Think about strolling into the Ciner showroom and seeing dozens of classic samples on show. You then understand that the drawers beneath these shows are full of much more examples of among the best costume jewellery ever made. Seems like a dream come true, proper? Let me let you know, an expertise like that leaves an enduring impression.
After I had the chance to go to Ciner, despite the fact that it was overwhelming in one of the simplest ways doable, I managed to remove just a few tidbits that helped me higher perceive the model. There are fairly just a few issues that make Ciner designs noteworthy, and I’m betting I can share just a few right here that you could be not know, or on the very least, will jog your reminiscence.
It’s Tough to Use Marks to Date Ciner Jewellery
As I examined the samples within the Ciner showroom, I may inform that a few of them had been on show for a really very long time. Lots of them have been Fifties and ‘60s kinds that had developed a patina, the sort that everybody who loves classic relishes discovering within the wild. As any good costume jewellery shopper would, I flipped every bit over after which seemed on the reverse aspect, too.
Inspecting the backs, I used to be shocked to see that the signatures weren’t distinctive; there was no means I may inform which of them have been older simply by trying on the mark, as I may with many different manufacturers of knickknack. Ciner used the identical molds repeatedly when prospects ordered older designs, so I’d all the time had that feeling, and this train confirmed my suspicions. I needed to proceed searching for indicators of age and put on thus far Ciner jewellery, though there may be one age group that’s simpler to peg.
Older Ciner Jewellery is Made from Sterling Silver
For those who’ve studied Ciner in any respect, you in all probability know that the corporate began out as a effective jewellery enterprise within the late 1800s. When the Ciner household began making costume jewellery within the Nineteen Thirties, they switched from gold and platinum to sterling silver. Which means the earliest designs marked “Ciner” may also be marked “sterling.”
Most of the Nineteen Thirties items have artwork deco influences within the designs, together with some double-clip brooches that separate into two gown clips, monogram brooches, and line bracelets. Later Nineteen Thirties and early ‘40s designs have extra retro styling, together with cocktail rings with giant glass stones. A number of the retro items additionally function gold plating. Just a few figurals have been additionally produced in sterling within the Nineteen Forties. All these early items are a lot more durable to search out than non-sterling examples made later.
All Ciner Jewellery Is Marked
For those who’ve ever run throughout a bit of knickknack that seemed very very similar to Ciner however couldn’t discover a mark on it, it wasn’t produced by this New York-based firm. I didn’t uncover this by visiting the Ciner showroom, however quite by talking with the late Pat Ciner Hill at a Costume Jewellery Collectors Worldwide occasion years later. She informed me point-blank that Ciner didn’t produce jewellery that wasn’t marked not directly.
Which means the kinds you come throughout that resemble Ciner, and which can even function acquainted round texturing on the backs, are interval copies. With Ciner specifically, this phenomenon occurred incessantly within the Nineteen Eighties, when daring jewellery was in vogue. Many alternative corporations have produced jewellery that resembles Ciner, however when put next aspect by aspect, the copies typically lack the very good ending and detailing of the originals.
After all, there are exceptions to each rule. I bought some sautoir-length necklaces that slip over the pinnacle with no clasp, instantly from the designers, which have been solely marked with foil hold tags. They seemed similar to Chanel pearls, interspersed with crimson and inexperienced glass beads. As soon as these tags are eliminated, will probably be onerous to say which high-end jewellery model initially marketed them. Total, nonetheless, it’s applicable to say all Ciner jewellery was marked as a result of necklaces like those I purchased make up a really small fraction of the corporate’s catalog.
Ciner Jewellery Was Made in New York, Largely
Not solely was the Ciner showroom in New York, however jewellery bought by the corporate was additionally produced there. Whereas many different corporations bought out and manufacturing was relocated to Asia within the Seventies and ‘80s, Ciner continued to function its family-owned enterprise proper right here in the US till it closed in 2023 following the loss of life of Pat Ciner Hill.
Now, I do know of 1 exception to this rule. A number of the items that have been a part of the Joan Rivers collaboration—marked Ciner for Joan Rivers—have been designed by Ciner however produced in China. These items look fairly, however the craftsmanship isn’t fairly the identical when in comparison with Ciner items made within the New York manufacturing unit.
I also needs to notice that in the event you ask an AI system if all Ciner jewellery was made in the US, it’ll seemingly let you know sure. For those who ask if Ciner for Joan Rivers was made in China, it’ll additionally say sure. Phrase to the clever: If you’re doing jewellery analysis, use different vetted sources created by people to confirm data supplied by AI.
Ciner Bought at a Excessive Value Level Again within the Day
I’ve typically stated that classic promoting is a good way to be taught concerning the varied sides of vogue jewellery, and that features which manufacturers have been reasonably priced to buy after they have been new. Ciner wasn’t a kind of.
In reality, in the event you take a look at the corporate’s adverts from the Nineteen Forties, you’ll discover quite a few items like rings, earrings, and brooches promoting within the $40-50 vary. That appears like a cut price in fashionable phrases, however factoring inflation into the combination, that might be $600-$ 800 now. In 1966, a rhinestone necklace bought for $110, which equates to nearly $1,100 as we speak. Even within the early 2010s, once I visited the Ciner showroom, many of the wholesale costs have been better than I’d usually see shopping for or promoting gently used items.
Contemplating how a lot Ciner bought for when it was new, selecting up most of the classic items looks like an excessive cut price. It’s no surprise that celebrities, starting from Liz Taylor and Jayne Mansfield to Rihanna and Meghan Markle, have all worn Ciner jewellery.
Pamela Siegel is a contract author and creator who has been educating collectors for greater than twenty years. Along with three books on matters regarding antiques and collectibles, she incessantly shares her experience via on-line writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela can also be the co-founder of Costume Jewellery Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Stylish Antiques by Pamela.
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