Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
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.
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Gilt Metal
1980s American Baroque Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Gilt Metal
2010s American Modern Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Yellow Gold, 22k Gold, Gold Plate
1970s American Art Deco Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Base Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Crystal
2010s Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Zircon, Rhodium
21st Century and Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Crystal
1980s Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Excellent condition with clip back fittings.
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Gilt Metal
2010s American Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Topaz, Blue Topaz, Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Italian Art Deco Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Emerald, Agate, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Peridot, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Quartz, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Romantic Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Tourmaline, Peridot, Tsavorite, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Garnet, Yellow Gold, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Morganite, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Turquoise, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Diamond, Black Pearl, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Rhodium
1980s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Crystal, Base Metal
1990s American Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
1970s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Tiger's Eye, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary American Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Crystal, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Crystal
1970s American Art Deco Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Base Metal
1980s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Base Metal
1960s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Drop Earrings
Base Metal
Kenneth Jay Lane drop earrings for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Kenneth Jay Lane
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The impeccable costume jewelry by designer Kenneth Jay Lane, known as the “Master of Faking It,” has been made in the USA and abroad. During Lane’s early years, much of his domestic-made jewelry was produced in New York and Rhode Island, while other designs were made in factories in Asia. Some of Lane’s imported jewelry pieces are stamped with Thailand or China as the country of origin. Shop a selection of Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.