French and American Designer Costume Jewelry

Designer Costume can be found amongst the finest and most famous jewelry collections in the world. It lives under glass, in the most exclusive high-end jewelry stores. Designer Costume Jewelry is anything but Costume!

Basically, designer costume jewelry is made on special order under a renowned Jewelry brand. You can describe a piece of Jewelry as "designer" simply from the designers logo inscribed on it or you can Identify Costume Jewelry by the designer's signature trademarks and design preferences. It can be described as VERY fine Bling.

Principal Costume Jewelry Designers

And although the French opened the door to Designer Costume Jewelry on the continent, the Americans produced more pieces.

In the 1940s, principal costume jewelry designer belonged to the major glamorous New York and Paris Jewel houses.

Leading jewellery designers were:

(I'm particularly fond of Boucheron designer costume jewelry and have a costume designer brooch made by Marcel Boucheron, freedom of design is a feature and is typical of Boucheron, a master of detail and style. He worked for Cartier in Paris in the 1910's and 20's. Boucheron was transferred to the New York branch in the late 20's and due to the depression applied his amazing talent to costume jewelry. His pieces are marked and numbered and of the highest quality.)

Designer Costume Jewelry & The British Royal Family

To celebrate The Queen’s 80th birthday, the largest ever exhibition of Her Majesty’s personal jewellery was on display at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace (26 July – 26 September 2006)

Among the breathtaking jewels in the exhibition was a pair of Boucheron aquamarine and diamond clip-brooches given to Princess Elizabeth by her father, King George VI, for her 18th birthday.

Other personal gifts include a gold, sapphire, diamond and ruby bracelet made by Boucheron to Prince Philip’s design. It was given to The Queen on their fifth wedding anniversary and incorporates the interlaced initials ‘E’ and ‘P’.

A dazzling flower brooch by Cartier was also on display. Set with the 23.6-carats of pink diamonds and baguette diamonds, it was given to The Queen by Dr Williamson.

Other principal designer costume jewelers include:

The American forms like Traebert and Hoeffer, Marcus and co, John Rubel as well as individual jewelry designers like Paul Flato, and the New York branches of Paris jewel houses all turned out very glamorous creations.

Mauboussin, founded in 1827 was known for his lavish and adventurous use of precious stones.

In the 1930s, Mauboussin joined up with Traebert and Hoeffer and together produced some of the most dramatic jewels of the period. You will find these pieces stamped with the trade name 'Reflection'.

The Parisian firm of Rene Boivin, flourished in the 1930s, making a transition to softer curving draped designs with good use of sweeping gold work.

Tiger jewels, was one of Boivin's specialties, particular bracelets in the form of stretching tigers.

Van Clef & Arpels

Van Clef & Arpels, founded in 1906, and the descendants of generations of jewelers were notable in the 1940s for their avant-garde designs.

Van Clef & Arpels were particularly famous for their invisibly set jewels and the use of star setting for small stones. later in the same decade for their famous 'tulle' jewels.

Fashion Icons, Famous Actresses and Designer Costume Jewelry

At the Guild Hall’s Summer Gala Celebrating Larry Rivers’ Early Works at Mulford Farms East Hampton, NY on Friday August 8, 2008, high society gals, Kelly Briter and Allison Mcatte were wearing, Designer Costume Jewelry by Van Clef & Arpels.

With boutiques on Madison Avenue and in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Fred Leighton offers one of the broadest selections of stylish designer vintage jewelry in the U.S. Among his stock are rarified signed Cartier Art Deco pieces and more approachable 1950’s Bulgari.

Bulgari, jewelry designer of Italy led a band of jewelers working in this glamorous cocktail style.

And talking about frothy 'tuille jewels and gowns' look at Eva Longoria Parker, (May 2008- Cannes Red Carpet) wearing a white gown and train and Van Clef & Arpels jewels. She is old-Hollywood glamorous, 20th century cocktail at its best, in a frothy tulle white Versace Atelier gown.

Cartier's Designer Costume Jewelry in the 1940s, was strong on style and immaculately made while more unusual whimsical ideas came from Jeanne Toussaint. (Becker, V,. Antique and Twentieth century Jewellery, N.A.G. Press, London, 1987.)

Sterle, a Paris Jeweler worked with the couturier Jacques Fath in the 1950s and made costume designer jewelry in the form of diamond rose petals, arrows and feathers, wings and bows with a huge display of gemstones either all diamonds or colored semi-precious stones in fantasy themes.

Sterle's work had the fashion design flair and the use of color and form and he created jewels in the spirit of the cocktail age.

Major costume jewelry designers included the American firm Trifari, the American designer Marcel Boucher. In France, the big three were Elsa Schiaparelli , Christian Dior and Chanel Costume Jewelry.

Coco Chanel successfully wrote Chanel Costume Jewelry into her own fashion philosophy.

Montres Bracelets - Ultimate Cocktail Watches

Often they have a flexible gold band and were set with a huge central gem set surrounding the watch face. Square cut rubies and sapphires were used or the little gems set in star settings.

These innovative luxury watches were made in Switzerland, by leading watch manufacturers, Rolex, Baume-Mercier, Piaget, Patek Philippe, and Gubelin of Lucerne.

Fashion, Fantasy and Vendura

Even off screen, Hollywood's stars, and jewelry aficionados, have long revered Verdura as a figure holding a special place in the rarefied world of bespoke jewelry, a reference for both opulence and creative individuality.

For most of its 70 years, the firm have operated almost as a private club, from its plush New York showroom, 12 floors above Fifth Avenue near 57th Street. Until quite recently an appointment was required.

Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich were both Verdura devotees, and a curb-link bracelet watch that he made for Greta Garbo was one of her lifelong treasures.

The firm still continues today (E J. Landrigan/Vendura) and attracts exclusive clientele looking for something very different and combined with fine workmanship.

Read About Fulco Santostefano Della Cerda, Duke of Verdura: The Elegant Beguiler of the Stars Here.

Vendura's use of gold and colored stones had a huge influence on modern jewelry designs today. Jewelry designer, Vendura had a strong sense of romance, fashion and fantasy and instinctively seemed to know what made women look good. Elegant yet luxurious the jewels he created glowed with light.

The famous wide bangles that Chanel wore on each wrist, of black and white enamel and set with a Maltese crosses were designed by Fulco Santostefano Della Cerda, Duke of Vendura.

Designer Costume Jewelry, like the jewels produced by Verdura, still live on and now the families of Verdura's original devoted clients still continue to buy Verdura's originals or those made in his style and spirit.

Designer Costume Jewelry and Antique Jewelry are investment worthy assets that you can wear and enjoy. They are anything but "Costume" and anything but "Antique".

Verdura & Cartier's BIG Cats

The Big Cat was a profoundly significant symbol, for the King of England who abdicated the throne, for the love of Wallis Simpson. What is of particular interest in relation to the Wallace Simpson story in the History of Jewels is the extraordinary fact, that the Leopard head symbol, has been the LONDON town mark for precious metals, since 1478! A poignant choice & proper symbol for a King of England.

It is believed however, to have been Verdura's idea, to create the first of the six spectacular Big Cat jewels from CARTIER.

The first Panther jewel, was a three dimensional golden panther flecked with black enamel over a cabochon emerald of 11.74 carats. (Becker, V., Antique and Twentieth Century Jewellery, N.A.G. Press, 1987)

Since the late 19th century, the big cat jewelry has been a world-wide emblem for the femme-fatale.

Buy The Franklin Mint Duchess of Windsor Faux Panther Bracelet Here..

Return to the top of Designer Costume Jewelry

Return to Antique Costume Jewelry

Return to Antique Jewelry Investor Home Page