Collecting Vintage Weiss Jewelry
Learn to Identify Designer Rhinestone Costume Jewelry
Albert Weiss had been working at the Coro company when he left to begin his own jewelry business in 1942. It didn’t take long for his company to become successful, however because he frequently made inexpensive pieces many people mistakenly assumed that the quality wasn’t very good. A serious misconception indeed, as now more than half a decade later pieces are still in good shape and they have become increasingly popular with collectors. At the time though, his jewelry was quite popular with buyers who couldn’t afford the higher end designer pieces such as Chanel, Haskell, and Dior.
Popular Motifs in Weiss Jewelry
- florals
- figurals
- fruits
- Christmas trees (which were copied by many other jewelry designers)
- Maltese crosses
Popular Materials
- Aurora borealis rhinestones
- “Black Diamonds” (smoky quarts crystals)
- Gold and silver toned settings
- Japanned settings
Beware of Fake Weiss
There are probably more fake Weiss pieces on the market than any other designer jewelry pieces. They’re not always easy to spot so it’s important to be educated before buying. Fake Weiss pieces are fairly poorly made, at least in comparison to the originals, and there is less purity of colour in the stones. Frequently the stones are glued instead of prong set.
Be wary of dealers who carry a lot of Weiss, particularly more than one of the same piece. Chances are, they are contemporary fakes. Don’t judge the dealers too harshly as those who are less educated often don’t realize what they’re selling.
How to Identify Weiss Pieces
Weiss manufactured jewelry for wholesale to several large department stores that were unsigned. There is quite a bit of unsigned Weiss on the market, so try to deal only with reputable sellers who will be able to tell the difference between unsigned Weiss and fakes.
There were a few different signatures used over the years.
- Weiss (in script)
- WEISS
- Albert Weiss
- AW Co (W shaped like a crown)
There is some confusion over the copyright symbol that sometimes appears with the Weiss signature. In her book Collecting Costume Jewelry 202: The Basics of Dating Jewelry, Julia C. Carol says “if there is a copyright symbol in the signature, then the piece dates to after 1955; however, the lack of a copyright symbol does not necessarily indicate the piece was produced before 1955.”
Prices of Weiss Costume Jewelry
Weiss jewelry can still be found for reasonable prices. They were underrated during their day and only now are people realizing how good the quality actually was (and still is). Many pieces are still in excellent condition. A variety of good quality single pieces can be found for under $100.
Despite their success in the 1950s and 1960s, the costume jewelry market slowed down and the Weiss company went out of business in 1971. Many of their pieces still exist today and can easily be found at antique and vintage stores.
Weiss Demi Parure
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