Archive for the ‘Brooches and Pins’ Category
Sarah Coventry Blue Lagoon Pin
The Sarah Coventry Blue Lagoon pin and earring set is one of the amazing creations that D & E (the designers of the famous Julianna line) made for Sarah Coventry.
Now Sarah Coventry jewelry was not known for being high-end -- if was just nice "everyday" costume jewelry. But when D & E paid a visit, magic happened!
The Blue Lagoon set wasn't the only collaborative item, but it is by far the most well-known.
In any case, if you can snag a Blue Lagoon pin or pin and earring set, do it -- it's far more lovely in person!
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 Sarah Coventry Blue Lagoon Brooch and Earrings Set  US $89.50
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 Sarah Cov Blue Lagoon 1964 by De Lizza Ester Paurue US $94.85
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 Sarah Coventry Blue Lagoon Pin Mfg by DeLizza Elster US $100.00
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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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“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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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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