Unique Collection of Designer Vintage Jewelry

Antique Victorian Jewelry

Art Deco Jewelry

Retro Modern Jewelry

Vintage Home Decor

Antique Earrings &
Vintage Earrings

Vintage Necklaces
& Pendants

Brooches, Pins,
& Clips

Vintage Bracelets
Ladies & Rings

Special Jewelry
Collection

1940s & 1950s
Vintage Jewelry

1960s, 1970s,1980s
Retro Vintage Jewelry

Faces in Jewelry
Figural Jewelry

Special Occasion & Christmas Jewelry

Eccentric Wild
Vintage Jewelry

Vintage Cufflinks

Vintage Home Decor

Important Facts about Vintage Jewelry

There is a hierarchy to the rise and fall of what was once the great US designer jewelry business mecca.
It was US made costume jewelry that started the entire global fashion industry.

The idea of a costume jewelry industry was brought to the US at the end of the 19th century by immigrants from many countries in the old world with special skills and treasured molds. They started everything we know as fashion jewelry, fashion clothes, and designer styles today. Costume jewelry predominantly began in RI, NY, & MA. In other words, there was no such thing as designer labels or brand name clothes and accessories before the costume jewelry industry.

Designer jewelry production boomed from the 1920s up thru the 1960s. During this era, there were over 10,000 US designer jewelry manufacturers in business in the US overall. By the 1970s, other countries like Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and India flooded the US market with low priced everyday fashion jewelry. By the end of the 1970s, China manufactured jewelry not only put all of those countries out of business, but all US made jewelry as well. It was a devastating blow to industry in the US.

It was Coco Chanel in the 1920s who was largely responsible for the creation of the costume jewelry industry in the US. However, costume jewelry was made throughout Europe, Asia, and India many decades before as costume jewelry was made as imitation jewelry of that worn by royalty. It was not cheaply made and did not lack quality metals, high quality crystals, or craftsmanship. All that was produced was exceptional quality and made to last a lifetime.

American designer made antique and vintage jewelry is exceptional quality as well. Most pieces are great investments because if kept in great condition, they will always increase in value, dramatically. It's just not made anymore. There are only a couple of small designer firms that still make jewelry in the USA; mostly mass production jewelry for home shopping channels.

When you find jewelry in department stores labeled Monet, Napier, or Trifari, those US firms sold the patented name to China a long time ago and the quality is not in any way comparable or valuable.

There is no quality costume jewelry made today anywhere in the world today that remotely compares with anything that made in the USA in the past.