Let me begin with what may seem at first to be a rather
braggadocious proclamation. However. if you analyze the next
sentence you will find it all to be a rather hang my head in shame
type of statement. Here’s what it is. Give me one hundred images of
jewelry. tell me to pick one. and I will unerringly and yet
unknowingly choose the one with the most obscure history behind it.
Am I boasting at my prowess. or am I suffering with abject misery at
my inability to pick something easy to write about. Still. when it
comes to jewelry. a talent is a talent is a talent and is always
worth writing about. Though if I were you I would not take me to the
races to pick the winning horse. That said. I shall commence.
Let us start with Goldette. This was the trademark name first used
by Goldette Costume Jewelry founded in New York in 1955 by one Ben
Gartner. Wait! Whoa there Nellie. It wasn’t 1955. They changed it to
1958. And it wasn’t Ben Gartner. it was David Gartner. But then it
says Ben. And then it says David. And it wasn’t located in New York.
It was located in New Jersey. Am I being clear? Am I being clear?
Crystal clear? Okay okay. I took that out of A Few Good Men. So
what?
But it didn’t start out as the Goldette Costume Jewelry company. Nay
nay sweet boids of yute. After spending a goodly amount of time
researching the Goldette Costume Jewelry company I found out that
Goldette is the mark of the Circle Jewelry Products Company. Of the
available on this latter company name. it can. in its
highest form at best. be graded at zero. Nada. Nothing. Rien. Gar
nichts. Meiyou.
But Goldette made beautiful costume jewelry. Some of their pieces
had a Victorian flavor. Some followed Oriental motifs. Native
American and Art Nouveau and Roman all played influential roles in
their creations. They made necklaces. Pins. Lockets. Fobs. Cameos.
Charm bracelets. This last series were especially collectible.
due–I think–to their intricacies and the fact that many may have
been made not too long before the company closed their doors
sometime around 1977.
The height of their popularity was in the 60’s and 70’s. They used
rhinestones and faux stones and pearls with ornate metalwork and
enamel. Which brings me to the piece I am about to show you.
It is a necklace of Egyptian motifs with agate gemstone beads. Its
value. going back over 20 years. was around $225.00 U. S. It is a
stunner. Pharaoh in the center. mummies and scarabs and
pharaoh-ettes strewn around and about its design. Tut himself would
have been proud to wear it.
The value listed in today’s terms should be somewhere in the
vicinity of $355.00… but I can not swear to the accuracy of this
statement. Depends who has it. Depends who wants it. And it depends
on how badly the wanter wants it.
So there it is folks. Another Tidbits bites the dust. So. one more
thing. As long as we’re talking jewelry here. who you voting for
president? Hmmm?
Okay. You know the rest. The visit to the image… also known as the
viewing experience. You know where. Home page.
http://www.tyler-adam.com. Scroll down. Left side. Tidbits. Click.
And there for your sensory optic pleasure you will see Goldette’s
Egyptian Necklace.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.
Benjamin Mark