About Our Book Pieces -
Patents, Advertisements, and Book References


3 categories of references are indicated next to our items on the Collection pages...

1) Items which carry a reproduction of a patent on their own page are indicated on the Designer and Collection pages by this symbol - there may or may not be a reference to a book there as well...
These patents provide an invaluable source of information as to the designer and date of pieces, and in some cases (with unsigned items), as to the identity of the manufacturer as well. We have been doing our homework to supplement the superb resource provided by the Brunialti's great books (see below).

These patent reproductions are cut and pasted versions of the original patents, showing the design drawings (front and side), the designer, the date filed, the date issued, and the patent number - simply to accomodate the information to the design of the site, and to reduce the file size and download time of the reproductions.

2) Items which carry a reproduction of a contemporary advertisement on their own page are indicated on the Designer and Collection pages by this symbol. If there is also patent there, the symbol below that is used . There may also be a reference to a book there as well.
Adverts can provide a date and a manufacturer for pieces in the absence of other evidence. They can provide the designer and/or manufacturer's name for their creation - 'Sasha' and 'Tasha', 'Bangkok', 'Jewels of Tanjore', for example. And they can provide a contemporary context for how the jewels were worn - in pairs, or clipped to a necklace for example. Once again, we are following the lead of the Brunialtis in the use of these materials in dating and attributing our pieces.
3) Otherwise, where possible, we document our jewels by reference to several recent books on great costume jewelry. (In many ways. we hope, our site resembles these reference books). Items with book references, and no other on-site reference material on their pages, are indicated by this symbol
Below are the books cited on our site.
They are for the most part still available. Links are provided here for those that can be had on amazon.com, or second hand by searching on bookfinder.com - for your convenience: we have no commercial arrangement with them.

The most important printed sources by far for collectors are the books by Carla and Roberto Brunialti
The most recent and comprehensive are two volumes in English:
American Costume Jewelry: Art and Industry, 1935-1950 (2008). They are a revised and expanded reworking of the Italian and English first two books (below, 2002 and 1997), with substantial new additions of items and information. Click the thumbnail at left for publisher's details. They can be easily ordered from Amazon - Vol 1 (A-M) here, and Vol 2 (N-Z) here.
'Tribute to America: Costume Jewelry 1935-50' (Milan, 2002)
All in English. More than 400 new pieces, many never published before, are superbly photographed and fully documented. The book stands by itself, but it is also the natural sequel of "American Costume Jewelry" (see below): matters and manufacturers already treated in the first book are summed up, but often with new pieces of information, and there's thorough treatment of new entries such as Chanel, Silson, Elzac and many more. A section is dedicated to patriotic jewelry. 230 pages, 12.5" x 9.5" large format, all jewels in colour, paperback.
This is (July 2012) evidently out of print in English and Italian versions - copies must be searched for in the usual places
The Brunialtis' first book
American Costume Jewelry, 1935-1950 by Carla and Roberto Brunialti (Mazzota, Milan, 1997) - is in Italian, and hard to find, but indispensible and superb, based on thorough patent and advertisement research, and giving dates and designers for pieces. This is available - both new and second hand at this link.
Trifari - l'eleganza di uno stile nel Costume Jewelry americano by Francesca Price, Edifir, Florence, 2002 - in Italian, full of important interpretation, new information, pictures (a great many from this site) and with an important appendix of original gouache design drawings from the Trifari design department archives. Entirely focused on Trifari, as the title suggests, it's particularly strong on the 1950s and later, nicely complementing the Brunialti books.
Jewels of Fantasy: Costume Jewelry of the 20th Century edited by D. F. Cera, New York, 1992 - out of print and hard to find.
American Jewelry Manufacturers by Dorothy T Rainwater - a fundamental resource for companies and marks, which can now be supplemented by the important website Illusion Jewels - Costume Jewelry Marks
Fun Jewelry by Nancy N. Schiffer
Costume Jewelry - DK Collector's Guide by Judith Miller (2003)
Luxe et Fantaisie - Bijoux de la Collection Barbara Berger Exhibition Catalogue, Editions Norma, Paris (2003)
Warman's Costume Jewelry Figurals - Identification and Price Guide by Kathy Flood (2007)
Collecting Costume Jewelry 202: The Basics of Dating Jewelry by Julia C Carroll (2006) - chiefly useful for a list of Trifari and Coro Patents (99% accurate), with some reproduced and illustrated
Forties and Fifties Popular Jewelry With Price Guide by Roseann Ettinger
Masterpieces of Costume Jewelry (Schiffer Book for Collectors With Value Guide) by Joanne Dubbs Ball, Dorothy Hehl Torem
Fabulous Costume Jewelry: History of Fantasy and Fashion in Jewels by Vivienne Becker - best overall history in English
Costume Jewelers - the Golden Age of Design (Schiffer Book for Collectors) by Joanne Dubbs Ball
Twentieth Century Costume Jewellery by Angie Gordon - apparently out of print in N America
European Designer Jewelry by Ginger Moro - an essential guide
100 Years of Passion for Grosse and Bijoux Christian Dior: Henkel & Grosse Jewellery by Vivienne Becker et al (2010) - useful
Costume Jewelry : The Great Pretenders by Lyngerda Kelley, Nancy Schiffer
Amazing Gems : An Illustrated Guide to the World's Most Dazzling Costume Jewelry by Deanna Cera
Gioielli fantasia Patrizia Sandretto Rebaudengo's Collection Costume Jewelry - exhibition catalogue from an important exhibition at Turin in late 2010; text in English and Italian
The Best of Costume Jewelry by Nancy Schiffer
Collectible Costume Jewelry : Identification & Values by Cherri Simonds
A Collector's Guide to Costume Jewelry: Key Styles and how to Recognize Them by Tracy Tolkein & Henrietta Wilkinson
Hattie Carnegie Jewelry - her Life and Legacy by Georgiana McCall (2004)
Fabulous Fakes: A Passion for Vintage; 100 Years of Costume Jewelry by Carole Tanenbaum (2006)
Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: the Basics of Starting, Building and Upgrading by Julia C Carroll (2nd ed 2007)
Miriam Haskell Jewelry by Cathy Gordon & Sheila Pamfiloff (2004)
Collecting Rhinestone & Colored Jewelry by Maryanne Dolan
Costume Jewelry Identification and Price Guide (Confident Collector) by Harrice Miller - 2nd edition
Costume Jewelry - 'Official' Price Guide by Harrice Miller - 3rd edition (2002)
Costume Jewelry: A Practical Handbook and Value Guide by Fred Rezazadeh
Rhinestones!: A Collector's Handbook and Price Guide by Nancy Schiffer
Fifty Years of Collectible Fashion Jewelry 1925-75 by Lillian Baker
Warmans Jewelry...19th & 20th Century by Christie Romero
Rainbow of Rhinestone Jewelry by Lynn Ann Russell and Sandy Fichtner
The Jewels of Miriam Haskell by Deanna Farneti Cera
Miller's Antiques Checklist Jewellery ed. Stephen Giles
Faking It by Kenneth Jay Lane
Jewelry of the Stars: Creations from Joseff of Hollywood by Joanne Dubbs Ball
Star Spangled Jewelry by Sandra J Whitson
Costume Jewelry in Vogue by Jane Mulvagh - out of print; not very useful
Tiffany Jewels by John Loring
Bagliori & Colori: Trifari, Coro, Eisenberg and Company by Simonetta Villoresi, Loggia de' Lanzi, Florence 1994 - out of print Italian book, hard to find
 
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