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.
$177Sale Price|40% Off
BRONZE ITALY BELLA DIVA signed vintage gold plated textured omega chain bracelet
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Palos Hills, IL
DETAILS • signed BRONZE ITALY BELLA DIVA • gold plated • vintage designer bracelet MEASUREMENTS • 7 1/2" long by 9/16" wide CONDITION • very good vintage condition with min...
KJL Kenneth Jay Lane Chain Link Five Charm Bracelet, with Toggle Clasp, in Gold
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Milford, DE
A gold-plated chain bracelet with five charms - a pair of lucky dice, shoes, a cuckoo clock, an angel, and flashlight. Accented with crystals and enamel, fastened with a toggle clasp...
Crystal, Gold Plate
KJL Kenneth Jay Lane Chain Link Five Charm Bracelet, with Toggle Clasp, in Gold
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Milford, DE
A gold-plated chain bracelet with five charms - a ladybug, a hand fan, a clock, a pair of shoes, and an angel. Accented with crystals and enamel, fastened with a toggle clasp. By Ken...
Crystal, Gold Plate
KJL Kenneth Jay Lane Chain Link Five Charm Bracelet, with Toggle Clasp, in Gold
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Milford, DE
A gold-plated chain bracelet with five charms - a pair of lucky dice, cherub, an angel, a pair of shoes, and a swan. Accented with crystals and enamel, fastened with a toggle clasp. ...
Crystal, Gold Plate
Kenneth Jay Lane "Limited Edition" Green Enamel Multi-Frogs Link Bracelet
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in New York, NY
Kenneth Jay Lane's "Limited Edition", wonderfully huge and impressive whimsical multi-frogs set with multi-hues of greens accented with polished gilded gold vermei...
KJL Kenneth Jay Lane Chain Link Five Charm Bracelet, with Toggle Clasp, in Gold
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Milford, DE
A gold-plated chain bracelet with five charms - a pair of lucky dice, shoes, a cuckoo clock, a dumbbell, and MO' $ motif. Accented with crystals and enamel, fastened with a toggle cl...
Crystal, Gold Plate
Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Two Tone Bracelet
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Two-Tone Bracelet is a stunning piece of jewelry that blends sophistication with timeless design. Kenneth Jay Lane, known for creating bold and glamorou...
Gold Plate, Silver
Kenneth Jay Lane Multi-Textured & Gilded Gold Vermeil Hardware Bracelet
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in New York, NY
Kenneth Jay Lane wonderful combination of multi-textured as well as glide gold vermeil finish hardware chain-link bracelet measures 8 inches in length and 6/8 inch in width. M...
14 Karat Rose Gold Lapis Lazuli and 0.19 Carat Diamond Evil Eye Bracelet
Located in Great neck, NY
This is an adorable Lapis Evil Eye Bracelet. Crafted of 14K Rose Gold with approximately 0.19ct Round Sparkly Diamonds with the center of an eye being a...
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
14 Karat Rose Gold 0.26 Carat Diamond and Sapphire Evil Eye Bracelet
Located in Great neck, NY
Add this station Evil Eye bracelet to your look! Crafted of 14k Gold and 0.26 ct. of Round Sparkly natural Diamonds and 0.27 ct. of shiny blue sapphires. Diamond Color and Clarity GH...
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Victorian Gold Twist Bracelet with Gold Locket
Located in London, GB
A Victorian gold twist bracelet with gold locket, the bracelet designed as a twist with round rings set between each twist, suspending a gold heart...
Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Betony Vernon "Mantra Bracelet" Sterling Silver 925 Bracelet
By Betony Vernon
Located in Rome, IT
The "Mantra Bracelet" is an original design by Betony Vernon made in 2018 and handcrafted in lost wax elements and a rolo chain. The "Mantra Bracelet" chain follows a pendant that can contain your most valuable wishes. The jewel is accompanied with a miniature booklet composed of 50 tear-off sheets for your personal mantras. The "Mantra Bracelet" is designed to help make your dreams come to fruition. The act of writing down your desires is proven to reinforce the likelihood of their manifestation. Imagine what happens if you carry them with you in all actions! Available as a kit, the "Mantra Bracelet" can be combined with the "Mantra Necklace...
Sterling Silver
Diamonds Inset White Gold Maritime Themes Charms Bracelet
Located in Austin, TX
18K white gold, featuring five diamond-set charms with maritime themes, set with a total of 48 round-cut diamonds, weighing a total of approximately 0.96 carats; chain width 1/4 inch...
Diamond, 18k Gold
Christian Dior Gold-Tone CD Bracelet
By Christian Dior
Located in Paris, FR
Christian Dior Gold-tone “CD” bracelet featuring a fancy chain, a center “CD”, a lobster claw fastening. Length: 7.4in. (19cm) Circa: 1990s In good vintage condition. Made in Franc...
Christian Dior Gold-Tone Chain Bracelet
By Christian Dior
Located in Paris, FR
Christian Dior gold-tone chain bracelet featuring a center large cable part, a logo CD fastening. Length: 7.4in. (19cm) Circa: 1990s In good vintage condition. Made in France. We gu...
The Nazar III Bracelet
Located in London, GB
The Nazar, also called the evil eye, has been a belief passed though decades and cultures, which still exists today. Owning a Nazar charm is believed to point out and divert the spit...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
1994 Spring Collection Chanel Gold Plate Chain and CC Logo Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in Toronto, Ontario
1994 spring collection Chanel gold plate chain and CC logo bracelet. Overall good vintage condition with minor signs of wear to the plating on the back and front, does not detract fr...
Gold Plate
Tiffany & Co Wide Rolo Link Bracelet in 14K Yellow Gold
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
The bracelet is 13mm wide, 7.25 inches in length, made of 14K yellow gold, and weighs 43.1 DWT (approx. 67.03 grams).
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
3.05 Carat Natural Diamond Miami Cuban Bracelet G SI 14 Karat White Gold
By Morris & David
Located in New York, NY
3.05 Carat Natural Diamond Bracelet G SI 14K White Gold 7 inches 100% Natural Diamonds, Not Enhanced in any way Round Cut Diamond Bracelet 3.05CT G-H SI 14K White Gold 7 inches ...
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Dubini Ancient Lion Griffin Silver Coin 18 Karat Yellow Gold Bracelet
By DUBINI
Located in London, GB
This DUBINI coin bracelet from the 'Empires' collection features an authentic Thracian silver coin minted circa 4th century B.C. featuring a Lion and an authentic silver coin from Io...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Kenneth Jay Lane Gold Tone Link Chain Bracelet with Golden Ball Beads 1990s
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in London, GB
Kenneth Jay Lane gold tone textured and shiny link chain bracelet, featuring satin golden ball beads, and with a toggle clasp. Length 19.7cm / 7.75 inches by width 1.9cm / .75 inch. ...
CZ By Kenneth Jay Lane Fresh Water Pearl Tassel Charm Cubic Zirconia Bracelet
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Milford, DE
Extravagant bracelet by Kenneth Jay Lane, featuring clear cubic zirconia links and a charm pendant with strands of genuine pearls. Silvertone. Cubic Zirconia line by KJL Hallmarks:...
Crystal, Pearl