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knowIf you are a collector of bakelite vintage jewelry, you will how hard it is to determine the approximate value of a piece of bakelite jewelry. There are so many fakes out there that look like the real thing, and offerings of bakelite jewelry seem to be limited to carved bracelets or simple earrings on many of the retail sites.

Bakelite brooches, in particular, are very hard to find and a highly collectible form of vintage jewelry. Many pieces will command prices ranging from a few dollars up to thousands, so a Bakelite pin collector needs to be knowledgeable. One resource book that I highly recommend if you collect this type of brooch is called Bakelite Pins by Karima Parry, a Schiffer Book for collectors.

This is Karima Parry's second book on Bakelite, in addition to a popular website and numerous articles. She lives in New York. Bakelite Pins is available from Amazon.com and leading book retailers nationwide.

I adore copper jewelry.  It has an earthiness to it which appeals to the Taurus in me.  It doesn't matter to me whether the pieces are signed or not - all copper jewelry pieces are on my favorite's list.

One reference book that that I highly recommend for collectors of copper jewelry is Copper Art Jewelry:  A Different Lustre, by Matthew L. Burkolz and Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan.  It is a must have for anyone who loves copper jewelry, and particularly for those who wish to collect it.

The book focuses on 20th century copper designs, especially those by the recognized masters of copper jewelry design: Frank Rebajes of New York and Jerry Fels, known as Renoir of California.

The authors of the book are very experienced in the decorative arts.  Matthew Burkholz is an antiques dealer in Chatham, New York, specializing in jewelry and fashion accessories while Linda Kaplan is a professional fine arts appraiser and jewelry collector in Washington, D.C.

The book contains over 300 color photographs which show hundreds of examples of copper jewelry.  It also contains the original art work, advertising, identifying marks and anecdotes round out this exhaustive new study.  Many of the pieces are identified by their names, which is great for those who wish to resell copper jewelry by Rebajes or Renoir. 

The book is available from amazon.com or leading book retailers nationwide.  Vintage Jewelry Lane offers a wide range of both signed and unsigned copper jewelry items. 

S.J. Phillips, a noted antiques and silver dealer in London, England will soon have an exhibit called “Brilliant Impressions: Antique Paste & Other Jewelry,” which will run from June 15 to June 29, 2010.  The exhibit will showcase 146 pieces of paste, “Vauxhall glass” and semiprecious jewels.  The show is meant to  tell the tale of  how women who wished to live the high style, but didn't have the sufficient means,  adorned themselves in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries with fabulous fakes.

The exhibit will be accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalogue written by Diana Scarisbrick, a world-renowned jewelry historian,

Paste jewellery has been used since ancient times, when craftsmen discovered that glass could provide a wonderful substitute for the splendour of expensive gemstone jewelry. It was particularly popular in the Middle Ages, when wealth was often expressed by the possession of valuable gold and precious stone jewelry.   Paste jewelry even appears in the collections of Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and other notable European rulers.

Many of the pieces in the exhibition would be indistinguishable from today’s statement jewels, and include a Carmen Miranda-esque pair of girandole pink and white paste earrings that date to the early 18th century, and a dramatic bib necklace of bullet-shaped beads composed of French jet, the black glass version of the organic gem that once littered the shores of Whitby, in north-eastern England.

You can view a comprehensive press release about the exhibit and about paste jewelry in general, written by Sue Bond in this press release.

I'm an avid reader. My favorite types of books are mysteries, but I also love non fiction and try to find out as much as I can about vintage jewelry, in particular.

On my summer reading list is a book by Firefly books called 7000 Years of Jewelry.  The book is a comprehensive and well illustrated history of jewelry which explores styles, techniques and materials which have been used to make jewelry from 5000 BC in the middle east to Europe in the mid 1900s.

Egyptian necklaces, Celtic torcs, South American gold masks, Renaissance pendants and Art Nouveau buckles are examples of the range of the masterpieces described and illustrated with 400 superb photographs.

Available at Amazon.com or other online retailers and bookstores nation wide.

If you are a collector of top quality rhinestone vintage jewelry, you are most likely aware of the design name Juliana jewelry.  This brand is the "must have" for any serious collector of the best of the best in the vintage rhinestone jewelry area.

Juliana Jewelry was manufactured by the  DeLizza & Elster Company - otherwise known as D & E.  The company manufactured jewelry  from 1947 to 1990.    The design name Juliana was a reference to Frank DeLizza's mother.

Juliana pieces were not signed on the jewelry items themselves. They used hang tags which were often discarded after the pieces were purchased.  There are ways to identify Juliana jewelry, however.   Common design techniques to look for are  the 5 link design for bracelets and necklaces, big and bold design with the used of very fancy glass and art glass stones, and "figure eight puddling" on the back of brooches and other designs. 

A wonderful reference book to help with the identification of Juliana Jewelry is a Schiffer book by Katerina Musetti called The Art of Juliana Jewelry.  This exquisite book contains over 375 color photographs which display the largest collection of striking Juliana jewelry ever brought together,  It features many rare, and highly sought after pieces.  You will drool over the amazing art glass, incredible intaglios and cameos, mesmerizing margaritas, dramatic dangles, ravishing rivoli and rhinestones, and distinctive Juliana figural brooches.

Information is provided on the makers, design elements, and construction techniques, with details to assist in identification. Captions are provided with a value guide. Useful information on techniques for the repair and restoration of the jewelry, storage and care, and specific terminology are included. This is an inspiring book for seasoned collectors and novices who are beginning the fantastic voyage into the world of Juliana jewelry. It is available from amazon.com and leading book retailers nationwide.

Sarah Coventry jewelry is very collectible and well made.  It was originally sold door to door in the 1950s and 1960s and is one of the more popular designers for mid range vintage jewelry.  It is also one of our site specialties.

There are many resource books on the market to help you study Sarah Coventry Jewelry.  Most of them give the names of the sets, and approximate current retail "book values."  These values should not be considered the price you would have to pay, since most online retailers prices Sarah Coventry jewelry below book value, but the values are still a good guide as to which pieces are more valuable.

One of my favorite Sarah Coventry books is a Schiffer book called "Emmons & Sarah Coventry Jewelry Fashion Show."  It is by far the most comprehensive of the guides and includes a huge number of Sarah Pieces, each named and valued with good clear photographs.  Although the photos are smaller than the ones in the Kay Oshel series, there are more of them, so this is the book that I use most of the time.

The book also has a nice, although smaller, section for Emmons jewelry - the sister company to Sarah Coventry jewelry, who made slightly more high end pieces. 

Emmons & Sarah Coventry Jewelry Fashion Show is available at Amazon.com and from leading book retailers Nationwide.  It is a must have if you are going to start a Sarah Coventry jewelry collection.