Lauren Thomann is an antique jewelry appraiser specializing in Victorian to Mid-Century pieces and antique engagement rings. With 16 years of experience and education from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), she loves to share her passion for sparkly heirlooms. In addition, Lauren is a freelance writer and editor. Click the link to learn more about her work.
Many years ago, we had a blog series called “Cataloging History” where I uploaded some images from my old jewelry catalog collection. Below are those images combined into one post. The resolution of these photos is poor, so I will add more updated looks at these catalogs eventually.
Modern Birthstones, c. 1932
Image is from the 1932 Annual Wallenstein Mayer Co Wholesale Catalog
Jewelry companies in the 20s-30s used a range of synthetic and genuine gemstones. As a result, each stone had an equal footing when it came to marketing. Many assume that an artificial stone decreases the value, but that wasn’t the case for these manufactured birthstones. Each ring above wholesale for $9 regardless of whether the stone was genuine or synthetic.
Ladies Fancy Rings, c. 1945
Image comes from a wholesale catalog entitled “Jewelry Creations”. There is no printed date, but it is from sometime between 1940 – 1955.
Art Deco Lavalieres, c. 1932
This image is from the 1932 Annual Wallenstein Mayer Co Wholesale Catalog. All the lavalieres on this page are cast in 14k white gold and clad in pure platinum.
We sold a similar heirloom as those pictured above in 2010.
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