Miller's Costume Jewelry: How to Compare & Value (Miller's How to Compare & Value)

Once considered the gaudy stepchild of "real" jewelry, costume jewelry is enjoying explosive growth in popularity and respect among collectors. This illustrated guide uses 70 color photographs and expert appraisal techniques to explain why similar-appearing pieces can have markedly different values, and provides professional advice for finding and buying affordable pieces that should appreciate over time. The jewelry ranges from Celtic-inspired Victorian era brooches through the innovative Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements, and continuing onto the big-flash, big-attitude styles of the 1980s. Potential auction values for representative and signature pieces are provided, along with concise histories for many of the great designers, such as Trifari, Ken Layne, Haskell, and Chanel, as well as the major schools.