Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values (Hardcover)

by Marcia Sparkles Brown (Author) "Once upon a time, many years ago, in the country known as France, so the story goes, Jouel was the term for the royal table..." (more)
Key Phrases: navette rhinestones, rhinestone chatons, clear rhinestones, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, World War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
This book truly "sparkles" (like the author's name) and would make an ideal gift for costume jewelry fans. Thousands of jewelry items are illustrated in over 1,000 color photographs and are complemented by captions that include descriptions and values.

Product Description
This book is the first book of its kind, concentrating not only on costume jewelry, but also on those pieces that are unmarked or unsigned by the manufacturer. Over 1,000 photographs featuring 3,500 pieces of antique and collectible costume jewelry highlight this beautiful book. Brown carefully illustrates and discusses such details as the types of metal finishes used, the different cuts of stones, and stone setting techniques. Easy to read charts covering time lines, fashion dates, and jewelry introductions are provided for ease in identification of pieces. All photographs are indexed for easier research, and a helpful glossary has been included. 2000 values. AUTHORBIO: 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. REVIEW: This book truly "sparkles" (like the author's name) and would make an ideal gift for costume jewelry fans. Thousands of jewelry items are illustrated in over 1,000 color photographs and are complemented by captions that include descriptions and values.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Collector Books; Revised edition (April 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157432182X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574321821
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #118,786 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Pics, May 13, 2002

By	Race Girl (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This is a decent book for prices and examples but didn't give much description on identifying. For instance it explains the different metals used to make the jewelry, but not how to identify which metal you have in your piece. Good for pics but not too good for identifying/dating pieces.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Costume Jewelry-Unsigned and Still Beautiful!, February 17, 2001

By	"birc0021" (south st paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

I think the book is worthy of it's name. It recognizes the beauty of unsigned pieces and their value. Each page includes colored photos of unsigned costume vintage pins, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. The pictures are bright, clear, and vibrant. The only set back to this book is that the author has listed the value of the pieces a little to high. This is relative across the board though, so I wouldn't skip on purchasing this book. If you by vintage because you admire it's beauty and not it's maker, than this book is for you. Enjoy!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource for Vintage Jewelry Buffs, November 17, 2004

By	G. Gupton "Author of spiritual growth books." (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love this book!. It's chock full of excellent pictures and information for the vintage jewelry collector, whether a novice or one of long-standing. The book is well organized in its layout. I've discovered it's a 'collectible' book in its own right. Author, Marcia Sparkles Brown, has a video, which I also own and recommend.

Although not a whole lot on each designer, some mention is better than none. To find references to Judy Lee, BSK, LaRoco, Park Lane, Avon, Capri, Art, JJ, Les Bernard, Capri, etc. was of interest to me when I first started collecting jewelry because of the scarcity of volumes on these names. Other designers, such as Lisner, Coventry, Napier, Monet, etc., also included in this book, were more easily found when doing searches for designers.

The book has no index, so this may be a concern to others. But the designer names are presented in alphabetical order.

Gail Gupton, Author: The 31-Day Diet of Spiritual Enlightenment and Seekers of Truth.