Vintage Signed Coppola e Toppo Green Crystal Set|Amazing Adornments.com Jewel of the Month

Vintage Coppola e Toppo Shades of Green Crystal Set

When is a simple strand of crystals enough to make you want to drop your entire paycheck? Answer: When it was designed by Coppola e Toppo!

Like so many before and after, Lydia Coppola, according to the book Fashion Jewels, Coppola e Toppo by Deanna Cera, designed her pieces with an eye towards what they would be worn with. She supposedly grew tired of seeing so many women dressed and accessorized the same!

It seems her philosophy was separation between pieces. For example, if you are wearing a large necklace, you should not need to wear earrings.  The necklace should be able to stand alone. She felt if another piece of jewelry was needed, it should be a bracelet or perhaps a ring. These pieces would not take away from the necklace as they were not in close proximity.

This might help to explain why many of her pieces are so dramatic. 

Here is a beautifully proportioned set  gold- tone metal. The brooch is large however, in keeping with her philosophy, there would be separation between it and the wired crystal earrings.

     
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Vintage Coppola e Toppo Green Crystal Demi- parure

The brooch is a wreath/sway with several strands of green crystals. Each end is finished with a tiny crystal round. You will find this technique on several of
this teams pieces.

At the center is another design technique often seen on their pieces. It is a
stiff arch or bridge of crystals.  Note the way the cascade of crystals
graduate in color from light to darker. This is yet another signature technique. The earrings are the clip- on type.

Lydia and her brother Bruno's pieces sold at  better department stores and
they produced pieces for many of the most recognizable names in fashion. Elsa Schiaparelli was a client. Also, back in the 1950s- 1960s you could not pick up a Vogue magazine without a piece of their jewels on the cover or in a fashion spread within the pages.

Collectors snap up the pieces, it seems no matter the price.  These pieces were comparatively  expensive when new and they continue to climb in price.

If you truly love costume jewelry, you should have at least one of their pieces in your collection. They are well worth the investment!    

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Original by Robert Pink Glass and Rhinestone Set|Amazing Adornments Jewel of the Month

Original by Robert Pink Glass and Rhinestone Demi- parure

We believe this Haskell look necklace
and earring set by Robert is in keeping with the romantic Valentine's Day theme.

Robert Levy along with two others
founded the Fashioncraft Jewelry Company in New York in 1942.

Over the years, some of their pieces
have been confused with those produced by Miriam Haskell. Many 
have mistakenly insisted that Mr. Levy worked for Haskell.  It is fairly easy to see why when you look at this demi.

The metal is the same Russian gold
plated type used by Haskell. The delicate hand wired beaded design is also similar. 

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Original by Robert Glass and Rhinestone Set

The necklace has four strands of pink glass beads with an oval centerpiece of pink, wired bead flowers sprinkled with clear prong set rhinestones. The wires are cleverly hidden between a double filigree backing.

The ladylike necklace fits close to the neck, choker style and the
matching earrings are clip- ons.

Another jeweler that many confuse with Robert is Robert DeMario. Some of their pieces are similar, again in the Haskell style. I tend to think their first names adds to the confusion!
 

Like many jeweler's, The Fashioncraft company offered jewelry in many styles and price ranges.
This company is also well known for it's interesting enamel flower pins. 
  

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Stanley Hagler Blue Crystal Necklace by Mark Mercy

Well it's 2012 and we hope you have a very prosperous year. 

 As our first Jewel of the Month
this year, we choose this exquisite six strand torsade with two decorative sections.

One of the decorative sections is a
clasp. Both have the typical wired glass and rhinestones found on Stanley Hagler pieces by the man himself, Mark Mercy and Ian St. Gielar.

 You can wear this beauty with
these sections at the sides as shown below or front to back as also shown.

     
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Stanley Hagler Blue Crystal Necklace

All of the beads and rhinestones are hand wired and perfectly coordinated. The blue crystal strands have a slight aurora borealis coating that enhances the sparkle of the glass.

For those that are not aware, both Ian and Mark use the same types of beads and findings that Stanley used and both use his hallmark. Ian adds his own name to the mark for clarity. Most of Stanley Hagler's older work did not have periods between the letters NYC. Mark's pieces always has them. 

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