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

~ (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...)

3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Indentification & Values by Marcia Sparkles Brown
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Editorial Reviews

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: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #216,567 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#93 in Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Jewelry

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
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 silver of the king. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
navette rhinestones, rhinestone chatons, clear rhinestones, chaton rhinestones, blue chatons, green chatons, clear chatons, pastel rhinestones, iridescent rhinestones, gold chatons, lavender chatons, marquise rhinestones, blue navettes, glass navettes, teardrop rhinestones, pink chatons, orange chatons, borealis rhinestones, dark green rhinestones, citrine rhinestones, purple chatons, navette stones, emerald cut rhinestones, green navettes, green rhinestone eyes

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Art Deco, Art Nouveau, World War, Szooches Top, Art Moderne

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 29 books:

Plastic Jewelry by Lyngerda Kelley in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry by Harold Newman in Back Matter
Fun Jewelry by Nancy N. Schiffer in Back Matter
Indian Artifacts of the Midwest: Identification & Value Guide by Lar Hothem in Back Matter
Value Guide To Gas Station Memorabilia by B. J. Summers in Back Matter

See all 29 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Collecting Costume Jewelry 101 by Julia C. Carroll

Discusses:

Costume Jewelry by Fred Razazadeh

Discusses:

20th Century Costume Jewelry by Ronna Lee Aikins

Discusses:

Costume Jewelry by Judith Miller

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	50% buy the item featured on this page: Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values 3.6 out of 5 stars (14) $18.21
	14% buy Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics of Starting, Building & Upgrading 5.0 out of 5 stars (8) $16.47
	13% buy Collectible Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values 4.5 out of 5 stars (17) $16.47
	13% buy Inside the Jewelry Box, Vol. 2: A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values 4.9 out of 5 stars (8) $16.47

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values
Very helpful in identifying and valuation my vintage jewelry. Recomend to any vintage jewel collector.

Published 14 days ago by Neva Longacre

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry
Great book filled with lots of good information! The photos are a bit dark, but that doesn't detract from the jewelry being shown. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Barbara A. Matz

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book full of great information
A wonderful book for the costume jewelry enthusiast. Great pictures and fantastic writing. It gave me a great insight on the quality and craftsmanship of unsigned pieces of... Read more

Published 17 months ago by James R. Foster

1.0 out of 5 stars Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry
An excelent reference book, however, sellers/buyers need to know a particular designer to find items. Not all items are referenced. Read more

Published on January 3, 2007 by Kristin L. Sullivan

3.0 out of 5 stars Review from a buyer in Australia
I was looking forward to receiving this book because as a collector I did not have a book on unsigned costume jewellery. Read more

Published on September 13, 2005 by Heather Tailor

5.0 out of 5 stars Unsigned and Unsung beauties of jewelry!
Marcia "Sparkles" Brown puts together the best books on costume jewelry there are. With all the pictures she includes it makes it so much easier to find something you may be... Read more

Published on August 27, 2005 by D. Goodson

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic Knowledge
I had read the book before when I started researching my mothers pins. I have now purchsed two of Marcie's books. Read more

Published on July 19, 2005 by Arnell I. Haws

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of color and sparkle
Most of "Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification & Values," by Marcia "Sparkles" Brown, consists of labeled, full-color photographs of pieces... Read more

Published on February 19, 2004 by Michael J. Mazza

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Informative!
This is a great book with beautiful pictures and helpful information! Well worth my money.

Published on October 14, 2001 by Handprint

1.0 out of 5 stars NO "DESIGNER" IDENTIFICATION PROVIDED
SAVE YOUR MONEY! The book title is deceiving if you are looking to "IDENTIFY" an unsigned Miriam Haskell, a Weiss bracelet, or a Trifari parure. Read more

Published on August 2, 2000

› See all 14 customer reviews...

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