Share your favorites on Show & Tell

Trifari bracelet emulating Van Cleef & Arpels

In Costume Jewelry > Trifari Jewelry > Show & Tell.
raven3766's loves1190 of 1501Gold, Opal and Ruby brooch, PendantRare Vintage Trifari Signed Pin Clip /Earrings
25
Love it
0
Like it

HaleyMcclainHaleyMcclain loves this.
SEAN68SEAN68 loves this.
PHEOBE1980PHEOBE1980 loves this.
kwqdkwqd loves this.
plein-air-painterplein-air-painter loves this.
kyratangokyratango loves this.
hunterqleehunterqlee loves this.
themusethemuse loves this.
GillianGillian loves this.
raven3766raven3766 loves this.
shareurpassionshareurpassion loves this.
davyd286davyd286 loves this.
NewtimesNewtimes loves this.
kiwipaulkiwipaul loves this.
racer4fourracer4four loves this.
TassieDevilTassieDevil loves this.
PhilDMorrisPhilDMorris loves this.
vetraio50vetraio50 loves this.
auraaura loves this.
lentilka11lentilka11 loves this.
CelieneCeliene loves this.
EfesgirlEfesgirl loves this.
CaperkidCaperkid loves this.
martikamartika loves this.
See 23 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 8 years ago

    Bluboi
    (103 items)

    For my 100th post, I thought I would go back to my original jewelry collecting interest -- costume jewelry. Costume jewelry has always tracked closely with fashion and some of the most beautiful has emulated real jewelry, providing an affordable alternative to "the real thing."

    This amazing bracelet is c. 1937 KTF/Trifari, designed by Alfred Philippe. One of the rarest of the rare KTF Trifari, it is an Art Deco-styled faux ruby and diamond bracelet that is a copy of a Van Cleef & Arpels produced in 1936. The craftsmanship of this bracelet is superb -- beautifully cut rhinestones in many shapes, set in rhodium-plated metal. The bracelet is 1 1/4 inches wide. It is unsigned, not uncommon for Trifari pieces in the 1930s. I have seen this with green stones and assume there was most likely a blue version also. Jewels of Fantasy has a clear-stone version.

    A great NY friend of mine, who is an amazing researcher, traced the bracelet to a Van Cleef drawing shown in Sylvie Raulet's book Van Cleef & Arpels. This bracelet was shown in a 1938 Life magazine article on "Junk Jewelry". You can also see a clear (but unidentified) version in Jewels of Fantasy, by Deanna Farnetti Cera, pg 172.

    One of the best jewelry firms was TKF/Trifari. It was originally started by Gustavo Trifari, an Italian immigrant to the U.S. who went into business with Leo Krussman somewhere around 1918, and who were later joined by Carl Fishel. TKF was an abbreviation for the last names (Trifari, Krussman, and Fishel), but the firm name was later established simply as "Trifari." Their initial jewelry was (inconsistently) stamped kTf, starting in 1935. Trifari has had many spectacular designers, with Alfred Philippe as head designer for many years and who was listed on most of the design patents issued to Trifari. Other top designers included Alfred Spaney, Norman BelGeddes, Bennetto Panetta, Joseph Wuyts, and later, Marcella Saltz, Diane Love, Jean Paris, Jonathan Bailey, Kunio Matsumoto and Aldo Cipullo.

    logo
    Trifari Jewelry
    See all
    Vintage Trifari Alfred Philippe Lotus Flower Rose Gold Citrines Fur Clip Brooch
    Vintage Trifari Alfred Philippe Lot...
    $112
    VINTAGE CROWN TRIFARI ALFRED PHILIPPE RUBY QUINTUPLE FLORAL JEWELED COAT CLIP
    VINTAGE CROWN TRIFARI ALFRED PHILIP...
    $306
    Vintage Trifari Necklace Faux Pearls Gold Tone Signed Leaves Collar
    Vintage Trifari Necklace Faux Pearl...
    $90
    Rare Alfred Era Trifari Sterling Jelly Lucite Flower Brooch Pin Amber Glass 40s
    Rare Alfred Era Trifari Sterling Je...
    $320
    logo
    Vintage Trifari Alfred Philippe Lotus Flower Rose Gold Citrines Fur Clip Brooch
    Vintage Trifari Alfred Philippe Lot...
    $112
    See all

    Comments

    1. martika martika, 8 years ago
      This is a stunner!!!
    2. Efesgirl Efesgirl, 8 years ago
      :-0 Looks like a million bucks!
    3. Celiene Celiene, 8 years ago
      YOWZA!! You'd never know it was a fake!
    4. lentilka11, 8 years ago
      WOW just WOW
    5. PhilDMorris PhilDMorris, 8 years ago
      Never seen anything like it, this one REALLY commands my interest. If it is trifari, it is so much better than most pieces I have ever seen !
    6. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Just gorgeous, and great information as well!!!
    7. Bluboi Bluboi, 8 years ago
      Thank you all for your loves and comments. KTF Trifari pieces are, in my opinion, fabulous jewelry!
    8. kyratango kyratango, 8 years ago
      Oooh! Absolutely wonderful "junk" ;-)
      How could Trifari make an exact copy of a VC&A piece dating only 1 year before? Did they have an arrangement together or was it commissioned by a client who had the real thing?
      I think Bijoux Burma did this for persons who had their real jewelry copied...
    9. Bluboi Bluboi, 8 years ago
      Kra, thanks for your comment. I was quoting my friend regarding "exact copy" but "exact" is most likely too precise a word (especially since the van Cleef was real gems.... I have modified the description above .
    10. kyratango kyratango, 8 years ago
      Thank you Bluboi for clarifying :-)
      Really a treasure!
    11. plein-air-painter plein-air-painter, 5 years ago
      Absolutely stunning. Gorgeous. Superlatives fail me. Truly a fabulous rarity. Trifari had Alfred Philippe who was originally a fine jeweler. That was Trifari's 'secret weapon'. Philippe could translate the fine jewelry into the costume. Congrats on such an outstanding piece.

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.