Might 19, 2023—Juliana jewellery was a sizzling commodity within the jewellery enviornment from the mid-to-late aughts. When you’re unfamiliar with the identify “Juliana” as a jewellery stamping, there’s a great motive—all of the items that fall into this class are unmarked. They have been produced by an organization referred to as DeLizza & Elster, primarily within the Nineteen Sixties. Frank DeLizza, one of many founders, shared extra details about the enterprise with jewellery historians, fueling the recognition of those items as increasingly collectors realized methods to establish them.
DeLizza & Elster solely produced the Juliana jewellery line—named after DeLizza’s mother—in 1967, signified by the objects’ marked cards or foil dangle tags. Nevertheless, the fundamental development of the items included in that line is identical as many others that DeLizza & Elster made and wholesaled to malls and different companies, together with a house social gathering enterprise referred to as Tara. Different equipment in comparable designs have been discovered with tags hooked up studying Gloria or Movie star. Due to the prevalence of those designs, many collectors now consult with all these items by the nickname Juliana. Purists, nonetheless, name them DeLizza & Elster or D&E. Good sellers use each names when advertising on-line, and lots of consumers attempt each phrases when conducting searches.
The Altering Marketplace for Juliana Jewellery
There’s little question that the marketplace for all however essentially the most fascinating Juliana designs is just not as sturdy because it was once. Some Juliana earrings marked within the $20 to $30 vary and brooches priced barely greater linger on web sites for fairly a while earlier than they promote. Why? When items have been first recognized as Juliana, sellers snatched up all the pieces they may and drove the costs to their apex. Then, as collectors realized some kinds have been extra widespread over time, and extra objects got here in the marketplace recognized as Juliana—just like the designs mass-marketed by way of Tara residence events—the demand started to drop. The declined market doesn’t make them any much less fairly, and the jewellery objects are very properly made, however they’re not priced as excessive or as fervently sought as they as soon as have been.
Which designs are valued decrease now? Items made with oodles of clear, grey, or black dangling glass beads usually fall into this class. Moreover, brooches with an abundance of iridescent stones (named Aurora Borealis by Swarovski), bracelets with plainer stones and coloring with 5 link-and-band development, and easy rhinestone earrings in assorted designs promote for much less now. Some items set with glass cameos, as are those who incorporate gold-plated filigree balls, are additionally reasonably priced. So far as colours go, clear, black, brown, amber, and white single items aren’t sometimes in excessive demand, with only a few exceptions.
It could be more difficult for sellers to maneuver these lesser-valued picks now. Nevertheless, it’s a good time to purchase some if you happen to coveted them years in the past however didn’t wish to splurge once they have been dearer. In order for you one of the best of one of the best on your assortment, you may nonetheless search out the more expensive examples made by DeLizza & Elster as properly.
Some Juliana Designs Stay Extremely Useful
Not all Juliana jewelry has gone down in worth. Sufficient collectors are nonetheless enthused about the fantastic thing about these glowing jewels to drive up the marketplace for essentially the most fascinating designs. In lots of cases, it’s as a lot in regards to the sorts of stones included into the items because the designs as you’ll discover perusing the WorthPoint® Price Guide.
A few of the perennially in style stones with Juliana followers embrace what collectors name “watermelon” stones. Although Swarovski named these stones Vitrail Medium II, collectors have determined that they give the impression of being extra like naturally occurring watermelon tourmaline than stained glass (to which the identify vitrail alludes), in order that’s how entrepreneurs describe them. Even blue and inexperienced bi-color stones like these are often referred to as watermelon by collectors, though Swarovski referred to as the blue ones Heliotrope. Sellers additionally often combine up the phrases in error, so remember if you happen to’re doing on-line searches or pricing analysis.
One other sort of stone nicknamed “Easter egg” can be value greater than common when set in Juliana designs. When you have been purchasing for substitute stones like these, you’d ask for stippled cabochons. Nevertheless, the identify Easter egg has caught as a result of they’re often domed ovals with colourful utilized patterns. Like watermelon stones, full units (additionally referred to as parures) that includes these stones can promote within the excessive a whole lot and even hundreds. Single items, together with massive collar necklaces and huge bracelets, sometimes promote within the a whole lot every.
Most any specialty stones—starting from foiled cabochons in various colorways to imitation flawed emeralds, to sapphirine examples, together with a number of others—will carry greater than common costs when present in items accurately recognized as Juliana. Additionally, don’t low cost all kinds with dangling beads as odd. Parures in designs which are actually laborious to search out will also be value a whole lot, even once they’re brown or clear in coloration.
So, whereas the costs of Juliana items have definitely come down in a number of cases, the jewellery made by DeLizza & Elster is certainly nonetheless collectible. Some equipment are simply extra fascinating and extremely valued than others at this level. Bear in mind to analysis each bit you come throughout individually to keep away from passing up a gem or promoting a rarity too low cost.
Pamela Siegel is a contract author and creator who has been educating collectors for greater than twenty years. Along with three books on matters regarding antiques and collectibles, she continuously shares her experience by means of on-line writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela can be the co-founder of Costume Jewellery Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Stylish Antiques by Pamela.
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