IDENTIFICATION TIPS OF VINTAGE COPPER JEWELRY Renoir, Matisse, Rebajes, Rame, Bell Trading Co., Denning, Robert, Coro, Sarah Coventry, Monet, Nemo, etc.

All of above JEWELRY MAKERS ARE SOMETIMES UNSIGNED. Nemo is a signature I have never seen on a piece of jewelry but I have seen cardboard printed tags with "NEMO". Nemo is quite distinctive with solid enamel colors and geometric or abstract designs.  The rare copper Monet is usually signed, in my experience.

Apparently Signature paper tags or no tags were attached  to unsigned copper jewelry. Also  labeled or tagged cards and boxes were packaged with jewelry sold en masse.

Although quite rare, there is the foiled paper gold/bronze/copper TAG BY RENOIR. SOME HAVE SURVIVED SINCE THE 1950's. I have one paper tag. It is slightly smaller than 3/4" by 1/2".

The JEWELRY MANUFACTURING COMPANY apparently saved money by not stamping or engraving the item & this helped them market the item. This is my conjecture.

2. Proper IDENTIFICATION may be made by:

   a. book photo comparison,

   b. by having seen the same piece with signature.  Sight of the item may take place looking at good photos on the computer, not necessarily in person. The identifier should have some confidence that the signed piece is not a fake. 

   c. it being tagged or carded ( with knowledge it is original tagging ).

   d. NOT by similarity of Material ( that is copper).

     The ID of a supposed Renoir piece that has "run of the mill" or lower quality finish, is copper, and has retro design features is not a proper ID. I see this type of ID on eBay too often. It fools the customer & is outright misrepresentation.

     Renoir & Matisse jewelry have a finish and clarity of the copper that is unmatched by any other company. They used a good thickness of copper and applied patented LACQUER that is so durable and beautiful. If an unsigned piece has this distinctive finish, it probably is Renoir. Of course, you must take into account whether the design is exactly the same as a signed piece. Rame is very, very similar in finish, also.

The finish of Rebajes is also very distinctive and almost always is patinated rather dark. It is quite heavy and thick compared to other copper jewelry. It appears glossy or matte (satin finish).

Sometimes the finish is very primitive looking, especially African masks and other pendant/pins. The glossy I am sure is lacquered in some manner. The matte appears to not be coated but the finish is nonetheless very stable and was coated in a manner to produce the gorgeous patination and natural type of shading.

Darker patinated Rebajes was coated and rubbed in a very time-intensive chemical process.  Rebajes seems to be unsigned probably more often than Renoir & Matisse. I cannot state percentages as my observation is just that, observation of a personal nature.

I have no knowledge that there are differing pieces of jewelry: one with signature, one without signature. The signed item and unsigned item are apparently exact twins. So the only difference is the hangtag with signature is missing or the engraving of the signature is not present, etc. 

e. NOT by similarity of Design. This is a tough one, however, as     companies made copies in the fifties and more recent times. The quality will differ by finish, feel, and slight design differences, usually.  The point was to confuse the copy with a BIG MAKER item; thus, they are usually unsigned copies.

3.  FAKE MARK/SIGNATURE

There are fake signatures applied to newly made copies of copper jewelry. I understand this is more common with Rebajes, Matisse, and Renoir. I do not know how prevalent it is. If a piece is so mint & so pristine, then that may be first clue that the piece is not as old as should be. Jewelry that is 30 plus years old always shows some kind of age or wear, even if minuscle. Magnification should be used and tiny scratches can be seen. I do suppose the exception would be a very rare piece in storage for all the years. With Renoir, Matisse, and Rame, any patination might be so minimal, detection would be difficult.

4.  BUY FROM TRUSTED SOURCES, THE OLD JEWELRY AND ANTIQUE CAVEAT.

Always buy from dealers you trust based on feedback, conversation regarding jewelry, reputation, etc. I have also learned  a lot about jewelry just by short conversations or emails with dealers who know more than me in certain areas. It helps if they know you as a buyer, not just as a talker. This is easier to accomplish at fleamarkets, where the jewelry dealer is at their booth. Once in a great while an estate sale seller will give out some helpful information regarding jewelry. The other good place is if you become a regular attendee of live auctions and become acquainted with dealers who also may give you helpful information, as a friend.  I made a friend with a dealer who had such great connections she only sells to dealers with high-end outlets, such as a New York State antique store. My friend sells at good prices due to great contacts. We shared some general jewelry knowledge  &  copper knowledge.

5.  BUY WHAT YOU LIKE, ANOTHER OLD CAVEAT.

If the price is right for whatever the item may be (signed or unsigned), buy it, since you like it.

For example, I have in my huge personal collection a few copies of (Renoir). and copies of other  Manufacturers.   In one bag that I have organized , I have at least 2-3  necklaces that  look like Rebajes but the manufacture is inferior to or in some way unlike the manufacture of Rebajes and therefore  I label as "look a likes" but not Rebajes necklaces.

Of course, again, one must always see the exact signed piece in order to I.D. the jewelry item.

I also have many unsigned but very loved pieces that are not associated with the big names, along with many of the big name items.

6. SIGNED VS. UNSIGNED.

If the piece is signed and genuine, the purchase is more of an investment. If it is unsigned and genuine then my estimation is the value would differ by a small amount; a little higher for the piece with signature "evidence". If the piece is so sought after, rare, or fairly rare, there is probably no difference in value.

 GOOD LUCK! on eBay!

Vintage Copper Jewelry

 P.S.  I will note that I specialize in costume jewelry ( copper and thermoset ) and miscellaneous antiques as a seller.

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