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Text by Ellen Gardners
Leigh Leshner is a Rhinestone Cowgirl:
she’s been collecting vintage costume jewelry since she was 11 and has written
six books on the topic. Over the years, she has amassed an array of sparkly
stuff so large that when asked how many pieces she owns, she laughs and says,
“No comment.”
Although glass “stones” have been around for hundreds of
years, they became more common when Swarovski, a famous crystal maker, created a
machine in 1881 that cut facets in leaded glass and revolutionized the
jewelry-making process. By the 1920s, costume jewelry manufactures like Coro and
Trifari had sprung up on the East Coast, and rhinestone pieces became widely
available.(a) This dress clip,
called a duette, can be worn as one piece or separated to create a pair of
clips. (b)
Among collector Leigh Leshner’s favorite pins is this large, 3-by-4-inch
butterfly brooch, one of many styles made in the last century. (c) A bevy of
bejeweled birds includes a multicolored 21⁄2-by-31⁄4-inch peacock brooch made by
Panetta (worth about $165); (d) a curious little owl ($42); (e) a bird made by Bellini;
and a cocky rooster by A.V., a lesser-known manufacturer ($95). (f) Cat and dog lovers as
well as jewelry collectors are charmed by pet pins like this Scottie ($65),
flanked by two rhinestone critters.
All that Glitter page
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