Remember when I told you about “runway” and “high-end” being a couple of my pet peeve terms that are way overused? There are a few more things I’m going to fill you in on in this feature that make avid collectors a little nutty. That’s right. I’m not the only one taking notice of these lapses in judgment, and I promise I’m not saying that just to seem less grumpy.
Most of us try to treat new collectors and sellers with an everyone-learns-from-their-mistakes attitude. But, honestly, a lot of “monkey see, monkey do” goes on in this area, so people fall into the trap of picking up and reusing descriptions that are just plain wrong. This pattern usually starts with one individual making an error—or, unfortunately, being less than truthful—and then others copying them unknowingly.
Since I’m pretty sure you don’t want to drive anyone crazy, and you don’t want your customers to think you’re dishonest by repeating misnomers over and over, let’s dive into several areas that need some improvement.
Calling Every Colorful Cabochon Gripoix
This mistake is a subset of the “high-end” problem, and it’s a rampant issue. The truth is that every piece of jewelry that contains genuine Gripoix cabochons, beads, or other elements is truly high-end. These designs are hard to find, rare even, and it is extreme luck if you can score one cheap. That means that most of what people have been calling Gripoix all over the internet are ordinary, mass-produced glass cabochons that are uniform in size, shape, and color.
True Gripoix glass was all crafted by hand by the House of Gripoix. Some examples include elements that have glass poured directly into frames shaped like leaves or flower petals, while others are formed into fine beads or cabochons. Because they are made one at a time, each one can be a bit different in shape. These components were used in Chanel and Christian Dior jewelry and a host of other truly high-end couture brands.
“Poured glass” is another related term that is way overused. For instance, Trifari jewelry used molded glass petal shapes with metal frames around them, which are molded glass, not poured. To be both honest and accurate, leave the terms Gripoix and poured glass out of your description unless you’re dealing with the best of the best in costume jewelry.
Weiss, Kramer, and many other companies marketed rhinestone jewelry similar to this, making it difficult to attribute.
Trying to Attribute Every Unmarked Piece
There are some good reasons to watch for pieces that have typical designer characteristics and try to attribute them. Some companies used the same construction techniques and materials on more than one occasion. You can indeed learn to recognize those traits, and it can pay off big to hone your skill set in this area.
The problem is that sellers try to purport many pieces of jewelry as unmarked this or unmarked that, and they totally miss the target. Two of the most common names misattributed are Weiss and Kramer. There were so many different companies making rhinestone jewelry similar to the styles marketed by these businesses in the 1950s and ‘60s, it’s quite often impossible to know with any certainty who made them. It’s better to sell those as unsigned beauties than stick a random name on them.
Another tricky area is period copies. Let’s take Ciner’s animal bangle bracelets as an example. Many unmarked jewelry versions are available in the marketplace that Ciner did not make. Unfortunately, these pieces are often mislabeled, even though it is rare for authentic Ciner jewelry to leave the factory without a mark. Upon closer inspection, the quality of these unmarked pieces also tends to be inferior. Copying popular designs was an issue long before those bangles came on the market, and it’s still happening today with Asian imports. You won’t garner any respect trying to sell an inferior copy as an unmarked original.
Misidentifying Miriam Haskell Jewelry
This attribution problem happens so frequently that it deserves some attention of its own. The company founded by Miriam Haskell made some truly amazing costume jewelry. Most of those designs have hand-manipulated construction that includes intricately wired high-quality beads and filigree backings. But here’s a newsflash for you: Many of the unmarked items in the collector’s marketplace being sold as Haskell aren’t really Haskell.
Haskell did produce unmarked jewelry in the 1930s and ‘40s, but those pieces don’t look like the hand-wired designs made from the very late 1940s onward. The confusion lies with the many companies that competed with Haskell, including Fashioncraft (the makers of Original by Robért), and lots of imports from Japan and Western Germany. Some of those pieces are unmarked, and even though the quality isn’t nearly as high, they’re labeled as Haskell when they’re listed for sale.
The moral of the story is that most true Haskell pieces made from the 1950s and thereafter were marked either on an oval plaque or the clasp. They also have high-quality filigree covering them, so messy wirework will not be visible on the back. If you run across an unmarked piece, do some careful research before marketing it as Haskell.
Not Doing Your Own Research
Speaking of research, one of the best ways to learn is by interacting with others. People who’ve been buying, selling, and collecting for many years can help you on your jewelry journey in online jewelry groups. However, it doesn’t take long to peg a newbie who isn’t even trying to learn on their own. The world truly is your oyster when you have online resources at your fingertips.
In fact, the WorthPoint Dictionary is filled with hundreds of entries that will help you learn more about your finds, and the WorthPoint Library has a wealth of jewelry books and catalogs available for research. There are many more reputable sources online as well. Sure, you’ll hit a snag here and there with an obscure mark or a style that’s just totally unfamiliar. That’s when to call on your jewelry pals for more guidance, and they’ll gladly help if they can.
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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