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Did you see all the press coverage of the jewelry and sentimental meanings behind the strings of pearls, pins and jewels worn to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral last week? I did and enjoyed it. It even inspired me to take out a few baubles and brooches to pin on my lapel.
My favorite jewelry moment during the coverage was the mention of the first brooch worn by Princess Charlotte to her great-grandmother's funeral last Monday.
It seems that this small diamond horseshoe pin placed on the youngster's black coat was a gift from the late monarch and previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth II's mother, known as the Queen Mother. (See People magazine, people.com/royals.)
I am fortunate to own quite a bit of vintage jewelry which includes a lot of pins. Several are shown in the column today. The amber colored stone with crown detail is one I wore this week to work. It is marked Coro, which is a much-sought-after name in the collecting world.
Coro was in business from 1901 to 1980 and there are several collector's books that detail this longtime manufacturer and its inventory of treasures, along with photographs and values.
Dressing up was very much in vogue in previous generations and ladylike jewelry was important then. Scatter pins and earrings, charm bracelets and necklaces were worn daily.
Coro used many different names or marks, including Coro, Coro Craft (written in script) and the Pegasus symbol. Another of its top-of-the-line marks was Vendome. Many designers worked for Coro before it went out of business in 1979 after 80 years of making costume jewelry.
The name Coro came about after the two founders of this company, Emanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger, opened a small shop on Broadway in New York City in 1902 to sell jewelry then went on to form the corporation called Cohn & Rosenberger to manufacture costume jewelry.
At first they marked their goods with CR, then switched to the Coro trademark in 1919, combining the first two letters of their last names.
I've found another big name, Miriam Haskell, linked with lovely vintage vintage jewelry. Many collectors seek the Haskell name on the back of a treasure due to the design and quality of the work.
Haskell Jewels began in 1926 and is still producing costume jewelry today for major retailers like Macy's, JCPenny, Target and Kohl's, so there are lots of examples out there.
When buying vintage costume jewelry, make sure you look at condition (no stones missing, broken chains), eye appeal and craftsmanship. Size is important too, since large size pieces are usually more desirable today, though yesteryear's tailoring offered smaller lapels and easy placement on ladies' blouses, suits and dresses.
Today, it seems the costume jewelry trends include lots of layering of slender chains and charms but not as many pins and brooches. Often the quality isn't comparable to vintage costume jewelry which is a good reason to shop the antique market and estate sale listings.
Patent numbers and manufacturers' marks are useful for dating objects even on jewelry so don't forget to investigate these if you have any old treasures.
Our current patent numbering system began with a patent issued in 1836, so it can help a lot to look these up.
Enjoy your vintage and antique jewelry! I for one am glad to see it worn and enjoy hearing the stories and sentiments behind these treasures.