Kalinger
Pair of large gold-colored, ornamental ear clips. Can also be worn with pierced ears.
Paris, late 1980s
The history of the Kalinger costume jewelry brand began in October 1986, with a small workshop founded by the couple Catherine and Laurent Martinez. Their family business – small boutique appeared at 28 rue des Archives, in the Le Marais district of Paris. Soon Kalinger became an existential producer of runway jewelry for the Paris Haute Couture Shows.
The designers created the jewelry in a typical French style. In particular, massive appearance, large size, Byzantine inspiration, a combination of plastic, glass and metal with the effect of “crumpled” gold and gilding. Also, the designers used large stones of unusual shape imitating precious stones – “rubies”, “emeralds” and “sapphires”.
Lovers and collectors of vintage jewelry cannot remain indifferent to the extraordinary beauty of brooches, bracelets, earrings and rings created by Kalinger designers in the 1980s. Hand-crafted haute couture jewelry, striking, eye-catching designs combined with high quality materials and workmanship make these jpieces highly collectible.
The Parisian jewelry brand Kalinger ceased to exist in 1997.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
Kalinger
Pair of large gold-colored, ornamental ear clips. Can also be worn with pierced ears.
Paris, late 1980s
The history of the Kalinger costume jewelry brand began in October 1986, with a small workshop founded by the couple Catherine and Laurent Martinez. Their family business – small boutique appeared at 28 rue des Archives, in the Le Marais district of Paris. Soon Kalinger became an existential producer of runway jewelry for the Paris Haute Couture Shows.
The designers created the jewelry in a typical French style. In particular, massive appearance, large size, Byzantine inspiration, a combination of plastic, glass and metal with the effect of “crumpled” gold and gilding. Also, the designers used large stones of unusual shape imitating precious stones – “rubies”, “emeralds” and “sapphires”.
Lovers and collectors of vintage jewelry cannot remain indifferent to the extraordinary beauty of brooches, bracelets, earrings and rings created by Kalinger designers in the 1980s. Hand-crafted haute couture jewelry, striking, eye-catching designs combined with high quality materials and workmanship make these jpieces highly collectible.
The Parisian jewelry brand Kalinger ceased to exist in 1997.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
