Post-World War II Vintage Costume Jewelry | What Families May Find in Older CollectionsThe years following World War II produced some of the most recognizable vintage costume jewelry found in American jewelry boxes today. From the late 1940s through the 1950s and into the 1960s, jewelry became colorful, decorative, playful, and increasingly varied. Brooches covered in rhinestones, clip-on earrings, faux pearl necklaces, colorful glass stones, textured gold-tone metal, matching jewelry sets, charm bracelets, floral designs, and dramatic necklaces were all part of the period. Today, this jewelry is frequently discovered while families are sorting through the belongings of a mother, grandmother, aunt, longtime collector, or relative who accumulated jewelry over several decades. At The Vintage Jewelry Buyer in Laguna Hills, we purchase select postwar vintage costume jewelry along with signed designer pieces, older sterling silver jewelry, inherited collections, estate jewelry, watches, and larger mixed jewelry collections. Why the Postwar Years Produced So Much Costume JewelryAfter World War II, American fashion changed rapidly. People were once again buying clothing, accessories, automobiles, household goods, and other consumer products. Jewelry manufacturers responded with an enormous variety of fashionable pieces designed to complement the clothing styles of the period. Costume jewelry allowed someone to change their accessories without purchasing expensive fine jewelry for every outfit. A woman might own several brooches, multiple pairs of clip-on earrings, a few faux pearl necklaces, colorful bracelets, and matching sets for different occasions. Jewelry could be worn to work, church, dinner, social gatherings, holidays, and special events. This is one reason older family collections can contain such large quantities of postwar costume jewelry. Someone who bought pieces throughout the 1950s and 1960s could easily accumulate several jewelry boxes over a lifetime. Vintage Brooches Became a Major Fashion AccessoryBrooches are among the most common pieces we encounter in postwar jewelry collections. Designs from this era can be remarkably diverse. Some are elegant and understated, while others are large, colorful, and unmistakably decorative. Common themes may include:
Brooches could be pinned to dresses, jackets, coats, scarves, hats, or other clothing. Because there were so many designs available, collectors and everyday wearers often owned numerous examples. If you inherit a large box of brooches, do not assume they are all inexpensive simply because they are costume jewelry. Some collectors are particularly interested in certain makers, designs, construction styles, colors, or unusual examples from this period. Rhinestone Jewelry Was EverywhereRhinestones are closely associated with mid-century costume jewelry. Clear stones could imitate the sparkling appearance of diamonds, while colored rhinestones allowed designers to create dramatic combinations in red, blue, green, pink, amber, purple, and many other shades. By the 1950s, jewelry makers were producing elaborate rhinestone necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings. Some pieces used only a few stones as accents, while others were almost completely covered. Aurora borealis finishes, which create an iridescent effect as the stone catches the light, became especially recognizable in mid-century jewelry. Older rhinestone jewelry is sometimes found darkened, dusty, or with a missing stone. Do not immediately throw these pieces away. A signed or particularly interesting design may still be worth showing to a vintage jewelry buyer. Clip-On Earrings Are an Important ClueLarge collections from the postwar period frequently contain clip-on earrings. Many women who wore costume jewelry during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s did not have pierced ears. Manufacturers therefore produced enormous numbers of earrings with clips or screw-back mechanisms. These earrings ranged from small faux pearls to large clusters of rhinestones, beads, glass stones, enamel, or decorative metal. When sorting an inherited collection, try to keep matching earrings together. A single earring may not look particularly important, but finding its matching partner can make the pair much more useful. Also look for earrings that match a necklace, brooch, or bracelet elsewhere in the jewelry box. Matching Sets Were PopularPostwar costume jewelry was frequently sold as coordinated sets. A necklace might have matching earrings. A brooch could be paired with earrings. Larger sets might include a necklace, bracelet, brooch, and earrings using the same stones and design. Collectors sometimes refer to complete matching jewelry sets as parures and smaller matching groups as demi-parures. If you are sorting a large collection, avoid separating pieces too quickly. Jewelry from the same set may be stored in different drawers or boxes. If two or more pieces share the same stones, metalwork, pattern, or signature, place them together until you know whether they originally belonged as a set. Faux Pearls and Beaded NecklacesNot all important postwar costume jewelry sparkles with rhinestones. Faux pearl necklaces were a major part of mid-century fashion. They could be worn as a single strand, multiple strands, graduated necklaces, chokers, or combined with rhinestone clasps and decorative elements. Colorful glass and plastic beads were also widely used. Some necklaces feature unusual shapes, molded components, textured beads, or dramatic combinations of colors that immediately reflect the style of the era. Older beaded necklaces can become tangled or may have weakened stringing. If you find them stored in an old jewelry box, avoid pulling hard on the strands or attempting major repairs before showing them to a buyer. Signed Postwar Costume JewelryThe years after World War II included many well-known costume jewelry companies and designers. Names that may appear in older collections include Trifari, Coro, Miriam Haskell, Weiss, Kramer, Lisner, Napier, Hattie Carnegie, and numerous others. Some companies marked most of their jewelry, while other pieces may be more difficult to identify. Look carefully on the backs of brooches, near necklace clasps, inside bracelets, and on earring clips. A maker's name may be stamped directly into the metal or appear on a small tag. Our article on 10 vintage costume jewelry makers and how to tell them apart provides a beginner-friendly introduction to several names commonly encountered in older collections. Unsigned Vintage Costume Jewelry Should Not Automatically Be DiscardedOne of the biggest mistakes people can make when sorting vintage jewelry is keeping only the signed pieces. A signature can certainly provide useful information, but unsigned jewelry can also be interesting. Construction, design, unusual stones, age, color, condition, craftsmanship, and collector interest may all play a role in whether an older piece attracts attention. If you have a large inherited collection, it is usually better to keep the older jewelry together rather than trying to decide which pieces matter based only on whether you can find a name. Do Not Heavily Clean Postwar Costume JewelryVintage costume jewelry can contain materials that respond poorly to aggressive cleaning. Older pieces may include plated metal, foil-backed rhinestones, imitation pearls, glass, enamel, older adhesives, and delicate finishes. Soaking jewelry, using chemical cleaners, scrubbing rhinestones, or polishing plated metal can sometimes cause more harm than good. A little dust does not prevent us from looking at a piece. Leaving vintage jewelry in its current condition is generally preferable to attempting a major cleaning project. Postwar Jewelry Is Often Found in Large CollectionsOne of the most interesting things about mid-century costume jewelry is the quantity that can survive in a single family. A person who began purchasing jewelry in the late 1940s or 1950s may have continued buying pieces for another thirty or forty years. The resulting collection can contain several completely different eras of jewelry. You might open one drawer and find 1950s rhinestone brooches, 1960s necklaces, 1970s pendants, 1980s earrings, sterling silver pieces, watches, and newer jewelry all mixed together. You are not expected to separate everything by decade before contacting us. The Vintage Jewelry Buyer specifically works with larger groups and mixed collections. You can learn more on our Sell a Vintage Jewelry Collection in Orange County page. Check Old Boxes Before Donating Costume JewelryPostwar jewelry is often stored in very ordinary containers. We see older jewelry in wooden jewelry boxes, cardboard boxes, dresser drawers, plastic bags, sewing boxes, trays, cosmetic cases, old department-store boxes, and containers that may not have been opened in years. When helping an older relative downsize or clearing an estate, take time to look through these containers before sending them to donation. Look for brooches, clip-on earrings, rhinestone necklaces, bracelets, faux pearls, signed pieces, matching sets, sterling silver jewelry, and unusual older designs. Selling Post-World War II Vintage Costume Jewelry in Orange CountyThe Vintage Jewelry Buyer purchases select postwar costume jewelry and older jewelry collections from throughout Orange County. Our private office is located in Laguna Hills at Moulton Plaza, convenient to Laguna Woods Village, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and surrounding South Orange County communities. We are interested in vintage costume jewelry, signed designer jewelry, rhinestone jewelry, brooches, clip-on earrings, necklaces, bracelets, matching sets, sterling silver jewelry, inherited jewelry, and larger collections accumulated over many years. You do not need to know who made every piece or exactly when it was purchased. If you inherited a jewelry box that appears to contain pieces from the late 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, or other vintage periods, keep the collection together and contact us to arrange a private appointment. The Vintage Jewelry Buyer
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