▎❝ Best vintage jewelry brands from the vault. ❞

I like wearing shiny things and if you do too, this post is for you! There are so many different types of jewelry. I’ll write more in depth about both estate and designer pieces some other time but today I thought I’d start with a post about vintage jewelry in broader terms. I’ll go through some brief history and then we’ll discuss a few of the best brands to search if you want to get your hands on something classy and sparkly!

It can be expensive having a vast jewelry collection and sometimes you just want to wear something cheaper that you don’t have to stress about losing—not that anyone ever wants that. If you’re anything like me, jewelry anxiety is real. I am small boned and have notoriously been known to lose both rings and bracelets to the cosmic closet of lost things because they slide off. Everywhere I go, there’s a trail of jewels behind me.

Whether this is a concern you share or perhaps you just like the look of costume jewelry, there’s no denying that it’s much more practical for everyday wear and in many cases, actually more elaborate than fine jewelry. Even now, brands like Napier can still compete with the best of them.

One thing that tends to be overlooked about costume jewelry is that in many cases, it’s actually closer to the jewelry worn on the runway than fine or estate jewelry. Runway jewelry is usually bulky and more flamboyant for the purpose of drawing attention from a distance. It’s striking, eye catching. Many costume pieces are constructed with the same principle. Chunky gold chains, large pearls, dangling strands. They’ve all graced Vogue at one time or another.

Crystal Queens

Though it originated during the early 1700’s in the Georgian period, paste jewelry—another name for faux jewelry—became more widely recognized and worn during the Art Deco age where it was thrust onto the party scene until the Great Depression when even faux jewels were no longer accessible. The nouveau riche favored the unique styles of lavalier pendants and found that they could save money with glass stones while still paying for intricate metal work. When times got better, it saw a revival throughout the mid 1900’s and even still, we love it!

Many important and notable women have worn costume jewelry so in choosing to do so yourself, you’re among star studded company. Don’t think for a second that just because these women had wealth, they only wore expensive things. No, no. First lady, Barbara Bush, was known for her costume pearls that made her more relatable to the people of America and Princess Diana, the people’s princess, often mixed both faux and precious gemstones together in one outfit. Costume jewelry is for everyday people who still want a little shine in their life regardless of their circumstance. You don’t have to go into debt to have a beautiful necklace. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool.

The queen of jewelry herself, Elizabeth Taylor, even had her own fashion jewelry collection with Avon marketed to middle class women. She was also a fan of Kenneth Jay Lane and a few of his pieces that she owned were auctioned off in 2011 by Christie’s. Another famous name who dabbled in fashion jewelry was Joan Rivers, who also had her own line of jewelry starting in the 1990’s. Ivanna Trump entered the chat with one in 1992 after her high profile divorce.

It was not uncommon for movie starlets of Hollywood’s golden age to dabble in expensive looking, yet affordable pieces of adornment so why shouldn’t we? There’s never any shame in looking fabulous no matter the price tag.

Timeless elegance

Fashion jewelry is all around us and you’re welcome to entertain new brands but for the sake of this post, I’ll be discussing some cost effective vintage jewelry brands that I feel stand the test of time with both their variety and quality. Some of these pieces have even fooled my highly trained eye once or twice into thinking they were real.

It’s also important to keep in mind that vintage fashion jewelry is close in appearance to estate jewelry which is why these aged pieces can appear more realistic then their modern counterparts. In my personal opinion, it’s much easier to tell that modern faux jewelry is imitation. I think there was just something classic about many of these vintage pieces that sets them apart. The natural aging as well as the patina really can go a long way towards convincing passing eyes that you’re wearing a precious, inherited family heirloom. They don’t have to know it’s from Aunt Avon!

I may be speaking with some bias but gold pearl costume jewelry is one of the most affordable and best investments you can make for your jewelry collection. It’s also abundant for you to get your hands on. Pearls will never go out of style and of all the faux gemstones in the world, they are some of the easiest ones to fake. Around your neck or on your fingers, they will look as real as if you plucked them from the sea yourself.

Other paste stones such as ruby, emerald, and sapphire, tend to appear as false as they are. I think this is probably because these stones have a natural opacity to them that is difficult to replicate when you’re using glass which is what most faux gems are crafted from. Other imitation stones of Citrine and Amethyst are a little better depending on the item. It really just depends on the quality of the jewelry you’re looking at but faux pearls are a safe bet every time so long as they’re in good condition.

Couture or costume

So who are these vintage jewelry brands that I speak of? Well, they range from Avon to Chanel. There’s a lot of unsuspecting people out there who think that just because something has an expensive designer label, it’s real. Often times designer jewelry from the major fashion houses are costume—though not always. Usually it’s crystal stones that are used rather than real gemstones but that’s dependent on the price point and type of piece that you’re looking at.

Two of my favorite vintage jewelry brands are Napier and Ross Simons because of their versatility. While Napier stopped making jewelry in 1999, Ross Simons still has new jewelry and also has estate jewelry as well as gemstone jewelry for anyone who prefers the new to the old but that’s a discussion for another time.

Napier’s style of jewelry including thick gold chains, pearls, chokers, and detailed gold metalwork make them stand out to me as a jewelry box staple. Their pieces are very elegant while still making a statement when they’re worn. This type of jewelry was very popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s among women. It truly is the best of classic jewelry for those who love to wear something timeless. The simple fact that they stopped production over a twenty years ago but their jewelry is still relevant speaks for itself.

Other vintage brands I suggest searching for are; Swarovski, Monet, Avon, Kenneth Jay Lane, Sarah Coventry, Avon, Miriam Haskell, Trifari, Joseff of Hollywood, Schiaparelli, Joan Rivers, Ivana Trump, and Marvella. Wider known fashion brands like I mentioned above also have their own jewelry collections. These brands include; Chanel, Versace, Gucci, Givenchy, Dior, Vivienne Westwood, and Oscar de La Denta—who is perhaps my favorite. I’m always looking for an excuse to wear my Oscar de La Denta necklace.

Treasure hunting

These vintage treasures can usually be found in antique shops or second hand stores but if you prefer to shop online or would like to narrow your search quicker, sites like Ebay and Etsy (the easy E’s as I call them), might be your best place to start your hunt. I have listed brand names above for reference but please keep in mind that vintage unbranded jewelry can be just as fabulous. Not everything needs a name. I will be writing a separate post specific to designer jewelry in the future.

Many of my iconic pearl chokers are vintage and unbranded. Don’t let the fact that something doesn’t have a name stop you from getting it if it’s affordable and you like it. Go for the aesthetic, not the moniker. There is such joy in finding something inexpensive that looks like it isn’t!

My gold pearl Kenneth Jay Lane brooch pictured above is my favorite and I’ve had my Avon cameo necklace for over ten years after picking it up at an antique shop for a couple of dollars. When I’ve worn either one, I’ve always gotten compliments. It doesn’t matter how much I got them for, people like when I wear them because they’re tasteful.

No matter what type of jewelry you prefer to wear, there’s always room in your jewelry box for something truly unique. Just because it’s vintage doesn’t mean it’s out of style. Happy treasure hunting!