DARK TOPAZ & DEEP RED/PURPLES MAKE THESE VINTAGE COSTUME SETS by SHERMAN and BERGERE WORTH COLLECTING!

Glass crystal bead sets by Sherman continue to be ever popular amongst collectors and this 2-piece signed set of earrings and 2-row necklace weighing 125 grams is sure to please. Depending on your screen settings, this set may look black but it's anything but. It's a deliciously warm but deep brown topaz. Perhaps you can see the brown shades better in the closeup of the lovely clasp below:


As you can see, the glass crystals alternate between topaz-washed aurora borealis and clear Swarowski crystals. The glitter is outstanding, especially since the beads are in great condition. When we received this necklace, as it's a very old set, unfortunately one of the strands snapped. I wanted to cry, especially since the set is so beautiful. But my daughter went to work and quickly re-threaded both strands on fresh nylon. Now, whoever buys it will get years of wear from it. You can learn more about this set and purchase it from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

While you're over there, if you love glass crystal bead sets especially those in siam reds and purples, why don't you take a look at the sensational 3-piece parure by Bergere that we've just relisted. Bergere is another vintage costume jewelry designer whose work and designs remind me very much of Sherman and certainly are as good quality. The set we have is this one:


It's utterly gorgeous and like the Sherman above, very weighty with all those glass crystal beads. The bracelet itself is about 3/4" wide over the two rows, as is the 15" necklace. The earrings are over 1" wide all round. To see and read more about this BERGERE parure, just click the photo above or HERE.

Both the Sherman and the Bergere set are priced to sell but I'm receptive to reasonable offers. So why not slip over and take a closer look. It's worth the effort as these are two wonderful sets of vintage costume jewelry by two top designers.

SHERMANS TO WATCH ON EBAY & WHY GOOD DESCRIPTIONS ARE NECESSARY WHEN YOU'RE SELLING!

I took a bit of a beating in the comments left on my previous post but despite what folks said, I stand firm on my belief that when you're selling anything, whether it's Sherman or a car, descriptions need to be accurate, especially if the price tag is high. Buyers want to know what they're buying is a good investment, and jewelry by Sherman is a good investment, especially if the piece is in top condition, has no loose or replaced stones, is signed, is in a high-demand color etc etc.

So it's nice to find a lovely piece like the necklace shown on the right which is currently at auction on ebay and ends in about 8 hours from now. I'll most definitely be watching this one, especially since it has a reserve. At this time, bidding has reached $132.49. Will they crack that reserve?

In my opinion, this a gorgeous necklace, primarily because of its unusual design: you don't see ones like this everywhere. And thankfully, the seller has done a good job telling us what we want to know about it. Here's their description:

"Absolutely stunning SIGNED SHERMAN necklace. Made of the Aurora Borealis rhinestones. Perfect condition. I have shown some pictures using a flash and others without. Measures 17" in total. 10" on one side and 7" on the other (from the middle of the front). All stones are shiney (sp) and accounted for. Each of the 2 halves in the front measure 2" long by 1" thick."

This description, though short, tells the buyer exactly what they need to know and lets the buyer make an informed decision to bid or not.

Those of you in the market for one of those sought-after wide bracelets might like to go for this one on the left. It finishes on the evening of May 19th. This is a good-looking bracelet and according to the description provided by the seller, it's a "Sherman Signed Bracelet 5 rows great condition. All stones are great. Measures 17" by 1". I've purchased Sherman from this seller in the past and I know her descriptions are accurate. Don't be afraid to go for this one. Right now, bidding is at $148.49 USD. Since it's aurora borealis and not one of the "hot" Sherman colours, you might get this one at a reasonable price.

I've found one more Sherman ending on ebay this week that is really something else. It's the one shown on the left. How different is that?! It's not what we usually think of when we think Sherman but I'm going to guess this one will fetch a good dollar because it's so unique. Again, it's signed, always a plus when a buyer is unsure. It's being offered by the same seller who is selling that bracelet just above. So perhaps if you're lucky and win both, she might be able to combine shipping for you. Do ask before you bid. Here's what she's telling us about this one:

"SHERMAN Pearl RARE Necklace Signed Sherman on the back of the clasp. Excellent condition. Measures 22" Long and the center piece is Mother of Pearl polished and exquisite. The clasp exhibits the coil wire finishing to the strand at the clasp. There are cobalt blue beads between all the 8mm faux pearls. Very Princess like and feminine."

I might be tempted to go for this one myself because it's so unique. One way or the other, I'll be watching. It ends on the evening of May 20th. That seller, by the way, has quite a few other Sherman pieces up for grabs, so you might like to check "Sellers Other Items".

Speaking of bracelets, and while I'm busy promoting other sellers' items, I nearly forgot that I've also just listed the lovely wide signed Sherman bracelet shown below at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. The full description along with several views of the bracelet from different angles is available in the RUBY LANE listing.


Since my detractors accuse me of "yapping" too much, I won't say anything about my own piece but just click the photo or the links above so you can read all about it and see more photos.

Cheers and happy buying and bidding!

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS: SHERMAN BRACELET PRICES!

Okay, in my last post I raved on a bit about the incredibly high prices being asked and being paid for Sherman jewelry lately, especially when the jewelry is a bracelet. I also suggested that just maybe sellers are getting a bit greedy and trying to capitalize on this rush to acquire Shermans. I need to make one thing clear in case any of my fellow associates thought I was pointing a finger at them: I wasn't. I know, one in particular, is selling off an estate on consignment. So her prices are what the person she is selling for wants to get. That's just fine by me. And let me just add, that both the seller and owner are doing fantastically with their sales. This owner certainly has a collection to die for.

So now that's out of the way, let me address the rest: the ones I believe are jumping on the band wagon and looking to score bigtime, like the person selling the bracelet shown in the photo above. It's a gorgeous bracelet, and Sherman bracelets being as hard to get as they are, most of us would jump at this one, especially since it's 6-row piece and hence wide, even more desirable.

But, and it's a big BUT, this seller has simply shown a few small photos and in his/her description states nothing more than "I'll let the pictures do the talking". Well, for starters, if the photos were terrific, like the ones in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, where you see 9 photos of a piece from various angles, front and back, and super close-up, the pictures might indeed do the talking. But even then, a seller asking a lot for a piece owes the buyers a bit more than just good photos. They need to really tell the buyer about the piece and disclose any issues that might impact on the purchaser's decision to buy.

So what might have happened here if a buyer hadn't asked a few questions? Someone might just have paid the starting price of $4000!! Yes, you read right: this seller is asking $4000 for this bracelet! So, big deal you say: folks are paying in the thousands now for Sherman bracelets. Yeah, sure they are for those rare as hen's teeth rigid cuff bracelets in popular colors (such as my aforementioned colleague is selling!) But not for the very much more common regular blue Sherman bracelets. Those go for between $200 - $300!

But there's more. When an interested buyer asked this seller for more information i.e. how about some dimensions, e.g. width, length, any missing stones etc. that's when we found out what the pictures didn't tell us: there are 4 small stones missing, 2 on either side. 'Scuse me? You're asking $4000 for a Sherman bracelet with missing stones yet? Did I say something about sellers becoming greedy? How about being dishonest too. Yes, he/she answered the question and thankfully posted the reply, but not disclosing that information to start with is just a tad deceitful don't you agree? Just imagine the disappointment and anger a buyer would feel if they were foolish enough to pay the opening price only to find missing stones! ARRRRGGGHHH! That kind of thing makes me mad and it happens far too often when folks don't make informed purchases and don't query the seller.

In this case, there's one more thing that most of us who do shop on ebay would look at besides the price and the item: the seller's feedback. Guess what? This seller has ZERO feedback! Again, sure, all sellers start with zero feedback if they've never bought or sold on ebay before (though most buy up for a while to establish their good reputations). But when you look at this seller's other listings (there are only 4 of them), three of them have thousand dollar price-tags. Now this seller could be 100% honest and well-intended, but all their descriptions are one-liners with little information and big asking prices. Methinks this seller needs some basic training in how to sell honestly and well before some angry ebay buyer comes down on him/her like a ton of bricks. Of course, odds are he/she won't sell anything either. Buyers are leery of new sellers asking massive dollars.

That's my rant for this week ... except to remind you where you can find Sherman jewelry at affordable prices from an honest seller: SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE at RUBY LANE.

SHERMAN JEWELRY IS FETCHING HIGHER & HIGHER PRICES. ARE OURS TOO LOW??

Have you been watching any auctions for Sherman jewelry on ebay lately? I have. In fact, I desperately wanted the gorgeous bracelet shown below but it just went too high for me:

It has all the elements collectors are looking for: great color (lavender); wide (1 1/8" wide) and from the vendor's description, it's in "excellent condition". The winning bid was $357.52 USD.

The seller also had the matching stunning earrings shown on the left in a second auction finishing shortly after the first. The same bidder won both auctions and that, quite honestly, was a smart move as they obviously belong together. I think there was even a brooch in yet another auction but I don't know the outcome of that one and couldn't find it later. The earrings went for $75 USD.

So add it up and this bidder has paid $432.52 for what is now a "set". Is that a good price? I'd say the winner got a good deal for Sherman jewelry in this color and condition. But as you can see, it didn't come cheap.

Buying sets of Sherman jewelry is always a wise investment: they're simply worth more to collectors. These days, when I'm scrounging for Sherman, I'm always on the lookout for sets ie.. a buyer who wears her Sherman prefers a necklace to have matching earrings, or a brooch that comes with earrings. Sometimes people are new to buying Sherman, do as I did initially: they buy up a necklace here, a brooch there, earrings here, a bracelet there and end up with lots of nice individual pieces that have no mates. If you do that, then try to keep an eye out for matching pieces. Surprisingly, you can find them if you wait long enough. And it's actually fun and quite fulfilling when you do find a match.

But for the most part, while it's more expensive to buy sets, or better yet, 2-3 piece parures, it's always the better investment. This past week I've enjoyed sales on several pieces of Sherman from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE but most of those have been sets. Smart shoppers those! My pink grande parure from a couple of posts back is gone. So is my fabulous faux alexandrite Brooch/earring and bracelet set. The lovely emerald green and clear navette necklace/earring set has a sale pending too, along with a highy desirable fuschia baguette bracelet.

What is this saying about Sherman? It's still very much in demand. What's it saying about our prices for Sherman? That our prices are still very reasonable. What's should it be saying to you? Get over to our RUBY LANE SHOP now while we still have some good sets left at affordable prices, because quite frankly, with the dollars folks are paying on ebay, which is usually the cheapest place to buy Sherman, our prices are starting to look way too low! So get over to our shop now and grab yourself a bargain while you can. How about this gorgeous necklace/earring demi:

It's yours for only $295! What a bargain!

A SPECIAL GREETING TO ALL WHO FOLLOW THIS SHERMAN JEWELRY BLOG: THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

It's been hectic the past few weeks with lots of sales of my Sherman jewelry which has left my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE looking a bit ragged. So much has sold and I've had no time to update the site and add all the wonderful new pieces that have arrived. I have the best intentions of getting that site back up to date over the Christmas period, but if you can't wait that long ie. if you still have money to spend and want some Sherman, please visit our SHOP AT RUBY LANE for the latest additions to the collection.

And BOXING WEEK SALES start December 27th. We're open to offers on all our regular priced Shermans. So why not try your offer?

In the meantime, I'd like to extend warmest seasons greetings to all who follow this blog and I also invite you to enjoy the video posted here. It's called THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS and is a video I put together for our family back in 2006, starring members of our family and other people we don't know, like our military spending Christmas far from their homes. As the video, plays, please keep your speakers on so you can enjoy a little known Christmas song, called THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS. It was written by one of my songwriter friends, Billy Morgan, and is performed by my daughter and partner at Ruby Lane, VICTORIA BOLAND. When Victoria is not helping me with jewelry, she's onstage somewhere in the world as a singer/songwriter, entertainer and tribute artist.

We hope you enjoy THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS. All the best to all who read this blog!

SHERMAN JEWELLERY WITH UNIQUE STYLING

I haven't had time to post in this blog for a few days as I've been busy editing photos of new Shermans that have arrived and adding them to my Sherman website, SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. One of these new additions is the fabulous 3-piece demi-parure shown above. If you click the photo, it will open in a new window so you can see more views. I'm really excited to show this set off for the first time as it's one of the daintiest and prettiest sets I've acquired (from an estate sale) but even more because it has a design is not as common as what I often see in Sherman jewelry ... and I'm always on the lookout for "different" Shermans.

This is the first set I've seen where the necklace sports 5 lovely rosettes as a centerpiece. And take a close look at the brooch: it's shaped like a heart. The lady who owned this set really looked after it. It's in top shape with its gorgeous aurora borealis stones that emit hues in many shades of blue, purple, pink and green. The necklace is 17" long with the usual Sherman extender that hangs down the back of your neck and lets you adjust it to how you want to wear it ie.. as a necklace or as a choker. The matching earrings are 1 1/4" long while the brooch is 1 3/4" wide across the "heart".

Remember what I've often said about Shermans and indeed, all designer vintage jewelry: if you can purchase sets, 2-piece, 3-piece etc., the jewelry is infinitely more valuable than just a necklace or just a brooch. You can pick this one up from SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE for $250US ... very reasonable for a Sherman set of this style and in this condition.

WEARING SHERMAN TO CASINO NIAGARA

Christmas Day, 2007, was a strange day in my house. Believe it or not, except for my husband and adult daughter, we had no-one to spend that very important day with. My other daughter, her partner and my grand-daughter, had all come over 2 days earlier to celebrate Christmas as they were flying to Punta Cana on Christmas eve. The daughter who was at home with us was pining for her partner, who had flown home to Australia to spend Christmas with his family. So there we were, the three of us (we have no other relatives in Canada) with nothing to do on Christmas day ... until my husband suggested we go to Casino Niagara for Christmas dinner. It seemed ridiculous at first but then, why not? So off we went!

Being Christmas Day, it was appropriate, I thought, to dress up. Since I don't frequent many places where my bigger, glitzier Shermans are suitable, I opted to wear the gorgeous smoke-toned set in the photo above. And boy did it sparkle under those casino lights! This is a superb set with swarovski smoke-grey navettes positioned between lightly coated and complimentary aurora borealis stones. The screw-on earrings aren't original to this set but they are an excellent match. The monochromatic colors in the set were the perfect compliment and contrast to the warm reds in my blouse. As I cashed in my chips later, the ladies behind the counter asked me about my jewelry and were amazed to learn that it was probably 40 - 50 years old and yet hadn't lost a bit of its luster or beauty.

And that's the beauty of superbly designed and maintained vintage Shermans. They're eye-catching and timeless and make wonderful conversation pieces. You can buy this set for only $125 at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE.

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE IT'S JEWELRY by SHERMAN?

That's a tough one to answer. I used to be adamant on this subject: if it wasn't signed Sherman, I didn't buy it. And quite honestly, I still feel that way about Shermans and most designer vintage jewelry, especially since the vintage jewelry market is being penetrated by very authentic looking fakes.

It also doesn't help that in a reference and guide book titled "All That Glitters" by Valerie Hammond, she states emphatically that no Shermans were ever unsigned. She bases that statement on conversations she has held with the Sherman family who still reside in Quebec.

However, in conversations I've had with other Sherman collectors, there's quite a bit of disagreement on this subject since according to them, there were pieces with paper hang tags that came in the distinctive "Jewels of Elegance" box that Sherman used, shown in photo. Incidentally, if you come across a jewellery box like the one above, buy it! They themselves are collector's items. And if you can get Sherman jewellery in its original box, so much the better. We have only one like that: it's the stunning signed Sherman bracelet in its own box shown in this photo: But now back to the question of authenticity: as with all vintage designer jewelry, you need to learn to recognize the style and craftsmanship of a designer piece. Sherman was partial to slender navette stones. He liked alternating aurora borealis with clear swarovski crystals in similar shades. On bracelets, the clasp was usually hidden by stones so that the clasp became unseen when it was being worn.

As for his signature, he used either block lettering, often seen on the earlier earrings, or the very familiar script-style Sherman, with a big "S". Sometimes the signature was stamped right into a piece, but he also used an oval cartouche bearing that scripted signature. If you visit my SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE or OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE and type in "Sherman", you'll see lots of photos of the Sherman signature on the back of our authentic Sherman jewelry.

Bottom line, for me at least, I still prefer to buy a signed piece anytime over an unsigned piece ... and given the cost of Sherman, you should too!

SURPRISE: THIS SHERMAN DIDN'T SELL FOR AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD HAVE!

In yesterday's blog, titled "THE MOST POPULAR SHERMAN COLORS", I told you about a fuschia Sherman set consisting of bracelet, brooch and earrings that was on auction on eBay. Well that auction just ended and much to my surprise, it didn't get the dollar I thought it would. After all, bidders on eBay have been almost going silly for fuschia or red Shermans in the last month or so, fetching not hundreds, but thousands of dollars.

So what happened? Why did this rather lovely set that I would have added to my collection go for only $212.49? (The winning bidder must be grinning from ear to ear!)
My guess is it had more to do with the time of day the auction ended ... 5:45 pm EST ... than it did with the set itself. That's close to dinner time for some of us while our neighbours on the west coast are still at work.

The other possibility is that this particular seller warned bidders that they'd have to pay taxes. For those of us in Ontario, that would add another 14% to the cost of the Sherman. Then add in shipping for another $13 - $15, and hey presto, that Sherman has become an expensive buy. And that's okay if you're only buying as a collector and money is no object: a set like this is well worth it. But it would stop those who buy to sell down the way. You see, like anything you hope to make money with, whether it's stocks or jewelry, you're always looking to buy low and sell high if you can.

In scouting around websites selling Shermans, I find the price range is extremely varied. Only a handful, like myself, have reasonable prices on Sherman, though I'm sure visitors to my SHERMAN JEWELLERY site who aren't familiar with how expensive Sherman Jewelry can be would probably find me expensive too. But let me tell you this: I've been floored by the prices I've seen charged not only on websites, but at heritage and antique shows. I went to one about a month back and well, I couldn't afford the Shermans I saw on display. I did purchase one set and
it's very lovely (pictured here ... click photo to see more views and read about it) but even it cost more than I wanted to pay. The rest, well forget it. In short, if you love Sherman jewelry and want to collect it or wear it, start saving now.

SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION on JEWELLERY by SHERMAN

The Sherman Jewellery company was a baby boomer business i.e. it began operating in Montreal, Canada in 1947.

The "Jewels of Excellence" produced by Gustave Sherman's company have become so valuable because Sherman's goal was to use only the finest quality materials and stones available at the time. Sherman imported his "findings" as they are called, from the B.A. Ballou company in Rhode Island. The stones in Sherman pieces were made by Swarovski in Austria.

(Click photo above to see enlarged view. This is gorgeous!)

Another thing that set Sherman jewellery apart was the backings: rather than using chromium plating which was prone to peeling and chipping, Sherman used rhodium-plating. Rhodium comes from the platinum family of metals and is extremely durable. Durable is right! Some of my Shermans still have their original silvery shiny rhodium backing showing next to no wear. They look brand new!

Sherman's insistance on the highest quality made his pieces more expensive than other vintage jewelry of the time. But if they were expensive then, they have become even more so now. Sherman jewellery still fetches a high dollar today and is as much a collector's item as Miriam Haskell, Schiaparelli, Trifari, Schreiner, or Hobe or many others.

In future posts, I'll fill you in some more or just which pieces and colors are most in demand. While you're waiting, be sure to check out some of my gorgeous Sherman pieces at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE

DISCOVERING SHERMAN JEWELLERY: My Story

Blindsided by the gold rush!

(click photo for larger view)

Over a year ago, while selling on Ebay, I got caught up the "gold rush" ie. if you wanted to make money, you sold gold. Gold bracelets, rings, necklaces or scrap ... it didn't matter. You'd always find a buyer for your gold pieces!

So one Saturday, I headed out gold hunting at garage sales. Foolish me thinking anyone would sell gold at a garage sale! I hit the ritzier area of our city. Much to my surprise and delight, I found a lady selling gold, rings and some super sparkly stuff that was very beautiful but not of interest to me at that time.

I purchased a lovely vintage gold bracelet from her which took all the money I had on me and as I walked away, she said "You're not interested in any of the Shermans?" She looked incredulous when I said "no", I was just after gold. She shook her head, probably thinking I was passing up on the real gold: jewellery from vintage Canadian designer, Gustave Sherman.

Some months later, while surfing vintage designers on Ebay, I discovered why she shook her head in disbelief. Jewelry by Sherman was selling like hotcakes at prices I couldn't imagine folks would pay for pretty, but pre-loved (nice word for used or worn) swarovski crystals and rhinestones. I had to find out more ... and did I ever!

And that, dear reader, is what I hope to share with you in this new blog. Stay tuned! By the way, that gorgeous set shown in the photo is available from both my website at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or via my SHOP AT RUBY LANE Lots more photos of this piece too in the RUBY LANE SHOP.