Costume Jewelry Christmas Tree!

Vintage Christmas jewelry collectors have no doubts - costume jewelry christmas tree pins are the ultimate prize!

Christmas Jewelry has been a popular gift choice for centuries and during the Great Depression, costume jewelry was at the height of popularity.

Rhinestone Costume jewelry was an affordable way to spruce up an old outfit or add a touch of glamour.

During the 1930s inexpensive glass pendants, brooches, bracelets and other pieces of antique costume jewelry were sometimes added to the contents of foil-wrapped Christmas Crackers.

"Warman's Costume Jewelry Figurals: Identification and Price Guide" (Paperback)by author Kathy Flood

For all things PINS and costume figural jewelry it's hard to beat this book, Kathy is an expert in this era. An essential reference for Costume Jewelry Collectors and a must-read for christmas tree pin collectors.

And costume jewelry christmas tree pin won the prize.

Before this, women would wear a Christmas corsage on the lapel of their winter coats but no christmas tree brooch, well, yet.

The corsage was made from foil leaves, colorful ribbons, beads and plastic decorations, the corsages were fragile and required replacement every year.

The Christmas corsage gradually was replaced with the introduction of durable costume jewelry.

Lisa and Eric Monse, owners of The Velveteen Rabbit have been selling Christmas corsages on the Internet since 1997.

"As a dealer, I often come across vintage corsages," Lisa said. Many have never been worn and are still in their original box, which of course increases the value. Nevertheless, the current demand for them is limited and very seasonal.

First, where should one look for affordable costume jewelry? The obvious answer is to ask family members if there are any old jewelry boxes that might have a few pieces.

You can also post a Wanted Christmas Tree Jewelry add at the Jewelry Exchange Here.

The Antique Jewelry Investor Jewelry Exchange, is the next generation of flea markets, where you can buy, sell and trade Jewelry on-line anytime of the day or night from anywhere in the world. The exchange is great place to find a bargain, especially in the area of vintage costume jewelry.

Christmas costume jewelry, is highly collectible and can be priced anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, depending on age, condition, rarity, designer and style.

Unlike its predecessor the corsage, Christmas jewelry is also in demand year round.

While the Christmas tree is the most popular type of brooch, dedicated collectors also search for the many other themes available, including snowmen, ornaments, candy canes, Santa Claus, sleighs, bells, wreaths, angels, candles and animal figurais, such as reindeer.

According to Jeanne Pavilcek, a collector of Christmas pins and owner of Jeanne's Jewels and Collectibles (www.rubylane.com/shops/jeannes jewels), "Collectors of Christmas pins are always on the prowl for something different to add to their collection, with signed pieces leading demand over unsigned ones.

There are also collectors who specialize within a theme, wanting only rhinestone trees or trees featuring candles or dangling bead ornaments. Still others are obsessed with acquiring every costume jewelry Christmas tree pin a particular designer has ever made."

Kathy Flood has been a dedicated costume jewelry Christmas tree pin collector since the early '90s. Her on-line store, The Jeweled Forest (www.Christmas treepins.com) opened in August 2000 and is the only one almost exclusively devoted to Christmas tree pins.

"Every serious collector desires and then requires a Weiss geometric candle tree and the Weiss tree is probably the most expensive 'common' pin," Kathy said. "Although the six-candle pin is relatively easy to find, it can sell for up to $150.

There are also Weiss geometric candle tree pins with three or five candles, with the three-candle pin being the most difficult to find. Weiss also produced matching screwback and clip-on earrings."

Kathy warns collectors to be very careful when purchasing signed vintage Christmas jewelry. "Some unscrupulous vendors are buying raw, unfinished and unplated castings with the Weiss name on them, then popping in vintage stones and charging $100-$200.

There are also reproductions of designs by Kirk's Folly, Hobe and Hollycraft, especially the Hollycraft tree with dangling faceted beads."

Although Flood's website features jewelry from a number of well-known manufacturers, her favorite is the Lea Stein sculptural Christmas tree, which Flood produces on an exclusive basis in seven colors. This costume jewelry christmas tree pin is actually considered a hybrid of vintage and contemporary jewelry, for although it was designed by Parisian artisan Lea Stein in the 1960s, it was not produced until the 21st century.

Vintage jewelry is also the inspiration behind many contemporary artisans, including Sheryl Hamilton, owner of the Family Jools (www. familyjools.com). A designer of unique handcrafted fashion jewelry, Sheryl's work is heavily influenced by the Victorian and Art Deco eras and early Czechoslovakian jewelry.

Sheryl's Christmas creations feature vintage rhine-stones as well as old brass stampings and unique beads, recycled from vintage jewelry broken beyond reasonable repair.

Rachel Dow of Desert Bloom Studios (www. eclecticbeadery.com/desertbloom.html) also incorporates vintage glass beads and flowers into her jewelry designs.

"To me, historical research is an important part of the design process," Rachel said. "I study old costume jewelry to gain an understanding of how pieces were constructed during a particular time period.

My inspiration comes from the works of famous designers along with the unsigned artistic creations from Czechoslovakia, Italy, Germany and Japan.

Many of my Christmas designs were motivated by the Miriam Haskell parure, (a matching set of three or more pieces) so popular in the 1950s."

Christmas, that festive time of year when we bring out the good china, dress in our holiday finery and spend countless hours looking for that perfect gift and that very coveted costume jewelry christmas tree pin or brooch.

Whether your passion is collecting, decorating, entertaining or making homemade treasures, the possibilities are endless when it comes to celebrating Christmas with costume jewelry christmas tree pins, brooches and nostalgia; as far as collectors are concerned, they're the icing on the..........tree!

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