Costume Jewelry Bangles

About Costume Jewelry Bangles

The bangle is a type of bracelet that was especially popular from the 1920s through the 1940s. Usually constructed of chunky materials such as Bakelite, acrylic, metal, or wood, bangles often feature hinges at their backs. Some bangles are open at one end so a woman’s wrist can be slipped into them, while many bangles offer no additional opening at all—to wear these, you need small hands.

Colorful rings of plastic and Bakelite are among the most collectible types of bangles. In particular, the so-called Philadelphia bangles, which take their name from a Philadelphia auction in 1985 that featured two of these remarkable pieces, are highly prized...

Philadelphia bangles are always laminated in colors that include green, red, and yellow. The best pieces are hinged and feature either multicolor laminated wedges or individually colored slices that have been glued onto the bracelet body, which is usually a rich shade of Butterscotch.

Other Bakelite bangles include ones with painted or embedded polka dots, elastic bangles, and even examples made out of Mahjong tiles.

Celluloid was another popular bangle base material. Softer than Bakelite, which was hard enough to be carved, celluloid allowed designers to embed rhinestones and other costume jewels in the bangle’s surface, which came in every color of the rainbow. The most collectible celluloid bangles are generally the ones with wall-to-wall jewels and intricate designs.

Just about every costume jeweler of the mid-20th century offered their customers bangles. In the 1920s, the Mazer Brothers made gold-plated bangles dotted with rhinestones that were sold with matching earrings. Vintage Miriam Haskell hinged bangles often featured beaded flowers and leaves mounted on gilt or silvered surfaces. Other Haskell bangles were open at the back.

Vendome, which was introduced in 1944 and had its heyday in the 1950s, was the top of the Coro line. This was serious, simulated bling, so Vendome bangles projected a high-end sensibility. Examples include silver-plated bangles studded with fake sapphires, rhinestones, and powder-blue cabochons, with earrings to match.

Another 1950s designer, Kenneth Jay Lane, made fat bangles with faux amber and jet-black cabochons. And one especially famous gold-plated Stanley Hagler bangle from that decade was crammed with beaded flowers and polychrome glass petals—it was created for Wallis Simpson.

Today, contemporary costume jewelers have also found the bangle to be an appealing armature for their designs. New bangles that are sought by collectors include anodized aluminum bangles by Jane Adams, semi-transparent acrylic numbers by Gail Klevan, and resin bangles that look like thick slices of red pineapple, with visible wire inclusions inside, by Carla Edwards.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Vintage Costume Jewelry Collector Carole Tanenbaum

My husband and I have many collections. We were in London at one point in the ’80s, and I saw a fabulous collection… [more]

An Interview with Rhinestone Costume Jewelry Appraiser and Repairperson Rosalie Sayyah

My parents had a second-hand store in Orlando, Florida. They sold furniture and clothing. They would buy estates, a… [more]

An Interview with Miriam Haskell Costume Jewelry Collector and Author Sheila Pamfiloff

I’ve been interested in jewelry since I was in high school. I’ll be 60 in September, so that’s a lot of years. I wo… [more]

An Interview With Fine Jewelry and Costume Jewelry Collector Christie Romero

I started out with general antiques and collectibles... I was a dealer for a while and bought and sold all kinds of… [more]



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Rare Yves St Laurent Ysl Gripoix Runway Bangle Bracelet$122.50 Ends Monday 13 bids 54 watchers
Vintage 14k Gold Bangle Bracelet Italy$95.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Hawaiian Wide Sterling Silver Etching Bangle Bracelet$49.99 Ends in 22 hours 2 bids 2 watchers
Art Deco Bakelite Clamper Bangle$45.43 Ends in 21 hours 9 bids 49 watchers
Vintage Sterling Bangle Bracelet With Flowers$45.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 1 watcher
Vintage Mexico Sterling Large Bangle / Bracelet 92.6gms$39.99 Ends in 2 hours 1 bid 14 watchers
Carved Blue Green Bakelite Bracelet Bangle$34.99 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Vintage Bakelite Bangles Earrings Lot # 1$32.12 Ends Sunday 2 bids 4 watchers
Modernist Signed Michaela Frey Enamel Bangle Bracelet$31.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 5 watchers
Edwardian Era Filagree Hinge Bangle Bracelet Blue Stone$30.99 Ends in 23 hours 6 bids 11 watchers
Vintage Bakelite Yellow Polka Dot Bangle Bracelet$30.00 Ends in 5 hours 1 bid 17 watchers
2 Old Vintage Carved Bakelite Bangle Bracelets$29.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 5 watchers
Vintage Carved Flowers Celluloid Bangle Bracelet Japan$29.99 Ends in 4 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Lot 7 Vintage Lucite Tortoise Shell Bangle Bracelets$28.26 Ends in 5 hours 3 bids 14 watchers
38 Vtg Bangle Bracelet Lot Monet Crown Trifari Signed$28.00 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Carved Red Bakelite Bracelet Bangle Tested +$27.99 Ends Sunday 9 bids 21 watchers
Trifari Green Rhinestone Bangle Bracelet - 1950's$27.43 Ends in 19 hours 2 bids 19 watchers
Vintage Carved Red Bakelite Bracelet Bangle Tested +$26.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 22 watchers
Vintage Lucite? Bakelite? Plastic? Carved Bangle Cuff$24.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Choc. Leaf&cone Design Hinged Bakelite Bangle/bracelet$24.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 16 watchers
Old Antique Victorian Gold Gf Bangle Bracelet Very Wide$24.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Gorgeous Vintage Rose Quartz Sterling Bangle Bracelet$24.95 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
Vintage Rolled Gold Snake Bangle Bracelet$24.39 Ends Monday 7 bids 26 watchers
Marbled Ocean Blue Bakelite Bracelet Bangle$21.99 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 6 watchers
Vintage Lot Of 4 Bakelite Bangle Bracelets - Tested$20.41 Ends in 10 hours 6 bids 18 watchers
Monet Bold Enamel Bangle Wide Bracelet W/charms Beauty$19.99 Ends in 3 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Vintage Endofday Orange Yellow Bakelite Bracelet Bangle$19.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Modernist Signed Michaela Frey Enamel Bangle Bracelet$19.99 Ends Sunday 2 bids 7 watchers
Gorgeous Vintage White Jade Stone Bangle Bracelet$19.95 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
Vintage Deco Michaela Frey Pink Enamel Bracelet Bangle$19.06 Ends in 17 hours 7 bids 11 watchers
Stunning Vintage Enamel And Rhinestone Snake Bangle$19.06 Ends Sunday 2 bids 15 watchers
Deeply Carved Vintage Art Deco Bakelite Bangle Bracelet$18.68 Ends Thursday 4 bids 19 watchers
2 Art Deco Brass & Jade Glass Hinged Bangles No Res$17.53 Ends in 1 min 7 bids 11 watchers
Old Plastic Inlayed Colorful Polka Dots Bangle Bracelet$16.50 Ends Monday 4 bids 16 watchers
Egyptian Silver Niello Ornate Snake Bangle Art Deco$16.05 Ends in 23 hours 4 bids 13 watchers
Vintage Sign Michaela Frey Austrian Floral Bangle 70's?$16.01 Ends in 21 hours 2 bids 8 watchers
Art Deco Articulated Bakelite Bangle.$15.99 Ends in 20 hours 2 bids 30 watchers
Art Deco Carved Celluloid Flower Bangle$15.23 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 12 watchers
25 Vtg Bracelet Bangle Hinged Mexico Monet Snake$14.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Beautiful Frosted Glass Bangle Clamper Bracelet Italy$14.99 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 1 watcher
Vintage Red Deco Bakelite Bracelet Bangle$14.99 Ends Monday 1 bid 12 watchers
Vintage 60's Blue Green Lucite Flowers Bangle Bracelet$14.13 Ends in 17 hours 9 bids 10 watchers
Designer Trifari Lucite Bangle Bracelets Clear Vintage$14.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 3 watchers
Vtg Victorian Gold Gf Hinged Bangle Bracelets Lot$13.49 Ends Thursday 2 bids 8 watchers
Vintage Art Deco Scottie Dog Plastic Bangle Bracelet$13.49 Ends Monday 2 bids 8 watchers
6+ Bakelite Bangle Earring Lot$12.87 Ends Sunday 5 bids 8 watchers
4 Vintage Gold Tone Bangle Bracelets$12.00 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
Vintage Orange Juice Bakelite Bangle Bracelet$11.72 Ends Sunday 4 bids 6 watchers
Vintage Green Bakelite Bangle Bracelet$11.27 Ends in 3 hours 3 bids 12 watchers

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