PUTTING A PRICE ON SHERMAN JEWELRY ... IF INDEED IT'S A SHERMAN!

A lady wrote to me recently regarding the glorious set of vintage jewelry shown in the photo above. She was given this set by her mom and believed this was Sherman. The 3 pieces are a perfect match in color and in the cut of the stones used, but unfortunately, only the brooch (on which the pin is broken) bears the distinctive Sherman signature. Neither those fabulous dangling earrings nor the divine 7 inch bracelet are signed "Sherman".

What this lovely lady wanted to know was whether I could put an approximate value on this set. As someone who loves this kind of jewelry, I'd say the set is priceless as an example of aurora borealis vintage stylings. But as a Sherman, this was one tough piece to evaluate. Below is my answer to her and I welcome any comments from other Sherman lovers and experts out there:

"Thanks for your email and for your trust in calling on me to answer your questions. Unfortunately, I find them very hard to answer for one simple reason: 2 of the pieces aren't signed, and the one that is is "broken".

While someone might be able to replace the broken pin, the minute anyone repairs a signed vintage piece, it loses value as the seller should state the piece has been repaired. Of course, you can sell it "as is", and some will buy it to do just that i.e. repair it or use the stones for repairing
other Shermans.

The issue on "unsigned" Shermans is a really touchy one. Personally, I just about never buy a piece, whether it's Sherman or some other designer, if it's not signed as there's no way to prove to a hesitant buyer that the piece is an authentic designer piece.

This issue is so "sticky" and fortified in the book published by Valerie Hammond where she states she interviewed the Sherman family and they swore no unsigned pieces were ever released by Sherman. So how then does one explain the obvious match in your pieces? Valerie herself has located my blog on this subject and left a comment repeating what is in her book. You can read that blog and Valerie's comment HERE.

I must confess, that for the sake of safety and not having arguments with customers, I tend to stick with Valerie on this subject and avoid "unsigned" Shermans, even though ebay sellers will say "everyone knows not all Sherman pieces were signed" and that "some came with hang tags that have been taken off over the years". That may well be true but the Sherman family vehemently denies that possibility.

So what are the pieces you have i.e. Sherman or not? I don't know. They sure look like a matched set. But there were other designers at the time who copied Sherman's designs; there was also talk that Sherman's moulds were stolen and hence a pile of unsigned pieces, Sherman look-a-likes, have surfaced.

So now to answer your question: I can't. If you wanted to sell these to me, I could only offer you a price on the bracelet and earrings based on their being "unsigned beauties" and not "unsigned Shermans", meaning I couldn't offer much because I couldn't sell them for much.

As for the brooch, because of the broken pin, the value is down too. As an unbroken Sherman brooch, you could get $45 - $60 for the brooch. As it is, maybe someone would pay $20 - $30. Sets are worth more than individual pieces. Those earrings are gorgeous. If they were signed, you'd probably get up to $30 - $40 for them. Unsigned, $10 - $15. The bracelet is stunning. Signed, it could get $75 -$150. Unsigned, you might not get more than $30.

Another thing: your jewelry is mainly aurora borealis. It's pretty, and many pieces made by Sherman featured aurora borealis. But AB is not as valuable as Shermans made with swarovski crystals ie. no aurora coating."

I hated saying all this to this lady but I was as honest as I could be. I think her set is magnificent. She understood what I was saying and has since decided to keep it in the family for a younger member who might one day appreciate just how fabulous even unsigned vintage jewelry can be.

HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN SHERMAN JEWELRY SETS

Today a customer contacted me about two of my Sherman Jewelry sets. She loves them both but can't afford both just now. So how does she choose which set to invest in?

She asked me to answer that for her. Well that's not an easy question to answer. Buying Sherman is like buying any piece of jewelry: it's a very personal choice, isn't it. So I could only approach the answer from one other angle, the one I choose when I'm looking at Shermans and my budget is limited: I go for the Sherman that isn't like so many others. I look for
DESIGN: Is it different? How many others like this one have I seen?

COLORS: Some colors are definitely more in demand than others. Blue Shermans are everywhere but red, fuschia, purple, deep greens, even root beer ... those we don't see as often. Then there's color combinations: some Sherman pieces have lovely combinations of colors e.g. grey and pink; purple and green.

What about clear-stoned Shermans? They don't seem as popular amongst collectors as colors are but then, a unique design can make a piece far more outstanding than even a colored Sherman. Take the gorgeous Art Deco "X" design shown on the right. This is definitely not the kind of Sherman you come across very often. We were delighted to find this one at an estate auction and bid fiercely (and high!) to get this piece because we knew there weren't too many other Shermans like this one out there.
CONDITION: The condition of any piece of vintage jewelry is always important. Above all, one needs to consider the stones themselves: are they clear? Any dulling in any stones? Any stones that look like replacements? Any loose stones?

As for the back of the piece, the shinier and newer-looking the better. But bear in mind that most Sherman jewelry we buy has been pre-loved, some more loved than others. Wear on the back of a piece simply means someone really loved that piece and wore it often. Does it detract in terms of value? It might for some collectors but if you buy Sherman to wear and not just collect, then as long as what you and others see when you're wearing it looks fabulous, what's on the underside doesn't really matter much does it. After all, who sees that? But if the piece you're considering is still bright and shiny on the underside, then that's a plus for sure.

So in the end, what did I advise my customer? I couldn't do it without bias. I love both sets and both have their strong points. I've posted their photos here. Both fit the criteria above to greater or lesser degrees i.e. they both have wonderful color combinations; they both have clear stones and are in great condition from the front. But one has a more interesting and less common design than the other. However, it also shows more wear on the reverse! So how does she decide?

Take a look at the photos below. If you have time to leave a comment and let us know which one you'd choose and why, that'd really be appreciated. Either way, she'll have another gorgeous Sherman to wear ... and she does wear her Shermans. Do you?

Beaded beads by Gwen Fisher

 
Interview with beadwork artist Gwen Fisher


The name of Gwen Fisher (California, USA), a mathematician and a beaded bead designer, is well known as the name of one of the most creative artists. She inspired a lot of beaders with her three-dimensional designs. The questions for this interview were collected by me on a Russian beaders' forum, where I opened a special topic for that, and every visitor could leave his question to Gwen Fisher. I picked up 18 best questions, and Gwen was so kind that she agreed to answer all of them! Thank you, Gwen!

1. When and how did you start beading?

I started weaving beads the first time in my early twenties, but all I did was stringing, fringe, and daisy stitch. Eventually, I got bored and switched to painting, and then quilting. I really took up bead weaving 2003. There was a seed bead shop two blocks from my apartment, and the owner of the shop had a case full of beautiful beaded objects designed by many famous designers. I was captivated, and I wanted to learn how to make some of the pieces, especially the beaded beads. So, I bought a few beads, books and magazines, and I taught myself to weave beads.

2. Who were your teachers in beading? Who inspired you first?

I have never taken a beading or jewelry making class. I learned beading from books and studying photos from websites. My early inspiration came from Carol Wilcox Wells, Sharri Moroshok, Christine Prussing, and Takako Samejima.


3. What was your first beaded item? Do you know where it is now?

I don't remember what my first beaded item was, but my first beaded bead looks like a lumpy, lopsided raspberry made from brick stitch. It's in my bead box with all of my other ugly beaded beads.

4. What kind of beading technique have you tried? Why did you choose beaded beads?

I've tried almost all of the common off-loom bead stitches done with a needle and thread: peyote, brick, herringbone, and spiral stitches, to name a few. My bead box is full of little samples of these.

Beaded beads are my favorite projects for several reasons. First, they are little treasures that I can finish in less than a day. Second, discovering new beaded bead designs seemed like a natural and challenging application of the math I love. Since I had been an avid quilt artist for the decade before I started bead weaving, I had plenty of time to fiddle with two-dimensional ideas that I could make with flat fabric. The three-dimensional nature of beaded beads gave me a whole new realm of mathematical ideas to explore. To me, weaving a beaded bead feels like solving a puzzle, and then I have a piece of jewelry when I'm done. Finally, I find something magical about a sparkly bead cluster woven entirely out of beads.


5. What sort of beads do you prefer? How do you pick up beads sizes? Is there the best proportion?

I like to use a wide variety of beads in each of my creations. My favorite beads to use are gemstones, especially sapphire, tourmaline, cubic zirconia, and labradorite, but I don't much enjoy reaming the holes before I use them. Most of the beads I use are glass. As for seed beads, I use sizes 15/0, 11/0, and 8/0 in most of my designs. Smaller beads are too difficult, and larger seed beads are not regular enough for symmetric designs. I almost never use cylinder seed beads because their square profiles do not seem to work as well in my designs as rounded seed beads. For finishes, I like metallic and matte metallic best, along with gold luster. As for glass,I prefer druks and faceted crystals to fire polished beads. Lately, I have been trying to incorporate more drop beads and 2mm and 3mm Swarovski crystals into my work.

6. How much do selected beads define the shape and look of a finished bead?

I especially look for beads that are the same size and shape before I buy them. If I use uneven, irregular beads, a beaded bead will never look very symmetric. Sometimes, I make the same design with different shapes and sizes of beads. This requires changing the counts of the smallest beads to cover the thread neatly. Changing bead sizes can radically change the shape and look of the finished beaded bead. I enjoy experimenting with this.

7. Do you plan your work or don't you know the result in advance?

I usually have some rough sketch of a geometric object before I start beading, but sometimes I just design directly with the beads. When I have a plan, the plan is usually just for the first steps of the basic construction. I generally don't know what the finished object will actually look like. That is one of the things that make it so interesting and keeps me trying new things.


8. How much time does a new bead model take you?

If I am lucky, I can realize a new idea in three hours. If I am unlucky, it takes three months. Once I have an idea, it usually takes me a couple of days to work out a specific design I like. Then, it takes a two or three weeks of full time work to make samples, photograph, write, and illustrate the pattern. I have one design, the Infinity Dodecahedron, that I discovered 2005, but didn't start writing the pattern until September 2007. I just finished it in July 2008. Conversely, I have other designs, such as the Fairy Chrysalis, Flower Ring, and Three Drop Earrings for which I had design and pattern completed in under a month each.

9. Is it possible to improve one's ability to pick up the most appropriate color combination, to define the sizes of beads for a project or is it purely intuitive?

I pick my color combinations deliberately. When I was a quilter, I went to the library at least twice to look at the books on color theory. I flipped through every book they had, and checked out several to read at home. Even with all of this, I have come up with dozens and dozens of ugly color combinations. I found that finding pretty bead color combinations is more complicated than choosing fabric or mixing paint.

As for sizes, I like to use a wide variety, but at the same time end up with a beaded bead that is a good size for jewelry. If I know how many of the largest beads I will need before I start, this helps me decide what size they should be.


10. What do you like in beading trends?

I like people who do their own thing. I like seeing people learn a bunch of different jewelry techniques and then combine or modify them to make new designs that are their own.

11. Beadwork of which modern artists do you like and why?

Gosh, there are so many... Melanie Doerman and Erin Simonetti are both amazing. So are Marcia DeCoster, Cynthia Rutledge, Laura McCabe, Zoya Gutina, and David Chatt. I just learned about Jessica Beels, and I think her work is lovely. I like these artists because their work shows their own style, and they all pay close attention to details. They all have great craftsmanship in addition to developing new ideas with their art. Also, my beading business partner Florence Turnour constantly impresses me with all of the new designs she creates.

12. Are you going to write a book on beaded beads? If yes, when?

I haven't decided. I have thought about it several times, and have written at least three different tables of contents. I keep changing my mind about what I would put in a single bound book. I think if I do ever compile a book, it will have different chapters for different bead weaving techniques. It probably won't all be on beaded beads.


13. Do you participate in any beading contests and exhibits? If yes, where?

I entered one beading contest, and I didn't make the finals. Then, I decided that winning a contest is not that important to me. I have noticed that the pieces that seem to win are large with lots and lots of beads, which is not my style. I don't enjoy making art to appeal to judges of competitions. Also, some contests seem to be much more about promoting the sponsors of the contest than the artists who contribute. So I haven't entered any more contests. I would rather put my time and energy in to writing patterns.

I do exhibit my work occasionally. Trios Gallery, near San Diego, California sells my jewelry, and I do home parties every few months. I have exhibited my work several times at mathematics and math/art conferences such as those sponsored by the American Mathematics Society and Bridges.

14. How can you combine your main job and beadwork?

I am currently on leave from my position as Associate Professor of Mathematics at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. This gives me lots of time for beading. Before I was on leave, I used most of my free time for my art. Also, I found that if I focused my hobby on mathematical art, I could write papers and present them at meetings. That way, my hobby became part of my job. In fact, this was my original motivation for writing about my artwork.


15. Did you like mathematics since you were at school or did it come later?

I have always liked mathematics and spatial reasoning, and I have always been very good at both. My favorite books to read as a child were puzzle books. I entered college as a math major with an emphasis on teaching, and I never changed my focus.

16. What kind of hobby except mathematics and beading do you have?

I was obsessed with quilting for 10 years before I started weaving beads. I also dabbled in other needlecrafts including sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, silk ribbon embroidery, weaving, and crochet. In high school and college, I painted and drew very regularly, but I do all of these hobbies much less now than I bead. Other hobbies I have had in the past include cooking, growing orchids, calligraphy, and origami.

17. Do you like the tales of your colleague mathematician Lewis Carroll?

I have always been a big fan of Lewis Carroll. My favorite character of his invention is the Cheshire Cat. I have read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass many times, and I even tried reading his book on Symbolic Logic once, but I didn't get too far.


18. Do your family and your coworkers support your beading passion?

My family is very supportive of my work. My mother and sister wear my jewelry every time I see them. I have also received much support for my art from the larger mathematics community. I gave formal talks on the symmetry of beaded beads at two math conferences, and they were very well attended.

Thank you, Gwen! We love your mathematical beadart and wish you best of luck!


Beaded beads by Gwen Fisher

Bat Country project by Gwen Fisher

About artist:

Gwen Fisher, Ph.D, California, USA
E-mail address: gwen(at)beadinfinitum(dot)com
Website: www.beadinfinitum.com

VINTAGE SHERMAN JEWELLERY FOR A BRIDE!

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue ... " So goes the adage so often heard in relation to a bride's wedding day attire. Well not every bride has access to, or even wants to wear her mom's wedding dress or her grandmother's gown, but today's bride can still easily add "something old" when it comes to her jewelry. And beautiful sets by vintage designer, Gustave Sherman, can be the perfect finishing touch!


Consider the exquisite Art Deco set by Sherman pictured above. We call it "Sherman Diamonds" because of its incredible sparkle that rivals real diamonds. Sherman's use of brilliantly clear Swarovski crystals in a fabulous design guarantee all eyes will be on the bride. The matching earrings are clip ons that will catch the light regardless of how she wears her hair.

And there's another reason why a bride should opt for a set like this as opposed to the glittery stuff found in so many of the stores: those are often vintage reproductions whose rhinestones don't even come close to the quality of the stones in a set like this one. And the mass-produced jewelry of today rarely matches the quality of workmanship in a Sherman. Nor will it last as long. Consider that the gorgeous set shown here is probably 40-60 years old, but still looks new. Most of today's jewelry will never last that long because of the workmanship, unless of course, you buy a very high end item in a high end store. For most of today's brides, spending a fortune on her jewelry isn't an option.

Most importantly, when a bride chooses a signed vintage set by a designer like Sherman, she's making an investment. 50 years from now she can pass it on to her daughter and, as long as it's been looked after, it will be worth even more than it is now.

You can see more views of this beautiful set by clicking on the photo above. It's available via our site at SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE and through our SHOP at RUBY LANE . You'll find more Shermans suitable for a bride on both sites, some with color if you want "something blue" and some other elegant ones with simpler designs like the one below:

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY AN UNSIGNED SHERMAN?

I was recently very pleased to have Valerie Hammond, author of the book "All that Glitters", a reference and value guide to Sherman jewellery comment on one of my posts. In her post, Valerie reiterated her comments about the authenticity of unsigned jewelry that is purported to be Sherman. Here's what Valerie wrote on this subject:

I was recently assured during conversations with members of the family that there were absolutely, never, ever any unsigned pieces of Sherman produced by the company at any time. The family is most emphatic about this point. That means no unsigned earrings with signed brooches, no unsigned bracelets with necklaces. There are dealers who sell "unsigned" Sherman, believing that only part of a Parure may have carried that distinctive signature."

If that's truly the case, then how on earth do we explain sets that are obvious matches like the one shown in this post? The earrings are signed "Sherman". The necklace is not! Yet they are a match! I own this set. It's the only set I have where one piece is not signed Sherman since I make it a rule to never buy unsigned Shermans. I didn't realize the necklace in this piece wasn't signed until I got it. It came from an estate of a Sherman collector! And there's no denying the pieces are identical.

I've mentioned elsehwere in this blog that supposedly some Sherman sets came with a hang tag on one piece of a set. Could this be true? Many believe this is true. Yet the Sherman family has told Valerie Hammond that this cannot be. Who are we, the buyers and collectors to believe?

In her book, Valerie also states that conjecture is that "at some point during the company's life, designs, moulds and findings were removed from the building and used elsewhere for the manufacturing of copies." If this is true, then perhaps that "unsigned" Sherman is a copy and not authentic and is now coupled with a signed piece. Gee I wish someone besides Valerie knew more about this subject and could help us clarify this issue which is such a sore point between buyers, sellers and collectors of Sherman jewelry.



So while we're on this subject, on the left is another supposed set of Sherman currently being auctioned on eBay. (Click photo to visit the auction) The vendor states: "Earrings are signed Sherman, necklace is a definitive match (and is as expected, not signed)"

As expected??!! Oh boy! Now look what's happening: now we are having sellers claim this is "expected"! I don't think so! Quite honestly, this makes me mad. It's one thing for sellers to say one piece is signed and the other isn't but they're an obvious match. It's another to say we should expect that one of the pieces not be signed. Rubbish! We should expect both pieces to be signed if it's authentic Sherman. This auction will be very interesting to watch.

And by the way, do yourself a favour if you're serious about collecting Sherman jewellery. Buy Valerie's book!

PRICES OF SHERMAN JEWELRY

Like any webmasters who care about traffic to their sites and want to know how surfers find them, I like to track my traffic. My tracker not only tells me how many people visited my site or blog today, but where they came from and what search terms they entered to bring them to my site.

Well if there's one search term that comes up time and again it's "prices of Sherman jewellery" (whichever way you choose to spell "jewelry". The frequency of searches for that term tells me an awful lot of people are wondering how much they should pay for Sherman jewelry i.e. when is a price too much, or conversely, is the piece they're considering worth what a seller is asking. And I must say I sympathize: I have found searching through sites, that prices for Sherman jewelry range from reasonable to ridiculous, though I'm sure the higher priced sellers would never agree with me on that statement. In fact, it's really just like real estate: it's worth whatever a seller is prepared to pay. And just like real estate, a lot of buyers paying more and more for Shermans are pushing the prices up.

Take the piece shown in the photo in today's post: it's gorgeous! The design is unique; the color is one of the most in demand colors for Sherman: fuschia; it's a matched set and most importantly, all pieces are signed Sherman. The buyer paid $612.50. But that was at an eBay auction. Find a similar piece on a private website and don't be surprised to see it listed for several hundred dollars more than that!

A fascinating site to visit for Shermans, or for many other pieces of signed vintage jewelry, is Carole Tanenbaum's Vintage Collection.

Carole is a well-known seller of Sherman jewelry and supplies major elite stores in Toronto. She is also a reputed speaker on vintage jewelry. If you visit the Sherman section on Carole's site, you might be knocked back a bit by her prices, but obviously people are prepared to pay that kind of money for Sherman jewelry in top condition. That should give you some idea of how high prices can be for Sherman Jewelry. And Carole isn't the only one selling Shermans for this price. There are many others.

So you, as a buyer or investor in Sherman jewelry really need to search around and compare. Find as many sites as you can that sell Sherman jewellery. See what prices the sellers are asking. But don't conclude that just because some sellers don't charge nearly as much for their pieces that there's something wrong with the jewelry. As in all purchasing and selling, some vendors are content to make a little less. As long as the pieces are signed, in great condition, with no loose or replaced or dull stones, you can still get Sherman at a bargain price.

And of course, this blog wouldn't be complete without a pitch for the many lovely Shermans at a very reasonable price that I sell via my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and via my SHOP at RUBY LANE. Ruby Lane is a great place to look, by the way, because there are several of us who sell Shermans there. Ruby Lane is an excellent place to start your research on prices for Sherman jewelry or any vintage jewelry. Have fun!

SHOULD YOU BUY JUST A SHERMAN BROOCH or SHERMAN EARRINGS or a SHERMAN SET?

Recently a colleague of mine who buys, collects and sells Shermans like I do, was telling me about one of her customers who is hell-bent on investing in Sherman jewelry but is still rather new at it. She apparently knows what to look for in terms of color and condition, but because she loves to wear Sherman brooches and bracelets, she's been busy buying up just brooches or just bracelets.

Well while there's absolutely no reason a buyer shouldn't do that if that's what she likes to wear, if you are an investor in Sherman or plan to sell it down the way, you should ALWAYS be looking to acquire sets. A Sherman brooch with matching earrings will always be more valuable than just the brooch or earrings. If that brooch and earrings are also paired with a matching bracelet, as in the photo below from my site at SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE, or if you can find a set that includes a necklace with the brooch and earrings, or even better yet, a 4-piece set of brooch, earrings, bracelet and necklace, then you have found a super valuable Sherman parure and it's definitely worth buying because then it has become a true investment. Incidentally, this applies to all the famous vintage

designers: wherever you can, try to get sets by Schiaparelli, Shreiner, Weiss, Miriam Haskell, Kenneth J. Lane ... the list goes on.

Why are sets so much more valuable? After all, you might not like wearing clip-on earrings but you love necklaces or bracelets. Part of the reason, as is common with vintage jewelry, the sets have become separated over the years. People have sold off a bracelet to one person and the matching brooch to someone else. Bottom line then is 2, 3 and 4-piece sets are much harder to obtain, and as you know, the rarer something is, the greater its value. That's why my colleague has now counselled her eager buyer to look for sets where she can. She doesn't have to wear all the pieces at the same time if she doesn't want to; she just needs to have as many sets as she can get!

But here's something you can do (and it's kind of fun) if you have only piece of Sherman ie. a brooch or necklace. You can become a hunter! Attend estate auctions in your aread. Online, scour eBay, Ruby Lane, Trocadero, eCrater or Cyber Attic. Or simply just type Sherman jewelry or Sherman Jewellery into Google or Yahoo and see what you can find. If you're really lucky you might find earrings that are a perfect match for that brooch or necklace you love.

Is it impossible? Not at all. I have found wonderful matches that way and have been able to turn a 1 or 2-piece set into a valuable 3-piece parure like my Sherman fushia set of necklace, earrings and brooch shown below. Because of the color, fuschia, each of the pieces alone is valuable, but as a set, it's value is many times greater.