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Expert in vintage costume jewelry from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s & 1950s

Vintage pearl necklace signed by Louis Rousselet
Louis Rousselet signed faux pearl & gemstone necklace
Faux pearl & gemstone 4-strand necklace by Louis Rousselet
Close-up view of Louis Rousselet necklace
Close-up view of necklace clasp
Faux pearl, gemstone & rondelle ear clips
Matching ear clips
Earring backs

Pearl, Gemstone Bead & Rondelle Necklace & Earrings by Louis Rousselet

$1,995.00

MAKER: Louis Rousselet

SIZE: Necklace: 15" shortest strand; earrings: 1 1/8" x 7/8"

CONDITION: Excellent

DATE: 1950s

MARKS: "MADE IN FRANCE" and "LR" in script on necklace clasp; "MADE IN FRANCE" on earring back

REFERENCE:

This exceptional vintage pearl necklace by the incomparable Louis Rousselet features four strands of glass pearls in varied shapes and sizes. They are accented with hand-wound-glass beads in gemstone colors paired with rondelles. (In case you aren't familiar with their work, you need to know that they were regarded as the premier maker of glass beads and faux pearls as well as costume jewelry for haute couture from the 1920s-1980s.) The necklace closes with a box clasp adorned with piles of pearls and colored beads, and signed with the maker's initials in script. The matching ear clips are a bonus. Finding a Rousselet-signed piece is incredibly rare (most had only signed paper hang tags), which makes this set all the more extraordinary! Scroll down to see another pair of ear clips in the same style, sold separately.

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Pearl, Gemstone Bead & Rondelle Necklace & Earrings by Louis Rousselet

$1,995.00 USD
Why Buy Vintage Costume Jewelry?

One reason is that it’s environmentally friendly. Resale fashion and vintage jewelry has become a preferred sustainable and affordable shopping choice by today’s discerning fashion and eco-conscious consumer.

Another major reason is the quality. Although vintage costume jewelry was made for all levels of the marketplace – from dime stores to high-end fashion boutiques and jewelry stores – you will find only the best pieces here. They were well-designed and carefully made to last. The manufacturers represented here used only the finest materials – glass stones and beads from Bohemia, Austria, and France, and faux pearls from France and Japan. Settings were primarily sterling silver, gold-filled, or base metals heavily plated with gold, silver, or rhodium. Stones were hand-set, and pieces were hand-finished.

The northeastern part of the U.S. was the center of the industry, with the largest companies located in Providence, Rhode Island by the end of World War II. During the Depression, the quality of costume pieces climbed to new levels when many jewelers and craftsmen had to switch to this segment of the industry. In addition, it attracted many skilled workers who fled the political situation in Europe for the U.S. For these reasons, designs and manufacturing techniques rivaled those employed in the making of fine jewelry.

A third reason to buy costume jewelry is its uniqueness. Having survived for so many decades in such wonderful condition and having been selected for their aesthetic quality, the pieces you’ll find here are unlikely to be found elsewhere.

True vs Fake - how to shop vintage costume jewelry with confidence

Barbara Schwartz, a noted costume jewelry historian, is the author of "True vs Fake" , an in-depth blog series providing examples of how vintage costume jewelry can be accurately attributed. She also shares tips on how to avoid being duped into buying misidentified vintage costume jewelry.