Vintage Colored Rhinestone Jewelry....

catseyevintage

catseyevintage

VFG Member
I was wondering how many of us collect vintage rhinestone jewelry and how you got started?

I've mentioned my always fashionable and chic maternal Grandmother before ~ not only did she have closets full of beautiful clothes, she had dressers packed full of small white jewel boxes full of rhinestone jewelry from the best department stores in town - all makers, including Hobe, Coro, D&E, amongst others.

She was a stunning redhead and favored topaz colored rhinestones ~ earrings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, and rings.

I was lucky to receive a few pieces from her estate ~ their quality and beauty is just amazing.

Anyone else here collect or inherit colored rhinestone jewelry?
 
Oh yes! :)

I'm fortunate to have my mother's and grandmother's. Grandma let me play with hers when I was little. I don't remember seeing her wear the rhinestones. My mom wore hers quite a lot.

Funny thing, as recently as 6 or 7 years ago, I thought most of it was huge, awful and gaudy. After I had the opportunity to really look at it and play with it I really began to see the beauty and quality of the jewelry.

Now I love it but I really don't "collect" it. For the most part, I just wear Mom's and Grandma's and a few other pieces I've become attached to here and there.

Diana
 
Wow, your grandmother sounds like my type of woman! And how lucky you inherited some of those lil white jewel boxes... :)

My mother didn't have much in the way of costume jewelry--she was a bit of a snob and liked her stuff "real", so I the only rhinestone thing I have from her is one 70s turtle pin (but you should see the "knuckle duster" 70s cocktail rings she's given me!)

I stumbled into hoarding the stuff myself as a grad student in Illinois, back when you could get a jumble of "junk jewelry" at a yard sale for a buck, and find some real treasures when you sifted through. Unfortunately, all my goodies got stolen in a burglary, and I had to start my collection from scratch!

Then, when we lived in Ohio, I used to go to the monthly antique show at the state fairgrounds in Columbus and buy a piece or two each time. I didn't know the first thing about costume jewelry history or designers. I never even looked to see if the pieces I chose were signed--just grabbed the ones I thought were prettiest (and could afford, of course)!

When I finally wised up, it was such a rush to see some of the names I'd landed!
 
I love it.. but since i don't like any "bodily adornment".. i admire it and sell it.. lol.. i don't even like to wear earrings the last few years. no clue why.

I'll never forget tho, when Allana went to homecoming a few years ago, she wanted some r/s costume jewlery.. and went to Claire's at the mall. They didnt have the right color.. so the clerk told her to pick out what she wanted, then promptly took a permanent magic marker to the clear R/s and colored it to match Allana's dress.

i was horrified! but.. it worked, it matched, and it was super inexpensive.
 
My mother collects that kind of jewelry - but she wears it also, so she doesn't by "names" (though she has some nice signed pieces, even a Trifari), but what she likes. She came into this through two old clips for fur, that she had from her grandmother - they were very pretty and ver art deco in style, though cheaply made. She found some more like that somewhere, and one thing led to another...
I have some pieces too - ear clips and brooches, mostly unsigned, I just buy what I think is pretty. I buy mostly small brooches and wear them on sweaters in winter, and all of my jackets get a "matching" brooch on the lapel. The ear clips I only wear for special occasions - which usually also means vintage clothes.

Karin
 
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