Since Victorian times, people have worn decorative jewelry to show their excitement and affection for the Christmas season. Some wear brooches with trumpeting angels, while others favor pins sporting silver bells, red-nosed reindeer, or depictions of Saint Nick.
Since the 1940s, the most popular form of vintage Christmas costume jewelry in the U.S. and abroad has been the tree pin. Usually made of gilt metal with green and red rhinestones, tree pins wish everyone you meet a Merry Christmas, while also showing off your sense of style.
One of the most renowned designers of Christmas tree pins was Stanley Hagler, who began his career as a business advisor to Miriam Haskell before starting his own jewelry company in the late 1950s. Hagler Christmas tree pins ranged from squat, triangular pins dripping with Murano glass beads to trees made of mother-of-pearl and red-glass flowers...
Another former Haskell associate to excel in the art of Christmas tree pins was Larry Vrba. As with his non-Christmas jewelry, Vrba’s tree pins were wonderfully outrageous, resembling medals honoring yuletide achievements more than jeweled depictions of actual trees. Vrba’s pins were often studded with fat, teardrop cabochons or large aurora borealis stones, with rhinestones stars crowning their tops.
Trifari Christmas tree pins were more traditional, combining jade glass for branches with ruby rhinestones for ornaments. Some Trifari pins played up the tree itself, such as the tree-shaped pins made of brushed gold with a minimal number of faceted beads for decoration. One particularly nice Trifari pin shows an enameled partridge sitting in a gilt-pear tree.
Other costume jewelers who produced glorious Christmas tree pins included Hollycraft, whose pins sometimes featured polychrome rhinestones set within gilt-metal boughs. Eisenberg Ice captured the spirit of the season with pins that were sometimes covered with frosted white enamel and ruby and emerald rhinestones. And Cristobal of London was known for its "X-mas Collection" and use of 1940s and ’50s Austrian crystal beads, which the company’s designers used to create crisp outlines of trees with both straight and rounded sides.
Finally, those who love Christmas and the sterling silver jewelry of Taxco can combine their passions with a piece of vintage Christmas jewelry from Mexico’s famous silver-mining center. Examples of Taxco Christmas silver included a trio of working bells that dangled from a bow with three holly berries at its center; a solid silver tree with a brass star at the top; and a single bell than hung from four tooled silver holly leaves.
Interviews & Articles
Vintage Christmas Ornaments, From Cardboard Dresdens to Silvered Kugels

About 42 years ago, my wife, Darla, went to a very large white elephant sale and found a box of antique Christmas ornaments. She t… [more]
Carole Tanenbaum on Costume Jewelry's 'Wow' Factor

My husband and I have many collections. We were in London at one point in the ’80s, and I saw a fabulous collection of vintage cos… [more]
Christie Romero on Differences Between Fine and Costume Jewelry Over the Decades

I started out with general antiques and collectibles... I was a dealer for a while and bought and sold all kinds of things. Gradua… [more]
The Charms of Christmas Ephemera and the Changing Face of Santa Claus

I grew up in a home without any antiques. As a small kid, I started decorating my parents’ home for Christmas. I don’t know what i… [more]
A History of Dimestore Christmas Village Houses

The following is a history of these wondrous little artifacts called cardboard Christmas village houses - a history devoted to est… [more]
A Guide to Christmas Antiques and Vintage Christmas Decorations

Ever wonder about that box of vintage Christmas decorations in the attic? From wooden nutcrackers to glass Christrmas tree ornamen… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Researching Costume Jewelry

Jewelry lovers, venture through this amazing database of vintage jewelry articles, catalogs, and brochures, as well… [read review or visit site]
Papa Teds Place

Theodore H. Althof, Jr's beautiful collection of vintage dimestore cardboard Christmas 'putz' village houses. Start… [read review or visit site]
Emerald City Vintage Costume Jewelry

It looks like we're not in Kansas anymore with Elizabeth Rowlands' site on vintage costume jewelry from the 1940s a… [read review or visit site]
Antique Christmas Lights Museum

George Nelson's incredibly detailed chronicle of vintage Christmas tree lighting. Browsable by decade and special t… [read review or visit site]
Bohemian Christmas Decorations

This simple site showcases over 500 artistic Gablonz glass bead antique and vintage Christmas tree ornaments, made … [read review or visit site]
Collecting Costume Jewelry

Carol Bell's simple but informative site focuses on photographs of brooches, bracelets, pendants, and pins, with an… [read review or visit site]
Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry

Jewelry collectors, feast your eyes on this internet gem! It's a goldmine of jewelry information featuring all styl… [read review or visit site]
Old Soviet Christmas Cards

This site showcases over 1000 old Soviet Christmas and New Years cards from 1950 to 1990. Browse through page after… [read review or visit site]
All About Jewels Dictionary

This incredible reference dictionary on jewelry, from Enchantedlearning.com, is both beautiful and comprehensive. S… [read review or visit site]
Cathy Gordon's Jewelry Gallery

With its vast galleries featuring clear images of jewelry and style, this site really covers it all! Divided up by … [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Costume Jewelry
- American Society of Jewelry Historians
- Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts
- Society of Jewellery Historians
- Costume Jewelry Collectors International
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