Archive for the ‘Signed Jewelry’ Category
Hobe Costume Jewelry
Hobe costume jewelry is beautiful and very collectible. It was made well, in classic styles. No wonder it's still so popular!
Hobe Rhinestone Earrings (Click for a larger image)
Let's learn a little about Hobe, the marks used and (of course) the gorgeous jewelry for sale.
Hobe Background
Hobe (pronounced ho-bay) was begun by William Hobe, who immigrated to the USA from France, early in the 20th century. His father was a designer of fine jewelry in France, which almost certainly influenced William in his designs.
Here's the most famous story about Hobe jewelry. I don't know 100% for sure that it's accurate, but it sounds like it should be. The story goes something like this: Florenz Zeigfield (of Zeigfield Follies fame) wanted some gorgeous jewelry to accent the costumes for the showgirls.
Mr. Zeigfield turned to William Hobe to create these designs. Delighted with the results, Mr. Zeigfield dubbed them "costume jewelry". How neat is that!
Hobe jewelry was first designed in 1927, and continued to be made into somewhere along the lines of the late 1990s or perhaps 2000. It was originally a family-run company, but it was later sold (date unsure).
Hobe Marks
These are some of the marks used by Hobe. Please keep in mind that the dates are approximate.
- "Hobé" with a capital H and "obé" in script. First used in 1926.
- "Hobé" all in print, first used 1926.
- "Hobé" in a 6-sided outline used 1926 to around 1932.
- "Hobé" in a triangle, from 1933 to about 1957.
- "Hobé" in an oval, copyright symbol over the "é", in use from 1958 through 1983.
- "Hobé" in an oval, copyright symbol over the "o", not sure of the exact dates.
In addition, some Hobe costume jewelry between the years of 1957 through 1966 were both signed and dated -- a real find!
Other Hobe Information
Hobe jewelry is well-designed and well-made. The jewelry was lovely when it was manufactured, and is still very wearable today.
Hobe costume jewelry is quite collectible but usually affordable by most people. As with other costume jewelry, pieces with colored rhinestones bring in the highest prices (and the prices can get way up there sometimes). You pretty much can't go wrong adding vintage Hobe jewelry to your collection.
Buy Hobe Costume Jewelry
Below are some auctions for your buying pleasure. Click the photos for are larger photo and more information about the offerings.
And if you're intrigued, here's a .
Have fun shopping!
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KJL for Avon
KJL for Avon is the signature of the jewelry that costume jewelry great Kenneth J. Lane designed for Avon. While Avon jewelry in general is of average quality and design, the KJL pieces are lovely, well-made and very collectible.
While Kenneth J. Lane's jewelry in general is a topic for a different post, his contribution to Avon's line is worth noting.
JKL for Avon Dates
Mr. Lane started producing designs for Avon starting in the mid 1980s and runs all the way through to 2004. While they are all beautiful, it's the JKL for Avon jewelry produced in the 1980's that is most collectible.
The signature is K.J.L for Avon.
The three most popular sets Mr. Lane designed for Avon are as follows:
"Sophisticated Lady": This set is designed around two ram's heads. The necklace has a double-strand of almost lapis-colored beads with two gold-tone ram's heads as the closure. The earrings are of the ram's heads, accented with rhinestones (as is the necklace). The bracelet is a clamper-style, again in gold-tone with two ram's heads. There is also a bar pin, with two facing ram's heads. This set was released in 1987.
"Society": A faux pearl necklace with a clasp made in the shape of a lion's head, holding a circle (giving a door-knocker effect). The clasp was made to be worn in front or on the side -- too pretty to just be worn in back! The lion has clear rhinestone eyes. The matching earrings are of the lion's head, holding a circle (the door-knocker effect). This set was released in 1986.
"Duchess": A gorgeous set, inspired by the Duchess of Windsor! The necklace has a single strand of faux black pearl. The centerpiece is the a marbelized-look panther head, accented with green eyes and clear chatons. Also there are two rhinestone rondells to either side of the panther, and a gold-tone "door knocker" that the panther holds in its mouth. The earrings are rectangular, the background being the marbeled look and accented with green and clear rhinestones. This set was released in 1988.
Other popular KJL for Avon sets are "Midnight Rose" (1987), "New York Collection" (1991), "Royal Sea Collection" (1991) and "Caprianti Collection" (1993).
Buy KJL for Avon
Below are some available KJL for Avon pieces for sale. Enjoy browsing and don't forget to clink on the links for more information and larger photos.
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My Fair Lady Pin
The My Fair Lady costume jewelry collection is arguably the best known of the B.S.K. jewelry line. There are several brooches, each related to the movie the line was named after, My Fair Lady.
The My Fair Lady pins are quite lovely. They are enameled in colors of pinks, yellows, whites and more. The most popular of the pins is the floral hat. But if you can find the wheelbarrow loaded with flowers -- grab it if the price is reasonable.
Below are some My Fair Lady brooches. And if you're curious, here's some more information on the jewelry manufacturer, BSK.
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 Vintage BSK My Fair Lady Rhinestone Enamel Parasol Umbrella Pin Brooch  US $9.95
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 Vintage BSK Hat Brooch Set My Fair Lady Metal Pins Red Orange Ribbion Flower US $5.99
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Eisenberg Costume Jewelry
Eisenberg is one of the costume jewelry giants. From Eisenberg Originals in the early 1900s all the way through to today's Eisenberg Ice, the jewelry dazzles the senses.
Let's learn a little about the history of Eisenberg, then find out how to get some of the glorious costume jewelry.
Brief History of Eisenberg Jewelry
Eisenberg Ice Christmas Tree Pin (Click for larger image)
It all started back in 1914, when Jonas Eisenberg founded the company in Chicago. And believe it or not, the company didn't make jewelry! Instead, they made women's clothing; the jewelry was just to use for the store displays.
Soon enough, as the story goes, ladies were clamoring not for the clothes but for the jewelry. That's when the folks at Eisenberg decided that there was something to this costume jewelry business, and Sam Eisenberg (Jonas's son) ran with it. The rest is history!
Since those humble beginnings, Eisenberg has spent many years making classic costume jewelry. When other companies like Coro and Hollycraft closed their doors due to changing consumer tastes, Eisenberg hung in there. And still produces wonderful jewelry today!
Eisenberg Jewelry Marks
You need to be aware of the marks and their approximate dates, because with so many years in business it's sometimes hard to keep up with them. The most important marks to know about are the marks for Eisenberg Ice. Why?
From about 1945 through 1958, much of the jewelry was signed Eisenberg Ice in block letters. Then fast-forward to 1985, and Eisenberg Ice was used again -- only this time in script letters and having a copyright symbol.
So just because the mark says Eisenberg Ice, don't assume it's the 1945-1958 mark. Know before you bid or buy!
The various Eisenberg marks include:
- "Eisenberg Originals" 1935 through 1945.
- "E" in block or script, 1943 through 1945. This is extremely rare.
- "Eisenberg Sterling", "Eisenberg Original Sterling", 1941 through 1945.
- "Eisenberg", "Eisenberg Ice" in block letters with no copyright symbol, 1945 through 1958. "Eisenberg Ice" was occasionally also used up into the 1970s, although most jewelry in that era was marked with a hangtag.
- "Eisenberg Ice" in script letters with a copyright symbol, 1985 through to present.
This isn't all the marks, but they are the ones you will run across the most often.
What to Look for in Eisenberg Costume Jewelry
Eisenberg is famous for their "icing" -- the generous use of small rhinestones to create a cascade of shimmering light. Although Eisenberg made some relatively unadorned jewelry, it's their rhinestone costume jewelry that is so wonderful.
Also look for their Christmas tree pins, which are also lovely (and very popular). The company has re-released some of their older designs, so check the mark to see if you're getting a recent version or the original version.
If you can find them, as they are kind of rare, look for some of the fabulous enameled jewelry they made back in the 1970s. Painstakingly created, they are exquisite examples of what enameled jewelry should really look like. (Part of the reason it's rare is that Eisenberg didn't mark a lot of their jewelry in the 1970s.)
And finally, Eisenberg is also very well known for their glorious fur clips; if you find one in good condition at a reasonable price, grab it!
Well, now it's time to take a peek at the wonderful world of Eisenberg jewelry! As always, click on the link for more details and a larger picture. Have fun!
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Vintage McClelland Barclay Art Deco Red Rhinestone Brooch Pin Very Beautiful US $150.00 |
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Vintage Trifari Alfred Philippe 1953 Gold Swirl Diamond Rhinestone Brooch Pin US $39.00 |
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Vintage PARKLANE Flexible COLLAR Necklace RHINESTONE Enhancer US $29.99 |
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Vintage Weiss Rhinestone Black Thermoset Clip Earrings US $25.00 |
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LISNER MULTI COLOR RHINESTONE VINTAGE EARRINGS US $12.88 |