The Beauty of Barrera

By Pamela Wiggins Siegel Barrera rose brooch with aurum rhinestones, early 2000s, $125-$175. As an admirer of bold, colorful, wearable costume jewelry, I’ve had my eye on pieces by José and María Barrera for quite some time. Every now and then, I’d pop into Neiman Marcus, especially during the early 2000s, and give their jewels […]

Fantastic Plastic: Collecting Mid-Century Costume Jewelry

By Pamela Wiggins Siegel Growing up in the 1960s, I remember the women in my life wearing jewelry decorated with some attention-grabbing plastic components. My grandmother had a super chunky bracelet embellished with simulated turquoise, and my mom had some lipstick red button earrings glammed up with clear rhinestones. My Aunt Billie even had a […]

Like Father, Like Son: Remembering Gene and Ron Verri of Gem-Craft Costume Jewelry Fame

Over the past 30 years, I’ve spent many days in the Providence, R.I., area, getting to know some very interesting people in the costume jewelry industry. From designers to business owners and component suppliers, they’re often seen as rock stars in the eyes of avid jewelry collectors. Nevertheless, they’re usually quite humble and honored to […]

Kramer of New York’s Diamond Look Shines Brightly for Collectors

By Pamela Wiggins Siegel Kramer of New York is one of those names dealers run across pretty frequently when sourcing costume jewelry. That usually means a company saw a good amount of success back when the jewelry was newly made. Nevertheless, it’s not a brand most fervent collectors get overly excited about. It might be […]

Vintage Revival

While I already knew the name Heidi Daus back in the early 2000s, I really didn’t take notice of her jewelry until one of my friends began carrying her Deco-inspired designs in the upscale boutique she owned. These pieces had an abundance of light gray rhinestones set in brassy antiqued settings. They were pretty enough […]

Flat-Out Gorgeous

By Pamela Wiggins Siegel Back when it first ran from 1985 to 1992, I didn’t catch too many episodes of the classic television series “Golden Girls.” Now that I’m a golden girl myself, I’ll admit to watching the reruns from time to time, especially when I’m under the weather. The shows have their funny moments, […]

Kovels Antique Trader October 2023

Ruby Lane founder Tom Johnson…Fright Night Fun…Sporting Art…Gustav Stickley Furniture…Swatch Watches…Disneyland Memorabilia…Batman Toys…Gripoix Glass Jewelry…Gold Rush Country…American Porcelain Marks…Collector’s Gallery  

Hobé Flower Photo Brooch

Q:  I received as a gift from a friend 17 years ago, a beautiful Hobe Flower Photo Brooch dated 1966. I have not been able to find this brooch on the Internet. I’m interested to know what the value of this lovely Hobe brooch might be. Can you help me? A:  Once you’ve started looking […]

After 17 Years, a Gifted Hobé Brooch Mystery is Solved

Q:  I received as a gift from a friend 17 years ago, a beautiful Hobé Flower Photo Brooch dated 1966. I have not been able to find this brooch on the internet. I’m interested to know what the value of this lovely Hobe brooch might be. Can you help me? A:  Once you’ve started looking […]

From Cartier to Costume, The Unmistakable Beauty of Fruit Salad Jewelry

There are lots of nicknames costume jewelry collectors have given their favorite styles over the years. None are so fun, perhaps, as “Fruit Salad.” This term pertains to adornment made by one of the giants in the costume jewelry business to imitate a particular type of Art Deco era fine jewelry. And, as with many […]