There are jewellery manufacturers that assist us add a bit of additional sparkle to our wardrobes, after which there are the kings of glitz. Particularly in the case of earrings, creations utilizing nothing however flatback rhinestones actually activate the shine. Whether or not it’s for a New Yr’s Eve bash or a enjoyable evening out with the ladies any time, these beauties get the social gathering began.
In case you’ve been gathering or promoting jewellery for some time, you’ve in all probability heard about one Nineteen Eighties model that specialised in the sort of sparkly jewellery: Richard Kerr. However do you know there are a number of different manufacturers to be careful for that could be much more reasonably priced? Let’s begin with a Richard Kerr overview since I’ve the inside track on the person behind the model, after which I’ll fill you in on just a few different names that could be new to you.
Richard Kerr
Richard Kerr designs are probably the most ample among the many companies identified for producing flatback rhinestone jewellery within the Nineteen Eighties and ‘90s. However who was Richard Kerr? Because it seems, the person behind these designs was Chip Murison, also called Richard Kerr Murison. He began the enterprise in 1988 and created jeweled equipment that have been offered in wonderful department shops and boutiques till 2001. As a facet notice, some sources declare the corporate was in enterprise from the Nineteen Forties to 1983; nonetheless, based mostly on my analysis, they look like complicated one other agency with Richard Kerr Equipment Inc.
Though some errors have been made recording this agency’s historical past previously—and I thank my Costume Jewellery Collectors Int’l companion, Melinda Lewis, for figuring out the true origin of the enterprise— it’s clear that Richard Kerr led the pack in the case of jewellery of this model since we find extra items marked with this model than another. In actual fact, unmarked items made utilizing flatback rhinestones are sometimes described as Richard Kerr model. This enterprise additionally produced different jeweled equipment, akin to brooches and bracelets, however you gained’t encounter them as regularly as earrings. Uncommon types incorporating letters, vacation themes, and outsized spirals will be among the extra pricey designs.
James Arpad
For James Arpad, adorning objects with glowing crystals was a household affair. He was impressed by his father, Steven Arpad, who used a method known as “pavee” to create jewel-encrusted footwear, purses, and a restricted quantity of knickknack within the Fifties and Sixties. In actual fact, a pump belonging to Marilyn Monroe held within the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum is a kind of equipment.
By the late Nineteen Eighties and into the early ‘90s, James Arpad had put aside his need to be an architect to give attention to designing jewellery. His items have been offered in upscale retailers and featured in quite a few modern magazines in the course of the interval. Like others utilizing flatback stones, his foremost focus was on creating eye-catching earrings; nonetheless, collectors are sometimes delighted to discover a matching bracelet or brooch to accompany them. Generally, items marked “James Arpad” are extra reasonably priced than these by Richard Kerr, regardless of their very comparable look.
Barbara Groeger
One in all my favourite names to search for on this style is Barbara Groeger. Not a lot is understood about her enterprise, besides that she competed with different manufacturers making the sort of jewellery within the Nineteen Eighties and early Nineties. Her sister did attain out to me years in the past after seeing considered one of Groeger’s items on the market in a web-based venue to let me know that Barbara had handed away, however I sadly misplaced contact along with her earlier than acquiring another data.
With regards to Groeger’s jewellery, I see her work far much less usually than that of different comparable manufacturers, however I often just like the look of her designs, together with giant, target-shaped earrings and brooches formed like seashells. They, like Richard Kerr items, have been made utilizing a resin-type backing that retains the load down—a bonus when carrying a pair of assertion earrings. Sadly, nonetheless, I do discover a few of them lacking stones, and I can say the identical for Richard Kerr jewellery.
Whatever the model, this jewellery is price restoring. And by chance, you’ll be able to often discover alternative stones on-line in commonplace sizes, whether or not they’re clear, coloured, and even black. However, if a colour you’ve run throughout appears out-of-the-ordinary, make sure that stones are available by performing some on-line analysis earlier than you make the purchase. As an example, I as soon as had hassle discovering the right sort of half pearls to restore some Groeger earrings. Even when the merchandise is a cut price, you’ll discover it onerous to flip in the event you can’t restore it first. I additionally really feel that carrying considered one of these items with out stones is like having a lacking entrance tooth, and that’s not good.
Bellini by FormArt
Bellini by FormArt stands out as the most obscure identify on my tremendous sparkle roll name, however the firm has additionally been round for the reason that late Nineteen Eighties. In response to their web site, this New York-based agency can add glowing crystals to something from champagne bottles to basketballs. They’ve additionally made some lovely jewellery, fully encrusted with flatback stones.
One of many foremost variations between earrings made by this model and others that produce comparable types is that the stones are often adhered to metallic backings fairly than a resin-type materials. This metallic backing provides some weight to them, but additionally makes them really feel a bit extra sturdy in my view. Additionally they use a proprietary technique for adhering the stones to the bottom, and I’ve by no means run throughout a pair with lacking stones. That’s not one thing I can say about any of the opposite manufacturers talked about right here, sadly.
What number of of those manufacturers have you ever run throughout to date? On the very least, in the event you’ve been limiting your hunt to Richard Kerr, now you recognize there are a number of others to search for that provide comparable types and sometimes for fairly a bit much less cash.
Pamela Siegel is a contract author and creator who has been educating collectors for greater than twenty years. Along with three books on subjects referring to antiques and collectibles, she regularly 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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