modemodern vintage and antique jewelry accessories and decorative arts
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Unsigned : Pre 1950 item #1368948
modemodern
$195.00
Gorgeous vintage 1940s or 1950s French five strand bracelet with glittering pink faceted glass bezel set open back unfoiled pointed back stones and glass based faux baroque pearls mounted in goldtone metal with an early oversized spring ring clasp with a thumb collar rather than a tab. Excellent condition with two small losses to two pearls, pictured but not noticeable when worn. Slight wear to the goldtone finish at the clasp is also pictured but again not noticeable when worn...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Strands : Jewels : Pre 1950 item #1316686
modemodern
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Beautiful vintage 1940s wired necklace, probably Chinese export, with carved stone beads alternating with clear faceted beads that are either glass or rock crystal. The carved stone beads include amethyst, what looks like one celadon jade bead, serpentine, carnelian, rose quartz, what looks like lapis or sodalite, and a large pale green bead that looks like flourite or some other quartz. There are also smooth beads in various hardstones and in turquoise...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Bakelite : Pre 1950 item #763957
modemodern
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Beautiful glowing marbled tequila sunrise bangle in the popular rope pattern. The color is much better than the photos. Circa 1940. Tests positive for Bakelite. Guaranteed vintage and original. From a collection. Standard 2 1/2 inches inside diameter, 1/2 inch wide, and 3/8 inch thick. Excellent condition. Photos enlarged to show detail.
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Strands : Jewels : Pre 1950 item #1305342
modemodern
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Beautiful vintage genuine Baltic translucent honey amber necklace with graduated faceted beads. Guaranteed tested, genuine, untreated, natural Baltic amber. 1940s. It has been professionally restrung with new goldtone spring ring clasp. It weighs 46 grams. The largest center bead is 16mm and the smallest beads are 6mm. Wearable length is 31 inches. 5/8 inch wide at center. Excellent condition with some slight age related crazing that is typically found in these beads. Display form is life size...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Designer : Pre 1950 item #1166354
modemodern
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Amazing huge vintage signed Ledo bracelet in rhodium plated metal with pave large and small brilliant strass rhinestones in an Art Deco design. Marked LEDO. This is the mark of the Polcini jewelry company, founded in New York in 1911. The Ledo mark dates from the late 1940s. With slide clasp and safety chain. Great size -- 1 3/4 inches wide and 7 inches wearable length. Excellent condition. All stones are bright and much better than the photos. Display form is life size...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #691523
modemodern
SOLD
Fabulous and iconic vintage Mexican silver feather or leaf form clamper by Alfredo Villasana. Early 1940s, pre eagle mark. Marked with the conjoined AV for Villasana, TAXCO, HECHO EN MEXICO, and STERLING 925. Substantial at 78 grams/2.7 ounces. A stunning collectible piece.

Great size -- 3 1/4 inches wide at center front and 6 1/2 inches inside circumference. Excellent condition. There is oxidation on the hinge on the inside only; this does not show when the piece is worn...

All Items : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Designer Signed : Pre 1950 item #845696
modemodern
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A lovely sterling necklace with an asymmetrical centerpiece with an amazing and huge blue glass openback and unfoiled stone. Marked OTIS STERLING. Circa 1940. With brilliant paste rhinestones. The color of the blue stone is more intense than the photos depict. A classic collectible Art Deco piece, and currently perfectly of the moment as well...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Strands : Pre 1950 item #1132649
modemodern
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Sumptuous vintage necklace with two strands of graduated oxblood red undyed Mediterranean coral spezzati, or branches, with a gold washed silver clasp. The color is a true red and darker than the photos depict. Best representation of color are the photos on light background. Circa 1940...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Bakelite : Pre 1950 item #763959
modemodern
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Not sure if raisin is an "official" Bakelite color name, but it best describes the unusual rich deep brown with purple undertones color of this hinged bangle. Circa 1940. Tests positive for Bakelite. Guaranteed vintage and original. From a collection. With excellent very deep carving in a roses and leaves motif. Excellent condition. The hinge is tight. It is a bit dusty; I have brushed it but have not cleaned it further so as not to disturb the oxidized finish. Photos 1 1/8 inches ...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Rhinestone : Pre 1950 item #707849
modemodern
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Fabulous vintage glass beaded necklace with color changing alexandrite lead crystal glass beads and tiny clear glass spacer beads. Circa 1940. With a beautiful geometric Art Deco pave diamante slide clasp in silvertone metal. From a Baltimore estate and I also have listed several 1940s signed pins and clips from this same estate. The color is a pinkish lavender in natural light, and a pale aqua in white artificial light. Both colors are more intense than the photos depict.

Wearab...

All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Designer : Pre 1950 item #1318841
modemodern
$145.00
Gorgeous big statement vintage 1940s French wired necklace with very big faceted yellow topaz glass beads, ornate French filigree beads, and snake chains, with a matching link chain section at the back. Great on its own or layer with other similar sautoirs. 32 inches wearable length and 3/4 inch or 20mm at the beads. Excellent condition with some slight flea bites to some beads, not noticeable at a short distance. Display form is life size. Photos enlarged to show detail.
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #790686
modemodern
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Early vintage Mexico sterling bracelet with fabulous graphic impact. Circa 1940, made before the eagle assay mark was introduced in 1948. Marked R. RIVERA, 925 SILVER, and TAXCO in a cartouche. These marks are listed on page 56 of "The Little Book of Mexican Silver Trade and Hallmarks" by Bille Hougart. Classic sinuous feather form design with decorative oxidized detail in the recessed areas. It weighs 51 grams. With slide clasp and safety chain. 1 3/8 inches wide and 7 3/8 inches...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Unsigned : Pre 1950 item #637422
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Outstanding vintage Art Deco/Retro Moderne horse form figural brooch in ebonized carved wood with inlaid silver detail. Circa 1945. Unsigned, most likely by Elzac Inc., which produced jewelry from materials such as ceramic, Lucite, fur, feathers, cloth, and wood during World War II when other materials were in short supply.

With an embedded pin back and with silver decoration, including beads around the collar and along the mane, and thin wires above and below the beads around the collar....

All Items : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1063924
modemodern
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Beautiful dimensional bracelet with repousse work in pre-Columbian style motifs. Circa 1940. Marked STERLING 925 TAXCO MEX and signed CP or OP. It weighs 51 grams. This piece and most of the other Mexican silver I have listed came from one long time collector's estate. 3 3/4 inches wide in front and with a wearable length (when the edges meet) of 6 1/2 inches. Overall excellent condition. The tips of the longest "fronds" have some very slight unevenness which is most likely from the ...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Designer : Pre 1950 item #1288550
modemodern
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Gorgeous large signed Joseff brooch in Victorian Celtic style with brilliant openback unfoiled faceted glass stones in bezel settings. Marked JOSEFF. Circa 1940. Joseff jewelry was designed and made for costuming in top Hollywood movies in the 30s through the 60s, and also sold to consumers in exclusive stores such as Nieman Marcus. A key signature of Joseff jewelry was the matte metal finish which was intended to reduce glare under studio lights during filming, and was used in the r...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Costume : Designer : Pre 1950 item #744439
modemodern
SOLD
This beautiful necklace is pictured on page 137 of "Miriam Haskell Jewelry" by Cathy Gordon and Sheila Pamfiloff. It has seven clusters of genuine red coral spezzati, turquoise glass beads, and brass bell shaped caps, attached to a brass braided chain, with a spring ring clasp and extender chain. Each cluster has a large turquoise bead at the top, and three turquoise beads at the bottom. The turquoise beads have painted detail simulating the matrix in turquoise stone. This piece i...
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Ethnic : Far Eastern : Pre 1950 item #1207445
modemodern
SOLD
Beautiful vintage circa 1940 Chinese export drop screwback earrings in gilt/gold washed silver filigree, with blue enameling and genuine carnelian cabochons. Not marked. 2 1/4 inches long and 5/8 inch wide. Excellent condition. Photos enlarged to show detail.
All Items : Estate Jewelry : Strands : Pre 1950 item #1298457
modemodern
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Lovely vintage 1930s or 1940s genuine butterscotch egg yolk honey amber necklace with graduated oval beads and silvertone spring ring clasp. All the beads are about half opaque and half translucent. Professionally restrung on silk cord. The clasp has an early collar opening, without the thumb tab. It weighs 24.5 grams. Guaranteed genuine amber. Wearable length is 19 1/2 inches. The largest center bead is 18mm by 7mm. The smallest end beads are 10mm by 7mm. Excellent condition with some miniscule...