Antique Jewelry: What is a Jelly Belly Anyway?
Jul 23rd, 2008 | By CollectOs | Category: AntiquesWhen you are looking for vintage costume jewelry you will notice the term Jelly Belly used to describe anything from colored cabochons to moonstones.
When I first started in the business as an antique jewelry dealer I found the wide use of the name Jelly Belly to be very confusing. I have since learned that Collector’s usually agree that in order to qualify as a true Jelly Belly, the belly portion must be made of Lucite, not glass; and must be clear, not colored. The clear Lucite cabochon is the predominate feature of a pin. The most coveted pieces are larger pieces with Lucite set in sterling vermeil (gold washed sterling) which can be both beautiful and whimsical.
A Jelly Belly is a clear Lucite (thermoplastic acrylic resin) shape set in sterling silver or metal. Since Jelly Bellies all have a Lucite component, and Lucite was invented by DuPont in 1937, no Jelly Bellies are older than that. Jewelry historian Pat Seal said he doubted if any were made much before 1938 and the bulk of them were made during the war years of 1943-1945. The ones of that era were mounted in sterling silver settings. Sterling was rationed and very expensive, so adding a piece of Lucite to the design made it possible to produce large, eye-catching designs. After the war and into the 1950’s they were made in base metals, but all of them are delightful!
Many costume jewelry manufacturers used the Jelly Bellies which means some are marked and some are not, but most famous are the Trifari and Corocraft sterling designs, which incorporated fantastic design with breathtaking quality of materials and craftsmanship. A story in circulation is that as part of their War efforts, Trifari installed Plexiglas windshield & turrets in military bombers. The company would only use flawless material. They were left with rejected material and rather than throw it away Alfred Phillipe had cabochons cut from the Plexiglas and incorporated them into jewelry designs.
Although Lucite isn’t really considered a “specialty stone” it is harder to find and does have features that set it apart from regular cabs. For instance, it will sometimes be seen embedded with rhinestones or reverse carved. Generally you can find examples in books on costume jewelry, one of which written by Roseann Ettinger entitled FORTIES AND FIFTIES COSTUME JEWELRY shows several Jelly Bellies and says they were originally created during the 1940s when the US could no longer import rhinestones, and many manufactures used clear Lucite to simulate rock crystal. I also have a couple displayed on my website at www.AntiqueJewelryCollectibles.com that you are welcome to take a look at.
Like all sought after vintage jewelry, Jelly Bellies have been copied both in large quantities and for private collections. These show up on the market, and though some can fetch good prices, in many cases they are not marked with a designer’s name (not all unsigned pieces are reproductions though). Also, most experienced sellers know that only the clear Lucite is a true Jelly Belly. Only inexperienced sellers or con-artists trying to get top dollar for an item would use the keyword Jelly Belly to describe colored Lucite or any kind of glass.
So hopefully next time you go shopping for a piece of vintage jewelry, you’ll have a clear understanding just like the pros to the question “what is a Jelly Belly anyway?”.
Contributed by:
Susan Busa of Bangles & Beads www.AntiqueJewelryCollectibles.com
I have a comment and a question. The article and commentary above are wonderful! I am the fortunate recipient of some Jelly Bellies form my youth and they are absolutely great. An item you can love from a kid on. I am wondering though, are the Jelly Bellies sometimes frosted or roughed to give a frosted appearance and do they also at times have embellishments attached to the Bellies?
I thank you for your expertise!
Laurie
jacobyrealty@yahoo.com
Beads, Beading And Jewellery In Monique Lhuillie
Designer Monique Lhuillier’s name called on every celebrity’s mouth these days. She is called to be the next Vera Wang as most A-list celebrities have a dress by Lhuillier. Professionally designing dresses and garments since 1996, Lhuillier was brought to the limelight when then pop princess Britney Spears called her as wedding gown designer. Lhuillier designed a wedding dress with jewellery, beads to the taste of Spears. This was followed by other Hollywood celebrities and the name Lhuillier shone shinier than ever in the model industry. This is not surprising as the craftsmanship of Lhuillier is clear in the beads, beading and jewellery made in her every design.
The craftsmanship of Lhuillier is also seen in the price tags her dresses carry which the average career woman cannot afford to buy. Bridal dresses cost $2,000 - $10,000 while evening garments are priced a little down. For those ladies who want the seek of a Lhuillier garments or dress, there are several things you must remember: A-line, full skirt, soft and fabrics, and exquisite beads, beading and jewellery. Beads used in a Lhuillier design range from Swarovski crystals and pearls to glass beads. More precious stones are used in more precious dresses.
Other designers also uses the A-line cut, full skirts, and soft fabrics in their designs but only Lhuillier uses beads, beading and jewellery in embroidering accent pieces in her designs. Most designers go extremely modern with minimalist themes or avant-garde couture. But with her talent in using beads, Lhuillier mixes modernity with sentimentality, producing designs that are elegant, modern, romantic, and wearable.
Beads, beading and jewellery in the designs of Lhuillier are used in different ways. Some designs use the beads as a component of the fabric itself. An example is the white dress mixed with black beads dressed by model Natalia Gotsii in the recent Lhuillier’s spring collection.
Accents are also made of beads in a Lhuillier designs. Rarely does the designer use a bow or fabrics as an accents in her dresses. Beads, beading and jewellery find themselves embroidered into belts, necklines, and straps. Brooches are also made of beads and jewellery. In her spring collection, there were several designs with beaded brooches: dresses worn by Anja Rubik, Cameron Russell, and Hye Park are outstanding examples.
If you love beads, beading and jewellery, buy a Lhuillier dresses. The classic design and ornate embroidery makes it a good investment. Lhuillier’s craftsmanship and skill in beads, beading and jewellery ensures that the dress will never fade in style history. Lastly, good taste is always stylish.
http://www.usbestsell.com