Posts Tagged ‘Weiss’
Vintage Weiss Jewelry
Weiss jewelry is known for its classy appearance. Not to mention the glorious sparkle! Let's talk about Weiss jewelry, its history and what to look at when you buy it.
About Weiss Jewelry
Weiss Earrings (Click for larger image)
Albert Weiss founded Weiss jewelry in the year 1942. Mr. Weiss was experienced with costume jewelry, as he had spent some time at Coro.
Mr. Weiss designed most of the jewelry that bears his name. his company operated from 1942 through to 1971, when it finally shut down. Unfortunately, many of the great costume jewelry companies closed their doors about this time, due to the jewelry styles changing so much. Hence, Weiss jewelry falls very much into the "most desireable" costume jewelry years.
Weiss jewelry is know for both classic looks and for loads of wonderful, excellent-quality rhinestones. The jewelry was well-made and has stood the test of time.
In the photo, it was pretty much impossible for me to capture how beautiful the earrings are in person. They are done in shades of Autumn colors and are sparkly to the max!
Weiss Jewelry Marks
Weiss jewelry was marked as follows. The years listed are when the marks first appeared. Please keep in mind that a mark may have been used for many years. The only real mark that can be dates is the one with the copyright symbol (after 1956).
- "WEISS" printed in caps. Sometimes raised in a cartouche or imprinted. Approximately 1942.
- "Albert Weiss" in script, approximately 1951.
- "WEISS" in script, approximately 1951.
- "Weissco", approximately 1951.
- "WEISS" with the copyright symbol, unknown for sure, but most likely after 1956.
There is a fair amount of unmarked Weiss jewelry floating around; this is because Weiss (like quite a few manufacturers) made some unmarked pieces. They would sell this jewelry to department stores, who would put their own labels on it.
However, until you are very familiar with the genuine article, don't pay big bucks for something labeled as an unmarked Weiss.
For awhile, there were also a lot of Weiss fakes flooding the market; this was when Weiss jewelry was going for large sums of money. Once again, don't pay a large amount for a Weiss piece until you are familiar with the genuine article.
Weiss Christmas trees are very popular, and if you can get your hands on one in good condition for a reasonable price -- grab it!
Buying Weiss Costume Jewelry
Weiss is easily found, but generally commands a larger sum than say, Coro or Trifari. But happily for us who love the look, the jewelry isn't out of the range for most collectors. Keep in mind that pieces without rhinestones sell for lower sums than those with rhinestones. And clear rhinestones go for less than pieces with colored rhinestones.
But enough with the talking! Here are some gorgeous Weiss jewelry pieces at the place where you can find the best prices. Have fun shopping!
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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 B DAVID RHINESTONE CROWN PIN  US $24.99
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 Vintage ART rhinestone BROOCH DAISY silver tone RETRO chic US $9.99
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 VINTAGE ART SIGNED BLUE BOREALIS RHINESTONE NECKLACE SET FULL PARURE WOW US $53.07
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Should You Ever Buy Unsigned Costume Jewelry?
I know I've said that a beginning collector should really stick with signed costume jewelry. But is there ever a time that you should stray away from signed into the land of the beautiful but unsigned pieces?
Yes, there are times that unsigned pieces can be a good purchase. For example, the famous Juliana line by DeLizza and Elster was never signed on the jewelry itself; instead, it was marked only by a paper hang tag. Yet true Juliana jewelry is highly collectible.
The Case for Unsigned Costume Jewelry
Rhinestone Costume Jewelry Pin, Unsigned
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Juliana is unsigned but valuable. But here's something that most people don't realize; many manufacturers didn't sign all their work! For example, Weiss has a lot of unsigned pieces floating around. Why? Because it was sold to department stores, who put their own "branding" on it (usually via the packaging).
Some companies also did manufacturing for other companies; the designers would create the piece, while another company actually did the manufacturing.
Then there are the unsigned Miriam Haskell pieces. In the beginning, the Haskell pieces weren't signed. As they became more popular (and as the laws changed), the pieces were signed.
There is a lot of unsigned costume jewelry that was created by the big names...but without the names.
The Case for Signed Vintage Jewelry
One of the biggest reason to stick with signed pieces at first is to get to know and recognize quality pieces. Once you've collected a lot of Weiss (for example), you'll be able to recognize the quality and style in the unsigned pieces.
Also, signed costume jewelry holds its value better than unsigned work. You pay less in the beginning for unsigned pieces, but the price increase over the years is slower. So if you're buying for investment, stick with signed (with the obvious exception of Juliana).
Do You Love It?
If you're buying because you love the look of the piece, signed or unsigned doesn't matter as much. What you need to be concerned about in this case is the quality of the construction and the condition of the piece (i.e how much wear does it show).
Just be aware of what similar signed pieces are selling for, so that you know not to pay too much for unsigned.
I'll leave you today with some unsigned pieces. As always, you can find a and a small taste of what's available below.
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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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