Covering every phase, fad, and style of costume jewelry, this detailed guide also features hundreds of photos and a special section on the why, what, how, and where of collecting. 200 b&w photos. 8-page, full-color insert.

Popularized by Coco Chanel in Paris during the 1920s, costume jewelry -- from the inexpensive to the extravagant -- has come into its own, creating a skyrocketing market for both investors and collectors. This guide covers it all, from Coro, Eisenberg, and Trifari to Miriam Haskell and Joseff. Complete with the latest prices, descriptions, and fascinating histories of the most famous manufacturers, it provides new and essential information for every collector: Listings for every major designerThe most current prices availableDetailed descriptions and photos for easy identificationTips on buying and sellingHow to spot fakes and forgeriesDetailed bibliographyPredictions about hot trends of the future

Figural jewelry, a fashion forward choice, and popular item featured at top auction houses, represents about 75% of the costume jewelry market.

Provides descriptions and prices for more than seven hundred-fifty pieces of costume jewelry, including background information, dating tips, and manufacturer facts.

Brilliant full-color photos accompany updated values for more than 670 items. Learn to identify and evaluate a wide variety of jewelry. Includes a broad range of varied designs and materials, including sterling, enamel, glass, and plastic.

Beginning and experienced collectors and even dealers sometimes have difficulty distinguishing a valuable piece of costume jewelry from less valuable jewelry. Two brooches, both signed by the same designer, can have vastly different values. This book provides beginning collectors with friendly one-on-one advice on how to begin a collection and how to recognize good quality costume jewelry. Background information for almost 130 different manufacturers, including the author s recommendations on which pieces from each designer are the most collectible, are provided. Over 200 new photos have been added to this edition, bringing the total to around 900 full-color photographs. A new section on miscellaneous makers is featured, and additional, up-to-date information about selling jewelry on eBay is provided. Once again, tips on how to upgrade a collection by selling to dealers and trading with friends; tips on how to catalog a collection; and tips on repairing, storing, and cleaning jewelry are included. A glossary of jewelry terms, complete bibliography, and an index of patent design numbers round out the book. 2008 values.