Chanel has used many different marks since the 1960s, including both round and oval cartouche signature plates and sometimes stamping CHANEL directly into the piece. The earliest pieces of Chanel jewelry were unmarked. Most of the older jewelry from the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s are in private collections and rarely come up for sale. Pieces marked Chanel in script lettering were made by Chanel Novelty Company in the early 1940s, and were not made by the House of Chanel. Costume jewelry by Chanel is unique in that once the season has passed and pieces are no longer available in retail boutiques, they’re already considered collectible on the secondary market. Known as “Dom” to his fans, DeTora worked for a company that produced jewelry bearing the names Weiss and Eisenberg during the 1950s, and he employed the same “vintage” techniques to manufacture his own quality jewelry line. He is known for his large rhinestone collar and bib necklaces, which are quite popular with collectors. DeTora’s most famous pieces are his Christmas tree pins, which have appeared in many books devoted to collectible holiday jewelry as well as general collectible jewelry price guides. The earliest Dominique pieces were unsigned, and sometimes his early necklaces are confused with Juliana (DeLizza & Elster) designs. He began signing his jewelry during the early 1990s and retired from the jewelry business in 2010. He passed away in 2016. The “Robert” in the name refers to Robert Levy, one of the original founders of Fashioncraft. Styles are often similar to Miriam Haskell and DeMario designs, although they were not related. Buslee began designing contemporary versions of costume jewelry reminiscent of older hand-wired pieces made by Haskell, DeMario, and Robert in 1992. Her designs were sold in Washington boutiques in the Puget Sound area, and stores along the East Coast. Hannah jewelry is of high quality, and many pieces are one-of-a-kind and/or limited editions. The late Kenneth Jay Lane began his career designing shoes for Christian Dior in the early 1960s. Not long after, he worked with Arnold Scassi making jewelry to coordinate with a line of shoes embellished with imitation gemstones. Since falling into the business decades ago, Lane’s fabulously fake costume jewelry has been owned, worn, and collected by celebrities, and royalty alike. He also marketed his jewelry very successfully through QVC for many years. Marvella originated as a line of jewelry manufactured by the Weinrich Bros. Co. The Jewelers’ Circular published in 1919 refers to the Weinreich Brothers located in Philadelphia where the company was founded in 1911. At some point, the brothers moved their business to New York City, as referenced in 1950s jewelry patents registered by the company. The company changed its name to Marvella, Inc. around 1965 after several iterations of similar names. Marvella was purchased by Trifari in the early 1980s and eventually became part of the Liz Claiborne group. As of 2010, jewelry was still being distributed in department stores and other retail outlets on cards bearing the Marvella name. Because jewelry marked Mazer was made through several decades, the style, and components of each piece should be used as a guide for dating. Mimi di Niscemi worked with Arnold Scassi, Robert DeMario, and Brania before forming her own company. She is known not only for jewelry but for ornate belt buckles as well. “Robert” refers to Robert Levy, one of the original founders of Fashioncraft. Styles are often similar to Miriam Haskell and DeMario’s designs, although the businesses were not related. Examples marked Pennino Sterling were made in the 1940s and may have a gold wash over the silver. Pennino jewelry is finely crafted, and collectors avidly seek the company’s exquisite, real-look pieces. Pell has made jewelry and tiaras in conjunction with many entities including Disney, the Miss America Organization, and Coro. The company’s jewelry has also been merchandised on QVC. Alfred Gaita Jr. currently continued running the business into the late 2000s. Regency jewelry was manufactured using high-quality rhinestones, art glass stones, and glass beads. Some of their most valuable pieces feature saphiret cabochons. This company is known for making jewelry using quality Austrian crystal rhinestones in designs ranging from dainty and feminine to flashy and complex. The business is believed to have started as early as the 1930s and was active in jewelry production into the 1960s. According to the Sent website, the Sent sisters are descendants of Venetian glassmakers. Susanna studied architecture, and Marina focused on chemistry in their schooling but came back together to form a jewelry business. Their approach is to design unique pieces using Venetian glass beads and other components like wood and paper to create wearable artistic expressions. Sources Wiggins, Pamela Y. “Warman’s Costume Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide.” Krause Publications, July 14, 2014. Romero, Christie. “Warman’s Jewelry.” Krause Publications, third edition, December 1, 2002. Rainwater, Dorothy T. “American Jewelry Manufacturers.” Schiffer, January 8, 1997. Moro, Ginger. “European Designer Jewelry.” Schiffer, January 8, 1997. Schwartz, Barbara. TruFaux Jewels, 2010. Lewis, Melinda and Pamela Y. Wiggins. Costume Jewelry Collectors International, 2009. Stringfield, Dotty. Illusion Jewels, 1997. Clarke, Jane Haley. Morning Glory Antiques, 1994.
