The variety of human expressions cast as jewelry is vast. So are values, styles and quality. Technically, a face pin might be a museum-quality cameo carving worth thousands of dollars or a major plastic physiognomy by Elzac’s Elliot Handler. In this column jewelry expert Kathy Flood reviews the use, art and values of faces in figural costume jewelry. Read More +
Elliot Handler, the inventor of Hot Wheels, co-founder of Mattel and wife of Ruth Handler (creator of the Barbie doll) died July 21, 2011. Author and jewlery expert Kathy Flood shares with us ten facts about the fascinating life and legacy Mr. Handler left on American pop culture … and the costume jewelry world.
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Jewelry expert and author Kathy Flood marvels at an unsung hero of the antiques trade: the inventory shipper. From trophy buffalo to Hershey’s Kisses sent to Afghanistan, the shipper knows all and sees all … maybe a little too much.
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Expert Kathy Flood offers a candid update on the often-fickle jewelry market, listing what’s selling and what’s sitting. "Recently I purchased an enameled base-metal pin clip for $15 and sold it for $1,500. If that doesn’t get your juices flowing for jewelry, I don’t know what will. Why, you could even pay for a week of your ungrateful child’s college tuition with such a sale."
Jewelry author, collector and dealer Kathy Flood lists her favorite types of blue costume jewelry as a side to her look at the 2011 trend of hot blue vintage jewels.
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Blue jewelry is often slammed as the domain of yesteryear’s little old ladies. Kathy Flood writes the factor of blue in jewels arose as a column subject while trying to purchase an Eisenberg Original ballerina brooch. While you might be able to snag a highly desirable Eisenberg Original sterling mermaid with lemony-citrine stones and beads for, let’s say, $1,500 to $2,000, the Eisenberg Original aqua lady hued in blue fetched $3,100.
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Influenced by their father’s jewelry engraving experience, Alfeo Verrecchi’s innovation and his brother Gino’s know-how built one of the world’s greatest costume jewelry companies. Gem-Craft cemented its history in American costume jewelry thanks in part to their wonderfully diverse line of Christmas tree pins. The Gem-Craft line was a fixture at Bloomingdale’s, Marshall Field, Saks Fifth Avenue and, soon after, America’s design culture. Read More +
In an interview covering ocean liner memorabilia, theatrical producer Steve Hickson told me for most collectors in that category, their ‘gateway drug’ is the original Titanic flick. Read More +
List compiled by Kathy Flood for Antique Trader. She is a journalist, author and owner of the online antique jewelry shop, www.ChristmasTreePins.com. Her latest book, Warman’s Jewelry, 4th Edition, from Krause Publications is available at shop.collect.com or by calling 800-258-0929.
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Think Lucille Ball meets Holly Golightly on the Yangtzee – and they sing a duet of “Moon River.” That’s the attitude one Collect.com auction consignor thinks the group of a dozen fine jadeite jewelry pieces should bring to mind for Americans who suspect they could fall in love with jadeite Read More +