Kenneth J Lane Brooches
Late 20th Century Collectible Jewelry
Plastic
Late 20th Century American Modernist Brooches
Crystal, Gold Plate, Enamel
Late 20th Century American Modernist Brooches
Crystal, Pearl
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
1990s American Necklace Enhancers
Vintage 1970s American Art Deco Drop Earrings
Base Metal
Vintage 1970s American Artist Cocktail Rings
Crystal, Gold Plate
Vintage 1970s American Artisan Fashion Rings
Citrine, Gold Plate
Vintage 1980s Contemporary Choker Necklaces
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Contemporary Brooches
Crystal, Gold Plate, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Brooches
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Brooches
Amethyst, Coral, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Onyx, Sterling Silver, Silver, Yellow Gold, 18k G...
Antique 1750s Unknown Georgian More Necklaces
Topaz, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Unknown Modernist Cluster Rings
Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold
Vintage 1950s Retro Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1960s European Retro Fashion Rings
Diamond, White Gold, Platinum
2010s American Modern Brooches
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Band Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Cocktail Rings
Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Retro Brooches
Crystal, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary American Brooches
Crystal, Gold Plate
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Brooches
Zircon, 14k Gold
20th Century French Brooches
Gilt Metal
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s Brooches
Vintage 1980s American Art Deco Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
Vintage 1970s American Art Deco Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Brass, Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Late 20th Century American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Late 20th Century American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1980s American Pendant Necklaces
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Modernist Brooches
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Brooches
Gold Plate
20th Century Brooches
Gold Plate
Vintage 1970s American Chain Necklaces
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary American Brooches
21st Century and Contemporary American Brooches
American Brooches
Vintage 1970s Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Base Metal
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s Brooches
Vintage 1960s Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
American Brooches
Mid-20th Century American Collectible Jewelry
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s Brooches
Vintage 1960s Brooches
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Vintage 1960s Brooches
20th Century Brooches
1990s More Furniture and Collectibles
Crystal, Enamel, Gold Plate
Late 20th Century American Pendant Necklaces
Base Metal
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
Kenneth J Lane Brooches For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Kenneth J Lane Brooches?
Kenneth Jay Lane for sale on 1stDibs
The father of so-called “fabulous fakes,” Kenneth Jay Lane was a spirited innovator within the jewelry industry, designing elegant and luxurious pieces without the use of real jewels. And while Lane aspired to create classic designs for earrings, bracelets and necklaces intended for everyday wear, his pieces caught the attention of celebrities, royalty and socialites.
From a young age, the Detroit, Michigan-born Lane was a lover of fashion. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Michigan. He pursued a design career in New York City, and a failed start in the art department of Vogue magazine led to a decade of designing shoes for the likes of Delman and Christian Dior.
Lane would occasionally develop shoe designs for friends he had in the fashion world such as Bill Blass and Arnold Scaasi. A show for the latter afforded him the opportunity to beautify shoes with rhinestones and create bangles and earrings to pair with the footwear — he found plastic bracelets at discount variety store and had them embellished by craftspeople at a shoe factory.
A love for costume jewelry design emerged thereafter. Lane created his own collection and admirers such as Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor showered him with praise. A pearl necklace he designed was worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. In the early 1960s, ready-to-wear pioneer Hattie Carnegie purchased Lane’s jewelry line. Lane was given the position of design director for Carnegie but he soon changed course, moving instead into a small studio and pursuing his own path.
Lane worked with milk glass, gilded silver hardware, faux coral and other materials, and sold pendant necklaces, dangle earrings and modern bracelets to private customers. He was fond of renowned fine jewelry houses Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels and designers such as Jean Schlumberger, and cited having found inspiration in Egyptian and Indian jewelry over the years as well as Art Deco jewelry. Lane’s designs, which he called “faque” and “junque,” became well-known for their distinctive color combinations and clever characteristics such as embroidery. By the time he purchased a small jewelry factory in Providence, Rhode Island, where his accessories would be made during the 1960s, Lane had secured relationships with top Manhattan boutiques and his work had caught the attention of fashion magazines.
Directed by the filmmaker Gisèle Roman, a 2018 documentary about Lane’s life and work called Fabulously Fake: The Real Life of Kenneth Jay Lane features interviews with legendary fashion designers Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch and Diane von Furstenberg.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Kenneth Jay Lane brooches, rings and other accessories.
Finding the Right brooches for You
Antique and vintage brooches, which are decorative jewels traditionally pinned to garments and used to fasten pieces of clothing together where needed, have seen increasing popularity in recent years.
Given their long history, brooches have expectedly taken on a variety of different shapes and forms over time, with jewelers turning to assorted methods of ornamentation for these accessories, including enameling and the integration of pearls and gemstones.
Cameo brooches that originated during the Victorian age are characterized by a shell carved in raised relief that feature portraits of a woman’s profile, while 19th-century micromosaic brooches, comprising innumerable individually placed glass fragments, sometimes feature miniature depictions of a pastoral scene in daily Roman life.
At one time, brooches were symbols of wealth, made primarily from the finest metals and showcasing exquisite precious gemstones. Today, these jewels are inclusive and universal, and you don’t have to travel very far to find an admirer of brooches. They can be richly geometric in form, such as the ornate diamond pins dating from the Art Deco era, or designer-specific, such as the celebrated naturalistic works created by Tiffany & Co., the milk glass and gold confections crafted by Trifari or handmade vintage Chanel brooches of silk or laminated sheer fabric.
Brooches are versatile and adaptable. These decorative accessories can be worn in your hair, on hats, scarves and on the lower point of V-neck clothing. Pin a dazzling brooch to the lapel of your blazer-and-tee combo or add a cluster of smaller pins to your overcoat. And while brooches have their place in “mourning jewelry,” in that a mourning brooch is representative of your connection to a lost loved one, they’re widely seen as romantic and symbolic of love, so much so that a hardcore brooch enthusiast might advocate for brooches to be worn over the heart.
Today, find a wide variety of antique and vintage brooches on 1stDibs, including gold brooches, sapphire brooches and more.