Kenneth Lane Black Enamel Cuff with Jeweled Maltese Cross
View Similar Items
Kenneth Lane Black Enamel Cuff with Jeweled Maltese Cross
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Width: 2 in (50.8 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:late 20th century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New Hope, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU47555322
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.
- Mauboussin Paris Art Deco Diamond and Platinum BraceletBy MauboussinLocated in New York, NYMauboussin Paris Art Deco Diamond and Platinum Bracelet. The diamonds weigh appx. 40-50 carats. The length is 7 inches. The tota...Category
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- 1.25ct Ruby and Diamond Hamsa NecklaceLocated in Fatih, 34Product Details : • Made to Order • Gold Kt: 14kt • Available Gold Colors: Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold • 0.65ct Natural Round Diamond • 0.60ct Natural Ruby • Diamonds ...Category
2010s European Modern Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
- Coral Diamonds 18 Karat White Gold Cuff BraceletBy SCALA GIOIELLILocated in Marcianise, ITFabulous 18 karat white gold cuff bracelet. Handmade by our artisans assembled with Sardinian coral and diamonds. 18 shuttles-cut corals from the Sardinian Sea. A bracelet suitable f...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsCoral, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Vintage Navajo Sterling Silver 1/4" x 2 5/8" Round 6.5mm Coral Cuff BraceletBy NavajoLocated in Las Vegas, NVNavajo Sterling Silver .925 1/4" x 2 5/8" Round 6.5mm Coral Cuff Bracelet Coral It is a symbol of modesty, wisdom, happiness and immortality. It is commonly known to remedy spasms ...Category
Vintage 1980s American Artisan Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsCoral, Sterling Silver
- Sterling Silver Kingman Turquoise Cuff Bracelet by Navajo Artist Henry MorganLocated in Las Vegas, NVSterling Silver .925 Kingman Turquoise Cuff Bracelet by Navajo Artist Henry Morgan 2 1/2" across inside 1 1/2" opening Stone approx 10mm x 14mm ...adjustable to fit wrist Turquoise,...Category
Early 2000s American Artisan Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsTurquoise, Sterling Silver
- Navajo ~ Sterling Silver .925 ~ #8 Turquoise ~ Cuff Bracelet ~ Signed L SpencerLocated in Las Vegas, NVSterling Silver .925 #8 Turquoise Cuff Bracelet by Navajo Artist L Spencer Measures approximately: 2 1/2" across inside 1 1/2" opening Stone 1/2" x 1 1/4" Adjustable to fit wrist. ...Category
Early 2000s American Artisan Cuff Bracelets
MaterialsTurquoise, Sterling Silver