| Vintage costume jewelry has become a highly | | | | excellent quality of craftsmanship, usage of gold |
| collectible niche in the antiques and collectibles | | | | and silver plated settings and quality stones. During |
| world. Here are some of the most collectible | | | | Hollywood's golden age, Hobe jewelry was a |
| names in vintage costume jewelry and some | | | | favorite of Hollywood stars and their finest pieces |
| background on them. | | | | could be seen adorning starlets wardrobe's in |
| Weiss | | | | many classic movies. Hobe pieces were all |
| Created in 1942 by a former Coro company | | | | marked, with the name Hobe typically stamped in |
| employee named Albert Weiss, Weiss has | | | | a stylized Art Deco style script with an elongated |
| become one of the most popular and collectible | | | | H or B or in block letters. The original, family run |
| names in vintage costume jewelry collecting. | | | | Hobe company stopped producing jewelry in the |
| Weiss is synonymous with gorgeous and elegant | | | | early 1990's, however a Hobe company exists |
| rhinestone pieces including brooches, necklaces, | | | | that still produces jewelry marked as Hobe up to |
| bracelets and earrings. Sadly, the Weiss company | | | | today. |
| went out of business in 1971, therefore their | | | | Coro |
| pieces are very collectible and the most beautiful | | | | The name Coro actually comes from an |
| pieces including figurals like birds and animals | | | | abbreviation of the original founders last names, |
| routinely sell for high prices on auction sites and in | | | | which were Cohn and Rosenberger. The company |
| both online and offline stores. Watch out for | | | | was founded in New York around the turn of the |
| reproductions of Weiss jewelry, many less | | | | century and later incorporated with the name |
| knowledgeable sellers on eBay will sell a | | | | Coro. The Coro company was one of the most, if |
| reproduction as a true Weiss. Real Weiss jewelry | | | | not the most, prolific producer of costume |
| is of exceptional quality, you can often tell a fake | | | | jewelry in the 20th century. At one point during |
| from a real piece by viewing the details of the | | | | the 1920's, the company was said to have |
| piece with a loupe. Also, some Weiss fakes have | | | | employed more than 2000 workers in producing |
| a textured backing, where real Weiss is very | | | | their lines of costume jewelry. The Coro company |
| smooth. The stamp may also be offset or a bit | | | | prided itself on producing costume jewelry for a |
| difficult to read. Real Weiss generally has a strong | | | | wide range of customers, and as a result you |
| stamp with clear lettering. | | | | could find Coro pieces available in both a local five |
| Eisenberg | | | | and dime store and also find finer Coro pieces in |
| The Eisenberg company began in 1914 as an | | | | high end department stores. Coro's finest pieces |
| apparel company. Then sometime in the 1930's, | | | | could certainly compare in craftsmanship, design |
| they created and began to market jewelry | | | | and quality to well known, highly collectible names |
| pieces. Like Weiss, Eisenberg is known for high | | | | like Weiss and Eisenberg. Due to their massive |
| quality craftsmanship and for using high quality | | | | production, Coro used well over 100 styles of |
| materials, including sparkling Austrian crystals. Their | | | | marks, stamps and variations of marks on their |
| earliest pieces were marked as "Eisenberg Original" | | | | jewelry, sometimes changing their marks every |
| and later on they marked their pieces simply | | | | year. Coro also produced jewelry under other |
| "Eisenberg" or "Eisenberg Ice". The Eisenberg | | | | brand names such as Vendome, which is highly |
| company still makes jewelry today but obviously | | | | collectible, CoroCraft, Cellini, Francois among many |
| the older pieces are the most collectible. For a | | | | others. Highly collectible Coro pieces include their |
| time in the 1940's, Eisenberg used sterling silver in | | | | famous "jelly belly" pieces, sterling silver pieces |
| their pieces and any pieces in sterling silver are | | | | including those marked MEXICO and their "Coro |
| very collectible. Their pieces in sterling silver will be | | | | Duette" line. |
| marked as such. | | | | Other Collectible Names |
| Hobe | | | | While these names are some of the most |
| Pronounced ho-bee, Hobe has been a name | | | | collectible names in costume jewelry, they |
| synonymous with fine quality costume jewelry | | | | certainly aren't the only collectible names. More |
| since the 1920's. The Hobe family actually started | | | | collectible names include Art, Lisner, Napier, Trifari, |
| making jewelry in France in the late 19th century, | | | | Boucher, Miriam Haskell, Carnegie, Florenza, |
| then William Hobe founded the official company | | | | Kramer, Sarah Coventry, Schreiner, Van Dell, |
| when he came to the US from France in the late | | | | Whiting & Davis, Bogoff, as well as others. |
| 1920's. Hobe jewelry is characterized by it's | | | | |