Rhinestone necklaces, like all rhinestone jewelry, have been made for hundreds of years. Those who wanted to appear to have money for diamonds and other jewels but who didn’t have the means, have kept the rhinestone jewelry makers in business. So there should be quite a lot of antique and vintage rhinestone necklaces out there, somewhere.
Perhaps so, but I am at to loss to tell you where they are. I see new rhinestone necklaces every year at Christmas time, as people desperate for a gift begin to consider such jewelry as a gift for those for whom it is hard to choose a gift. I look at these displays with longing, as I am an easy person to buy for and I never get a rhinestone necklace.
Perhaps the vintage rhinestone necklaces magically dissolve when they reach one hundred years old. Or the metal used to make them becomes decrepit and people throw the necklaces out. Or someone else, or two someone elses, are picking them up at auctions and estate sales for pennies and hoarding them. It is what I would do. (You will notice that I accuse someone else of doing what I would do. What do you accuse people of doing?)
Perhaps the Rhinestone necklaces of the past have all gone to the land of lost socks. After all, socks need jewelry too. And many kinds of things make the trip.
I think that there are vintage jewelry collectors who include rhinestone jewelry in their collections and we do not hear much about or from them. At least, not yet. So watch at flea markets and garage sales, and see if someone else is buying the rhinestone jewelry. You may see the same person or people over and over again. Someday we may hear of their fabulous collections.
If you would like to collect jewelry but have limited means, this could be the area for you. With very little intrinsic value and not much in the way of collecting clubs and societies, the prices should be very reasonable in price at this time. Once there are clubs, newsletters, magazines and books published, the prices begin to go up, which is not a bad thing but does mean that accumulation will take longer or more money. But there will also be other collectors to talk to, which is a good thing.
Vintage rhinestone jewelry comes in sets as well as single pieces like necklaces. Once a set is broken up, it is unlikely that it will ever be together again, so if you find a set and like the necklace, buy the set and keep all the parts together, even if your main interest is just the necklace. You may find someone later who has just the necklace and will trade you for the set at a distinct advantage to you. Also, if you have what you think might even be remotely the original box or package, keep it and the necklace in it to improve the value of your collection.
Have fun and collect vintage rhinestone jewelry. I am.
Go to the Table of Contents to see all topics covered so far.
Click here to go to the most recent entry on this site.