Researching Vintage Jewelry

So much has been happening at PearlShops4U that I haven't had much time to update the blog. I met a fabulous group of Sparklie Power seller Women. Please visit My World and Check out my favorite Seller's list. This fabulous group of sellers have been giving me a fresh look at the world of eBay. With the support and knowledge of this small powerful group, I am learning many new things. The store is undergoing a major renovation one piece at a time. Months ago I introduced you to the new Pearl. Now I have a new listing template to feature the treasures I find. If you are looking for a Fabulous Web Designer be sure to contact JennarationX.

I have acquired a small estate lot of costume jewelry that I will be selling for a friend. This fabulous collection of sparkling rhinestones and Retro looks has inspired me to take a closer look at the world of collecting costume jewelry.

These Jewels, collected from the 50s to the 80s, have been worn and loved over a lifetime. I really love the necklace sets. They remind me of Jackie O. and a time when a well dressed lady wore a necklace set everyday. While the bead sets may not be as collectible as other items in this estate, they are the perfect accent to a vintage or modern outfit. Since my name is Pearl , this is one of my favorite sets:

In 1955 a federal judge ruled that costume jewelery designs were "Works of Art" and should be protected by copyright laws. So when you find a fabulous piece, check it closely for marks. If the Copyright symbol is present then the treasure was most likely produced after 1955. Some manufacturers like Coro may have used the mark as early as 1947. The name Coro was adopted in 1943 by the New York firm of Cohn & Rosenberger which was founded in 1901. There are thee marked Coro pieces in this collection:


This set is marked with the Copyright symbol, but the following sets of earrings have no copyright mark.



One of the most sought after names in costume jewelry is Juliana, made by the DeLizza & Elster Company. Juliana was the name of Frank DeLizza's mother. In 1967 and 1968 this company produced the popular "5 Link" line of fabulous necklaces and bracelets. None of these items were marked but the construction is easy to identify, if you know what you are looking for. This fabulous sparkler is breathtaking.


When I searched for Confirmed Juliana Necklaces I found this
spectacular necklace at Rubylane. There are 2 pairs of earrings in the estate that are a close match to this sparkler.


I'm still researching the earrings because I have not seen another Juliana listing with jewels that are set in the same manner as this set. All of the Juliana pieces I have seen online have prong set rhinestones. So I'm off to the eBay jewelry discussion board to see if there are any experts available to confirm the maker.

I hope you will check back to see when the listings will start. I have been spending all of my time on Jewelry sites discovering a wealth of information. Check out the following sites for the skinny on collecting costume jewelry.





Costume Jewelry History
And Jewelry Marks

Juliana at Lillys Vintage Jewelry, Absolutely Vintage, Milkyway Jewels, Vintage Sarah Coventry .

Visit PearlShops4U on MySpace to see more pictures of the collection. Let's be MySpace Friends.

Kosta Boda Glass Designer Bertil Vallien

Bertil Vallien is an amazing artist and there are many sites available that display the vast array of his work. He has been employed by Kosta Boda since the late 1963 and is probably their most well know designer. http://www.bertilvallien.com/ has a nice selection of pictures of his work. I also found http://www.midnightsundesigns.se/default.asp?page=designer16.asp where they list the beginning dates of his collections. The Feline Viewpoints Collection is from 1995.

Here's a few new Ebay to Go Search Boxes of available items by Kosta Boda and Bertil Vallien,

Alaska Carved Whale Fossil Ivory Doll Signed Vukson

Once again I have found an unusual Cultural Treasure ~ A work of art that has opened up a world of information. I am attracted to the unusual and this time I feel I have rescued a treasure. I am happy to pass on what little info I have been able to uncover.



When you first touch this treasure you are not quite sure what it is made of. Yet it is easy to see this artist has used his raw material well. The holes in the bone provide a sense of movement, the wind at his back... His head moves from side to side.

Simple and complex at the same time. I had so many questions. What was he made of? How did the artist make his head turn? What type of fur is he trimmed in? What should be in his hands.

I started out with just the name Vukson and Alaska. My first search turned up the a May 13, 2006, Salt Lake City news article on findarticles.com Click here to read it. I was amazed to learn that mammoth remains even existed outside of museums. But I learned the artist's full name: George Vukson.

I could only find one online gallery with examples of this artist's work: inua.net. There are examples of dolls on this site. Our treasure is missing his implements. He is most likely an Eskimo Hunter without a spear, but each of his hands have small holes on the top. Perhaps it is just the bone, yet I'm not sure.

To learn more about the types of materials commonly used in Inuit carvings Click here

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The New Improved Pearl

So What do you think of the New & Improved Pearl?

Pearls Elements of Design

Dare to be different! Combine elements of your past with the modern comforts of today to create your one-of-a-kind Eclectic, Retro and Modern style. Be assured, everything does not have to match. In fact, diversity of elements can be so much more dramatic!

I grew up with many European and British influences. We ate meals on English earthenware and admired the china cabinet full of Royal Albert Old Country Rose. I’ll never forget one rare and wonderful day we had a tea party and actually used the Royal Albert. I’ve loved English china ever since.

I’m wild about American-made pottery and tableware. Names like Homer Laughlin, Russell Wright, Metlox, Franciscan, Taylor Smith & Taylor, McCoy, Hall, Marcrest and Vernon Kilns are among my favorites. Today many people purchase dinnerware in “big barn stores” and think nothing of it. The dinnerware of the past are collectable today because the importation of dinnerware from foreign countries drove many American makers out of business. Even English makers were influenced by the American designs of this era. The Japanese companies, like Noritaki and others are known as the “pretenders” by Mid-Century purists. I’m not a purist.

The first element of my design style is Eclecticism, a fancy word that just means selecting what you like from various design styles.

I refuse to edit my life to fit one defined style.
I love sleek and modern, but I love grandmas’ china too! My own interiors are filled with items made in the USA, England, Canada, Egypt, Morocco, Japan, India, Germany, Poland, France, Africa, Denmark and more. I have chosen elements that are modern and abstract, Native American, Colonial, African and Traditional. I have combined geometric prints with bamboo, copper, cork, hand carved wood and one-of-a-kind treasures made of clay. Some things are old, some new and everything in-between! Somehow it all works.

My second design element is Retro: a fashion reminiscent of the past.

The easiest way to turn your house into a home is to include memories of the past. I’m a Mid Century Modern girl myself, so I love all the kitsch of the 50's and the pop art, flower power flair of the 60s and 70s. I’ve filled my kitchen with Pyrex, Fire King, Anchor Hocking, Imperial Glass, Corning Ware and others. It’s not necessary to go “all the way” with retro. But it is the coolest way to entertain. Have a hip rat pack martini party and enjoy all of the cool bar ware of the 50s and 60s. Use grandmas’ china every day, just because you can. Don’t forget a great set of vintage flatware.

Looking for cool retro art? Consider ethnic or retro tapestries, old print ads, advertising items, even sheet music, framed and hung as a group in matching Picture Frames. Pick any subject like - space travel, world fairs, old cars, places of interest and your on your way. My obsession with the past started with a collection or postcards and life magazines. I framed them and now a once empty hallway is an interesting art gallery. Retro inspired decorating options are endless.

The third element of my design style is Modern: belonging to the modern era; since the middle ages; relating to a recently developed fashion or style.

The modern styles of the 50s to 70s are being recreated by today’s manufactures. Everything old is new again. Remember lava lamps? Check out the big barn stores and you’re sure to find a “new” one. My favorite modern design style is Danish modern. Dansk tableware is perfect in the modern home. My concept of modern is based on elegant simplicity, form meeting function, and natural materials. Clean lines, biomorphic. shapes and organic materials fit seamlessly into the modern home of today

I'm Here to Help, Remember - PearlShops4U

eBay's New Feedback 2.0 - Are You a Star?

I’m a small time 100% positive seller on the Bay. I’ve been around for awhile. It’s been said that the new feedback system is unfair, confusing and an invasion of privacy. All of these facts are true. The new format does expose information about all users, buyers and sellers. Anonymity has always played a role on the internet especially in buying habits. What you buy, tells the world about who you are and may imply information you would not voluntarily tell strangers. Do you purchase Designer Clothing, jewelry, expensive cars, what books you read, your taste in music, the things you collect and cherish. So as a Buyer the new system bothers me. I enjoyed the illusion of privacy the old system provided.

As a Seller I decided to take a second look at my own feedback, What does it say about me? . My feedback shows that in addition to purchasing packing supplies and educational/business materials, I sell household items at reasonable prices. Overall, Buyers are satisfied and positive about the buyer experience in my store and sellers are positive that I am a reputable buyer who pays on time, etc. At first, I was unhappy that prices were shown on the page as it an invasion, but then I realized it tells buyers there are some deals to be had in my store. I do not have stars yet, but I am not expecting perfect scores. Perfection is a goal that is rarely obtainable.

Before spreading doom and gloom perhaps we should let the dust settle. Remember the old days? Here is a link to the 1996 Founder's Note on feedback. I guess the new system is the result of the never ending wheels of progress. Ebay fixing the parts that are not broken and breaking the parts that need fixing.

The Last Door & Who is Ronnie Phillips?

Here I am again with another mystery find. A Matted Photograph that is Hand Signed in pencil:

Goree Island,Senegal "Last Door" Ronnie Phillips

It is dark, mysterious and moody. Covered in plastic, so at first I thought it was a print. I find myself drawn to that small patch of blue in the center of the stone stairway, under the arch at the end of a dark hallway. When I removed the plastic I found a typed page:

Goree Island was used as a warehouse to detain human cargo before they left their voyage of no return through the Atlantic middle passage slave trading route. The Island (88 acres) is located four miles off the coast of Senegal in West Africa. Goree changed hands from the Portuguese, Dutch, British and the French from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

History accounts for the immediate sense of horror that grips visitors when they arrive to where this castle was built in 1786 by the french. The tranquillity of the island today provide a stark contrast that can drown out the distant echoes of death and suffering that occurred here over 450 years ago. Babies women and men were kept in windowless rooms. The men who didn’t meet the required weight of 160 pounds went through weeks of fatting before they were shipped. The door is known as the "Door of No Return”.

Because of the islands excellent position, 2 miles off the coast, it provided an excellent departure point for millions of slaves and shelter against surprise attacks from mankind. Some see Goree Island as an emotional shrine, rather than a slave castle.

Ronnie Phillips

I should be listing treasures, instead I’m on a treasure hunt for information. A quick Google Search finds Goree Island less than a Kilometer from Dakar, Senegal Here’s what Wikipedia has. I guess it is a popular place for political candidates, Both Clinton and Bush visited the island - here’s a news article from the BBC and the official White House transcript of George W’s 2003 Speech.

That's a ton of information to think about and yet this photograph captures the essence of this dark and lonely place. I'm always amazed at the information hidden in the treasures we obtain. So the question remains: Who is Ronnie Phillips?

He was a member of NAIA National Association of Independent Artists in 2005. Here's the NAIA winter 2004-2005 newsletter. Ronnie Phillips a photographer, mixed media artist and painter from Georgia was on the panel for The Ideal Show: The Aritists' Perspective. Here's the only picture of his work I could find online: Mixed Media

Kira Fournier

Yesterday my fortune cookie said: "You discover treasures where others see nothing unusual." So True ~ I taped it to my monitor! I'm always finding treasures that I know nothing about. I enjoy the research and I am often surprised by the information a new treasure can reveal. Here's an example.



Off White Pot with Lid
Marked: Kira Designs TM © 1984 Kira Fournier G2.

You may see nothing unusual, but here's what I found out:

Kira Fournier (1950-2002), attended Wellesley College, Goddard College, School of the Museum-Fine Arts Boston, Corning School of Glass and received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona. In June of 1980 her article Making a Yunnan Steamer Appeared in Studio Potter Magazine. By the way, You may want to bookmark the Studio Potter. (be sure to check out the galleries of pottery.)

My Next Question . . . What is a Yunnan Steamer? The explanation was found at eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters: A Yunnan Steamer Pot is a covered ceramic dish that has a funnel in its base. When the pot is placed in a steamer, steam travels up the funnel and condenses on the lid's underside and is trapped in the pot.

Kira Fournier was a courageous artist and her personal Battle with Ovarian Cancer Eventually Became the Inspiration for Her Work. I think she stopped making pottery and began working with glass. At the University of Arizona, She Designed Sculptures in Glass of Her Own body to explore the Changes and Medical Procedures Associated with Her Illness. I found an article online about her 2001 exhibit titled Getting Out Alive Her work was featured at Sculpture Fest 2002, 2004. You can see a picture of one of her Sculptures here

In November of 2006, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center's Great Issues in Medicine and Global Health Symposium Presented "Core Strength: an Artist's Journey Through Cancer" an Art Exhibit and Reception to Honor the Late Kira Fournier.

While I sit here holding this rather simple pot, I see a Treasure! I imagine the artist creating this utilitarian treasure long before her illness changed her life and art. Most of us will never be able to own a sculpture designed by this well respected artist. I feel honored to be able to pass this treasure on to someone who will use it for it's intended purpose. By doing so, Kira Fournier, the artist continues to live.

Peace Through Understanding

My Latest Find ~ 1964 World Fair - Red Lacquer Tray


Research is the thing I love the most about selling treasures on Ebay. It is a fabulous opportunity to learn about the world. In Search of some juicy tidbits of Info about the worlds Fair I discovered YouTube. Okay, I know the rest of the world knows about the Tube but I'm a little slow.

Anyway, in 1964 Plans to build the New York World Trade Center were announced. "Beatlemania" was rocking the World . The "British Invasion" had begun while students protested the Vietnam War. Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa and Civil Rights Workers were found Dead in Mississippi. The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line. Peace Through Understanding seems appropriate to me.

Now Back to the Blissful Innocence of the 1964 World’s Fair:


To Get a Very Retro Vibe be Sure to Check out Videos by retrodashmatic Some of the coolest retro clips I found!