As we creep closer to the 4th of July, I find myself yearning for saltwater taffy and sand between my toes. As an adult, I would never go to the beach at this time of year--too many people for my taste. But fireworks at the beach defines the summers of my childhood. We didn't go to fancy hotels or quiet beaches. Nope, it was the lights and kitsch of Myrtle Beach, back when the Pavilion still existed. The Fourth of July was all about the rickety Log Flume and walking the Boardwalk with wet shorts to get dipped ice cream cones and spend all our money in the Gay Dolphin. And then it was rushing back to the cheap hotel to crowd onto our balcony just in time for the bursts of light in the sky. I tend to get nostalgic this time of year, and if you follow our blog, you'll notice a lot of nautical, red, blue, and beachy-type things. Like today, where we are focusing on sailing-influenced fashion. This graphic sailboat dress is a dream come true:
If you're not into red, white, and blue nautical, you could always go for something a little more intellectual, like this 1950s skirt with maps, globes, compasses, ships, and sea monsters in the print. Love it!
We love bugs! Well, we love Dior bugs.... (But who doesn't?)
Now, we don't necessarily love them when they crawl on us. And the kind that suck blood are strictly prohibited. But if you're a beetle, bee, or butterfly, you are welcome anytime.
And for the record, we loved pull-down charts of bugs before it was cool. (We're kind of science nerds like that. Plus, we're suckers for brightly colored illustrations, regardless of the subject matter.) So I'm putting this gem on my Christmas list right now:
I was hoping that my first Skinny post in forever would be sort of like my post on Van Dell vintage jewelry (see it here). We have thousands of views on that post, and comments that it has really helped people who were trying to learn more about the company.
Well, unfortunately, it's not going to work out how I wanted it to. Grrr!
I have wanted to post on Star costume jewelry for some time now. We are always looking for good, signed vintage costume jewelry for our shops because it always sells. Vintage costume jewelry is just so much fun -- to find and collect. Designers did and can take so many risks with the designs of costume jewelry that they just can't do with fine jewelry. Star is a name that we don't find often, not like Coro or Sarah Coventry, but we've unearthed a piece or three in our travels. I knew that information was hard to find about this company, but I didn't realize exactly how hard until I started looking for anything about them.
Brooch and earrings, available from JewelryQuestDesign on Etsy, here.
So this post will be image heavy, because the written info I have gathered is about, hmmm...a paragraph long? Hey, they say a picture is worth a thousand words...
Green bead necklace from Vintage Heart Strings on Etsy, here.
OK, let's talk about what I found. First theory: the Star Jewelry Company was in business from the 1940s through the 1960s. I found two sources that confirm that (www.collectiblejewels.com and www.amazingadornments.com). One source says they were based in Houston, Texas. The jewelry is good (not great) quality, and the company seemed to specialize in thermoplastic and rhinestone jewelry. From the images I've seen, they did a lot of natural designs, with flowers, leaves, and vines.
Now, theory two doesn't seem very likely, but I'm posting it for your information. On www.jacksonjewels.com, they say that Star and Staret jewelry were both made by the Star Novelty Company in Chicago. I could paraphrase, but it's easier to just quote them. Here's what they say:
"The company began
making costume jewelry marked: "STAR" in 1925-1940. The company changed its
name to Staret in the 1940s. Staret jewelry pieces are known for their
exuberant design and exceptional use of enameling and high quality
rhinestones. The style and sometimes excessively showy shapes of costume
jewelry stamped Staret, recalls to mind, the more famous jewels of Eisenberg &
Sons but does not have the Eisenberg quality. Novelty jewelry was also
designed and made by the company. Overall, the quality of Staret designs is
good quality with good quality stones with some pieces being exceptional with
better quality of workmanship and design. Mark: "STAR", "STARET". The companyceased operations in 1947." I say this doesn't seem likely, because the pieces I have seen marked Star are not pieces from 1925-1940. No way. They are 1950s and 60s, definitely, in design and construction. Also, Staret pieces look NOTHING like Star pieces. No similarity at all. The people over at www.amazingadornments.com don't buy this theory either.
Here's a bracelet we have in our Etsy shop, here, and its mark:
And here's a rhinestone necklace on Etsy from Ginger's Little Gems, here. It has a string tag attached.
So that's all I got! Told you it wasn't much -- but hope it can help you a little. Here's a few more photos for reference.
Found on Ebay.
A different piece from WhyWeLoveThePast on Etsy, here.
There's one trend this fall I'm super excited to talk about. The brooch is back! Personally, for me, it never left. I have always been a wearer, collector, and all-around lover of pins and brooches. New or old, one at a time or grouped together, they can make quite the statement!
When I worked in product development, I had to go to the Hight Point International Home Furnishings Market every spring and fall. It was fun to dress up, since normally the office was pretty casual. My most memorable day was when I wore my yellow 60s style a-line dress (I think of Doris Day when I wear it), thick black opaque tights, black ballet flats, and five of my enamel flower pins in black, white, gray, and yellow. I got tons of compliments on those brooches -- even now, when I look at them I think about that day.
Brooches are easy to find and easy to wear. Oscar de la Renta's Fall 2012 runway was full of his brooches, but you can get the same look from a thrift or antique store. At the antique mall where we Blackbird girls work, you can find pins from $1 to $2, all the way up to $200. And Etsy has over 120,000 listings for brooches in the Vintage section alone.
You can wear them one at a time, but I think the fun really starts when you pile on the pins. And the more whimsical, the better. Vintage pins can have so much personality, whether they are a Jelly Belly brooch, a Victorian tremblant pin, or a bright enamel daisy. Why not a butterfly brooch nestled in a field of flowers? Or a mini collection of owl pins?
If you need some inspiration for ideas on how to wear your brooches, I found this awesome video that Nordstrom just released. It highlights nine different ways to wear your brooch collection.
More about my brooch and pin collection in a future Junk Love post, but I just can't resist giving you a sneak peek!
The mysterious world of vintage jewelry is full of twists and turns. Marks can be hard to read, and company's names reduced to vague initials. Histories on the jewelry companies are lost or incomplete. And forget about trying to date a piece or find out more about the jeweler's other collections.
Before I list a piece of jewelry in the Etsy shop, I do research. I had never heard of Van Dell, but was intrigued when I found a pair of black and white cameo screw back earrings, set in sterling silver. The mark was clear and prettily done. But when I went to research the company, it was hard to find anything about them. So for today's "The Skinny", I'm going to share with all of you the info I have been able to find out about the Van Dell Corporation (which ain't much...).
It began in Providence, Rhode Island in 1943 (or 1938, depending on your source), with an emphasis on making
high quality collections of costume jewelry, as well as sterling silver and gold filled and gold plated pieces. Van Dell wanted to make designs that imitated fine
jewelry, retaining a more delicate feel than a heavy, costume feel. They used rhinestones and simulated gemstones, as well as cultured and
faux pearls. They were also known for their hand carved cameos and ivory pieces. According to Vintage Jewelry Lane, "Some of their early
pieces sold for $65 or more in the 1960s, which was quite expensive for
the time."
Van Dell is recognizable for their cameos, delicate floral pieces, faux pearls, and carved ivory. Their ivory jewelry was marked with red and gold foil hang tags. Rhinestone designs were
often originally sold in sets, and are worth more if you can find the entire set or the original box. The jewelry will be marked Van Dell, and have a stamp stating if it is sterling or gold filled. Although not a high end designer, Van
Dell does have a following, and can sell for a higher range of prices that your average costume jewelry.
The company was sold to
Hallmark in 1970, and in
1998, was bought by the Colibri Company, based in London. They also own
Krementz jewelry, which has a similar design aesthetic. Van Dell jewelry is still being
made today.
