Posts Tagged ‘coro’
Florenza Vintage Costume Jewelry
Florenza vintage costume jewelry is a little under-appreciated (in my humble opinion). Of course, not everyone likes likes the Florenza antique look. Instead of lots of flashy rhinestones, it's a more subdued kinds of jewelry. Don't get me wrong though; there are plenty of pieces with rhinestones!
Anyway, here's a little on the history of Florenza and their costume jewelry. Florenza Rhinestone Earrings (Click to Enlarge)
Florenza Background
Florenza was created by the Dan Kasoff Company in the 1930's. Beginning in 1948, the name Florenza was first used, named after Dan's wife, Florence. Sadly, Florenza last made its lovely jewelry in 1981.
Dan Kasoff, along with his son Larry, manufactured jewelry for other famous costume jewelry giants, like Coro, Kramer and Weiss. And they didn't stop there! They also made accessory items for Estee Lauder.
Florenza is famous not only for their jewelry, but also for their own accessories, such as lipstick holders, pin cushions and the like.
The Florenza signature look is, as I mentioned, a more antique or victorian feel, especially the metalwork. But not all their pieces fit into that category. I fell in love with the earrings on this page and had to have them. Unfortunately, I can't take a great photo of them! They are much, much more beautiful in person.
Florenza Marks
Florenza only used two marks for their jewelry; they apparently did not sign some of their early works, as the only two have the copyright symbol.
- "Florenza" in script with the copyright symbol.
- "Florenza" in print with the copyright symbol.
Since the copyright symbol more or less came into general use in the mid 1950's, it appears that most jewelry dates between the mid-50's through 1981.
But please also note: the copyright law was first established in 1947, but very few manufacurers used it until the 1950's.
Beautiful Vintage Jewelry
You can tell that I like Florenza, and I am always on a hunt for it. I saw a book piece on ebay this morning that I was ready to snap up, until I saw it was missing a rhinestone. Since I'm not confident that I could find a match for that missing stone, I sadly passed it up. Remember, always read the auction details, and don't just look at the photos! Still, the price is low enough at the moment that I could send it for a rhinestone match. Hmmmm....I may still bid anyway!
Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a as well as some Florenza auction photos. Have fun!
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 2 Vintage Florenza Pieces Lipstick Holder and Treasure Box  US $6.95
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 RETRO FLORENZA CARVED SHELL CAMEO PIN BROOCH US $19.00
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 Signed Florenza Figural Fish Brooch Rhinestone Accents US $.99
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 Signed Vintage Florenza DUTCH Charm Bracelet US $8.99
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 Vintage Pin Marked FLORENZA W Molded Flowers Pink Blue AB Rhinestones US $15.99
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 Florenza signed vintage bracelet Gorgeous US $19.49
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Coro Costume Jewelry and Vendome
Coro costume jewelry is one of the best-known in the collectable market. Manufactured from 1901 all the way through to 1979 in the US and 1998 in Canada, Coro is an enduring classic.
Coro had two main design "arms". First was the Coro and Corocraft, which specialized in everyday costume jewelry. From simple to glitzy styles, the price range was for the average family.
Rhinestone Costume Jewelry Earrings by Coro
The other side of the design arm was Vendome. Vendome vintage jewelry was aimed at a wealthier audience, with higher-end pieces. Glitz and glamour were the catchwords, and quality was the mainstay when it came to Vendome jewelry.
Coro's History
Coro started business in 1901. The two partners in the business were Emanuel Cohen and Gerald Rosenberg. "Coro" was a blend of the first two letters of their last names (Cohen and Rosenberg).
Neither Emanuel or Gerald were designers, but rather they contracted with talented individuals. Nor did they manufacture the jewelry; it also was contracted out. This left the pair to concentrate on the marketing. And market they did!
By the 1920's Coro jewelry was sold in the five-and-dime stores all across the country. Accessible and affordable, even during the Great Depression they were able to continue making and selling their jewelry. And in 1929, they were able to actually build a manufacturing facility in Providence, Rhode Island. By this time Adolph Katz had joined in, and ultimately it was he who made Coro jewelry so famous.
Adolph oversaw the manufacturing and it's also believed that he carefully selected the designers for the jewelry; it's unclear if he actually designed any himself, though. Three designers that Adolph selected include Francois, Gene Verecchio and Oscar Placco.
In 1943, Coro incorporated to become Coro, Inc. Along the way they made a name for themselves with the Coro Duette, a pin that had two parts that could be worn together or separately. Business was booming!
The Vendome line was added to the company shortly after incorporating, but the majority of the pieces were manufactured after about 1953, and all the way up through 1979.
Coro continued manufacturing jewelry up through 1979 (1998 in Canada), then closed their doors. Meanwhile, they contributed so very much to the popularity and history of costume jewelry.
Jewelry Marks Used
Coro used quite a few marks spanning the years, and they didn't necessarily abandon one when they brought out another. Therefore, it can be difficult to date Coro pieces, based on their marks. The exception is that anything with a copyright symbol was manufactured after 1955.
Here are some of the most common marks used for Coro costume jewelry:
- "Coro" in script, written at an angle or with no angle was first used in 1919.
- "Duette" and "Coro Duette" in script was first used in 1931.
- "Coro Craft" in script, 1935.
- "Corocraft" in script, written at an angle with a Pegasus, 1938. This mark also appeared without the Pegasus at the same time.
- "Coro" in a thick script, 1940.
- "Coro" in script, at an angle with a Pegasus, 1945.
- Pegasus next to an empty rectangle, 1945.
- "Made in Mexico" in a small circle, "Coro" and "silver" dates are from 1943 through 1950.
- "Coro" in script with the copyright symbol, dates from 1956.
Now for the Vendome marks...
- "Vendome" with a large V on an oval cartouche, used from 1944 through 1979.
- "Vendome" impressed into the metal, also 1944 through 1979.
Whew! Like I said before, Coro has a long history in the jewelry business.
Collecting Coro and Vendome Vintage Jewelry
Everyone should have a piece of Coro and/or Vendome costume jewelry in their collection (unless you are specializing in one specific manufacturer). Coro is very collectable, and prices are reasonable for a beginning collection. Vendome pieces are a little more expensive, but can still be had for a reasonable price.
Coro is all over the map when it comes to style. Ranging from simple pieces, through plastic and all the way up to glitzy rhinestones, there's something for everyone.
Some of the most collectable Coro pieces are the . A Duette in excellent condition with all parts working can easily command prices in the hundreds, especially if they are a book piece.
I expect you want to look and see what kinds of offerings are available for sale! You can see a and
with these links, and you can see a very small sample of Coro below. Enjoy!
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 CORO JELLY BELLY SWALLOW BIRD BROOCH PIN RUBY RED STONE 1945 PEGASUS MARK US $28.00
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 3 Pairs VTG 1950s AB RHINESTONE MOP Clip Earrings 2 CORO US $9.99
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 Coro Goldtone Silvertone Rhinestone Pin US $13.95
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