Signed Beauties Of Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Marcia Brown (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1574322885 | ISBN-13: 978-1574322880 | Publication Date: April 1, 2002 | Edition: 1

Over 800 color photos with thousands of pieces of jewelry. Companies and designers featured include Eisenberg, McClelland Barclay, Hattie Carneige, Adele Simpson, Miriam Haskell, Kenneth Jay Lane, Joseff, Marcel Boucher, and more. 2006 values.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book truly "sparkles" (like the author's name) and would make an ideal gift for costume jewelry fans. Author Marcia "Sparkles" Brown has created the perfect sequel to her previously published Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry with this handsomely produced volume. Thousands of jewelry items are illustrated in over 800 color photographs and are complemented by captions that include descriptions and values. -Adele Kenny

About the Author

Marcia Brown published her first book, Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry, in 2000. She is the host and co-writer of the award-winning Venture Entertainment books-on-tape series Hidden Treasures: A Collector's Guide to Antique & Vintage Jewelry. She is a frequent contributor to the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry newsletter. An antique and vintage jewelry historian, lecturer, and collector, Brown also provides private consultations for many dealers, mall owners, and collectors.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Collector Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574322885
• ISBN-13: 978-1574322880
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Jewelry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plenty of Sparkles, September 16, 2004

By 

Christine Saalbach (San Antonio TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signed Beauties Of Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values (Hardcover)

Before you sell Granny's costume jewelry at your garage sale for a couple of quarters, I'd suggest that you first check out this book. As is true in many collector books, the price guide is not in the back of this book. Instead, a price range is handily placed by each item's photograph, so no flipping to and from the back of the book is required.

The jewelry is sorted by maker, accompanied by a bit of history and general recognition characteristics. In case you forget the designer as you move through the book, the name is in a blue bar at the top of the page. You may not see the exact piece of jewelry you are trying to locate, but you will learn how to recognize a designer's general style.

The photography is do-it-yourself; Sparkles's husband, Kenneth A. Brown assisted in this department. Although a few of the photos are a bit out-of-focus, they are sufficiently clear to make out the main details.

The book is divided into general categories, such as: "designing men, designing women, disciples of Haskell, Hollywood stars, manufacturers, metalcraft, and unattributed pieces."

In order to determine the age of a piece, Sparkle tells us to look at the soldering, the catch, magazine advertisements and art or fashion trends of various periods. She gives us tips on care, restoration and storage of our costume jewelry. To my surprise, I learned that the value of a brooch that I bought at a thrift shop, just because I thought it looked pretty, is valued at about $90 (and I surely paid nowhere near that price). I'm certainly glad my brooch's consignor hadn't looked at this book. You might find that you've got a surprise treasure, too!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Plenty of sparkle, not much substance, January 4, 2005

By 

Lori "Jewel Ghoul" (Rocky Mountain West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signed Beauties Of Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values (Hardcover)

I am a novice dealer and avid collector of sparkly beauties and found this book extremely satisfying for my inner raccoon. The pictures are clear enough and the selection is varied enough to keep that urge to sneak into your Gramma's jewelry box alive. However, to call this coffee table book a reference guide would be to put it in a class beyond it's contents. I found a pictoral guide to maker's marks sorely lacking. Also understanding the author has a limited space, and did include some of the great costume houses like Trifari, where are the other Kings of Costume like Coro and Sarah Coventry? They made spectactular pieces too. My Gramma couldn't have afforded most of the stuff in this book in her time; I found the selection a bit high-end and the pricing guide inflated.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than ever!, October 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Signed Beauties Of Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values (Hardcover)

It shows many styles, many designers. It is the kind of book you use and reuse for information. Not all pieces in a parure/set are signed, leaving some pieces without the designer's mark. This was the case with some from my private collection. This book has been quite helpful in ascertaining a designer for such pieces. A great investment! Wonderful photos. A sufficient amount of information.