KJL Opera Length Ruby Red Bead and Gold Plate Necklace, Signed
View Similar Items
KJL Opera Length Ruby Red Bead and Gold Plate Necklace, Signed
About the Item
- Creator:Kenneth Jay Lane (Jeweler)
- Dimensions:Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Diameter: 20.75 in (52.71 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Organic Modern (In the Style Of)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1990s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU182934836403
Kenneth Jay Lane
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.
- Gorgeous Emerald and gold plated silver beaded necklaceLocated in London, GBGorgeous Emerald and gold plated silver beaded necklace Unfaceted Zambian Emerald beads with gold plated silver beads 4-5 mm Emerald beads 5 mm gold plated silver beads Necklace 1...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsGold Plate, Silver
- Vintage KJL Kenneth J. Lane Brooch in Gold-Tone and White EnamelBy Kenneth Jay LaneLocated in Topeka, KSGorgeous vintage brooch of gold-tone and white enamel by Kenneth J. Lane. It is in wonderful condition and bears the KJL© mark making it circa 1970. This big, bold, dramatic brooc...Category
Late 20th Century Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsPlastic
$236 Sale Price20% Off - Collection of 10 Mid-20th Century Necklaces with Different Beads and LengthsLocated in Delft, NLCollection of 10 mid-20th century necklaces with different beads and lengths. The rose necklace which is about 72 cm long is made of freshwater pearl and rose quartz. The freshwater pearl measures about 1 cm long and the quartz 1.5 cm. The three necklaces with freshwater pearls in the colors brown, dark blue and white with a length of 50 cm, the pearls are about 0.7 cm. The brown and white necklace strung between glass and silver metal beads. The blue one without the glass beads The necklace with Rhodochrosite, has a silver clasp (835/1000) strung with thread with knots in between. The largest stone is about 1 cm diagonally. The necklace measures approximately 40 cm. The Amethyst necklace also has a silver clasp (835/1000) in a round shape with an Amethyst. The length is about 42 cm and the bead is strung 0.6 cm with a knot in between. The Jade necklace with a 0.7 cm bead is strung with a knot in between and is 41 cm long. The filigree with cloisonne beaded necklace with a silver clasp marked 925s is 37 cm long and the largest bead is 1.2 cm in size. The necklace with rose quartz and cloisonne beads is tightly knotted with silver Chinese clasp and is 30 cm long and the bead is about 1 cm. The last one is an Italian porcelain Mille Fiore...Category
Mid-20th Century Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsMulti-gemstone
- Obsidian and Gold Beaded Necklace 14k Gold 26.5" LongLocated in Van Nuys, CACrafted in the mid-century era, this obsidian and gold beaded necklace exudes timeless elegance. Its sleek, jet-black obsidian stones, meticulously strung together, create a sophisticated accessory. The piece encapsulates the era's allure, blending vintage charm with a modern flair, making it a captivating adornment for any occasion. Featuring a safety clasp to securely close the necklace. 14K Gold balls interspaced between every five obsidian beads...Category
Mid-20th Century Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsStone, Gold
$1,360 Sale Price20% Off - Organic Beaded Necklace on Stand, Sold SinglyLocated in Sheffield, MAThe organic necklaces are treated as works of art or sculpture displayed on their black metal stands. The top parts are intricately braided twine attached to which are sliced sea she...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Organic Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsShell
- Gold-Plated Necklace by Jacques JarrigeBy Jacques JarrigeLocated in New York, NYGold-plated and hand-hammered necklace/sculpture "FLORA" by Jacques Jarrige. Jacques Jarrige's jewelry is more companion than ornament, heightening one's physical awareness and be...Category
2010s French Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsGold Plate