIANCE GT SET BROOCH AND EARRINGS US $5.99
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 Vintage Sarah Cov Blue Note Flower brooch US $6.50
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