High Wattage Vintage Bling

There's vintage and then there's Vintage!  The set below is vintage with a capital 'V' for us.  No photo can really do it justice.  This beautiful set was already vintage when my father gave this to my mother at least twenty years ago.  This set, of clip on dangling earrings and long tassel necklace, is made of Austrian crystals.  It is by a company called Kramer, that made high end costume jewelry out of New York from 1943 until about 1980.  Kramer even made jewelry for Christian Dior.  Kramer pieces are highly collectible today.  This particular piece is stunning for New Year's Eve or any very dressy occasion.

Vintage set from Kramer

Sets like this can be pricey, and obviously if you are buying one either as a collector or just to wear out from time to time, you want to make sure there are no missing crystals or loose stones.  While you can probably find a replacement part (cheap vintage items with missing stones can be used for their replacement parts), the more pristine a piece is, the more beautiful and valuable it is.  You also want to make sure the piece is marked, as this one is, so you can authenticate the origin and approximate date.

If anyone has a Kramer piece that was produced for Christian Dior please send a photo!