Posts Tagged ‘eisenberg’
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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 Fabulous EISENBERG Clear Rhinestone Signed Vtg Earrings  US $9.99
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 4 Christmas Wreath Brooches 2 Eisenberg on Orig Card US $24.99
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 VINTAGE EISENBERG CHANDELIER RHINESTONE CLIP EARRINGS US $33.66
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 Original Eisenberg Sterling Sliver Broach SIGNED US $129.00
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 VINTAGE signed EISENBERG ORIGINAL Rhinestone PIN BOX US $249.00
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 Signed Eisenberg Sterling Rstn Bracelet US $65.00
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 Beautiful Vintage Eisenberg Crystal Rhinestone Brooch US $150.00
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 EISENBERG ICE FROG PIN EX COND W EMERALD GREEN EYES US $9.99
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 Eisenberg Signed Purple Rhinestone Red Hat Brooch US $19.75
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Rhinestone Costume Jewelry
Rhinestone costume jewelry is the very definition of "bling". Most of the time, anyway -- there are pieces more subdued. But oh, the sparkle of the vintage rhinestone jewelry is what keeps us coming back.
What's Your Jewelry Style?
I did mention that there were costume jewelry manufacturers that had a more subdued sparkly rhinestone look. One example is Lisner; another is BSK. Florenza tends more towards a classic Victorian look as well, with less "bling".
But if you like lots and lots of sparkle, you definitely have a large selection to choose from! Kramer, Weiss and Eisenberg are three that immediately come to mind -- fabulous pieces! And if you want rhinestone jewelry to die for, Juliana will make your heart sing.
So deciding upon what amount of sparkle you want will help you to choose a manufacturer.
Rhinestone Costume Jewelry - What to Look For
The first thing you'll be wanting to check is that the stones have plenty of sparkle, and that there are no "dead" rhinestones. (Dead means dull and/or cloudy.) While one or two at the very back of a necklace might not matter too much, you're still better off having more sparkle.
Next, are the rhinestones pasted in or seated with prongs? Either can be beautiful, but pasted in stones can come loose and fall out much easier than prong-set rhinestones.
The good news is that pasted stones are usually easy to re-set with a little jewelry glue. The bad news is that sometimes the stones drop out without you knowing, and you may have to buy a replacement stone.
Which brings me to the other thing to look for -- missing stones. Once again, you can sometimes get a great deal on a piece of rhinestone costume jewelry that is missing a stone or two. And if it's in an inconspicuous place and easy to fix, it may be a deal.
But if the missing rhinestone is "important" (one of the main stones) or would be hard to match, you may want to pass on that piece of jewelry.
Rhinestone Costume Jewelry Online
My absolute favorite place to buy costume jewelry of all kinds is ebay. You can't beat either the selection or the prices.
If you've never bought on ebay before, you may want to check out my articles on buying costume jewelry on ebay. But in reality, it's very simple.
So here's a available, as well as the list below. As always, you can click on the items to get all the details (and see a larger photo).
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 Vintage Lee Angel Broochsigned 2 inMulti Rhinestone US $75.00
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 VINTAGE WIDE MILK GLASS RHINESTONE NECKLACE GERMANY US $9.99
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 Vintage Signed Weiss Rhinestone Pin Brooch US $17.50
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 Vintage Bronze Rhinestone Two Owl Branch Necklace US $.99
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 VINTAGE STUNNING LEDO 1963 BROOCH EARRINGS RHINESTONE US $12.99
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 Large Vintage Signed Coro Rhinestone Goldtone Clip ons US $15.00
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 Large Vintage Signed Vendome Rhinestone Goldtone Clipon US $15.00
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 Vintage CORO Rhinestone Bracelet No name Earrings US $9.16
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 Vintage CORO Rhinestone Heart Bracelet 85 US $4.99
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Costume Jewelry Books and “Book Value”
If you've purchased any costume jewelry books, you'll notice that they have something called a book value. That is, the piece is labeled with the price the item should go for in a retail market.
Rhinestone Costume Jewelry Brooch, Unsigned (Click to Enlarge)
How accurate is the book value, though? Can you really use it to determine how much to pay for a particular piece shown in a book? Yes and no...and probably more often, "no". Let's see why.
How Old is the Book?
Check the publication date of the costume jewelry book. If it's more than a year old, the values are out of date. Costume jewelry prices were higher in the days before costume jewelry on ebay really took off. In general, the prices shown in the books represent how much it would cost to purchase the piece in an antiques store.
Trends Change
Like all fashions, costume jewelry also goes through trends. Today a particular designer is "hot", then tomorrow falls out of favor and another takes their place. But while a designer is hot, prices rise as people are scrambling to add the designer pieces to their own collection.
Sometimes a particular look gets hot; for example when beads came back in style a few years ago, beaded jewelry in general rose in price.
Then again, there are some books where the author seemed arbitrary on prices; setting higher values on pieces they liked, rather than the market value. Especially on unsigned pieces.
So What Good Are Costume Jewelry Books?
Well, aside from price, the books are invaluable for helping you to recognize the characteristics and style of differend designers. Although the values themselves might not mean much, the relative values give you a good idea of the market. For example in general, Eisenberg pieces cost more than Coro pieces.
So, definitely get costume jewelry books -- as many as your budget allows. The values might not be very accurate, but the rest of the information is priceless.
I'll leave you for today with some yummy eye candy from Eisenberg. You can find the and a tantalizing few below. Have fun!
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Fabulous EISENBERG Clear Rhinestone Signed Vtg Earrings US $9.99
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4 Christmas Wreath Brooches 2 Eisenberg on Orig Card US $24.99
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VINTAGE EISENBERG CHANDELIER RHINESTONE CLIP EARRINGS US $33.66
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Original Eisenberg Sterling Sliver Broach SIGNED US $129.00
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VINTAGE signed EISENBERG ORIGINAL Rhinestone PIN BOX US $249.00
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Signed Eisenberg Sterling Rstn Bracelet US $65.00
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Beautiful Vintage Eisenberg Crystal Rhinestone Brooch US $150.00
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EISENBERG ICE FROG PIN EX COND W EMERALD GREEN EYES US $9.99
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Eisenberg Signed Purple Rhinestone Red Hat Brooch US $19.75
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