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Collector's Weekly is a wonderful website that often has interviews with people in the antique collecting fields. I'm always interested when one of their latest subjects is someone connected with vintage jewelry.

Karl Eisenberg, grandson of Jonas Eisenberg, of Eisenberg jewelry, recently talked to Collector's weekly. The interview is very information and full of information which will prove interesting to collector's of Eisenberg jewelry.

The interview is full of history about the formation of the Eisenberg jewelry company and tells how the former ladies fashion company came to be one of the foremost vintage jewelry companies in the 1950s.

The article is a must read. You can find it on this page of the Collector's Weekly website.

One of the foremost books on the subject of Juliana jewelry is a reference book by Katerina Musetti called "The Art of Juliana Jewelry." It is a fabulous book, just chock full of photos and information about design elements of the jewelry.   I own a copy of the book and use it all the time, when trying to identify whether a rhinestone piece that I have come across might be a true Juliana.

If you collect vintage jewelry, you will be familiar with Juliana jewelry. These pieces make use of fabulous rhinestones and glass cabochons, in exciting designs, and were made by William DeLizza and Harold Elster during the period from 1947 to the 1990s.

Collectors of Juliana designs know how important design information is, since none of the Juliana pieces were marked on the jewelry - only on hang tags which were often discarded. An aficianado of Juliana will need to be well informed to make sure that they are purchasing genuine D & E Juliana pieces.

I've become friends with the author of the book and have been delighted to learn that she is also a designer of jewelry. Katerina works with rhinestones, beads and polymer clay, and her creations are fabulous. Her bead and rhinestone works are jewelry pieces, but the polymer clay designs are lovely vessels and purses which are a feast for the eyes!

Since I love Juliana jewelry, of particular interest to me are her rhinestone designs. One can easily see the Juliana influence. But all of her creations are just fabulous. Here are a few pieces to give you an idea of her talent.

 For more information on Katerina's designs, please visit her lovely website - Katerina Musetti Designs.

Antonio Pineda was a Taxco, Mexico native, and is considered one the most prominent of the many silversmiths to emerge from the mountain mining town beginning in the 1930s.  He was born in 1919 and died at the age of 90 in 2009

The works of Pineda are the focus of a current exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, called "Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda. The exhibit traces his work through the 1970s. For more information on the exhibit, please visit the Museum of International Folk Art's website, moifa.org.

It has been said that no other Taxco jeweler used as many costly semiprecious stones or set them with as much ingenuity, skill, and variety as did Pineda. Only the most talented of silversmiths could master the unique challenges posed by setting gemstones in silver at the high temperature necessary to work the metal. Pineda, however, managed to set gems with as little metal touching them as possible, giving them a free or floating look while still holding them firmly in place.

The works of Pineda were individually crafted, and individually designed. It is often said that a Pineda jewelry piece fits the body perfectly - that it just feels right when it is worn. For example, a thick geometric necklace that might at first glance seem too weighty or rigid to wear comfortably is, in fact, faceted, hinged, or hollowed in such a way that it gracefully encircles the neck or drapes seductively down the décolletage.  One of Pineda's favorite sayings was: "The richness of silver is immortal. It doesn't die."

For more information on the works of Pineda, there is a paperback book, also called Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda. It is available from Amazon.com or leading book retailers nationwide.

Here are some photos of his work:

This will be a delight for all you DeLizza and Elster lovers out there. This YouTube video features Ann Margaret and Dean Martin singing. The belt that Ann Margaret is wearing is a D & E design.

Mr DeLizza looked at the video for the Juliana Jewelry website and said that he didn't sell the belt to her directly. but thinks she might have gotten this from Kenneth Lane.

D & E (Delizza and Elster) is most well known for their Juliana designs but also made designs for other well known designers of the mid 1900s.

Please note tha if you view this blog at work, please note that there is singing in the video.

Dean Martin Variety show aired from 1965 - 1974. These belts were made in the late 1960 and into the 1970s/1980s, so I would say this belt, is likely from from the early 1970s. The first part of the video is a fairly long song, and as the camera slips down, you'll see the D $& E belt.

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.

JCK's third annual Jewelers Choice Awards have announced this years winners.  There were 233 entries from jewelry designers and manufacturers submitted, and the voters declared their favorites in January as the finalists. Taking top honors as the grand-prize winner is a multicolored gemstone and rhodolite beaded necklace from BELLARRI shown here.

This fabulous necklace is from Bellari's Mademoiselle Collection and features over 37.50 carats of genuine multi colored gemstones and rhodolite beads as well as 1 carat of genuine diamonds.  It has a suggested retail value of $13, 135.

There were winners in 18 different categories with all types of jewelry and design included.  Many of the categories were for either gemstone or diamond designs, but they also had best necklace, best ring, etc.  Over all of the categories, rings seemed to gather most of the winning honors.  Congratulations to all of this year's winners.

You can view all of the winners on this page of the JCK website.  Here are a few of my favorites.  Which one is yours?

The Aaron Farber Gallery in New York is currently hosting a  three-person exhibition of studio jewelry, which includes one-of-a-kind bracelets, necklaces, rings and brooches.  The exhibit runs from March 18 to  April 19.

The exhibition features the work of Glenda Arentzen, Sydney Lynch and So Young Park, different generations of jewelry artists with similar interests in working directly in sterling silver and gold. 

On April 15, the exhibit will move to the Park Avenue Armory where the artists will present their work. This will give viewers a chance to get a first hand view of the pieces.  It  is sure to be a treat for lovers of contemporary jewelry.

For more details of the exhibit and the artists, please visit the Aaron Farber Gallery website.

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.

Michelle Obama's fondness for vintage jewelry brooches is well documented.  She has many of them, and often wears them in unique and unusual ways.  Her latest brooch is a real dazzler!

Mrs. Obama recently spoke to a crowd of several hundred at the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association in Washington, D.C, as part of her current campaign on childhood obesity.

She wore a hot pink dress with folded detail at the neckline.  Accessorizing the dress perfectly was this lovely Schreiner brooch, purchased at Ikram's in Chicago.  I like the way she accented the pleating of the dress with the careful placement of the brooch.

Schreiner is one of the most collectible of all vintage jewelry designers from the mid 1900s.  The design are appreciated for their unusual combination of color and the use of quality stones.  One trademark of Schreiner is the use of reverse settings of rhinestones with the point of the rhinestone facing up instead of towards the back of the brooch.

What do you think of her latest brooch?

Photo Credit:  Getty Images