Category: Jewelry

One of the best designers of costume jewlery for beginning, or of course experienced collectors, is Coro. It was so plentiful, and so affordable, that I know youve seen examples – in your moms or grandmas or even your own jewelry box.

So many beautiful Coro pieces from the 50s and 60s are still around, that Coro jewelry is an affordable way to get started buying good-quality pieces.

The Coro jewelry company was started in 1901 by Emanuel Cohen and Gerald Rosenberg. They did not personally design or manufacture jewelry they contracted with designers and jobbers to produce it. Their genius was in their business skills, and by 1920 Coro jewelry was being sold in dime stores all over the country. Even during the Depression, Coro was able to build a new factory.

A unique Coro brooch is called the Coro Duette two separate dress clips connected with a patented clasp.

Another prized Coro style, actually borrowed from Trifari, is Jelly Belly pins. They are figural pins, often of animals, with a clear acrylic stone placed in the center, or belly of the pin. Highly sought after by collectors, Jelly Belly pins can cost several hundred dollars. But be aware that there are modern reproductions of these pins, for sale on the Internet.

For me, Coro spells 1950s and 1960s. The sets of rhinestone earrings, necklaces and pins evoke the days when women dressed in hats and gloves, with jewelry matching their outfits, just to go shopping or visiting.

Coro used several different marks also called signatures on their jewelry, and its important for the collector to know something about them, since the marks can help date the piece. There are actually over 80 Coro trademarks, but well touch on ones youre most likely to find.

The most common one youll most likely see is the Coro script signature, with a Capital C( 1919-1979). Other marks may read Coro Craft, (1935); Corocraft(1938); Corocraft with a Pegasus (1933-1979); or Vendome (1944-1979).

A good rule of thumb for dating Coro jewelry is to remember that if you do not see the copyright symbol, , next to the word Coro, the piece is probably pre-1955, when the symbol was added to the signature.

As always, when considering the purchase of vintage jewelry, examine it closely to be sure it is in good condition. The best investment pieces should be in excellent, near mint condition.

Handmade jewelry today has so much variety that a person can find almost any type of handcrafted jewelry they can imagine. There are many types of materials and techniques used today to make handmade jewelry, the days of silver and gold being the only options in beautiful fashion accessories are long gone.

Although gold, silver, and diamonds remain to be the most expensive jewelry, many jewelry artisans are opting to try different less expensive materials to create their handmade earrings and handmade bracelets. The beauty remains the same allowing you to easily find many unique handmade jewelry pieces within your price range.

Materials such as beads and copper have become increasingly popular materials used for making handcrafted jewelry. Other countries have known this for many centuries and the United States have finally recognized the beauty of handmade beaded and copper jewelry.

Women are more creative when it comes to handmade jewelry. A woman tends to know which style of artisan jewelry will help her to look her age projecting a sophisticated and confident image. With more materials like copper and aluminum women have many choices when they shop for elegant artisan jewelry. Wearing a piece of handmade jewelry can bring a stunning effect to any outfit.

Younger generations tend to wear more flashy handmade jewelry than more mature adults. Adding a variety of handmade jewelry pieces to wear all at once is the popular dress code as far as handcrafted jewelry goes for younger people. As artisan unique jewelry became less expensive by changing the materials to make it, more teenagers were able to afford buying it. Bangle bracelets and flashy handmade earrings are also popular among the younger generation. With a style that is hard to imitate teenagers tend to wear more handmade jewelry today then even twenty years ago.

Adults tend to stick to wearing more simple conservative handcrafted jewelry than the flashy jewelry popular among teens. Men and women alike enjoy the variety found in artisan jewelry today. Men generally wear simple chain necklaces and handmade bracelets. Rings men wear are simple and are mostly wedding bands. Watches are another popular kind of jewelry among men, from gold and silver to leather strapped.

The best part of the newer materials and techniques used creating handmade jewelry today is that it is less expensive as well as the fact that the metals do not turn your skin colors. The old kind of jewelry would change colors, as jewelry got older, often times leaving colored marks on your skin unless it was real. With a greater variety of protective finishes available most handcrafted jewelry now has a coating so the artisan jewelry will look like new for a very long time. Most people are happy that handmade jewelry does not have to cost a lot to be beautiful and last for many years.

Silver jewelry has always been the traditional favorite of the Americans and more so because of its subtle charm and its ability to match any changing trends in fashion. This holiday the sales of silver jewelry at the Tiffanys have been 7.2% more than that in the year 2009. Silver is much appreciated and preferred over gold, majorly due to its market value. The affordability silver provides is incredibly practical for most families in the U.S. On the contrary, gold jewelry is a piece of magnificence created in a precious metal of incredible value. The gold prices are soaring high and there is a lot of controversy on the resale value of gold in the coming years.

If you see it in the fashion point of view, gold jewelry adds in the bling factor to your fashion or style statement but to carry off this piece of precious metal jewelry one needs to take extra care of the styles they match this look with. For instance, there are only a few colors that work along well with gold. Since gold gives the grandeur impression on the onlookers, the fabric colors of the dresses worn along with them must be characterized by subtle hues that contrast the glorious shine of gold jewelry. On the other hand, while most colors go well with silver jewelry, there are only a few that do not go very well like shades of yellow and brown.

Gold is the most tarnish-free, ductile and malleable metal that remains strong even in the form of thin gold wires. However, this is not the case if the gold jewelry is of a lower karat value and is mixed with higher proportions of other metals. Once bought, the charm and shine of the gold jewelry persists for years to come without undergoing much change. The same cannot be said about silver jewelry. Also, depending on the other metal alloys used to make silver jewelry, there are higher probabilities of the tarnish or an oxidized coat to transfer to your skin causing dark colored patches on skin. Gold on the other hand in some of the purest forms like 24K, 22K or 18K of the highest quality devoid the skin of any allergic or pigmentation problems.

In conclusion, the resale value of silver in the current times is much higher than gold and so is the wallet factor on them. Gold can add eons of dazzle and charm to your personality but has limited use since they do not go along with every type of fashion, on the other hand, silver jewelry not only is versatile when it comes to its appearance and how well it matches ones clothes or other accessories they look great with any additional parts embedded like colorful precious stones.

years Cartier – Cartier, the French company is without question one of the most spectacular and prestigious luxury jewelers in the world.
Cartier stands for tradition, luxury and quality, and also for its classic timeless design and its well-considered decisions. So if Cartier brings out a new luxury line, then we can be sure that this is precisely thought out.

In 1847 Louis-Francois Cartier took over the jewelry studio of his master, Adolphe Picard in the Rue Montorgueil No. 29 in Paris, which laid the foundation for the Cartier jewelry empire.
To keep the family tradition alive, Louis-Francois Cartier continued his craft to his son, Louis-Francois Cartier, Alfred in 1874 and gave him the jewelry line. Alfred appoints first turn, shortly after his eldest son with partner, years later, and all three sons.
The quality and skill of Cartier’s jewelry was his instantly popularity. It did not take two generations to Cartier who received great reputation worldwide. This was the future king of England, the Prince of Wales again underlined by Cartier to “Jeweler of Kings, King of Jewelers” said.

In 1997, Cartier celebrated its 150th anniversary. Because this anniversary was extra at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the British Museum in London, the retrospective “Cartier 1900 -1939” was issued.
1998 is the oldest and most famous, or even all Cartier’s first wristwatch, the “Santos”, proven by a new version with Chrono Reflex factory honor. This model was originally created in 1904 by Cartier for his friend to the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont and in 1978 it was ultimately designed.
Also in 1998, he created an exceptional Cartier watch collection, the “Collection Privee Cartier Paris.” Cartier is committed to still maintain the myth of Cartier, created by an extensive archive and thus gradually buy back its historic gems.

Last year, Cartier brought his most famous classic luxury, the ring-Trinit (Trinity-ring) to new life. The advertising campaign is to attract young people to explore the sensual nature of the symbolic power of the ring again. Cartier is responding to the loss of image the ring by the numerous imitations of this happened on the black market.
Originally the ring was designed by Louis Cartier in 1924 for his friend, the writer Jean Cocteau.