Monday, April 4, 2016



 
 
 
VINTAGE 
COSTUME JEWELRY
FEATURING
KENNETH JAY LANE  


Welcome
  
I have always had an interest in jewelry. So it was only natural for me to open an online jewelry store when I retired.  I have collected vintage jewelry (primarily by Joan Rivers) for over 25 years now. I love the beautiful designs and the craftsmanship of each piece. Since I've opened my store, I have been branching out to include pieces of jewelry from other well-known jewelry designers. Every day, I learn something new about vintage jewelry, and I want to share that information with you. Join me and explore the World of Vintage Costume Jewelry by  the Legendary Designers.



FEATURE JEWELRY DESIGNER

KENNETH JAY LANE (1932--)

 
 

About

Kenneth Jay Lane started designing jewelry in 1963.  He first came to public attention after Jo Hughes, a fashion industry insider, showed some of his designs to Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, who bought several pieces and recommended him to her friends.  His talent at copying high-end jewelry from a quick glimpse proved popular, his clients proudly wearing the faux pieces. Jacqueline Kennedy was among those who commissioned fake jewels from Lane in order to enable her to wear them more freely while keeping the valuable originals in a safe.

Writing for "The New York Times" at the time of Truman Capote's Black and White Ball in 1966, Marilyn Bender reported that the "most important men in a fashionable woman's life were her hairdresser, her make-up artist and Kenneth Jay Lane."  Lane's bold designs, despite being made using rhinestones and faux gems, were hugely popular with a fashionable clientele that could have afforded authentic jewels; while stylists used them to complement the fashionable large hairstyles, short skirts and  kaftans in fashion photographs.

In 1966, Lane was awarded a special Coty Award for his jewelry design.  He also won the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1968.  Other awards received in the1960s include the Tobé Coburn Award in 1966, the Harper's Bazaar International Award in 1967, the Maremodo di Capri-Tiberio d'Oro Award in 1967, and the Swarovski Award in 1969.  And in 1990, he won the Brides Award.

In addition to his American establishment, Lane had boutiques in London and Paris.  He created designs for Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, and Audrey Hepburn, among many other high-profile clients.   More recently in 2011, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears and Nicole Richie have been seen wearing Lane jewelry.  The Duchess of Windsor was rumored to have been buried wearing one of his belts.     Barbara Bush wore one of his three-strand faux pearl necklaces to her husband's inaugural ball.


 
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1950




Elizabeth Taylor Wearing KJL Jewelry




Former First Lady Barbara Bush Wearing KJL Faux Pearls




Angelina Jolie Wearing KJL's Award Winning Emerald Earrings



In 1993, the year Lane commemorated the 30th anniversary of his founding, "The New York Times" compared him to  Coco Chanel for having successfully made faux jewelry chic, noting that unlike Chanel's wealthy clientele, his rather more affordable designs were accessible to a far wider audience.[Lane also established a presence as a vendor of jewelry on the cable television home-shopping network QVC, his twice-a-month four-hour appearances in 1997 each taking $1.5 million.[In 1998, the FIT Museum held a retrospective exhibition of Lane's jewelry from the 1960s to the late 1990s. 

 
 
Kenneth Jay Lane and Some of His Gorgeous Jewelry 
from His Couture Collection 
 
 
KJL Reference Books
 
 

Kenneth Jay Lane:  Faking It (1996)
 
Available on Amazon     
 


Kenneth Jay Lane:  Fabulous (2007)

Available on Amazon



Shamelessly - Jewelry from Kenneth Jay Lane (2007)
 
Available on Amazon
 
 
 
 

FEATURE JEWELRY OF THE WEEK

 
 
KJL Faux Pearl Necklace with Lion Head Clasp 
 
Available online at SCLadyDiJewelry
 
 
 
 
KJL Lion Head Earrings - Clip On or Pierced
 
Available online at SCLadyDiJewelry




 
 
KJL Paisley Necklace with Removable Pin/Pendant
 
Available online at SCLadyDiJewelry 
 


 
KJL Rhinestone Bracelet with Hidden Watch
 
Available online at SCLadyDiJewelry
 
 
 
KJL Red Crown Pin
 
Available online at SCLadyDiJewelry  
 
 
 

KJL Version of the Duchess of Windsor's 3-pc Panther Set
 
Bracelet & Earrings Available at SCLadyDiJewelry
 
 

 
KJL Duchess of Windsor Heart Brooch
 
This item is Not Available - Sold Out
 
 
This gorgeous pin is signed by Kenneth Jay Lane and is a copy of one originally designed by Cartier for Wallis Simpson. You remember Wallis--she was the divorcee for whom the King of England gave up his thrown. The original brooch had emeralds, rubies and diamonds and was created in 1957 to commemorate the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's 20th wedding anniversary. I have collected crown pins for years, and this is my very favorite one.




KJL Version of the Duchess of Windsor's Flamingo Brooch
(A Gift from Edward for Wallis' 40th Birthday)

Currently Unavailable



KJL Version of the Duchess of Windsor's 1937 Wedding Bracelet
(Each cross inscribed to note a key moment in their romance)
 
Currently Unavailable
 
 
 
 
Original Duchess of Windsor Jewelry Sold at Auction
 
Sotheby's - London
 
 
 
 
 
See more Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry on Etsy.com




HOW TO SPOT AUTHENTIC 

KENNETH JAY LANE JEWELRY

by luxluv61 on eBay 
      
I have recently become aware of many suspicious Kenneth Jay Lane Jewelry being sold online. I have been collecting, wearing and selling Kenneth Jay Lane Jewelry for many years. I am very passionate about designer costume jewelry, vintage and new and therefore would like to share some of my findings to help you when shopping online.
 
Check the Mark
 
A mark is a signature designers use to identify their pieces. Marks are found in hidden parts of the jewelry which is usually on the back side. Kenneth Jay Lane started designing jewelry in 1963 and has always signed his jewelry with a mark so beware of "unsigned" Kenneth Jay Lane. 
Kenneth Jay Lane's marks have only changed slightly throughout the years and these small variations can help you set them apart from each other. It is a little difficult to determine the age of Kenneth Jay Lane pieces and this is why many online sellers inaccurately claim their jewelry is vintage when it is not. Costume jewelry is generally considered vintage if it is 25+ years old, so make sure you study the mark on the piece before paying hundreds of dollars for something that is not vintage. 
Another thing to watch for is fake Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry. If the mark is glued on you can be sure that it is not authentic. Kenneth Jay Lane marks are always soldered, engraved, or deeply embedded into the jewelry and never glued on.  



 
1. 1960's - K.J.L. with dots
2. 1960's - KENNETH © LANE, with a big ©
3. 1970's - KJL without dots 
4. 1970's - KENNETH © LANE, with very small ©
5. 1980's - K.J.L.© with dots
6. 1980's - K.J.L.® with dots
7. 1980's - KENNETH©LANE, © is centered
8. KJL no dots. Avon by Kenneth Jay Lane produced after 2001. 
9. ©KJL no dots. Kenneth Jay Lane for QVC, 1991-2000. 
10. KENNETH©LANE with © on the same line as LANE. 1990 to now


OTHER RELATED MATERIAL:




 
STORE OF THE WEEK

VINTAGE LANE JEWELRY

https://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageLaneJewelry 

 

Vintage Lane Jewelry has been collecting antique and vintage jewelry for over 14 years and selling online since 2012.  They are fascinated with the Art Deco and Victorian Eras.  In their Etsy store, you will also find Czech glass, camphor glass, Vaseline (uranium) glass and art glass jewelry pieces.  If you are looking for angel skin coral, bakelite or cameos, you will find a nice selection from which to choose.  You will also find beautiful unsigned pieces of vintage jewelry, as well as signed ones by designers such as  Alice Caviness, Bogoff, Coro, Florenza, Hattie Carnegie, Hobe, Hollycrat, Isner, Judy Lee, Kramer, Miram Haskell, Regency, Trifari, Vendome and Weiss.  Vintage Lane Jewelry  has  a blog and a web store.  Both of these have wonderful photographs of antique and vintage jewelry.

I have shopped at this store several times and have been more than pleased with their selection of items for sale and their terrific customer service.  More than once, the owner has gone out of her way to help me.  This store rates 10 out of 10 points from me.


CLEANING TIPS FOR

VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY

 from VintageLaneJewelry
 

Vintage costume jewelry is delicate and should be cleaned with care.  The following are helpful tips I  have picked up over the years.
 
1)  Never submerse foil-backed rhinestones or cabochons in water.  You can use a soft makeup brush or toothbrush and spritz with Windex for shine.
 
2)  If the piece has all unfoiled stones, you can dip it in a solution of warm water, 1 tsp. of liquid dish soap and 1 tsp. of white vinegar.
 
3)  Only use an ultrasonic cleaner if you are trying to remove stones or cabs with old glue.
 
4)  Simichrome Polish works wonders on Miriam Haskell glass pearls, only for pearls that are not peeling.  Add a small amount to a soft cloth and polish the pearls.  It also works well on 14K or 18K gold, sterling silver, titanium, stainless steel, copper, and bronze metals.
 
 
 
5)  White vinegar will remove verdigris (the green gunk on metal).  If possible, soak the affected areas.  If delicate stones are nearby, use on a Q-tip.
 
6)  For heavy verdigris, use a dental stimudent or cuticle stick to scrape away as much green as you can. 
 
7)  A gold acrylic paint pen will flawlessly touch up gold tone metal wear, especially tiny metal spacer beads and bead caps.
 
 
 
 
8)  Do not store your costume jewelry in plastic bags which can promote moisture.
 
 
 

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

 
Please send me your suggestions for jewelry designers to feature, topics to be covers, and any questions you have related to vintage costume jewelry.  I look forward to hearing from you.
 
 
 
 
 
 AND IN THE END
 

 
 
We agree when you say "Women of all ages

love costume jewelry because it's fun,

fashionable, and makes a woman feel younger."

 
 
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