Today's Jewelry Word - Lavaliere

 The Dangle is the Key to Lavaliere Necklaces and Brooches

There are many styles of necklaces available.  Everyone knows what a pendant is, but a lavaliere pendant is one that you may not be aware of.

 The term lavaliere is used for necklaces (and also brooches) which have a pendant that has a dangling tassel or stone hanging below it.  The word was made popular in the mid 17th century by the Duchess de la Vallire, who was a mistress of King Louis XIV of France.

In the jewelry world the term has been shortened to lavaliere, or lavalier. Either spelling is correct.
Many stones can be part of the dangle but pearls are one that is commonly used.  I've seen lovely aurora borealis tear shaped glass stones, used in conjunction with a pendant or even brooch with dramatic effects.

Occasionally the word will be used for pendants which have dangles within a part of the design rather than below it. I have also seen two strand necklace, each with its own pendant described as a lavalier necklace. To be technically correct, there should be a dangle though, as part of the design, not just two separate pendants.

Here are some examples of Lavaliere jewelry:

Kenneth Jay Lane dramatic lavalier rhinestone brooch.

Egyptian Inspired necklace with Lavaliere dangles.

 

Lovely rhinestone mid century lavaliere necklace.

I have lavaliere jewelry in my Vintage Jewelry Lane store at very competitive prices. 

What do you think of the design technique? Do you like the dangles or prefer a plain pendant?

Today's Featured Vintage Designer - Avon

Many of you know of the name Avon for perfumes and other body products, but Avon has also been making jewelry as a part of their line since the early 1970s.

In 1886 a salesman named David McConnell founded a company which he called the California Perfume Company. Initially, the company only had five lines for sale - all perfumes. David was later joined by Mrs. Persis Albee. They were both strong believers in the direct door to door method of marketing their product. P

Mrs Persis became the company's first "traveling sales lady" and soon doorbells across America could be heard along with the recognizable words "Avon Calling." By 1928, their products were being sold with the new name - Avon, but still through the direct marketing method.

The name of the company was officially changed in 1939 to Avon Products, Inc. The following years showed a huge increase in sales, with all products still being beauty product based.

In 1971, Avon began offering jewelry to their customers, and this trend continues through today. Avon jewelry is now sold in a variety of ways, including the internet, but most of their business still comes from direct sales.

The most collectible part of the Avon jewelry line includes designs by several well known designers, such as Kenneth Jay Lane, Elizabeth Taylor, Barrera, Coreen Simpson, Celia Sebiri, etc. These designs are always marked as "name of designer, for Avon."

The Avon jewelry line included a wide range of styles such as watches, earrings, brooches, bracelets and necklaces. They also regularly feature a line of holiday themed jewelry. Some of their numbered Christmas tree pins are very collectible.

The Avon Company mainly uses the word Avon in block letters, sometimes with a copyright symbol and sometimes without. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, with the advent of the new well known designers coming on board with them, they also used the design marks from the noted designers with the addition of the words "For Avon," so it is possible to see several different Avon markings today. Here are some examples of the signatures:

Avon jewelry is readily available and not particularly valuable, but is interesting to those who collect Avon Memorabilia. One should only purchase pieces in excellent condition, in original boxes, if possible. Prices most likely to increase in value are those by the noted designers such as KJL, Elizabeth Taylor, etc.

Here are some Avon designs:

Welcome to the Collecting Vintage Jewelry Blog!

I am very excited to announce the opening of the Collecting Vintage Jewelry Blog.

Be sure to bookmark this page for a wide variety of topics under the broader heading of vintage costume jewelry. Some topics may include designer hallmarks, current fashion trends, design details, and some of our lastest finds.

My name is Carol and I am the owner of vintagejewelrylane.com an online source for vintage costume jewelry. My site has all types of vintage costume jewelry, but we specialize in Sarah Coventry jewelry, cameo jewelry, micro mosaic jewelry, butterfly jewelry, and damascene vintage jewelry.

I'll start off this blog with our vintage jewelry word of the month - Marcasites.

Marcasite is a type of stone, often used in sterling silver, and sometimes faceted - this mineral has the same composition as pyrite (fool's Gold) but has a different chemical structure. It is a gunmetal gray color with a shiny finish and is inserted in the same was as a rhinestone is.

Here is a picture of a lovely piece of marcasite jewelry from designer Kenneth Jay Lane for Avon:


The stone sometimes acquires a multi-colored tarnish that is the result of oxidation. The stone has a luster and is opaque. Occasionally, a sulfur smell is detectable. See more information and pictures here.