Posts Tagged ‘pearls’
Laguna Vintage Costume Jewelry
Laguna vintage costume jewelry definitely has a "look", and is well known in two areas: pearls and crystals. And with good reason -- they did it well!
Years of Operation and Marks
Laguna has been around for awhile, from around 1944 through roughly the early 1980s. Actually, it's not known exactly when Laguna stopped manufacturing their jewelry.
The marks they used are:
- "Laguna"
- "KJL Laguna"
Obviously, the KJL Laguna mark is rarer and more collectable. (KJL being jewelry great Kenneth J. Lane.)
Buying Laguna Vintage Costume Jewelry
It seems that there are a fair number of necklace or earrings offered, but not to many sets. So, if you can get a matching necklace and earring set, all the better. (And if you can find one in an original presentation box, that's a score!)
Here are the Laguna vintage jewelry offerings. There are several pages worth, so enjoy your shopping!
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 VINTAGE LAGUNA CRYSTAL AURORA BOREALIS NECKLACE  US $8.00
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 Vintage Pink Glass Earrings by Laguna US $5.99
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 Vintage Bead Earrings Costume Lot Cluster Laguna Western Germany US $12.51
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Costume Jewelry Pearl Set
A costume jewelry pearl set is the consummate look for the 1950s. They are elegant, beautiful and classy.
Strangely enough, pearls are an excellent buy when it comes to vintage costume jewelry. They aren't highly sought-after, and so usually don't demand high prices (exceptions always apply, depending on the manufacturer).
The ont thing you need to know about vintage pearl sets is this; the vast majority of the time, they are "faux" (i.e. fake). While occassionally some genuine pearls find their way into vintage costume jewelry, don't count on it.
There were a few manufacturers famous for their pearls -- Laguna for one, Deltah for another. And pearl necklaces were considered a wonderful high school graduation gift. In fact, Coro at one point had a pearl necklace nestled inside a box that looked like a graduation cap!
Interestingly, a costume jewelry pearl parure is relatively difficult to come by. There are tons of pins and necklaces, and quite a few earrings. Oh, and bracelets as well. But relatively few matching sets to form a parure. I personally have a pearl parure by Trifari that is lovely.
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Vintage Pearl Necklace
A vintage pearl necklace isn't all that hard to find, but you need to keep one thing in mind. Except in rare situations, costume jewelry pearls are "faux" (i.e., imitation). But many of the "pearls" are surprisingly well-made and still have a lovely look, even after 20, 30 or even 40 years.
What You Can Expect From Vintage Pearls
As I mentioned previously, the pearls are imitation (which is part of what makes them costume jewelry). Some manufacturers made some pearl jewelry, and some pretty much specialized in them. For example, Laguna and Deltah are famous for their pearl necklaces.
Coro made some necklaces of pearls for their graduation line. Packed in a box that looked like a graduation cap, the pearls were intended as a high school graduation gift.
Some pearls are made better than others, and some look more real than others. I have an Avon pearl necklace that I wore day in, day out for several months and the shine on the pearls lasted longer than the clasp.
In general, you should treat your vintage faux pearls much like you would treat real pearls. The reason being, the manufacturers used different formulas for their pearls, and some coatings are more stable than others.
The good news: vintage pearl necklaces are easy to find and usually are quite affordable. Below are some excellent examples of what you can buy and what they cost. You can click on the links to see larger photos are purchase details.
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