SHERMAN VINTAGE JEWELRY

WHAT WOULD YOU PAY FOR THIS SIAM RED SHERMAN SET?

2010-03-04T10:52:00.002-05:00

With the permission of the owner of the above pieces, I wanted to share this glorious collection of Siam Red Sherman jewellery with you. What a beautiful assortment! And do I wish it were mine? And how! But it's not for sale: it's for you Sherman collectors and readers of this blog to help me answer a question the owner asked me when she sent me the photo: "What do you think it's worth?" What could she get for a collection like this?

All the pieces except the smaller necklace are signed "Sherman". And I don't need to tell you that she has here one of the most sought after Sherman colors: Siam reds. Even better, all the pieces have japanned backing. And all pieces are in top condition with no missing or replaced stones? So what would you offer her?

Her question sent me trotting over to ebay to see what's happening with Sherman there these days. Last time I looked, things seemed quiet. Worse yet, Sherman wasn't getting the dollars it deserves. But of course, what do you expect if you're selling Sherman on ebay! I also didn't find much Siam red Shermans on ebay at that time. But guess what? Right now, suddenly, several pieces have cropped up on that infamous auction site! What a good time for the owner of this set to get her question answered if she watches those auctions. Of course, she'll need to keep one thing in mind: what her set is worth and what it would fetch on ebay could be miles apart!

For her, and anyone else interested in acquiring Siam Red Shermans, here are the item numbers of the pieces currently at auction on ebay:

#390164868627 - Wide cuff bracelet with opening bid of $249. Signed; japan-backed; Ends March 7, 2010

#310204353782 - Scalloped necklace with opening bid of $249. Signed; japan- backed; Ends March 7/10

#300402538578 - Brooch/earring set. Signed; japan-backed. 16 bids at this time - Reserve. Ends March 9

#290408431295 - Small brooch - Signed; japan-backed; 6 bids so far. Ends March 10, 2010

#160409750922 - Earrings - Signed; japan-backed; 2 bids so far. Ends March 9, 2010

So there you go. Lots of Siam Red Sherman on ebay right now ... enough to put your own parure together! And if you want a Siam Red Sherman bracelet but can handle the fact that it's not signed, but definitely Sherman, there's still my lovely bracelet and signed Sherman earring set, on sale now during our MARCH MADNESS SALE (until March 15, 2010) at MY COST! It's yours for only $225 for both pieces!

So back to where we started: Can you, dear reader and fellow Sherman admirer/collector, tell me what you think the set at the top of this post is worth? What would you be willing to pay? Please leave your comments below this post. Thanks for your help!

YOU KNOW IT'S GLITTER SEASON WHEN YOU SEE ALL THOSE SHERMANS LISTED ON EBAY!

2009-11-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

Haven't had much to write about lately ... or rather, too busy with other things. But today I thought I'd slip over to Ebay to see what's going on there and wow...what a change from a month or two back. The Sherman listings have doubled! And there's only one explanation: Glitter season is here. This is the time of year that all the costume jewelry sellers, including myself, come out to tempt us with their sparkling rhinestone and crystal necklaces, bracelets, earrings etc. And of course, that makes sense. Unless you move in circles where attending galas and fancy dress events happen all the time, most of us, at least here in Canada, don't doll up in all that glitzy stuff just to go grocery shopping!

So what have I seen that's worth your time if you're shopping for Sherman? Well THIS SIAM RED SET was one to go for but that auction's over. The vendor started it at $199 and got one bid. I guess someone hoped that was the reserve. No-one else even bothered, probably because being a Siam Red Sherman, we know the vendor would want more than than opening bid. Well it'll be interesting to see if he/she lists it again. My guess is it'll be a "Buy it Now" much like we sell our jewels and Shermans in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE ... and I have some beauties listed there right now for those who don't want to be forced to bid higher than they really want to. But more about my latest later.

Pity I can't post photos of the eBay pieces anymore. Once those auctions are over, the links disappear in a week or two so you won't even know what I was talking about. Oh well...

So here's another really pretty set from a guy who sells lots of Shermans on ebay. I keep wondering where he finds so many lovely pieces. This one is a NECKLACE AND EARRING SET in red clear crystals with siam red navette accents ... a super pretty set. The earrings are gorgeous long danglers, 2" long in fact. Unfortunately only the earrings are signed. But I'd have to agree with the vendor that the necklace and earrings are a set. However, since the necklace isn't signed, this might not go as high as it would otherwise. Could be a good buy for you if you don't mind an "unsigned" Sherman. Auction ends at 2:43 on November 16th. Bidding is at $169 right now.

Now the same vendor has a 3-PIECE PARURE listed that is unlike any I've seen by Sherman and it's absolutely gorgeous. You've just got to look at this set. It comes with necklace, bracelet and dangling earrings in a shade that looks like teal and the stones are primarily baguettes. It's just so different. Bidding is already at $188 with 4 days still to go. No surprise there. This one is a keeper. Both necklace and bracelet are signed. Earrings aren't.

Okay, that's enough telling you about other people's Shermans. Now I'd like to suggest you take a look at the one I just listed today in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It too is very different and a real head turner:

When I attended the Christies Antique Show back in September, I came across a Sherman similar to this one and couldn't believe it was a Sherman. I'd never seen a Sherman like this. That pendant hanging from the set above, and in the one I saw at the show, was such a heavy cluster of Swarovski crystals and the glitter was fantastic. But it was the design that caught my attention. So very different. I didn't buy the one at the show as I had only so much cash on me and had my eye on a ring I'd seen in another booth. I later wondered if I should have purchased the Sherman instead of the ring! So, when I chanced on the one above elsewhere at a later date, I jumped on it. I thought it was the same one but it wasn't. However this one was just as exquisite. I thought it ironic that I should find two so similar Shermans in a short period of time after never seeing one like it before LOL! Anyway, if you haven't seen one like this, please just CLICK HERE NOW and go take a look at this fabulous Sherman set available from my Ruby Lane shop and you don't have to try to win it either!

I currently have a really nice assortment of Shermans in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE that are just perfect for the glitter season and they are all reasonably priced. Apart from my FAUX ALEXANDRITE set mentioned in my previous post and which comes in an original Sherman box, my current favourite is this glorious necklace below:

What a work of art this one is! I swore off clear crystal Shermans a while back but hey, how can you pass up a spectacular necklace like this one? I had a customer over last night to look at some fine jewelry and after she'd tried on this and that ring, I showed her some of my Shermans. When she saw this one, she gasped! She wasn't familiar with Sherman and had never really tried on vintage costume jewelry. But she just had to put this one around her neck and look at it in the mirror. It was so funny watching her reaction, let alone her fiance who, typical male, said he just considered this kind of thing "junk jewelry". Yeah right! He nearly keeled over when my customer turned to him sweetly and said "Wouldn't this go great with my wedding dress!" How right she is! This Sherman would go well with a wedding dress, or any evening dress where classic designer jewelry by Sherman is the finishing touch. You can read all about it and see more photos of this necklace in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

GLITTER IN THE FESTIVE SEASEON IN THIS FAUX ALEXANDRITE SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL VINTAGE SET BY SHERMAN!

2009-10-14T14:11:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since we last had a faux alexandrite set of necklace and earrings by Sherman to share with our readers and customers but this time, we have a real beauty! Just click on that photo to see more pics and in large detail in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

Going by the construction, size of the stones Sherman used for this one, we know we have one of his much earlier sets. As tastes moved toward the finer, less chunky looks in costume jewelry, Sherman too modified his designs. So these days it's really great to find one of these older sets.

Even better, this set comes in its original box, and in that is another giveaway that this is an old Sherman: the later boxes all carried the "Sherman ... jewels of excellence" inside the boxes. Notice, that "jewels of excellence" is missing here but the inscription on that satin inlay is identifiably Sherman. So buying a set like this, in its original box, is a doubly valuable investment. Just the box alone right now would fetch $100!

Shown below is another photo of just the necklace as we subject it to different lighting so you can see the color change that occurs in faux alexandrite stones:

Isn't it brilliant! I'm always in awe of these crystals and get so excited when I find a vintage set, by any designer, with faux alexandrite stones. They're just so rare, and that makes them highly collectible.

It's intriguing to speculate what something like the set above would cost if these were real alexandrites. Quite honestly, most of us could never afford even one of those large stones in the necklace if this were the genuine gemstone. The large stones you see here are 5/8" long by 1/2" wide. That's big. Actually, because the stones in this set are larger, so is the weight of the pieces considerable. The necklace alone weighs over 60 grams!

Below is yet another view of the full set in its mauve color (ie. it changes from blue/green to lavender/mauve).

What a glorious color! By the way, the earrings are large. They run along your ear for 1 3/4" and are 3/4" wide at their widest point. Gorgeous, showy, glitzy but always beautiful Sherman! Buy it now from our SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

By the way, don't know if you watched the auction for this incredible Sherman cuff bracelet shown HERE. What a beauty. It went for over $1900 CAD. Just proves you can't really put a price on Sherman: it's worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it!

THE BEAT GOES ON FOR SHERMAN BUYERS ON EBAY

2009-10-04T12:12:00.005-04:00

Well things are constantly changing on ebay these days and unfortunately, one of the things that has changed, to protect the seller I guess, is the way the photos are displayed. I wanted to post a photo for you of one of the beautiful cranberry colored sets currently at auction but I can't. So you'll just have to click THIS LINK and go over and see it for yourself. There's a reserve on this one so it'll be interesting to see how high bidders go to get this set or if they can meet that reserve. I've seen a few fall quite short of the reserves lately, but those reserves have also been very high.

But, in my humble opinion, this cranberry-colored set of bracelet, brooch and earrings is worth going for. The color is gorgeous...fuschia by any other name...and all 3 pieces look to be in good condition. The seller hasn't shown a photo of the entire back of the bracelet (really should as collectors like to see that kind of thing) but stones look clear and bright and design is, typically Sherman, just lovely. The bidding is at $152.50 as I write this and it doesn't end for another 29 hours. So you still have time to jump on this one.

There's also a 1/2" wide red Sherman bracelet finishing in 32 hours that you might like. That's narrow but the color is popular. There is an opening bid of $100 but again, there's a reserve. At this point, there are no bids. This one is signed and also comes with an original hangtag. You can see it at THIS LINK.

Of course, if you prefer to buy your Sherman outright and really know what you're getting, you could go over to our SHOP AT RUBY LANE, where we have up to 9 large photos of just about all our items with very detailed and accurate details. We don't like returns and want our customers to be happy. So though it takes more effort, it's worth going the extra mile to make sure our customers are happy. So you might prefer to pick up the Siam Red, japan-backed bracelet

& earrings shown above from our shop. The bracelet is one of those unsigned Shermans, but definitely a Sherman (see my writeup for explanation) and the earrings, while not an original match, go beautifully with this bracelet and they are signed. I'm receptive to offers too so don't hesitate to make one. Click the photo above or THIS LINK to learn more and make your offer. Given this bracelet is in the most popular color for Sherman collectors, I normally wouldn't consider offers, but since it's unsigned, there's room to move.

While I went through a rough period a while back and started selling off not just my Shermans but other costume jewelry, I've relented. It's just too hard to not buy some of those beautiful pieces! Besides, right after I starting selling it off, I had customers wanting to buy more. So I'm back in the game for now. Keep an eye our OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE and on this blog as I have some wonderful new Shermans to list in time for adding gorgeous glitz to your wardrobe at Christmas. So stay tuned and watch for this fabulous Art Deco necklace below coming soon!

IN THE PINK OF THINGS WITH BEAUTIFUL PINK SHERMAN NECKLACE SETS!

2009-09-23T14:01:00.004-04:00

Well if you've been wondering if I'd sold off all my Shermans and gone into hiding, given I haven't posted here for a while, you weren't far off right. I did sell off a lot of my Shermans ... and at ridiculously low prices. But then, something happened. I spotted the gorgeous pink Sherman necklace above and got thinking about the lovely dangling pink Sherman earrings I had that would go so nicely with it, and that ended my vacation from Sherman. How could I resist!

Then, to make things even sweeter, I got doubly lucky: it turned out this necklace was from the estate of an avid Sherman collector who loved pink and she had not one, but two Sherman necklaces! The second necklace is the one shown below: very demure and pretty, more a pendant style.

Of the two, it would appear she wore the large one at the top more often as the rhodium-plate backing is more worn on that piece and almost brand shiny new on the smaller piece. But in both, the stones are brilliantly clear and the same color.

Making my find a triple treat, was the fact that I also scored a pair of signed pink clip-on earrings with the two necklaces, and honestly, I can't guess which one the earrings go with best. So I've put them with the smaller pendant necklace as shown below:

It's very cool that in both sets, the earrings are inter-changeable with both necklaces because the pink color and stone cuts are such a close match. I suppose if someone loves wearing pink Shermans, they could dress up or down by owning both sets and always be "in the pink"!

To learn more about these lovely pink Sherman pieces, see more photos and purchase them for your collection, CLICK the photos of just the necklaces to go to the page at Ruby Lane where they are featured. Or click these links:

LARGE SHERMAN NECKLACE SET

and/or

SHERMAN PENDANT STYLE SET

I've also got the fabulous 1" wide signed Sherman bracelet shown below listed in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE too if you're in the market for one of those.

Thanks for reading and staying with me at the SHERMAN JEWELRY BLOG. I'll be back when I have more to share!

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO BID ON THESE SHERMANS ON EBAY

2009-09-03T07:49:00.003-04:00

If you hurry, you still have time to bid on these Sherman pieces ending tonight on Ebay. Pictured at the top is a superb deep topaz Swarovski crystal glass bead set, all signed, consisting of 2-row necklace and matching earrings. Bidding starts at $125 and right now there are 12 people watching this one but no-one has yet opened the bidding. Of course, they're all either just other sellers waiting to see what happens ... I do that all the time LOL ... or they are actually buyers hoping to snare a lovely Sherman set at a low dollar by waiting till the last minute. Such fun!

The same vendor is offering the delightful Aurora Borealis, very traditional, glass crystal earrings above. Since she offers combined shipping, this is a good chance to get a couple of pieces for one shipping cost. Bidding has opened on this signed set at $24.95 and there are 9 watchers. Will it go any higher? Who knows! She also has another set of signed Sherman earrings on auction. These are the baguette style, 1" high clip-ons shown below in soft topaz. Bidding starts at $19.95. Several watchers just waiting to grab this set for $19.95. A good deal if they do!

So hurry up and save! With combined shipping thrown in, you're well ahead on adding some nice Shermans to your collection. Good luck!

DARK TOPAZ & DEEP RED/PURPLES MAKE THESE VINTAGE COSTUME SETS by SHERMAN and BERGERE WORTH COLLECTING!

2009-08-10T15:40:00.004-04:00

Glass crystal bead sets by Sherman continue to be ever popular amongst collectors and this 2-piece signed set of earrings and 2-row necklace weighing 125 grams is sure to please. Depending on your screen settings, this set may look black but it's anything but. It's a deliciously warm but deep brown topaz. Perhaps you can see the brown shades better in the closeup of the lovely clasp below:

As you can see, the glass crystals alternate between topaz-washed aurora borealis and clear Swarowski crystals. The glitter is outstanding, especially since the beads are in great condition. When we received this necklace, as it's a very old set, unfortunately one of the strands snapped. I wanted to cry, especially since the set is so beautiful. But my daughter went to work and quickly re-threaded both strands on fresh nylon. Now, whoever buys it will get years of wear from it. You can learn more about this set and purchase it from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

While you're over there, if you love glass crystal bead sets especially those in siam reds and purples, why don't you take a look at the sensational 3-piece parure by Bergere that we've just relisted. Bergere is another vintage costume jewelry designer whose work and designs remind me very much of Sherman and certainly are as good quality. The set we have is this one:

It's utterly gorgeous and like the Sherman above, very weighty with all those glass crystal beads. The bracelet itself is about 3/4" wide over the two rows, as is the 15" necklace. The earrings are over 1" wide all round. To see and read more about this BERGERE parure, just click the photo above or HERE.

Both the Sherman and the Bergere set are priced to sell but I'm receptive to reasonable offers. So why not slip over and take a closer look. It's worth the effort as these are two wonderful sets of vintage costume jewelry by two top designers.

RARE HONEY BEE PIN by SHERMAN FETCHES HUGE DOLLAR ON EBAY

2009-08-05T10:31:00.002-04:00

Those who collect Sherman or other famous vintage jewelry designers know that when it comes to "investing" in Sherman and not just "buying" Sherman because you like it, that there's a big difference in what to look for and what you will pay when you find it. Take the honey bee pin shown on the right. It's a Sherman .. no I didn't know he made pins like this either ... and this rare pin recently sold on ebay for $1250. The members of our costume jewelry group were floored. No doubt the vendor was in 7th heaven, especially if he or she picked it up at a yard sale for pennies. Yes, sometimes vendors get lucky and come across a treasure in a box of trash. Not that that happened here. I know nothing about the history of this piece but I thought my readers might like to know what to look for when they're "investing" in Sherman.

As you know if you've been following this blog, I've decided to get out of designer vintage costume jewelry and have been selling off my costume jewelry at cost. I still have some left and invite you to visit my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. I have some Shermans left, along with Alice Caviness, Schiaparelli, Juliana, Kramer, Weiss and others. No reasonable offer will be refused. As long as I cover my cost on the piece, it's yours. So please don't hesitate to make an offer. Several have already taken advantage of my "clearance", including vendors. It's amusing ... almost ... sob ... to see them listing the pieces they purchased from me at a higher price than they paid me and already getting sales on them. But that's the merry-go-round of selling.

On that note, don't be surprised if my postings in this blog become increasingly less frequent. If I'm not selling Sherman any longer, it's pointless to keep two blogs going (my other one is HERE) and it covers both vintage costume and fine jewelry. So if I have something to share with you re Shermans, you'll find it there.

And as I sign off, I have noticed a few interesting pieces at auction on ebay right now that you should consider bidding on for their style and color combinations. You find them at these links:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Sherman-PINK-DOVE-GREY-7-CLUSTER-BRACELET-NR_W0QQitemZ310159668262QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Costume_Jewelry?hash=item4836f4f426&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

and http://cgi.ebay.ca/Sherman-PINK-DOVE-GREY-CLUSTER-NECKLACE-EARRING-SET_W0QQitemZ310159666157QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Costume_Jewelry?hash=item4836f4ebed&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

These obviously go together but the vendor has separated them. You can thank me for the plug later Harry LOL!

This one is also a beauty: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Signed-Sherman-Purple-Pink-Necklace-Earrings_W0QQitemZ150363552251QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Costume_Jewelry?hash=item23025db9fb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 There's a reserve on it but certainly worth having a shot at.

New collectors might like to bid on this Sherman lot: http://cgi.ebay.ca/LOT-VINATAGE-SHERMAN-JEWELRY-NECKLACE-BROOCH-EARRINGS_W0QQitemZ330348788762QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Costume_Jewelry?hash=item4cea527c1a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 Great way to start your Sherman collection.

Gee, I really must ask myself why I do this ie. why am I advertising for others? In business, you pay people to advertise for you. Hmmm... maybe I should think about charging for this LOL!

WHY DID THIS WIDE SHERMAN BRACELET FETCH MORE DOLLARS THAN THAT ONE?

2009-07-05T14:22:00.004-04:00

Well tonight's the night I'll be biting my nails and keeping my fingers crossed and dying a thousand deaths between 8 -10pm EST. That's when my auctions for some of my best Sherman pieces finish on eBay, the ones I told you about in my last blog. I'm trying not to worry...too late now anyway as I can't end the auctions. I have lots of watchers ...up to 27 on the faux alexandrite brooch set ... on all the items and all have bids. But none of them, at this time, have met my cost for these pieces! So am I going to lose my shirt on these or will we suddenly see the bidding go bonkers in the last hour or last few seconds? I sure hope so or I stand to lose a lot of my investment in Sherman jewelry :((

In the meantime, this week I was fascinated by the ebay auctions for 3 wide Sherman bracelets. All three were 1 1/4" wide ...NICE! Two of them, those shown at the top of this blog, were being offered by the same seller, and both were clear stones i.e. no color! Now clear Shermans don't usually sell for as high a dollar as colored ones but then, these are wide bracelets and that makes all the difference. Well here's what happened: the wide one on the top left, with the flowery pattern of large stones set into the center of the bracelet, sold for $801 USD. The other one, which came with earrings, but was the more traditional series of rows, fetched $257 USD. WOW! That's a difference of nearly $500!

So what made the one with no earrings so much more valuable than the other, given both were the same length and 1 1/4" wide, and both were clear stones? I can only assume it was that flowery design in the center of the one as opposed to the usual series of rows. Tells you something about what to buy if you're looking at Shermans as investments and not just nice designer vintage jewelry.

The third wide bracelet was the one I liked and would have gone for if I were buying Shermans right now (I'm not!) and it's shown directly below:

This one is also 1 1/4" wide and is a nice mixture of baguette and round stones i.e. not as traditional as the $257 bracelet above and not as different as the other. But what it does have going for it as well is the color: amethyst. I have found amethyst jewelry, whether in real gemstones or in costume jewelry, is really popular. And as I stated above, usually color is more sought after than clear pieces. Well this one went for $380, sort of in the middle between the other two, and most likely for the reasons I stated: color, stone cuts, width etc. Did you bid on any of these? If so, whichever one you liked, being wide bracelets all of them are worth having.

Well that's it for me this week. Wish me luck tonight. I may or may not tell you how I did. I just hope my heart isn't in my stomach when I next write this blog about Shermans. Have a good week everyone!

THIS WEEK'S SHERMANS AT AUCTION ON EBAY

2009-06-29T21:27:00.003-04:00

I've been telling you for weeks now about Shermans being auctioned on eBay by other vendors and now it's my turn. Yes, I've caved in and have listed 9 of my lovely Shermans on that infamous auction site. I must confess: I'm terrified! Doing this could end up costing me a lot of money as I've never been one to acquire my Shermans cheaply i.e. lucky finds in a $20 box of costume jewelry at an estate or garage sale. Every piece of Sherman I own I have paid plenty for but the current market for costume jewelry is very depressed. And like any seller, there comes a time when you just have to unload if you're ever going to acquire new pieces or stay afloat financially. That time has come for me now and it's with trepidation that I offer you the lovely Shermans attached to the links supplied in this blog and on auction at ebay this week, ending on Sunday, July 5th.

The bidding on the fabulous older blue necklace/earring set shown at the top right currently stands at $89.88 and has a huge number of 'watchers'. You always wonder when you're selling on eBay how many of the "watchers" are genuinely interested buyers and how many are other vendors watching to see what you get LOL! I've certainly watched, but not purchased many pieces on ebay. That set above is well worth bidding on given its condition and gorgeous design. A very good set for new collectors to start with. Click the photo to learn more and bid.

If you follow this blog, you've seen the set on the left before. It's one of the most beautiful brooch sets I have and it features those rare and highly desirable faux alexandrite stones that turn this set from blue/green to mauve depending on the light. I've been totally stumped as to why this set hasn't sold from Ruby Lane as it's in exquisite condition and definitely one to add to your Sherman collection. Again, it has a ton of "watchers" at this point but only one bid so far. Don't let this one get away from you. I paid a small fortune for it. Wish me luck. I'd hate to just "give it away" on ebay! Click the photo for more details & to bid.

I know I'll hate myself for this but I've listed another of my faux alexandrites on ebay this week too. It's the incredible necklace shown on the right. What a beauty! 16 1/2" long, it's a combination of large purple and aurora borealis marquise stones and large round cut faux alexandrites that change from pretty blue to purple as the light changes. The rhodium-plate backing is still as shiny as the day it left the factory and the stones have superb glitter and clarity. A real knockout Sherman necklace in one of the most sought after stones. Place your bid by clicking on the photo on the right.

Probably the biggest risk I'm taking listing on ebay is with the Siam red bracelet and earring set shown on the left. Like all siam red Shermans, this one was expensive. Add to that the fact that we're looking at a siam red Sherman bracelet here, and well, again, if you've followed this blog, you know how high Sherman bracelets can go. But those that go so high are the wide cuff bracelets. This isn't one of those but it is 5 rows wide, 11/16" high, and has one of the other identifiable and sought after features in Sherman: japan backing i.e. the backing is black. Now I've coupled this bracelet with earrings but they are not original to the bracelet. The earrings are signed. The bracelet isn't. But the bracelet was acquired from a retired Toronto jeweler who sold lots of Sherman, many with orignal tags but no signature. He purchased his Shermans directly from the Sherman salesman who regularly visited his shop with new items. Without question, this is one of the pieces you should be bidding on this week at ebay. I tried for 2 years to find a Siam red Sherman bracelet I could afford and I still paid a lot for this one. It this doesn't reach my cost, I'll cry! But if you win it, you won't be sorry.

That's just 4 of the Sherman pieces I'm offering on ebay this week. If you slip over to see those, you'll find the others: 2 more bracelets (blue and aurora borealis), a pale topaz navette necklace that is utterly stunning, a pink/fuschia brooch set, and the outstanding aurora borealis swarovski crystal bead set on the right. Take advantage of my weakness in putting these lovely Shermans to auction on ebay. If you win any of my Shermans, you can be sure your are getting exactly what I described so read the descriptions carefully, link through to my Ruby Lane shop to look at the other photos and place your bids! Good luck!

OH BOY! NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THIS PRICE FOR THIS SHERMAN!!

2009-06-24T19:29:00.006-04:00

In my last post, I told you about the milkglass and black bead Sherman that was being auctioned on ebay. Well that auction ended a couple of days back and I nearly fell through the floor when I saw the price it went for? Ready? How's $946.96 sound? Phew! I never would have dreamed it would fetch a dollar like that. Yes, it's unusual but ... well I'm speechless! Were you the winner? I didn't even watch the auction once it got over $400.

And now, in 3 hours or so, the other piece I mentioned in that same blog is finishing. It's the really pretty set with the unique design and it's sitting at $310 as I write. You can check what happened with it later by clicking on THIS LINK.

There was another rather unusual Sherman that went at auction yesterday for $149 (That's around $172 CAD since most Sherman buyers are Canadians) It's the one shown on the left.

I really liked this one and again it was unique in that it's both a brooch and a pendant. Don't think I've ever seen a Sherman brooch that does both.

You must be asking yourself at this point why I keep promoting Shermans for sale by other vendors when I have plenty of my own to sell. Well, I must confess, I'm wondering too and the more I watch what these Shermans are fetching on ebay, the more I think I either need to sell Shermans there or maybe ... run my own rock bottom price sale?

Well before I resort to eBay, that's what I'm doing. In fact, right now in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, we're running a "SPRING INTO SUMMER SALE" and everything in the shop is open to offers, including all my Shermans! Because of other pressures in my life and domestic scene, I'm on the point of getting out of vintage costume jewelry altogether. So I'm willing to listen to any offer on my Shermans or other vintage jewelry: if what you offer me is at least what I paid for it, I'll accept your offer. How's that sound? I'm not kidding. So what do you have to lose by making me an offer? You won't offend me if you're well below what I paid. That'll just prove I overpaid. Mind you, looking at what those Shermans are selling for on ebay, I have trouble understanding how that happened.

Anyway, bottom line is MAKE ME AN OFFER. If you offer me at least what it cost me to buy that Sherman, it's yours. I'd rather try this than take my chances on ebay. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know why LOL!

So slip over to OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE now and type SHERMAN into our search box. It'll bring up all the Shermans I currently have listed, like the highly collectible Bracelet/earring set shown below. Make me an offer and you might be the happy owner of this knockout set!

NOTE: I have never charged super high prices for any of my Shermans. Many, in fact, are already priced close to cost. But there's room to move on others. So give it a shot and grab yourself a Sherman at a bargain price!

SOME UNUSUAL SHERMAN SETS ON EBAY THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE!

2009-06-19T11:36:00.005-04:00

I've been horribly busy on the domestic front these past 2 weeks and have had little time for blogging. I apologize to my followers but home first, business second.

Anyway, I'm stealing a moment to apprise you of some lovely pickings on eBay right now that are worth your attention. I just found the gorgeous set on the right. What a fabulous design! I've not seen a Sherman like this and I predict this one will fetch a very high dollar because of its uniqueness.

However, that said, there is one issue: a missing stone and unfortunately it's in that central drop on the necklace. What a pity. But if you can find a replacement, you're laughing. I'd definitely go for this one if I were able to repair it. Mind you, I wish the seller had stated the color. I can't tell if it's clear Swarovski crystals or light green or aquamarine ... . I'll ask her a question and maybe she'll be able to clear that up for us. Color, as you know, can make a big difference to the final price, but a design like this will still make this an attractive purchase to collectors. Click on the photo to go directly to the auction page and learn more. Finishes June 24th.

The unusual set on the left is already way up there in the bids i.e. it's already at $255 and still has over 3 days to go. The seller tells us it's in excellent condition and the stones are a combination of milk glass, black onyx and dark smoky crystals. Personally, I like milk glass but it has never been a big seller for me. But then, this is a "SHERMAN" and that can make all the difference between liking and not liking milk glass stones. Again, if you want to know more about this one or want to bid on it, just click on the photo on the left to go to the auction page.

I don't know ... do you think I need my head examined for promoting other people's Shermans when I have so many of my own waiting for a buyer? Maybe it's time for me to put my Shermans on Ebay too, though honestly, I hate to do that. It's risky: a seller can end up getting less than she paid when something goes to auction and I've been burned once too often. Alternately, if the piece is really one that collectors want, eBay prices can go sky high. Hmmm.... what to do?

Well while I have you and I'm busy promoting other's wares, I nearly forgot to tell you that I too have a gorgeous set just added to MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It's the one shown below:

No, it's design isn't as rare as that one at the top, but this one is in superb condition with no missing stones, all pieces are signed "Sherman", and it's in that color that collectors want: fuschia! Those lovely dangling earrings are also a popular feature. I'm asking $395 USD but I'm always receptive to offers. In fact, I'd be interested in hearing your offers on any of my Shermans and the other designer vintage costume jewelry currently available from MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. As long as your offer isn't under what I paid for it, I might just accept it. You see, I'd rather sell it to you for less than risk it on eBay. So why not slip over, take a closer look at all my Shermans, and make me an offer I can't refuse? Are you up to the challenge? I'm waiting!

LOVELY SHERMAN NECKLACES WORTHY OF SERIOUS CONSIDERATION

2009-05-31T20:02:00.006-04:00

Ah ... nice for a change to be able to bring some lovely Sherman necklace and necklace sets to your attention. I think I've had enough of Sherman bracelets for a while. Haven't you?

So this week on eBay, and ending pretty soon, is the stunning golden glass crystal beads sautoir by Sherman shown on the right. I just love this style!
I've also noticed that every time I've had one of these sautoirs for sale in my shop at Ruby Lane, whether it's a Sherman or Weiss or some other vintage designer, they go fast. This is such a popular style of necklace.

The Sherman beauty shown here is 30" long and from what I can tell from the photos, appears to have some clear aurora borealis glass beads alternating with golden or light topaz glass beads. Scattered liberally along the necklace are beautiful filigreed findings that add to the luster. This auction ends at 18:00:41 EDT on June 1st. Of course, whoever wins it will need to find some earrings to go with it. Good luck if you decide to bid.

Now on the left is another one on auction at eBay this week. You've got a little more time with this one but not much as it ends at 21:39:08 EDT on June 2.

Again, this one is really worth going for. For one thing, it's a set. You won't have to try to find matching earrings. Secondly, the color is a fabulous mix of teal and aquamarine. Simply gorgeous! And thirdly, this one has a design element you don't see that often in Sherman jewelry: a triple "flower pot" design complete with frosted crystal leaves. The vendor says this set is in "mint condition". Well take that with a grain of salt ie. vintage jewelry is rarely "mint" unless it's been kept in a box and unworn from the date of purchase ... and maybe that's the case here. If so, then all the more reason to snap it up. Harry, you can thank me later for plugging this one for you :))

The last Sherman necklace set I'm going to tell you about in this post is the one shown below:

You'll find this beauty in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE where I just listed it this week. If you prefer to avoid the frustration of losing out at the last moment with an auction, buying outright from those of us who sell Sherman and offer accurate and honest descriptions is always a smart move for the investor, and in my case, I'm always willing to consider reasonable offers.

The set above is special for several reasons: all three pieces are signed "Sherman"... always important to collectors. Secondly, this set is a rare find: the actual patent number is shown on the earring clips. With a bit of research, you might be able to determine the actual year of manufacture. Thirdly, this set is another one of those with highly sought-after colors: rich deep purple swarovski crystals are played against large faux alexandrite stones that change from blue/green to lavender/mauve as the light changes. Take a close look at the photo-merge here:

This is a merge of two shots of the necklace, showing the faux alexandrite stones in their mauve color (top) and in their blue/green color (bottom). Same necklace; same angle; different lighting.

These factors: the colors in the set, the patent number, all pieces signed, and superb condition for a Sherman, make this a wonderful investment piece for the Sherman collector. Please click on the photos to visit the shop, see more pictures and read more about this one. Then contact me!

SHERMAN BRACELETS ARE "ALL THAT" ON EBAY!

2009-05-25T14:27:00.007-04:00

Okay...it's getting to that point that the only Shermans worth watching on eBay are the bracelets. So much for Sherman bracelets being rare or hard to get! I don't think I can ever remember seeing so many on auction on eBay as I'm seeing now. What's more, Sherman is one of the few vintage designer costume pieces that is selling, and selling consistently i.e. it's rare to see a Sherman not sell on eBay. Correction: they sell if they're being sold in auction format. That means, of course, that the seller takes that huge leap of faith that the Sherman they're selling will at least reach what they invested or what the piece should be worth. And from my observations, the one thing that seems to do that consistently, are Sherman bracelets.

So if you're in the market for a Sherman bracelet, you might like the two I'm showing in this blog post. Both are very much worth buying. The one shown at the top is that lovely design you don't come across all that often. It's in warm amber and champagne tones and is 2 1/2" wide. Highly desirable. But wait! There's more: this auction isn't just for the bracelet: this is an entire 3-piece parure consisting of bracelet, earrings and necklace. WOW! This is one you should go for. It finishes May 26th and right now there are only 3 bidders but watch that change in the last few minutes. Bidding is already at $501.69. If it were to stop there, the buyer is a real winner as that would be a bargain for this set. I'll be watching for sure. Here's a photo of the full parure:

The other Sherman bracelet worth watching and possibly going for is the one below. It's another of those highly sought after cuff bracelets in those highly sought after colors: pink and fuschia. This one's a real beauty: it's 1 3/4" wide and 7" long and according to the seller, in great condition. But now, this'll really be interesting. You see, the seller in the parure above, started the auction at $9.99 USD and in only one bid, it shot up to $350. Two bids later, it was at its current price. In the case of the gorgeous fuschia cuff bracelet below,

the seller is starting the auction at $599 USD. That's possibly all the seller will get given the resistance ebay buyers seem to have to auctions that start high. (I tested that this past week by listing my gorgeous faux alexandrite brooch set on ebay starting at what I paid for it ie. $149 USD. It didn't sell. But I've seen similar sets go for more dollars when the auction started at a low figure. Yes, I was too afraid of getting less than I paid. Happens to me too often on ebay LOL!)

But speaking of that, I am open to offers on that faux alexandrite set if you're interested. Check it out HERE. As long as your offer covers my cost and shipping to you, it's yours. For that matter, you can do the same on all my Shermans right now while I'm in the mood to get out of this crazy business of selling vintage costume jewelry.

SHERMANS TO WATCH ON EBAY & WHY GOOD DESCRIPTIONS ARE NECESSARY WHEN YOU'RE SELLING!

2009-05-18T14:02:00.010-04:00

I took a bit of a beating in the comments left on my previous post but despite what folks said, I stand firm on my belief that when you're selling anything, whether it's Sherman or a car, descriptions need to be accurate, especially if the price tag is high. Buyers want to know what they're buying is a good investment, and jewelry by Sherman is a good investment, especially if the piece is in top condition, has no loose or replaced stones, is signed, is in a high-demand color etc etc.

So it's nice to find a lovely piece like the necklace shown on the right which is currently at auction on ebay and ends in about 8 hours from now. I'll most definitely be watching this one, especially since it has a reserve. At this time, bidding has reached $132.49. Will they crack that reserve?

In my opinion, this a gorgeous necklace, primarily because of its unusual design: you don't see ones like this everywhere. And thankfully, the seller has done a good job telling us what we want to know about it. Here's their description:

"Absolutely stunning SIGNED SHERMAN necklace. Made of the Aurora Borealis rhinestones. Perfect condition. I have shown some pictures using a flash and others without. Measures 17" in total. 10" on one side and 7" on the other (from the middle of the front). All stones are shiney (sp) and accounted for. Each of the 2 halves in the front measure 2" long by 1" thick."

This description, though short, tells the buyer exactly what they need to know and lets the buyer make an informed decision to bid or not.

Those of you in the market for one of those sought-after wide bracelets might like to go for this one on the left. It finishes on the evening of May 19th. This is a good-looking bracelet and according to the description provided by the seller, it's a "Sherman Signed Bracelet 5 rows great condition. All stones are great. Measures 17" by 1". I've purchased Sherman from this seller in the past and I know her descriptions are accurate. Don't be afraid to go for this one. Right now, bidding is at $148.49 USD. Since it's aurora borealis and not one of the "hot" Sherman colours, you might get this one at a reasonable price.

I've found one more Sherman ending on ebay this week that is really something else. It's the one shown on the left. How different is that?! It's not what we usually think of when we think Sherman but I'm going to guess this one will fetch a good dollar because it's so unique. Again, it's signed, always a plus when a buyer is unsure. It's being offered by the same seller who is selling that bracelet just above. So perhaps if you're lucky and win both, she might be able to combine shipping for you. Do ask before you bid. Here's what she's telling us about this one:

"SHERMAN Pearl RARE Necklace Signed Sherman on the back of the clasp. Excellent condition. Measures 22" Long and the center piece is Mother of Pearl polished and exquisite. The clasp exhibits the coil wire finishing to the strand at the clasp. There are cobalt blue beads between all the 8mm faux pearls. Very Princess like and feminine."

I might be tempted to go for this one myself because it's so unique. One way or the other, I'll be watching. It ends on the evening of May 20th. That seller, by the way, has quite a few other Sherman pieces up for grabs, so you might like to check "Sellers Other Items".

Speaking of bracelets, and while I'm busy promoting other sellers' items, I nearly forgot that I've also just listed the lovely wide signed Sherman bracelet shown below at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. The full description along with several views of the bracelet from different angles is available in the RUBY LANE listing.

Since my detractors accuse me of "yapping" too much, I won't say anything about my own piece but just click the photo or the links above so you can read all about it and see more photos.

Cheers and happy buying and bidding!

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS: SHERMAN BRACELET PRICES!

2009-05-12T17:19:00.002-04:00

Okay, in my last post I raved on a bit about the incredibly high prices being asked and being paid for Sherman jewelry lately, especially when the jewelry is a bracelet. I also suggested that just maybe sellers are getting a bit greedy and trying to capitalize on this rush to acquire Shermans. I need to make one thing clear in case any of my fellow associates thought I was pointing a finger at them: I wasn't. I know, one in particular, is selling off an estate on consignment. So her prices are what the person she is selling for wants to get. That's just fine by me. And let me just add, that both the seller and owner are doing fantastically with their sales. This owner certainly has a collection to die for.

So now that's out of the way, let me address the rest: the ones I believe are jumping on the band wagon and looking to score bigtime, like the person selling the bracelet shown in the photo above. It's a gorgeous bracelet, and Sherman bracelets being as hard to get as they are, most of us would jump at this one, especially since it's 6-row piece and hence wide, even more desirable.

But, and it's a big BUT, this seller has simply shown a few small photos and in his/her description states nothing more than "I'll let the pictures do the talking". Well, for starters, if the photos were terrific, like the ones in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, where you see 9 photos of a piece from various angles, front and back, and super close-up, the pictures might indeed do the talking. But even then, a seller asking a lot for a piece owes the buyers a bit more than just good photos. They need to really tell the buyer about the piece and disclose any issues that might impact on the purchaser's decision to buy.

So what might have happened here if a buyer hadn't asked a few questions? Someone might just have paid the starting price of $4000!! Yes, you read right: this seller is asking $4000 for this bracelet! So, big deal you say: folks are paying in the thousands now for Sherman bracelets. Yeah, sure they are for those rare as hen's teeth rigid cuff bracelets in popular colors (such as my aforementioned colleague is selling!) But not for the very much more common regular blue Sherman bracelets. Those go for between $200 - $300!

But there's more. When an interested buyer asked this seller for more information i.e. how about some dimensions, e.g. width, length, any missing stones etc. that's when we found out what the pictures didn't tell us: there are 4 small stones missing, 2 on either side. 'Scuse me? You're asking $4000 for a Sherman bracelet with missing stones yet? Did I say something about sellers becoming greedy? How about being dishonest too. Yes, he/she answered the question and thankfully posted the reply, but not disclosing that information to start with is just a tad deceitful don't you agree? Just imagine the disappointment and anger a buyer would feel if they were foolish enough to pay the opening price only to find missing stones! ARRRRGGGHHH! That kind of thing makes me mad and it happens far too often when folks don't make informed purchases and don't query the seller.

In this case, there's one more thing that most of us who do shop on ebay would look at besides the price and the item: the seller's feedback. Guess what? This seller has ZERO feedback! Again, sure, all sellers start with zero feedback if they've never bought or sold on ebay before (though most buy up for a while to establish their good reputations). But when you look at this seller's other listings (there are only 4 of them), three of them have thousand dollar price-tags. Now this seller could be 100% honest and well-intended, but all their descriptions are one-liners with little information and big asking prices. Methinks this seller needs some basic training in how to sell honestly and well before some angry ebay buyer comes down on him/her like a ton of bricks. Of course, odds are he/she won't sell anything either. Buyers are leery of new sellers asking massive dollars.

That's my rant for this week ... except to remind you where you can find Sherman jewelry at affordable prices from an honest seller: SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE at RUBY LANE.

IS SHERMAN CRAZE CREATING GREEDY SELLERS or IMPULSIVE BUYERS on EBAY?

2009-04-28T17:45:00.006-04:00

Okay, shoot me down if you like but I'm getting ticked off with what's happening with Sherman. Has everyone gone mad? In my last blog, I was incredulous seeing that gorgeous purple/pink cuff bracelet go for $2700 when the seller was asking $3500. I suppose the buyer figured they got a good deal. $2700! Let me think what I could buy with $2700? A used car? A vacation? A cruise? Groceries for our family of 4 for the next 9 weeks? I don't know about you but for me, that's a horrific amount of money for, well, what is essentially, second-hand jewelry that isn't even real gemstones! Oh I can hear the collectors and sellers groaning. I'm sorry but hey, this is my blog and I can think and say what I like. I just see it getting harder and harder to buy Sherman that I can afford and that those who buy from me can afford. So what's that got to do with the cuff bracelet shown above? Oh, that's another one that sold on eBay recently. This one went to auction ie.. not a "buy it now". Bidding started at 99 cents. There were 10 bidders. The winner paid won it for a mere $2485 USD. Ay yay yay!

Well if you're still in the market for a cuff bracelet and figures like that don't send you into a spin, here's one going on eBay now. Click the photo to go directly to the auction. It ends on May 4th. What's interesting with this one is the seller originally listed it with a BIN of over $3000. I guess he was excited after seeing what those others went for. But he's taken his asking price down now. You can BUY IT NOW if you like for only $1999.00 USD. Great price if you consider what the others went for. But wait! He wants offers. He's had two but he hasn't accepted them. So what does he want? It's very pretty and comes with matching earrings that aren't signed but look a good match. It's not the most in demand color, but it is the desired width i.e
1 1/2". So what's the problem? Well, according to his description, there's a stone missing. The safety chain is also missing. Maybe that's why the offers aren't what he'd like. Collectors don't like missing parts in their Shermans. It's not easy to replace vintage stones i.e to find the right color and shape to fit the space. And yes, you can get another safety chain. More money out to pay for repairs.

All of which brings me back to the headline for this blog: what is happening here? I almost feel like there's some kind of craze going on with Shermans, and it's creating greed: greed in the sellers asking super high prices and buyers fearful of missing out, are paying more and more. As a result, prices are being inflated. I see many lovely pieces on eBay being offered as Buy It Now's and also not selling because the seller's price is just too high. Or the reserve is too high.

I, for one, am feeling this is getting out of control. I, for two, am baulking at paying prices like this for Sherman or any designer vintage jewelry. Oh sure, there are those who can and always will be able to afford this kind of extravagance. But I'm not one of them. If this Sherman blog disappears in the future, you'll know why: I simply got tired of paying too much for my Shermans and then not being able to re-coup that investment when it came time to sell it. Until then though, those who are looking for affordable Sherman jewellery, know where to find me. I've got some lovely new pieces in OUR RUBY LANE SHOP now and also in my SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. We're running a Mother's Day Sale in the Ruby Lane shop and some of the Shermans are marked down to almost what I paid. Slip over and take a look...and pick up a real bargain! In the meantime, I'll save that $2000 or $3000 for my next holiday!

SHERMAN JEWELRY: TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY?

2009-04-15T12:28:00.009-04:00

I never cease to be amazed both by what buyers will pay for Sherman jewelry, and conversely, what sellers think they should get for Sherman jewelry. Sometimes the two are miles apart!

Take that magnificent cuff bracelet shown here. This one was listed as a "BUY IT NOW or Make and Offer"on Ebay for $3500. To my shock, it sold less than 2 days to that buyer who's buying up all the rare Shermans on ebay for an offer of $2700. Now granted, if you have no holds on your budget, I guess you can spend that much on one piece of Sherman and yes, Sherman cuff bracelets are the be all and end all for savvy investors in Sherman. But gee, $2700?! I'd baulk at paying that for a 22k gold 2 carat diamond necklace! Come to think of it, I could probably buy that fine jewelry for less!

Getting prices like this for Sherman, on ebay yet, is unquestionably pushing the prices of Sherman higher and higher. Honestly, Sherman should be spelled $herman these days! I can't help but wonder if what's happening here could possibly go the way Oil and other things went last year i.e. it caused a balloon and suddenly it burst. Personally, I'd be rather cautious of possibly paying too much. "What goes up, must come down" as the song says.

But now, to return to my opening statements i.e. what buyers will pay and what sellers ask can be miles apart. Take this example: shown on the left is one very lovely Sherman set that failed to sell on ebay last week. It's gorgeous. What happened?

I thought it was exquisite: beautiful, unique design; a 3-piece parure yet and the bidding got to $271 USD and stopped dead. The seller had a reserve on it, which does often stop buyers. But I think buyers only stop if they can't see paying more for the piece than the most they feel it's worth. It's just like selling a house: you might think it's worth far more than the market does. So it sits there forever with the vendor sticking to his price and no-one buying. This sure can happen with Sherman too. I've watched one on ebay that I've mentioned elsewhere in this blog. It's been listed 3 times now and hasn't sold yet. It's lovely; the colours are desirable; the design is different and the condition superb. Why hasn't anyone bought it yet? Obviously what the seller thinks it's worth and what the buyer is prepared to pay are miles apart.

So, of course, as both a buyer and a seller, I'm always battling the dilemma of "to buy or not to buy". If I come across a piece that I know is a steal, I don't hesitate. But when the dollar is way up there, I have to weigh up that decision pretty carefully. If I spend $250 buying a piece of Sherman, will someone else pay me more ... or heaven forbid ... less when it's time to sell it? I often waffle back and forth, looking at piece, reading the description over and over if it's online, and being so hesitant to make the decision that I've walked away more often than I've bought. Actually when I think of it, that's a bit for a rule for me: if I take 48 hours to decide and still can't decide, I walk away.

I'm the same with buying a dress: if there's something that just isn't making me feel "I've got to have this", I walk away. Most of the time, I'm glad I made that decision. But it's different with a dress or anything you can buy in a retail outlet where you can try it on, touch it, turn it and see if it feels right all the way. Buying online can be very difficult. All you have is photos and a description and the hope that the seller is being honest and accurate. And unfortunately, not many sellers are honest and accurate about what they're selling.

Well time to wrap this up but not without quoting what one of my regular Sherman buyers once wrote to me. She said the reasons she buys so much Sherman from me are:

1) fabulously good photos showing all sides of the item 2) my willingness to disclose the exact condition of the item even if it's not the best ie. wear to the plate backing, damaged or cloudy stones, accurate details re lengths etc 3) my prices are in line with the desirability of the piece ie. rare or common color? signed or not signed? excellent or mediocre condition; single piece, demi or parure?

All of those factors are important when buying Sherman or any designer vintage jewelry, especially if you're buying online. She who hesitates too long might lose out but conversely, jumping in when you're not sure isn't wise either. The adage is true: asking questions is a sign of intelligence. So ask questions, clarify details, and make sure the item is within your budget before you invest in your next piece of Sherman.

We are always adding "new" affordable Shermans to our shelves in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, and our site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. So bookmark those sites and check them often. Coming to our shop soon ... the gorgeous set shown below in citrine and topaz!

THINK BEFORE YOU LEAP! CONSIDER BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

2009-04-13T01:34:00.003-04:00

This blog is a departure from my usual. I'm not going to talk about Sherman jewelry tonight. I'm going to write about something far more personal. I'm doing this as a way of apologizing to someone I care about. I'm doing it to make myself feel better, though I'm not sure that'll work. But here goes anyway.

Have you ever said anything you really regretted saying, especially when someone was hurt by your words? Of course you have. We all do it, and sometimes we do it to those we love and value the most, don't we. There's truth in that song that went "you always hurt the one you love".

Well when you write a blog, it's even worse if you say something that ends up hurting someone because now it's in print and everyone can read it. And that's what happened to me last night. I wrote a piece in this blog about how hard it can be to make the decision to buy. Some folks decide quickly. Others take time. Some agonize over a decision. Others leap and think later. Leap and think later ... that's what I did and in the process I hurt someone dear to me with my words.

You might have seen that piece. Maybe you read it. Maybe you thought I was talking about you as it's an experience many would identify with. To make my point about how you can take too long deciding to buy, I used a recent experience with a customer. That customer read the blog and took offense. And so I hurt someone I really care about.

I deleted that post, but I cannot delete the damage that's been done to a friendship I value. Can it be repaired? That's not for me to decide. But I do want to say that if you, like me, write a blog, please think before you leap. Consider the consequences of your words. So often I've read we need to be careful about what we say online. Well I've just learned the hard way how true that is. I also know that the word "sorry" is hopelessly inadequate when you hurt someone.

My friend thought I made her look stupid. No, dear friend. The only one looking ... and feeling very stupid here is me.

A SHERMAN BRACELET TO DIE FOR! SOLD FOR $1257 US on EBAY!

2009-04-02T16:21:00.006-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around lately. The March Madness sale in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE was super busy and some of our customers got some great deals on all our jewelry, including our Shermans. It was truly a case of "first in, best dressed"! Now I'm busy re-building my stock of Shermans. I've got some lovely pieces to tell you about but I'll save those for another post because right now, I want to tell you about the incredible bracelet on auction right now on Ebay and shown in the photo above.

Mind you, by the time you read this, that auction will be over and I'm going to make a guess that the bidding will exceed $700 USD for this one. Even now as I write, with 2 hours to go, it's already over $500. Who will be the lucky winner? At a guess, it'll be that buyer who's been buying up all the Shermans on ebay. Her bid is currently the high one: surprise, surprise ... NOT!

In the event that you stumble across this post in a month or two when the auction is no longer showing on ebay, here's the ID number for that auction: 360142850200 You'll be able to locate it for a while. In the meantime, let's talk about why this bracelet is one "to die for".

The first thing that should jump at you is the gorgeous design: pure artistry. This features a gorgeous array of various shaped stones. Now look at the symmetry! As for color, the stones apparently are a combination of purple, clear, bronze, gold and clear. And then there's the other rare factor: the width of the bracelet: it's a little over 2 1/2" wide! Now that's a wide Sherman bracelet! Do you know how hard it is to get Sherman bracelets of that width, let alone one with this fabulous design? That's what makes this bracelet one to die for!

Unfortunately, I can't afford to die for it. Way beyond my budget but I'll happily watch someone else win it. I'll let you know in my next post (which will be about some of the Sherman bracelets I've got for sale and that we ordinary folk can afford) what this one went for. The photo below shows how it looks on a wrist. Too bad it'll never be on mine. But if you have the good luck to come across a Sherman bracelet like this one at a great price, and I have seen others like this, then grab it. This is a collector's piece all the way! And yes, it's signed "Sherman"

LATE BREAKING NEWS ON THIS AUCTION:

I just checked. Boy was I off the mark. I thought it would go for $750 or thereabouts. Well, as you can see from the headline, it went for $1257 USD! And that buyer who's been buying all the Shermans on ebay missed it by $7. Ouch! But can you believe it? That's more money than I can get for genuine gold, diamond and gemstone jewelry pieces. I don't think Gustave Sherman would have believed his "fabulous fakes" could be worth more than the real thing!

So is Sherman jewellery a wise investment? Come visit OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE or our site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and start collecting at reasonable prices!

MAKE AN OFFER ON SHERMAN JEWELLERY DURING MARCH MADNESS SALE!

2009-03-16T21:35:00.011-04:00

I got my blogs mixed up a few days back ... that's the trouble with us vintagers! I yapped on an on in MY OTHER BLOG about Shermans on auction this past week and encouraged readers to watch the auction for this gorgeous Sherman set above which was remarkably like the Juliana set by D&E that I have listed in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

Well I watched that auction tonight. With 12 seconds to go, the high bid was still less than $100 US. Then in came the snipes I guess and bam! This one went for $425US. I nearly choked. Holy smoke! And you know what, only the earrings are signed. But as the seller pointed out and as is pointed out in the latest book on Sherman, "The Masterpiece Collection", this isn't uncommon especially with Sherman's bead sets like this one.

So now I look again at all the lovely Shermans I have currently for sale in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE and ask myself why I'm selling them so cheaply. What am I missing here LOL!

I've heard of MARCH MADNESS and right now, I'm suffering from it. You see, we're running a MARCH MADNESS SALE in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE right now, through to the end of March and this is your chance to pick up some really nice Shermans (necklaces, bracelets, brooches and sets) at a great price. I feel my Shermans are most reasonably priced even when they're not on sale, and now I'm giving my customers a chance to save even more!

Take that gorgeous colorado topaz necklace shown above. This is such a gorgeous design and the necklace is in lovely condition with bright, beautifully colored swarovski crystals. I'm asking $295US for this one but during our MARCH MADNESS SALE, you are welcome to make me an offer. I might say no but then, I might say yes! You'll never know if you don't ask.

Or how about this incredible fushia necklace shown on the left? It's utterly sensational with fabulous glitter and a swirl of crystals going from one end to the other. It's $295 too but again, you can make an offer.

And then there's the deliciously lovely faux alexandrite brooch and earrings set shown in the photo below. It changes from mauve to blue/green depending on the light and it's in outstanding condition. We've put up two photos here so you can see that color change. This is like having 2 different Sherman sets and people are always fascinated by the way faux alexandrite changes color, not to mention that faux alexandrite jewelry by Sherman isn't the easiest thing to find. I've got this set listed at a very reasonable $250! I watched a faux alexandrite set like this go on ebay 2 weeks ago for over $375! And now, with March Madness, I'm saying you can make an offer? I must be mad!

NEWLY LISTED SHERMANS ON EBAY THIS WEEK of MARCH 8, 2009

2009-03-08T18:27:00.004-04:00

I don't make a habit of promoting Shermans for sale by other vendors ( I want to sell my own stock LOL) but then, today is International Women's Day and I do like helping other women, especially when they are my colleagues at Ruby Lane. So today I'm happy to tell you about this incredible Sherman demi for sale by Pam. Actually, she has it on auction at Ebay this week but is offering it at a BUY IT NOW price of $995 or BEST OFFER. This one will be interesting indeed!

Now if you're a Sherman collector, I'd suggest you'd want to add this one to your collection. It's incredible. Just look at that design! It's a stunning combination of siam red and clear slender navettes that cascade down to that knockout central siam red stone. What an outstanding piece. If you can afford it, go for it! This is definitely one for the collectors and if you wear your Sherman, then expect every eye in the room to be on you when you arrive wearing this one!

While I was away, the gorgeous Sherman parure shown below was on auction. I was very surprised to see that it didn't sell. It again has one of the most wanted colors: deep purple, used in combination with lilac and amethyst shades. Furthermore, this one is a 3-piece set: brooch, earrings and necklace, and in my opinion, it's very lovely. The vendor had an opening bid of only $329 for this set, with a BUY IT NOW of $379. Maybe his photos didn't do it justice or maybe it was just a bad week for auctions. But if any of you readers like this one, email me via my SHOP AT RUBY LANE and I'll put you in touch with the seller.

It's always interesting to watch Shermans being auctioned on ebay. Some go. Some don't. One simple single strand glass bead set didn't sell this morning and the opening bid was only $49.95. Why some fly and others don't is a mystery but I'm sure it all has to do with different and/or unusual designs and colors. That said, I'll be interested in seeing how the one shown below goes in a couple of days time: it's clear stones and they are not the most sought after pieces. But, look at the design: now that's really different isn't it!

Will you go for it? (Click on the photo to go to auction page). I swore off the clear rhinestone Shermans last year when it took me months and months to sell a fabulous Art Deco set that I had in my Ruby Lane shop and also tried to auction on ebay. It didn't fly on ebay at all and I couldn't understand it. It was unique and had cost me a bundle. I ended up selling it at cost on Ruby Lane and that hurt. But maybe that was last year and my timing was unfortunate. I've seen several clear stone pieces do very well on ebay this year. I tell you, timing really is everything. Well I'll be watching this one. Maybe I'll even bid on it. With my luck, if I win it, when I go to sell it no-one will want the clear ones again! Must be nice to just be a collector and not a seller. You don't worry about things like that LOL!

Say, while I'm busy pushing other seller's sites, if you're new to my blog, why don't you stop by my SHOP AT RUBY LANE and check out some of my Shermans currently on sale there. You don't have to win an auction to buy one of those and they're reasonably priced too. Or you can make me an offer. You never know what I'll say. Hope all you ladies had a lovely International Woman's Day. Bet some of you didn't even know what today was, right?

SOME FABULOUS SHERMAN SETS HAVE SURFACED LATELY ON EBAY ... BUT OH THE PRICES!

2009-03-05T19:30:00.008-05:00

I haven't been neglecting my blog folks but I have been away for a much needed vacation. But I still put watches on Sherman auctions going on eBay and returned to find some amazing pieces had sold ... and at incredible prices. Boy, ebay used to be the best place to get Shermans for less, but not any more! Must admit, I find it strange that folks will enter the auction process and in many cases, end up paying more than they might have had they just bought directly from a Sherman vendor. But hey, it's their money they're spending. And now looking at what these pieces fetched on eBay, well put it this way: it's hard to believe we're nearly in a depression: someone has money!!

Take that gorgeous faux alexandrite set shown in the first picture. Actually I'm suprised it only went for $410 US. It's rare to find a 3-piece set like this, with necklace, bracelet and earrings. You can read more about that one by clicking on the photo ie. at least for as long as ebay will have it listed. Had I been around, I might have bid on this one, but then again, it's too similar to the gorgeous KRAMER parure I have listed in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE and shown below:

And if I'm 100% honest, I prefer my Kramer. Besides it's a 4 piece set & a book piece. And the color changes from lavender purple to blue/green in this set are fantastic. Click the photo to see more of this one. But I digress...

The very beautiful Sherman set shown on the left sold for a whopping $690 USD! Of course there are a couple of reasons for that: its design is riveting and unique and its colors are again, one of the most popular ones: fuschia and pink. Now what would I have sold that for in my shop? Probably quite a bit less but again, being at auction, though there were only 3 bidders, they kept bumping each other up.

I think the same bidders were out to get each other on this other lovely fuschia set shown below:

This one went for $511 USD.
Note the
similarities: high demand color and unusual design. There's no doubt about it: these are Shermans for collectors ... and those who can afford them! Wish I were amongst them LOL!

Now this last one (shown below) blew me away .. not only because of the price it got but I have to admit, it's a real WOW! I'm crazy for the color... amethyst, lavender ... and those glass crystal beads are magnificent. So is what it cost the winning bidder: $811 USD!! Holy Smoke! But it's a smoking hot Sherman if ever there was one. There were 5 bidders on this one.

By the way, it might interest you to know that one person won all of these pieces! Do the maths and see what she spent on Sherman in one week. This buyer has bought from me in the past but she's never spent like she did here. Has she suddenly won the lottery? One thing's certain: she sure has amassed a fantastic and valuable collection of Sherman jewelry!

IT MAY BE "ARTISTIC" BUT IS IT REALLY A SHERMAN?

2009-02-09T19:07:00.002-05:00

The heading on a recently ended eBay auction for the lovely set shown above read as follows:

DAZZLING HUGE GREEN SHERMAN ARTISTIC NECKLACE EARRINGS

With the word "Sherman" in the title, of course I took a look as I'm sure so did many others. The seller used words like "breathtaking", "fabulous", "unique" to describe the set, and certainly, it's very lovely. But it had only one bid and sold for $65. Why?

My guess is that those who know, buy, collect and sell Sherman doubted it was a Sherman, despite that headline. Even more, they doubted what the seller said about this piece:

I HAVE HEARD A RUMOUR THAT THE "ARTISTIC" COMPANY WAS ANOTHER COMPANY THAT GUSTAV SHERMAN STARTED

THE QUALITY OF THIS SET IS JUST AS GOOD AS SHERMAN

Well maybe the quality is as good as Sherman, but I, for one, have never heard that rumour. Have any of my readers? I've gone through all the vintage jewelry books on my shelf, including Valerie Hammond's "All that Glitters" and the latest "Sherman Jewellery: the Masterpiece Collection" by Sandra Caldwell and Evelyn Yallen and can find no reference to a company called "Artistic" or even an allusion to Sherman having started another company under that name. Can anyone shed any light on this? I wonder who started such a rumor?

My point is this: from the viewpoint of someone who's new to Sherman, how easy is it for them to fall victim to this kind of advertising? If it's not a Sherman, and I don't think it is, what of the buyer who's congratulating herself on snagging a gorgeous "Sherman" for such a low price? She then happily wears it believing it's a valuable Sherman and then one day decides to sell it herself and tells everyone interested it's a Sherman, unless someone clues her in first.

This kind of thing happens all the time, especially on eBay. The most abused is the Juliana line by DeLizza & Elster. Because no Julianas were signed, sellers are taking many lovely unsigned pieces, advertising and selling them as "Juliana". Again, it all comes back to the buyer needing to educate him or herself about vintage designer jewelry: learning what to look for, what makes one piece a Sherman, another a Juliana, another a Haskell, and another an "Artistic".

Most likely, there is a company called "Artistic" somewhere out there but where and when did they produce and where can one find more pieces by them? If any of you know, please leave a comment on this blog. In the meantime, if you're buying Sherman, even if it's artistic and likened to Sherman, don't assume it is a Sherman. Buy it because you like it. Buy it as a example of lovely vintage jewelry. But while it may be artistic, is it a Sherman?

You know where you can be sure you're getting authentic Sherman Jewellery? From SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It's artistic all right but more importantly, it really is SHERMAN!

WHEN BUYING SHERMAN JEWELRY, BE AWARE & BEWARE

2009-02-04T14:05:00.005-05:00

Today's post has been prompted by a story one of my colleagues has just shared with me. She's pretty upset and rightfully so.

She won an auction for a Sherman demi on eBay for which she paid $180 USD. The demi was a pretty fuschia colored brooch and earring set. Now, I don't know about you, but for $180 US, I'd be expecting a set in top condition.

Well the set arrived, and to her horror, there was a large, noticeable chip in one of the earrings. Now we're not talking about a "flea-bite" i.e. a chip so small you need a magnifying glass or a loupe to see it. No, this one was big, visible to the naked eye.

Furthermore, the wear to the backs of the earrings was considerable, down to bare metal with verdigris yet. What makes this so bad is not just the fact that she had paid so much for this set but that the seller had described it as in 'MINT' condition! Okay, let's consider what "mint condition" means. To me, it means no signs of wear, as if it's been boxed and unworn since the day it was purchased. Now let's get real here: how often do you come across "mint" vintage jewelry? It's very hard to find. After all, most of these lovely pieces are pre-loved and most likely, often worn. So they simply cannot be "mint".

In my humble opinion, as a seller, the onus is on us to be as honest as we can be. Yes, things can slip by us, but if we're selling Sherman or any other vintage rhinestone jewelry, we need to be looking at the stones through strong loops, testing the stones to see if they are sitting securely in the prongs, looking at each stone for any sign of clouding, milkiness, dulling. All of these detract from the value of the piece and we owe it to our buyers to be honest about the condition of the jewelry we sell.

I have several loyal customers, one of which buys a lot of my Shermans. She recently purchased the wide bracelet shown below:

Now when I received this bracelet from a seller, and I paid a lot for it, I was terribly disappointed in its condition: she had gone on and on about how beautiful it was, how un-marked, how the stones glittered and how little she had worn it. I couldn't wait to see it. As soon as it arrived, I got out my loupe and saw far more wear to the aurora borealis than should have been there if she'd only worn it a few times as she stated. Some of the prongs were loose. We tightened them. It did indeed glitter beautifully despite that and thankfully, there were no cloudy stones. But in my heart I knew I couldn't ask what I would have for a bracelet like this.

So in my description I fully disclosed the details of its condition and hoped someone would want it regardless. I set the price at a very reasonable dollar taking its condition into account. My loyal buyer bought it almost as soon as I listed it. Her reason? She told me one reason she buys so much from me is that she knows my descriptions are honest. I don't say something's "mint" when it's only good. She trusted my assessment on this one completely.

When she finally got it, she wrote to say how ecstatic she was with her purchase and yes, she could see what I'd found fault with, but to her it was still worth what she paid and more. Now that's what a seller wants to hear and what a customer deserves: our honesty and full disclosure of any issues we're aware of so the customer can make an informed decision before buying.

So the message in all this for buyers is this: be aware and beware. Ask questions, especially if you're new to buying Sherman and if you are buying on eBay. There are a lot of honest sellers on eBay and we all know there are the others. So read descriptions carefully. Check the return and refund policies. And don't think that eBay is the only place to get a bargain on Sherman jewelry. Quite honestly, some of the Shermans available from our SHOP AT RUBY LANE and at our Sherman only site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE (Canadian dollars) are better than you can get on eBay. So shop around! There are lots of good honest sellers out there and when you find one, stick with them. Bookmark their site or their shop. Subscribe to their mailing list so you can be on top of new additions or sales. You can subscribe to our mailing list at Ruby Lane via THIS LINK. (You need to be registered to subscribe).

As for my colleague who prompted this blog, she did manage to get a refund after many heated emails and lots of frustration. The seller accused her of chipping the earring! My colleague asked if she was also responsible for the dirt and wear to the earrings in the short time she'd had them? She had to provide photos to prove her point and get her refund. None of that would have been necessary if the seller had been knowledgeable, caring and above all, honest.

Do you have a horror story to share about something you've purchased? Why not tell us about it in a comment on this post?

SHERMAN JEWELRY IS FETCHING HIGHER & HIGHER PRICES. ARE OURS TOO LOW??

2009-01-27T17:31:00.003-05:00

Have you been watching any auctions for Sherman jewelry on ebay lately? I have. In fact, I desperately wanted the gorgeous bracelet shown below but it just went too high for me:

It has all the elements collectors are looking for: great color (lavender); wide (1 1/8" wide) and from the vendor's description, it's in "excellent condition". The winning bid was $357.52 USD.

The seller also had the matching stunning earrings shown on the left in a second auction finishing shortly after the first. The same bidder won both auctions and that, quite honestly, was a smart move as they obviously belong together. I think there was even a brooch in yet another auction but I don't know the outcome of that one and couldn't find it later. The earrings went for $75 USD.

So add it up and this bidder has paid $432.52 for what is now a "set". Is that a good price? I'd say the winner got a good deal for Sherman jewelry in this color and condition. But as you can see, it didn't come cheap.

Buying sets of Sherman jewelry is always a wise investment: they're simply worth more to collectors. These days, when I'm scrounging for Sherman, I'm always on the lookout for sets ie.. a buyer who wears her Sherman prefers a necklace to have matching earrings, or a brooch that comes with earrings. Sometimes people are new to buying Sherman, do as I did initially: they buy up a necklace here, a brooch there, earrings here, a bracelet there and end up with lots of nice individual pieces that have no mates. If you do that, then try to keep an eye out for matching pieces. Surprisingly, you can find them if you wait long enough. And it's actually fun and quite fulfilling when you do find a match.

But for the most part, while it's more expensive to buy sets, or better yet, 2-3 piece parures, it's always the better investment. This past week I've enjoyed sales on several pieces of Sherman from OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE but most of those have been sets. Smart shoppers those! My pink grande parure from a couple of posts back is gone. So is my fabulous faux alexandrite Brooch/earring and bracelet set. The lovely emerald green and clear navette necklace/earring set has a sale pending too, along with a highy desirable fuschia baguette bracelet.

What is this saying about Sherman? It's still very much in demand. What's it saying about our prices for Sherman? That our prices are still very reasonable. What's should it be saying to you? Get over to our RUBY LANE SHOP now while we still have some good sets left at affordable prices, because quite frankly, with the dollars folks are paying on ebay, which is usually the cheapest place to buy Sherman, our prices are starting to look way too low! So get over to our shop now and grab yourself a bargain while you can. How about this gorgeous necklace/earring demi:

It's yours for only $295! What a bargain!

SHERMAN JEWELLERY IS RUNNING HOT RIGHT NOW!

2009-01-20T19:26:00.004-05:00

I've come to the conclusion that vintage jewelry designers go through the same highs and lows, ins and outs, or whatever you want to call the tendency for one designer to be the flavour of the month only to be supplanted by another one, literally, a month or two later.

Not that Sherman is ever "out" but right now, it's running hot. Sometime before Christmas I developed a passion for "Juliana" jewelry by DeLizza & Elster. I couldn't have become interested at a worst time I think. I watched auction after auction on ebay for Juliana fetch huge dollars, more than I could comfortably invest. So I concluded that as much as I loved Juliana, I could never afford it. At that time, Sherman was doing well too, but Juliana was going for much higher dollars.

Well now, no-one seems to be buying Juliana ... but Sherman? Ay yay yay! It's flying high on ebay. Did you see that gorgeous grande parure that just finished today? What a beautiful set!

I don't know if the seller got what she wanted for that one but whoever bought it really scored. It went for $312.99. I would have loved to bid on it, but I've spent so much on stock in the past few months that I had to watch and wish only. What intrigued me about this set was how different it was for a Sherman. Is there no end to variations on Sherman? Seems not. Just when I think I've seen them all, one like this comes along. I had no idea that Sherman also did pearls or faux pearls. And given what I see Michelle Obama wearing in jewelry, I predict that pearls and beads are going to be big in 2009, at least for American women. It seems that they really follow what the first lady wears. So the lucky winner of that gorgeous Sherman set scored in more ways than one, don't you agree?

I'm currently watching a Juliana on ebay that I think is a knockout. It's this one here:

I think this is a magnificent piece of vintage jewelry. I purchased pieces from the lady selling this one before. She has fabulous jewelry. I'd love to buy this one but she does have a reserve on it, and most likely, once again, it will be beyond my budget. Or will it? I watched one of her auctions end on Sunday night and was shocked that the gorgeous Juliana set she sold went for her opening bid and only one seller bid on it. I didn't even try because I just figured it'd go too high. Well it didn't. Does that mean the run on Juliana is now over, that it's no longer the flavour of the month?

A colleague of mine is actually the one who prompted this post. It was she who commented that Sherman is hot, hot, hot right now, maybe because of the new book that came out just before Christmas. She feels it'll probably cool off by this time next year. What do you think? Is Sherman susceptible to taste fluctuations or will it always be hot, hot, hot? I'd love to hear your comments.

PINK SHERMAN GRANDE PARURE IS HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE & VERY BEAUTIFUL!

2009-01-18T16:54:00.004-05:00

Okay ... it's happened to me again! Just when I think I won't find another Sherman better than the last one I bought, I do find one! Well, "better" is the wrong word when it comes to Sherman. Maybe I mean "prettier" or "more dazzling" or "more gorgeous"... Oh what the heck! How about I just tell you about my latest discovery.

It's a fabulous Grande Parure i.e. there's 3 parts to this set: necklace, earrings, and brooch. The necklace is unlike any I've owned: it's semi-rigid, meaning there's a built in "bow" or "curve" to that centerpiece, which is about 5" long. It's a most unusual design the way it splits in the middle. One avid Sherman collector I showed it to said it'd look even more lovely with a single large crystal nestled in that split, and I can't help but agree. But then, who are we to argue with Gustave Sherman. If this is the way he wanted it, so be it.

The set is a lovely mixture of pink/purple Aurora Borealis and incredibly clear pink Swarovski crystals in varying shapes and sizes: marquise and round cuts in the necklace and brooch, slender navettes in the earrings. Is this an original set ie. did all the pieces come together in the first place? Who knows! All I do know is the colors are a perfect match in all the pieces and all pieces are signed "Sherman".

This grande parure by Sherman is in remarkable condition both front and back, with very little wear to the shiny silver rhodium-plate backings. You can see many more photos and read the specific details in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE where we show the price in both US and Canadian dollars. The other thing you'll notice when looking at the photos is that the color of the pink isn't consistent from photo to photo. That's because we had a devil of a time getting accurate color on this one. In bright light or daylight, the pinks are so much paler, as shown here:

But as the light drops, you get colors closer to the one shown in the photo at the top i.e. a much deeper pink that borders on rose or even fuschia. For me, that's a bonus! Where else can you get two of the most in-demand Sherman colors in one set LOL!

This is definitely a Sherman collector's dream for several reasons:

1) It's a grande parure i.e. 3 - 4 piece set
2) It's in one of the most coveted and rarer Sherman colors: PINK
3) It's in superb condition

Want to add it to your Sherman collection? You know what to do. Scurry on over to OUR RUBY LANE SHOP now and make it yours!

FINALLY! A SHERMAN SIAM RED BRACELET TO GO WITH MY SIAM RED SHERMAN EARRINGS!

2009-01-07T13:19:00.003-05:00

If you've been following this blog, you know how much I've wanted to score a piece of Siam Red jewelry by Sherman. I've watched and lost auctions on ebay because the pieces just went too high for me. I've scoured the various sites that sell Sherman and either found none or again, the price was crazy. I'd all but given up on ever acquiring an affordable Siam red Sherman of any kind to go with the only siam red Sherman piece I had: the little earrings in the photo. And then, with some time on my hands just before Christmas, I came across an ad on KIJIJI. And there was this "retired jeweler" selling off his stock, some of which was several pieces of Sherman, including some lovely Sherman bracelets. I wanted to buy them all but hey, I couldn't afford that. But I found the one I wanted: the siam red bracelet in the photo above, and I didn't think twice! So finally, I have a Siam red Sherman Bracelet and earring set.

And the bracelet is a beauty: in great condition, it's 7 1/2" bracelet is 11/16" wide. Even better, it has Sherman's famous japan backing. 5 rows of clear swarovski siam red crystals alternate with siam red aurora borealis marquise stones. And best of all, it didn't cost me what I nearly bid for one on ebay that went for over $1000!

There is a downside, but after reading through my latest book on Sherman Jewellery, "The Masterpiece Collection" by my colleagues, Sandra Caldwell and Evelyn Yallen, I am thoroughly convinced that there are indeed Sherman pieces that left the factory unsigned ... and this bracelet is one of them. In negotiating with the retired jeweler for the bracelet, he informed me that it was one of several sold to him by the Sherman salesman who regularly supplied his shop on Danforth Ave., Toronto, back in the 50's. And looking at the design of the bracelet, its construction and the stones themselves, there's no doubt in my mind this is a bona fide Siam red Sherman bracelet. The earrings, by the way are signed, but as I said, I already had these. They just work well with the bracelet, though they are not japan-backed.

So now for the good news: I am offering this lovely siam red Sherman bracelet and earring set in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE for only $375 US (or the current Canadian equivalent). Please click that link or the photo above to slip over, read more and view more pictures. I doubt you'll find another Siam red Sherman bracelet at this price any time soon, and definitely not on eBay where bidders push those prices sky-high. Why pay more than you have to? Buy it from MY RUBY LANE SHOP today! It'll cost you more if I decide to list it on eBay. Guaranteed!

IT'S A NEW YEAR AND TIME FOR NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE

2009-01-05T16:39:00.008-05:00

Well it's time for me to get out of holiday mode and back into the business of blogging about that lovely Sherman jewellery. Actually, while I haven't done a post for a while now, I have been working hard updating my websites which were in dreadful shape with lots of pieces sold and new additions not yet added. So I'm happy to say now that I'm all caught up and ready for your visits to those sites and your comments on this blog.

Perhaps the best place to start is with my Image Gallery at IMAGE EVENT where you can see several albums of vintage jewelry. But for those looking only at Sherman, my newest arrivals are listed HERE in that gallery. I also have separate albums just for

SHERMAN BROOCHES AND BROOCH SETS

SHERMAN NECKLACES & NECKLACE SETS

SHERMAN BRACELETS & BRACELET SETS

These albums also appear, or are linked to, via my Sherman only site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and all prices shown are in Canadian dollars. But I must confess the fluctuations in the currencies are making it very difficult to state exact prices. Of course, in our VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE at RUBY LANE, I also list my Shermans but those are all in US prices. Really all you have to do in either case, is consult any online CURRENCY CONVERTER and work out the current price in either US or CAD dollars. I use the one at the link provided in this blog.

So now that that's all out of the way, I'd like to share one of my newest additions to my Sherman necklace collection with you...and I think this one's a beauty. For starters, its condition is

outstanding! Secondly, what I really like about this necklace is Sherman's use of the super slender navettes: they're just so elegant! Thirdly, this one is a lovely combination of rich emerald green and glittering, clear swarovski crystals that sparkle like diamonds. It's just gorgeous! The matching clip on earrings are 7/8" X 5/8". And of course, you can see many more photos of this set by clicking the photo above or going directly to this set in OUR RUBY LANE SHOP. This very dramatic set is yours for $295 US or $350 CAD (or whatever the exchange rate is on the day you put in your order LOL!) Here's a close-up view of those fabulous Swarovski crystals:

Well that's it for this round but let me close by wishing all my readers a fabulous 2009! If this is your year to invest in Sherman Jewellery, I hope you'll start with me :))

A SPECIAL GREETING TO ALL WHO FOLLOW THIS SHERMAN JEWELRY BLOG: THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T15:05:00.004-05:00

It's been hectic the past few weeks with lots of sales of my Sherman jewelry which has left my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE looking a bit ragged. So much has sold and I've had no time to update the site and add all the wonderful new pieces that have arrived. I have the best intentions of getting that site back up to date over the Christmas period, but if you can't wait that long ie. if you still have money to spend and want some Sherman, please visit our SHOP AT RUBY LANE for the latest additions to the collection.

And BOXING WEEK SALES start December 27th. We're open to offers on all our regular priced Shermans. So why not try your offer?

In the meantime, I'd like to extend warmest seasons greetings to all who follow this blog and I also invite you to enjoy the video posted here. It's called THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS and is a video I put together for our family back in 2006, starring members of our family and other people we don't know, like our military spending Christmas far from their homes. As the video, plays, please keep your speakers on so you can enjoy a little known Christmas song, called THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS. It was written by one of my songwriter friends, Billy Morgan, and is performed by my daughter and partner at Ruby Lane, VICTORIA BOLAND. When Victoria is not helping me with jewelry, she's onstage somewhere in the world as a singer/songwriter, entertainer and tribute artist.

We hope you enjoy THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS. All the best to all who read this blog!

EXTRA WIDE SHERMAN BRACELET IS ONE FOR SHERMAN COLLECTORS

2008-11-28T21:26:00.007-05:00

Have you been trying to find one of those extra-wide Sherman bracelets that are so hard to find? I sure have! I've been looking for over a year, watching and losing ebay auctions, searching websites and feeling defeated because the prices were always more than I could afford, and ultimately giving up on the idea that I'd ever acquire one of the "biggies". Then I found this one! It still cost me a pretty penny but at least I didn't have to pay in US dollars as is usually the case on ebay, and with the huge difference in the US and Canadian dollar, well quite honestly buying Sherman on ebay is becoming more expensive than ever! But more about that below...

If you follow this blog, you've seen me refer to Valerie Hammond, author of "All That Glitters" on several occasions. Valerie states that Sherman bracelets were not made in the same abundance as his other pieces of jewelry. If that is so, then all Sherman bracelets are highly collectible, regardless of color (nice for a change!). But then, even more collectible are the wide Sherman bracelets like this one.

This "Jewel of Excellence" by Sherman features the hidden clasp (as shown on the left), and is a full 1 1/4" wide. It's comprised of 7 rows of glittering Swarovski crystals: 3 rows of aurora borealis marquise cuts alternate with smoke grey or charcoal round-cut stones. It's a marvellous piece of work and looks just fabulous despite a good deal of wear to the AB wash on those marquise stones. The glitter is still totally incredible.

Any by the way, dare I tell you that this signed Sherman wide bracelet also weighs over 55 grams! Yes, you'll definitely notice it when you're wearing it and so will everyone else!

This extra-wide Sherman bracelet is available in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE now and if you order before December 15th, you'll get it in time to wear at Christmas or on New Year's Eve. Just click the photos above to go there now.

Speaking of purchasing Sherman jewelry, whether on ebay or on private sites like SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, I'm often asked why I don't list my Shermans in Canadian dollars since most buyers of Sherman are Canadian. By way of explanation, in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE, we cannot list in 2 currencies. We have to choose either the US or Canadian dollar for all items at once. Since the majority of our buyers are American and we also have buyers from around the world, it's easier for most of our buyers to work in US dollars. From a personal viewpoint, I'm often quite uncomfortable when one of my Sherman buyers needs me to give them the price in Canadian dollars: it seems so much higher. But if you are going to shop online, I think it's something you have to live with while currencies are so out of line with each other. I know... I hate it too when I buy items in US dollars. It can be brutal.

But I bring this up now for those buying Sherman on eBay. It's a favourite place for collectors to buy Sherman but as you bid higher and higher, unless the seller has listed that item in Canadian dollars, you need to keep the exchange in mind. This past week I saw a Siam red set of bracelet, earrings and brooch go for just over $900 US on ebay. But when you do the maths, that was well over $1100 CAD!! That might not matter just now, but if you ever decide to sell that Sherman and the currencies have come closer together as they were some months back, you might not be able to get the same money in Canadian dollars that you paid now. At least, when you buy your Sherman from a non-auction seller, such as OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE, at least you're not being bumped higher and higher and just maybe too high in the long run. Think about it!

Why not slip over and see that bracelet above now. It most likely will cost you much more on ebay. And while you're there, take a look at some of the other gorgeous Shermans we carry.

"Black Friday" is over and "Cyber Monday" is just ahead. We're ready for you to visit us on Cyber Monday, December 1st, and everyday after until your Christmas shopping is done: we're listening to your offers, on Shermans and other items. So come visit and make an offer now!

RARE SHERMAN SIGNATURE ON THIS SHERMAN BRACELET

2008-11-05T19:41:00.004-05:00

When I first acquired this Sherman bracelet, I was thrilled with how lovely and unique it was. Then I turned it over and looked at the signature. My face flushed. My blood pressure shot up. Oh no! Had I been duped? Had someone sold me a Sherman with a counterfeit signature?

My concern was prompted by a couple of very noticeable things about the signature. For one, it was cut off! That's right. The signature was missing the "an" at the end of the name. Secondly, the slant on the signature seemed wrong: it was too upright. Most of the Sherman script signatures I've seen are slanted strongly to the right. Thirdly, the capital "S" in the signature didn't extend as far over the remaining letters as it usually does. Take a look at the photo below to see what I mean. It shows 3 pieces of my Shermans with their signatures. The difference is noticeable:

The signature closest to the top is from the bracelet I'm describing. The other two are from other Shermans. The differences are obvious.

Of course, I panicked. But then I slowed down and started to compare other elements of this Sherman bracelet: the silver rhodium-plate backing, the clarity and quality of the crystals, and the clasp itself. I'd seen that identical clasp on many older Shermans. So I got busy looking up Sherman signatures on the net. Lo and behold, I did come across the same kind of signature listed as a sample of Sherman's signature. It was more upright, the "S" didn't go as far over the letters and it even looked kind of shaky. I could only draw one conclusion: my bracelet is one of the very early Shermans stamped before the signature was perfected or the actual script of the signature perfected. The fact that the last 2 letters were missing might be indicative of wearing from age, or just improper placement on the clasp. If all that were true, I was holding an even more collectible Sherman bracelet from a historical point of view, not to mention that it is downright pretty!

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else who may have come across this type of signature on other Sherman pieces. And if you are interested in adding this beautiful figure 8 design Sherman to your collection, you can buy it now from my SHOP AT RUBY LANE for only $150.

SHERMAN SALES STILL HOT .. AT LEAST ON EBAY!

2008-10-30T22:32:00.006-04:00

Tonight, in my other blog at THE VINTAGE JEWELRY BLOGGER, I got talking about how difficult those selling designer vintage jewelry are finding sales lately. After all, this is the time of year that sales of glitzy rhinestones start going through the roof as everyone brings out the glittery adornments for those festive get-togethers. Yet, I'm finding many of my sales associates are struggling to get sales, so much so that some are selling off huge lots of lovingly collected designer vintage jewelry on ebay, meaning they often get $5 - $10 a piece that way for items that might have cost them 10 times that.

But that doesn't seem to apply to Sherman Jewelry, at least not if you go by sales on eBay lately. Take that rigid cuff bracelet set shown here. Just for the heck of it, I took a look at recently completed sales, beginning with the highest, and that set above came at the top of the list. It sold for $922.65!! I tell you, I'm floored every time I see designer vintage jewelry which after all, doesn't use real gemstones or precious metals, fetching prices like this! Why I just sold an incredible diamond/sapphire 14k gold necklace recently appraised at over $4400 CAD to a lady in Greece for $900 US. Now that I understand. We're talking diamonds and sapphires, not crystals and gold plate! And yet, that's the value of Sherman for some people: it's more valuable than gold, silver, diamonds and gemstones.

And that's why the message of this post is that Sherman sales are still hot. Even when other designer vintage is suffering some setbacks, Sherman isn't. And what's selling? As always, bracelets, especially cuff bracelets like the one above. Secondly, sets. Sherman collectors want sets i.e. necklaces with earrings, brooches with earrings, or better yet, full parures i.e. those having necklace, earrings, brooch and bracelet. Of course, those are the hardest to find.

That's why my mission for the balance of this year and over 2009, will be to acquire as many Sherman sets as I can find and afford. Those readers who haven't visited my SHOP AT RUBY LANE may not yet have seen this incredible faux alexandrite 3-piece parure below:

That's the same set in both photos. Being faux alexandrite, it's blue/green/mauve in one photo and fully mauve in the other. This set is magnificent, with semi-rigid bracelet, earrings and a most unusual brooch to round out the parure. Click the photos above to see more views in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE.

We have some other recently added, exquisite necklace/earring sets in that shop as well. Why not slip over now and take a look around. Some are even on "Clearance" right now so you can pick yourself up a bargain. As temps cool down, one thing is certain: Sherman is still hot!

INTERESTED IN BUYING SHERMAN & OTHER DESIGNER VINTAGE & GOLD JEWELRY

2008-10-25T16:25:00.006-04:00

I'm keeping today's blog short as I have way too much to do, but this post was prompted by having someone contact me yesterday asking for advice about selling Sherman jewellery i.e. how much could they get etc. etc. As usual, this is such a difficult question to answer as so many factors are involved:

1) what is the condition of the set, front and back i.e. wear to plating, loose or replaced stones, repairs if any?

2) what color is it? Is it one of the popular ones ie. siam red, fuschia, purple?

3) is it a single piece, 2-piece set, 3-piece set

4) is it an original set and not a marriage of similar pieces

5) is it signed "Sherman" on all pieces

6) is the design a common one or rarely seen?

These are all the considerations a buyer will make. But there's more. Selling a Sherman or any designer piece and what you'll get for it, depends on the buyer. Why do buyers want Sherman? Are they collectors, wearers or sellers? A collector might be willing to buy your Sherman for more money than a seller will. A seller always has to keep cost in mind. If they pay too much, they may not be able to recoup their investment. If they cater to a wealthy area of a city where folks are prepared to pay more, that seller can take a bigger risk on buying from you. If the seller regularly displays and sells at shows, they can generally get more for a piece than someone who doesn't. All these factors will be a part of what a seller will offer you as opposed to what a collector might pay for your designer vintage jewellery.

In the end, of course, it's your decision to accept what a buyer offers you. If this piece has been in the family for some time and didn't cost you anything to start with as it was handed down or was a gift or whatever, then you will most likely to be happy to accept a reasonable offer ... and you should. If it's a piece that you paid a lot for, then obviously you need to recoup your investment. In that case, scour the net. Visit sites like ebay and see what comparable pieces are selling for. Search for sites selling Sherman Jewellery and see what price is being asked. Bear one thing in mind: a seller can ask what they like. It doesn't mean they'll get it LOL! Many a time I've sold a Sherman for a mere $10 profit. Other times I get lucky and make double what I paid. It always comes back to the buyer and what they feel a piece is worth to them.

And on that note, since more people are contacting me lately asking if I'm interested in buying their Shermans, the answer is a resounding "YES!". I'm always keen to buy Shermans in good to excellent condition. If you can send me some photos, I'll tell you what I'm prepared to pay. I don't lowball but I do have to always keep in mind what I think I can get for the piece. After all, I'm in business to make a profit, even if it's only a small one. If you'd like me to look at what you have, whether it's Sherman, Weiss, Kramer, Juliana, D&E, Schreiner, Miriam Haskell, Antique, Victorian, Art Deco or gold of any vintage, contact me either via MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE or my sites at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE.

WOULD YOU PAY THIS MUCH FOR THIS SHERMAN?

2008-10-16T22:05:00.006-04:00

There's a Sherman choker currently listed on eBay with a "buy it now" price I find a little hard to believe. You can take a look at it HERE. The reason I'm having trouble with the seller's asking price of $275 CAD or best offer is that I am selling the exact same Sherman choker shown on the right from my SHOP AT RUBY LANE for only $95 including Free Insured Shipping! So which one of us is missing something here? Am I, in my usual way, asking too little for a Sherman or is that eBay seller asking too much?

You know I'm finding it harder and harder to price Shermans these days. When it comes to the Siam red Shermans, you know the price is going to be sky-high, whether you're trying to win it on ebay or just trying to buy one. And I sometimes think that each such auction just pumps the prices of Shermans up and up so that sooner or later, like the stock market, there'll be a bubble and when it bursts, watch out for the fallout!

Everyday new people are writing to me asking about Shermans. They're in love with the designer, want to collect but like anything one collects, you still have to be careful to not overpay. Maybe it won't matter today if all you're doing is collecting, but if for some reason, tomorrow you have to sell a piece, it sure can hurt if you overpaid in the first place. I had that experience just recently when I listed the lovely book piece necklace shown below on Ebay and foolishly started

the bidding at $9.95. Never did I dream that the most anyone would bid for this beauty was $37. To my horror, I watched myself lose over $60 on this one because I had obviously overpaid it when I bought it. It was my first Sherman purchase and I was thrilled to later find it listed in Valerie Hammond's "All that Glitters" book. Valerie put a price on it of $195 - $225. I congratulated myself for buying it for only $110. Later, I listed it on my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and also in MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Months went by and no-one bought it. I kept dropping the price till it was listed at what I'd paid and still no takers. So I sent it to eBay. The rest is history.

I'll never understand why a lovely necklace like that garnered so few bids. I'll never understand why a Sherman authority valued it for twice what I paid and 5 times what my winning bidder paid. But there's a moral in all this: when you're buying Sherman or any collectible designer vintage jewelry, shop around. Get savvy before you start buying up. Watch ebay auctions. Visit websites selling Shermans. Compare prices. Only then will you know whether you would or should pay this or that for a particular Sherman.

NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE

2008-10-10T21:46:00.004-04:00

We've had a huge run on the jewelry we have for sale in our SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE over the past few weeks and suddenly I find my stock seriously depleted. Now mind you, that's not a complaint, but it's suddenly put the heat on me to get some more Shermans pronto and unfortunately, I haven't seen too many lately that I'd want to invest in.

But I have managed to score a few more lovely pieces and want to invite you to take a look at them at THIS LINK. I haven't even had time to upload some of these to our Ruby Lane shop or set prices on others but I'll be getting around to it next week.

In the meantime, I just have to tell you about that magnificent set shown in the photo above. I've often found that too many Shermans out there have the same design but in different colors. So it sure was nice to acquire this incredible set with what I call its "overlap" design. Just how different is that! I've never seen one like this and we snapped it up as fast as we could. You can see more photos of it in OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE. However, if you think this is one you'd like to have, the bad news for you is it's already sold!! Yes, this was our second fastest sale and it went to the same lady who snapped up that red glass crystal parure that was our fastest sale about 2 weeks ago. This is one lady who knows what she wants and acts on it. Truly, that's the way to go when you find a piece that you know is unique and worth collecting. If you don't act quickly, you can bet while you're thinking "should I or shouldn't I?" someone else is putting through their order.

So sorry it's too late for you to buy this gem but check out THIS LINK to see what else is new and available and contact us via our SHOP AT RUBY LANE or the CONTACT LINK at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE before someone else does!

SHERMANS ON AUCTION AT EBAY THIS WEEK

2008-10-07T22:42:00.004-04:00

I've given up! Well at least for now. I've given trying to score Siam red Sherman jewelry at Ebay auctions. I watched another set this week. This time it was the necklace/earring demi shown on the left. I bid all the way to $351.99 and was the high bidder till the last 3 seconds when it went for $356.99. That does it for me. These Siam red Shermans are just going through the roof! So I've given up trying to get one for now. But it's okay because I've been buying up a storm of vintage designer jewelry lately and my Visa account is taking a beating. So maybe it's just as well.

So on that note, because I need some dollars to pay some bills, I've got a couple more pieces of my beloved Shermans up for auction myself this week and want to tell you about them. They could be gone by the time you read this as they finish on Thursday night, October 9. The bidding has already opened on the gorgeous blue aurora borealis brooch/earring set shown on the right. If you click the photo, you can go straight to the auction. This set is pristine! All the stones are original and clear and glitter like crazy. The back of both the earrings and the brooch is shiny silver and looks as if it were never worn. Definitely one you will be happy to add to your Sherman collection.

The outstanding two-tone green demi above is my other ebay auction this week. This one's a real beauty and the colors are lovely with the light green contrasting the dark green pear-shaped drops in the necklace and earrings. I've started the bidding at $149. Ebayers hate that. They want all the auctions to start at $9.99 but I made the mistake a couple of weeks back of putting up 4 of my Shermans, including a book piece valued at $225 in Valerie Hammond's book "All that Glitters" with the bidding starting at $9.99 and wanted to die when the auction had ended. The winning bid was $37!! I paid $110 for that piece 2 years ago! Now that really hurts. Guess it's been too long since I last sold on ebay and I've forgotten how it can really work against you, especially after you pay ebay and PayPal fees. So with that thought, I've decided to take my chances that no-one will bid. But someone will. Someone will see that to get a gorgeous Sherman demi for $149 is almost stealing it. Maybe you should go look and read more. Good luck!

SIAM RED 3-PIECE PARURE ELUDES ME AGAIN!

2008-10-01T20:39:00.002-04:00

Wow...what a busy few days it's been for me. I think the Christmas shopping has begun, despite the terrible mess in the stock market and all that stuff. We've been so busy with sales in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE and on our SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE site that I haven't had any time to get over here to post! Not that I'm complaining of course: I've sold 3 Shermans this past week, along with some lovely vintage gold pieces.

But there's one danger when I have a good selling week: I immediately start looking at what else I can buy and add to our line. And it was with that in mind that I got fixated on winning the ebay auction for that gorgeous Siam red Sherman 3-piece parure in the photo. I've been wanting to acquire one of these for the longest time. It would have rounded out my Sherman collection beautifully. But despite my decision to go for broke and spend more on this piece than I've ever spent on a Sherman, I failed! My disappointment was acute, especially since at 15 seconds before the auction closed, I was the highest bidder at $751.99. That's such a heap of money for me. Well darn, someone else could afford it better than I could I guess. They won it for $761.99!

So I find myself wondering if I'll ever be able to get my hands on a Siam Red Sherman. Oh sure, I guess if I shell out a fortune, I will. But in the meantime, I'll have to sell a lot more of what I currently have, though I must confess that stock is dropping quickly right now. But I do have a new piece for you today and while it's not Siam red, it's a beauty!

This glorious 6.5 inch Sherman bracelet of clear swarovski crystals is absolutely dazzling with its sparkle and is now available from our Ruby Lane Shop for only $165 including insured shipping in the US and Canada. Click the photo above to learn more about it and see lots more photos. It's 3/4" wide and I've never seen an old Sherman bracelet where the stones are still so crystal clear...just another kudo to Sherman for the fact that he was known to use only the best swarovski crystals in his jewelry. That is certainly evident here.

If you could use a gorgeous bracelet to set off your gown on New Year's eve, you can't go wrong with this one at this price. You'll light up the room more than any lights will. Check it out now!

FAUX ALEXANDRITE SHERMAN DEMI DAZZLES WITH ITS COLOR CHANGES

2008-09-26T21:54:00.015-04:00

I get really excited when I acquire Sherman jewelry in any of the popular colours like red, fuschia or purple because they are the most sought after colors. But I get even more excited when I manage to snag any vintage designer jewelry that makes use of those gorgeous faux alexandrite or what many simply call, color-changing stones ... like the fabulous brooch & earring set shown here. I'm so in love with these crystals that I find myself hunting them down more than any other kind of stone because it just fascinates me how they change from pale grey to light green to pale lavender to mauve and sometimes to deep blue depending on the light source, with the result that when you own a set like this, it's almost like having 2 sets of Sherman!

And going by how quickly I manage to sell these faux alexandrite sets, looks like I'm not the only one who loves them. That stunning Weiss necklace on the left was sold within a few days. Its change from blue/green to lavender was just magical.

The same thing happened with 2 of my most prized Sherman necklaces. If you visit this LINK which shows Shermans I've sold, take a look at photos #5 and #8. Those were both faux alexandrite necklaces and if memory serves me correctly, the same buyer bought both! (You can read my earlier post on the baguette demi at this LINK )

So seeing how popular vintage jewelry using faux alexandrite stones is, I've been on the scrounge to find as much of it as I can and I now have several wonderful pieces to share with you in the next while. But right now, the superb color-changing brooch and earring set featured at the top of this post has just been listed in MY RUBY LANE SHOP. Slip over and take a look at all the photos. Watch how many transitions in color we've been able to capture just by altering the lighting. The changes don't happen in an instant but they're pretty quick. In a darker room, the set appears mauve, but the instant we turn on a warm incandescent light, it begins its change to blue, then green. Faux alexandrite stones: truly, truly fascinating and because it's hard to come by, very, very collectible. Think about it.

SHERMAN JEWELRY AT AUCTION ON EBAY

2008-09-24T20:24:00.005-04:00

Okay. This week I've broken down and for the first time in many, many months I've decided to list some of my Sherman pieces on Ebay. Two reasons: Ebay offered Canadian sellers a 5 cent listing day yesterday and I need to move some stock to make room for new additions and to pay for my purchases. Yeah, I've been over-spending bigtime on vintage jewelry, and when my Visa bill arrived I knew it was time to do something drastic. Ebay! That's drastic as far as I'm concerned but it's the fastest way I know to top up the coffers when you need to.

So I'm keeping this blog post relatively short and showing you some photos and links to where you can go bid on these Shermans of mine on Ebay. I've started all the auctions at $9.99 and the watchers are mounting quickly. I suppose that's half the fun at ebay though I'd much rather sell for a lower dollar than give ebay part of my take in fees. But whatever... !

So that lovely clear swarovski crystal demi in the photo abover is in great condition and you can bid on it HERE (or click the photo). All the stones in the necklace are bright and sparkly. This is a lovely set for a bride, that final elegant touch of "something old" that remains valuable long after the day.

If you're looking for one of the more sought-after Sherman colors, why not have a crack at winning this root-beer and clear stone demi shown on the left? This is a very early Sherman and has even had a small repair, but that's only visible on the back and not at all from the front. If you click on the photo, you can see more pictures of this one, including the repair, and from there link through to the auction at Ebay. If you want to go directly to that auction now, CLICK HERE.

Moving right along, we come to a necklace that I really hate sending to auction on ebay. I've been baffled since I got this gorgeous necklace shown below as to why no-one has purchased it yet. After all, this is a book piece, actually pictured in Valerie Hammond's book, "All that Glitters" on page 95. I think it's one of the prettiest Sherman necklaces I've ever had the privilege to own. It was also one of my first Sherman purchases. Perhaps the problem is people think it's clear stones, but it's not. These stones have a lovely honey-lavender aurora borealis wash and depending on how the light catches them, one minute they appear purple, another lemony. The glitter in this necklace is fabulous. Again, it's lovely for a bride or for a young girl to wear to the

prom. It's elegant, graceful and in superb, nearly unworn condition. If you'd like to bid on this one, CLICK HERE. To see more photos, including how it looks on your neck, click the photo above.

The last Sherman necklace I have on auction on Ebay this week, again starting at only $9.99, is the delicious aurora borealis necklace on the left. This one is such a beauty i.e. great condition front and back. This one, like the book piece above, is very graceful thanks to those long slender navette stones alternating with shorter marquise cuts. As is so typical of aurora borealis, this one was hard to photograph, as sometimes the stones look silvery clear and in other light, they emit every color of the spectrum. This is a lovely Sherman necklace. You can see more views by clicking on the photo itself or you can go straight to bidding on it by CLICKING HERE.

LATE ADDITION TO THIS POST: I have just added a pair of earrings to the last necklace shown just above. I remembered their colors are a nice compliment to this necklace. So when you slip over to check out that auction, scroll down and look for the notice I've added. There's a photo of the FREE earrings there.

All of these auctions end on Sunday night, September 28, 2008 between 8 -9pm EST or 5 - 6pm PST. If you bid, I hope you win and look forward to being in touch with another Sherman addict like myself. Good luck!

SHERMAN'S LESSER KNOWN RIVAL: CONTINENTAL

2008-09-19T21:23:00.004-04:00

If you've been following this blog, you will remember me telling you in my last post about the fastest Sherman sale I've ever had. It was for a stunning red crystal bead 3-piece parure. Well this time, I'd like to share with you a very similar set but it's not made by Sherman. This one comes to us courtesy of one of Sherman's main competitors, CONTINENTAL. This company manufactured its jewelry in Montreal from1947 - 1997 and produced some of the most gorgeous vintage jewelry of a quality to rival Sherman and many of the famous vintage designers. Yet, so little information seems to be available on Continental. I've scoured my many books and poked around on the net and really can't find much at all. It's strange given that there is quite a lot of Continental jewelry available on eBay and independent jewelry sites.

So that's one of the reasons I wanted to draw your attention to this fabulous set that I have just listed in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Yes, we all love and covet Sherman jewelry, but we can't always afford it. Well I'm going to tell you now, having owned both that killer red Sherman and now this royal blue Continental, that I thought I'd come across another Sherman when I found this at the Christies' Antique Show a couple of weeks back. That's how favourably it compares to a Sherman in its workmanship and quality. You can read the full details about this set by clicking on the photo above but I want to assure you that if you were to add this beauty to your vintage jewelry collection, you'd be making a smart move. Not only will it look gorgeous when you're out on the town, especially now with the festive season not all that far off, but I truly believe that in time, Continental jewelry will be placed on the vintage pedestal to stand alongside Sherman. It belongs there. Do a search for Continental jewelry and see what lovely pieces you'll find. You'll think they're Shermans, just as I did when I first saw this one.

And here's one really nice thing about this set: you can buy it for 1/3 of what I was charging for that red Sherman set. You see, Continental is still relatively affordable. Why not slip over to my RUBY LANE SHOP now and take a closer look at the other great photos of this royal blue set that's fit for a queen!

THE FASTEST SHERMAN SALE I'VE EVER HAD!

2008-09-13T17:26:00.002-04:00

Okay, I just have to tell you about this one as it relates directly to my last post HERE. I wrote that post within an hour or so of uploading that delicious red crystal bead parure to my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Then I went to cook dinner, watched America's Got Talent (love that show!) and came back online to check my email. To my shock and joy, I'd already made a sale on that red parure! We're talking a space of about 4 hours here. Doesn't that prove what I've been saying all along: when it comes to collecting Sherman jewelry, red is one hot color! Drives me crazy in a way because I no sooner get one of the popular colors and it's gone. But that's what you want in sales, so who's complaining? Not me.

I tried to win another red Sherman necklace on ebay about an hour ago. I needed that one to complete a set of Siam red Sherman earrings that I have. Well I missed it. Even though I bid over $150 US for the necklace, I still missed it. I'm really getting the impression that prices for Sherman are climbing higher and higher these days and the closer we get to Christmas, the worse it is. Makes me think the time to buy Sherman when it's on Ebay is definitely not now! You're going to pay a lot more than you will say, in April!

Say, it's funny how the Sherman buying and selling goes round and round. I was checking ebay today to see what new listings there are for Sherman and guess what I found: a gorgeous purple set that I sold to a lady last year. Yep! She's listed it and there are already 2 bids on it. It's now sitting at $260US and she started the bidding at $9.50! Oh, you want to know where it is? Here's the LINK. Should you go for it? Yes ... because it's purple, it's a 3-piece set, it's in mint condition and it comes in a box. Gosh, I'd buy it myself but I know I'd end up paying more than I sold it to her since Shermans are getting such big dollars right now. By the way, her photos aren't all that good so if you want to take a better look at it, visit my SOLDS page at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. You'll find it on there. It's photo #2. Cheers!

BUYING SHERMAN JEWELRY AT DEALER PRICES

2008-09-08T20:26:00.005-04:00

Well this past week I really got an education about Sherman jewelry ... or rather about the prices I'm asking for Shermans on my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Seems I'm selling my Shermans to the public at dealer prices! Some business-woman, aren't I LOL!

Why do I say that? Well here's what happened. I had a lady who is a Sherman seller contact me about one of my pieces. I usually groan when they email me because invariably they want me to really drop the price on a piece for them so that they can take it and sell it at a profit. Well sure. After all, we sell to make some profit right?

So I replied with the usual explanation ie. I mark up my Shermans so little that I can't afford to give dealers special prices. Well lo and behold she came back and offered me only $10 less than I was asking on one piece. I was floored ... and I accepted. Then, it got even better. She asked about two other pieces. I gave her my bottom figures. On one of them, she said I'll pay you $10 more than you've asked! Huh? I thought I hadn't heard right. On the other, she offered again to pay only $10 less than I was asking ... that's $10 less than I'd sell it to you for! I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe a Sherman dealer would pay me fair value for my items.

We agreed to meet and make the exchange at the annual Christies Antique Show on Saturday. She was there selling her Shermans and other vintage jewelry. So were many other vendors selling Shermans. That's when the second part of my education came: there were vendors selling Shermans for 2-3 times what I ask ... and buyers were buying! I had to ask myself what on earth am I doing selling my Shermans for so little? Of course there is an explanation: I sell online. I don't do shows so I don't get to dazzle people with my gorgeous Shermans. There's nothing quite like seeing the actual item twinkling and glittering away under the sun or under lights. Even though I have superb photos, there's no match for seeing the real thing with your own eyes.

And of course, there's more explanations: my buyers come from around the world ... the online world. They come from varying economic backgrounds. They don't necessarily live in the ritzy areas of Toronto, Canada (e.g. Bayview, Rosedale) where buyers expect to and will pay huge prices for Shermans. Since I don't do shows in those areas, those buyers don't buy my items. But the dealers who sell to them would! HA! They will then take that piece, mark it up 2-3 times and walk away smiling.

So where does that leave me? Well it's got me thinking about my website at Sherman Jewellery Showcase for one thing. If my prices are that low, then maybe I should promote my site for what it is : a chance for you to purchase Sherman jewelry at dealer prices! Eureka. I think I'm onto something.

By the way, if you don't believe I'm selling my stuff too cheaply, please visit THIS SITE. When you're there, click on "SHOP" and then scroll down to "Sherman". Take a look at the prices this famous seller is asking and getting for her Shermans and compare those to my prices. What an eye-opener! I've just purchased her book. I need to learn more about all this stuff LOL!

Well, while I have you, I've got to tell you about that fabulous Sherman shown at the top of this post. It's my latest acquisition and I'm thrilled to have it. What a gorgeous Sherman red crystal bead demi-parure this is! It's in fantastic condition. All pieces are signed and just look at that color! The red aurora borealis Austrian crystals are superb. I'm offering it at $395. Now I wonder, if I were one of those other Sherman dealers I saw at the Antique show what I'd sell it for? Most of the items I saw at one stall started at $200 for a single brooch. One 3-piece set was $995!! What on earth am I doing selling my Shermans at dealer prices???!!!

SHERMAN JEWELLERY OR NOT, THIS DEMI IS HOT!

2008-09-05T22:30:00.006-04:00

The battle rages on: is it a Sherman or isn't it? I listed this gorgeous set in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE yesterday. Now those of you who follow my blog know that I'm a bit of stickler for buying only Shermans that are signed "Sherman" for the simple reason that you don't have to prove whether it is or it isn't! Given that according to members of the Sherman family, no Shermans were ever unsigned (see Valerie Hammond's book, "All that Glitters") what do you do when you come across a set like this, fresh from an estate sale of a lady who was an avid Sherman collector, sold to you by a reputable estate seller's firm, and then you discover only the earrings are signed! So is it a Sherman or isn't it?

Well a blind man at midnight can see when you look at this set, that the earrings are a perfect
match to the necklace. The photos are one thing: screens can have different colors. But when you look at the actual items with the naked eye, there's just no way they didn't come together in the first place.

Just after I listed this yesterday, a fellow Sherman collector emailed me and asked where did all this talk of signed and unsigned Shermans originate. I told her what I knew. Now she's been collecting Shermans for years and here was her response to my explanation:

"This is fascinating, Viga. We all know Sherman quality is distinctive. The stones are superior, but I think the metalwork is even more telling. So few manufacturers equalled the quality of Sherman"s metalwork, including most of the really high-end companies. Boucher did, for example, but Boucher designs were so different from Sherman, it's hard to imagine the two being confused. So when you find an unsigned piece that is equal in quality and exactly matches a signed Sherman piece, it's hard to imagine they're not part of a true set, especially if it's one of the more unusual Sherman designs. I have one unsigned piece that has a really distinctive stone and an unusual setting for Sherman. But I have a signed set with the same unusual setting and another signed piece with the same unusual stone. And when I say unusual, I don't just mean for Sherman - other than these two pieces, I have never seen this stone in any other jewellery. Nobody will ever convince me the unsigned piece isn't Sherman. I can believe their intention was to sign all pieces, but mistakes happen, and it's harder for me to believe that they were 100% successful than it is to believe that some pieces made it through without the signature.

I don't know of any Canadian company that came even close in quality to Sherman - certainly not Jay Flex/Jay Kel, Triad, or Continental. Not even their very best equals Sherman. And the Americans STILL don't know Sherman, so it's hard to believe an American company was producing unsigned look-alikes. So who was creating these pieces that are identical in design and equal in quality, if it wasn't Sherman itself?"

Well what do you think of my associate's comments? I found myself agreeing with her. I can no longer hold my rigid stance on this topic. What I have for sale above is a true Sherman, even if only the earrings are signed. I've heard and read that some later Shermans had one piece in a set signed while a hang tag was attached to the other piece. That makes sense. And of course, over the years, if the owner was wearing that Sherman, the hang tag would have been removed and lost ages ago.

Do you own a Sherman set where only one piece is signed? Why not leave a comment for us here and tell us how you came across your Sherman and how you feel about this very controversial subject. And if you're not too busy, do stop by my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and take a look at some wonderful new additions to my collection. More coming soon too!

SHERMAN SALES ON EBAY ARE FETCHING HIGHER & HIGHER PRICES LATELY

2008-08-28T13:04:00.005-04:00

Have you been watching any Sherman on eBay lately? I have. I put watches on everything to see what the items will go for, and lately, they're going for higher and higher dollars. I just had a customer call this morning asking about unsigned vintage rhinestone jewelry and was explaining to him what difference a signature, like Sherman or Schreiner or Weiss can make to the value of a piece. He was amazed and said from now on he and his wife will be looking for signatures on everything. Wise idea.

But I digress. I watched that fabulous blue Sherman set shown on the right go on Ebay yesterday for $330 US ie. $345 CAD. I'm not suprised. Just look at that design. It's exquisite. And now, there's a similar one being offered on eBay by a colleague. She's had 5 offers so far but none have been accepted. She's asking $499 US but what makes hers even more desirable is again, the color: it's fuschia! It's that gorgeous piece shown
on the left, and if you click the photo, you can go straight to her page on eBay and make her an offer. This is one definitely worth buying and adding to your Sherman collection.

Now if you've got the money to afford pieces like these, then more power to you. But if you don't and you still want to collect Sherman, you might visit my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE where I have very reasonably priced Sherman necklaces, sets, brooches and bracelets.

In fact, I've just added the dazzling Sherman Aurora Borealis necklace shown below that rivals the others in this post for its beauty. I've called it a "waterfall" design because of the way the drop cascades down. This one shimmers with gorgeous colors of red, green, blue, olive and yellow. Except for missing the long extender that you usually get on a Sherman necklace so you can adjust it to fit all necks, this one is in beautiful condition. The Aurora Borealis coating on the stones is still excellent and the gold-plate backing shows little wear. I'm offering this beauty for the very reasonable price of only $150 US and that includes insured shipping. Click on the photo to read all the details. You'll also find it in my RUBY LANE SHOP with several other views.

Bottom line: investing in Sherman jewelry doesn't have to cost you the earth if you take time to search the net, watch items on ebay, visit flea markets and garage sales or buy from reputable, honest and reasonable sellers like myself who know we all love this stuff but we can't all afford to pay a fortune for it!

SHERMAN JEWELLERY WITH UNIQUE STYLING

2008-08-20T21:58:00.002-04:00

I haven't had time to post in this blog for a few days as I've been busy editing photos of new Shermans that have arrived and adding them to my Sherman website, SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. One of these new additions is the fabulous 3-piece demi-parure shown above. If you click the photo, it will open in a new window so you can see more views. I'm really excited to show this set off for the first time as it's one of the daintiest and prettiest sets I've acquired (from an estate sale) but even more because it has a design is not as common as what I often see in Sherman jewelry ... and I'm always on the lookout for "different" Shermans.

This is the first set I've seen where the necklace sports 5 lovely rosettes as a centerpiece. And take a close look at the brooch: it's shaped like a heart. The lady who owned this set really looked after it. It's in top shape with its gorgeous aurora borealis stones that emit hues in many shades of blue, purple, pink and green. The necklace is 17" long with the usual Sherman extender that hangs down the back of your neck and lets you adjust it to how you want to wear it ie.. as a necklace or as a choker. The matching earrings are 1 1/4" long while the brooch is 1 3/4" wide across the "heart".

Remember what I've often said about Shermans and indeed, all designer vintage jewelry: if you can purchase sets, 2-piece, 3-piece etc., the jewelry is infinitely more valuable than just a necklace or just a brooch. You can pick this one up from SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE for $250US ... very reasonable for a Sherman set of this style and in this condition.

MULTI-COLORED SHERMAN PARURE IN HIGH DEMAND

2008-08-14T21:16:00.005-04:00

Well, did you miss bidding on this beauty on ebay recently? I had put a watch on it and even entertained the thought of bidding. That was when it was sitting on around $200. Of course, I knew it wouldn't stop there. Sherman sets that have just 2 pieces are in demand. But when you get a Sherman set like this one, with all four pieces matching, in superb condition, and all signed, well you up the ante bigtime. Then when the set is one of the rare color combinations that everyone wants, the value goes up again. I'd read about the multi-colored Shermans being enormously popular and highly collectible but hadn't come across one ... until this one.

So I dreamed of winning it. Ha! Yeah right. The bidding was fierce. I bailed when it hit $700 and just sat back and watched. Final dollar for this set? $1636.00 US!! Well it was fun dreaming....

Next time one like this comes up for grabs, I'll try to let you know early so you can get in there and bid - if you can afford it! I can see that seller smiling from ear to ear right now :))

BLACK SHERMAN BEADS STILL VERY MUCH IN VOGUE!

2008-08-13T20:57:00.005-04:00

Tonight I'm really excited to tell you all about one of my most recent Sherman acquisitions. It's a stunning faceted black crystal bead necklace that I've combined with a pair of japan-backed black beaded dangling earrings ... and what a set these make together!

The reason I'm so excited about this set is that it's darn hard to get a great black set of Sherman. I've been looking for one ever since I found one at an auction that was in my possession for less than a week. You can see that one HERE. It was totally awesome, so awesome that when a friend came to visit, before I knew it she'd begged to buy it. We had only just taken photos of it and I never even got them up on my site!

So I've been looking for another interestingly styled black Sherman ever since and was thrilled when I found the one in the photo above. Then I went on the scrounge for earrings to wear with it. Lady Luck must have been smiling on me because I located that fabulous pair of dangling earrings quite quickly. They were just begging to be put with my necklace LOL!

Now black beads may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there are some people who are willing to spend a big dollar on Black crystal beads by Sherman: the set on the right just sold for $510 on eBay! I couldn't believe my eyes! Maybe it was the fact that this is a "collar" or "bib" designed Sherman and not just that it was black. Regardless, that's one of the highest bids I've seen for any colored Sherman on Ebay.

I've generally found that black Shermans sell well on eBay but you don't come across them very often. That means they are scarce. Well, now you have a chance to pick up the gorgeous set in the top photo from my SHOP at RUBY LANE and guess what? It won't cost you anywhere near $510!

Please click the top photo to see more views and read more about my gorgeous Black crystal bead Sherman.

WEARING SHERMAN TO CASINO NIAGARA

2008-08-08T22:32:00.003-04:00

Christmas Day, 2007, was a strange day in my house. Believe it or not, except for my husband and adult daughter, we had no-one to spend that very important day with. My other daughter, her partner and my grand-daughter, had all come over 2 days earlier to celebrate Christmas as they were flying to Punta Cana on Christmas eve. The daughter who was at home with us was pining for her partner, who had flown home to Australia to spend Christmas with his family. So there we were, the three of us (we have no other relatives in Canada) with nothing to do on Christmas day ... until my husband suggested we go to Casino Niagara for Christmas dinner. It seemed ridiculous at first but then, why not? So off we went!

Being Christmas Day, it was appropriate, I thought, to dress up. Since I don't frequent many places where my bigger, glitzier Shermans are suitable, I opted to wear the gorgeous smoke-toned set in the photo above. And boy did it sparkle under those casino lights! This is a superb set with swarovski smoke-grey navettes positioned between lightly coated and complimentary aurora borealis stones. The screw-on earrings aren't original to this set but they are an excellent match. The monochromatic colors in the set were the perfect compliment and contrast to the warm reds in my blouse. As I cashed in my chips later, the ladies behind the counter asked me about my jewelry and were amazed to learn that it was probably 40 - 50 years old and yet hadn't lost a bit of its luster or beauty.

And that's the beauty of superbly designed and maintained vintage Shermans. They're eye-catching and timeless and make wonderful conversation pieces. You can buy this set for only $125 at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE.

PUTTING A PRICE ON SHERMAN JEWELRY ... IF INDEED IT'S A SHERMAN!

2008-07-30T21:14:00.005-04:00

A lady wrote to me recently regarding the glorious set of vintage jewelry shown in the photo above. She was given this set by her mom and believed this was Sherman. The 3 pieces are a perfect match in color and in the cut of the stones used, but unfortunately, only the brooch (on which the pin is broken) bears the distinctive Sherman signature. Neither those fabulous dangling earrings nor the divine 7 inch bracelet are signed "Sherman".

What this lovely lady wanted to know was whether I could put an approximate value on this set. As someone who loves this kind of jewelry, I'd say the set is priceless as an example of aurora borealis vintage stylings. But as a Sherman, this was one tough piece to evaluate. Below is my answer to her and I welcome any comments from other Sherman lovers and experts out there:

"Thanks for your email and for your trust in calling on me to answer your questions. Unfortunately, I find them very hard to answer for one simple reason: 2 of the pieces aren't signed, and the one that is is "broken".

While someone might be able to replace the broken pin, the minute anyone repairs a signed vintage piece, it loses value as the seller should state the piece has been repaired. Of course, you can sell it "as is", and some will buy it to do just that i.e. repair it or use the stones for repairing
other Shermans.

The issue on "unsigned" Shermans is a really touchy one. Personally, I just about never buy a piece, whether it's Sherman or some other designer, if it's not signed as there's no way to prove to a hesitant buyer that the piece is an authentic designer piece.

This issue is so "sticky" and fortified in the book published by Valerie Hammond where she states she interviewed the Sherman family and they swore no unsigned pieces were ever released by Sherman. So how then does one explain the obvious match in your pieces? Valerie herself has located my blog on this subject and left a comment repeating what is in her book. You can read that blog and Valerie's comment HERE.

I must confess, that for the sake of safety and not having arguments with customers, I tend to stick with Valerie on this subject and avoid "unsigned" Shermans, even though ebay sellers will say "everyone knows not all Sherman pieces were signed" and that "some came with hang tags that have been taken off over the years". That may well be true but the Sherman family vehemently denies that possibility.

So what are the pieces you have i.e. Sherman or not? I don't know. They sure look like a matched set. But there were other designers at the time who copied Sherman's designs; there was also talk that Sherman's moulds were stolen and hence a pile of unsigned pieces, Sherman look-a-likes, have surfaced.

So now to answer your question: I can't. If you wanted to sell these to me, I could only offer you a price on the bracelet and earrings based on their being "unsigned beauties" and not "unsigned Shermans", meaning I couldn't offer much because I couldn't sell them for much.

As for the brooch, because of the broken pin, the value is down too. As an unbroken Sherman brooch, you could get $45 - $60 for the brooch. As it is, maybe someone would pay $20 - $30. Sets are worth more than individual pieces. Those earrings are gorgeous. If they were signed, you'd probably get up to $30 - $40 for them. Unsigned, $10 - $15. The bracelet is stunning. Signed, it could get $75 -$150. Unsigned, you might not get more than $30.

Another thing: your jewelry is mainly aurora borealis. It's pretty, and many pieces made by Sherman featured aurora borealis. But AB is not as valuable as Shermans made with swarovski crystals ie. no aurora coating."

I hated saying all this to this lady but I was as honest as I could be. I think her set is magnificent. She understood what I was saying and has since decided to keep it in the family for a younger member who might one day appreciate just how fabulous even unsigned vintage jewelry can be.

HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN SHERMAN JEWELRY SETS

2008-07-22T20:35:00.005-04:00

Today a customer contacted me about two of my Sherman Jewelry sets. She loves them both but can't afford both just now. So how does she choose which set to invest in?

She asked me to answer that for her. Well that's not an easy question to answer. Buying Sherman is like buying any piece of jewelry: it's a very personal choice, isn't it. So I could only approach the answer from one other angle, the one I choose when I'm looking at Shermans and my budget is limited: I go for the Sherman that isn't like so many others. I look for
DESIGN: Is it different? How many others like this one have I seen?

COLORS: Some colors are definitely more in demand than others. Blue Shermans are everywhere but red, fuschia, purple, deep greens, even root beer ... those we don't see as often. Then there's color combinations: some Sherman pieces have lovely combinations of colors e.g. grey and pink; purple and green.

What about clear-stoned Shermans? They don't seem as popular amongst collectors as colors are but then, a unique design can make a piece far more outstanding than even a colored Sherman. Take the gorgeous Art Deco "X" design shown on the right. This is definitely not the kind of Sherman you come across very often. We were delighted to find this one at an estate auction and bid fiercely (and high!) to get this piece because we knew there weren't too many other Shermans like this one out there.
CONDITION: The condition of any piece of vintage jewelry is always important. Above all, one needs to consider the stones themselves: are they clear? Any dulling in any stones? Any stones that look like replacements? Any loose stones?

As for the back of the piece, the shinier and newer-looking the better. But bear in mind that most Sherman jewelry we buy has been pre-loved, some more loved than others. Wear on the back of a piece simply means someone really loved that piece and wore it often. Does it detract in terms of value? It might for some collectors but if you buy Sherman to wear and not just collect, then as long as what you and others see when you're wearing it looks fabulous, what's on the underside doesn't really matter much does it. After all, who sees that? But if the piece you're considering is still bright and shiny on the underside, then that's a plus for sure.

So in the end, what did I advise my customer? I couldn't do it without bias. I love both sets and both have their strong points. I've posted their photos here. Both fit the criteria above to greater or lesser degrees i.e. they both have wonderful color combinations; they both have clear stones and are in great condition from the front. But one has a more interesting and less common design than the other. However, it also shows more wear on the reverse! So how does she decide?

Take a look at the photos below. If you have time to leave a comment and let us know which one you'd choose and why, that'd really be appreciated. Either way, she'll have another gorgeous Sherman to wear ... and she does wear her Shermans. Do you?

VINTAGE SHERMAN JEWELLERY FOR A BRIDE!

2008-07-16T15:35:00.003-04:00

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue ... " So goes the adage so often heard in relation to a bride's wedding day attire. Well not every bride has access to, or even wants to wear her mom's wedding dress or her grandmother's gown, but today's bride can still easily add "something old" when it comes to her jewelry. And beautiful sets by vintage designer, Gustave Sherman, can be the perfect finishing touch!

Consider the exquisite Art Deco set by Sherman pictured above. We call it "Sherman Diamonds" because of its incredible sparkle that rivals real diamonds. Sherman's use of brilliantly clear Swarovski crystals in a fabulous design guarantee all eyes will be on the bride. The matching earrings are clip ons that will catch the light regardless of how she wears her hair.

And there's another reason why a bride should opt for a set like this as opposed to the glittery stuff found in so many of the stores: those are often vintage reproductions whose rhinestones don't even come close to the quality of the stones in a set like this one. And the mass-produced jewelry of today rarely matches the quality of workmanship in a Sherman. Nor will it last as long. Consider that the gorgeous set shown here is probably 40-60 years old, but still looks new. Most of today's jewelry will never last that long because of the workmanship, unless of course, you buy a very high end item in a high end store. For most of today's brides, spending a fortune on her jewelry isn't an option.

Most importantly, when a bride chooses a signed vintage set by a designer like Sherman, she's making an investment. 50 years from now she can pass it on to her daughter and, as long as it's been looked after, it will be worth even more than it is now.

You can see more views of this beautiful set by clicking on the photo above. It's available via our site at SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE and through our SHOP at RUBY LANE . You'll find more Shermans suitable for a bride on both sites, some with color if you want "something blue" and some other elegant ones with simpler designs like the one below:

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY AN UNSIGNED SHERMAN?

2008-07-11T16:30:00.005-04:00

I was recently very pleased to have Valerie Hammond, author of the book "All that Glitters", a reference and value guide to Sherman jewellery comment on one of my posts. In her post, Valerie reiterated her comments about the authenticity of unsigned jewelry that is purported to be Sherman. Here's what Valerie wrote on this subject:

I was recently assured during conversations with members of the family that there were absolutely, never, ever any unsigned pieces of Sherman produced by the company at any time. The family is most emphatic about this point. That means no unsigned earrings with signed brooches, no unsigned bracelets with necklaces. There are dealers who sell "unsigned" Sherman, believing that only part of a Parure may have carried that distinctive signature."

If that's truly the case, then how on earth do we explain sets that are obvious matches like the one shown in this post? The earrings are signed "Sherman". The necklace is not! Yet they are a match! I own this set. It's the only set I have where one piece is not signed Sherman since I make it a rule to never buy unsigned Shermans. I didn't realize the necklace in this piece wasn't signed until I got it. It came from an estate of a Sherman collector! And there's no denying the pieces are identical.

I've mentioned elsehwere in this blog that supposedly some Sherman sets came with a hang tag on one piece of a set. Could this be true? Many believe this is true. Yet the Sherman family has told Valerie Hammond that this cannot be. Who are we, the buyers and collectors to believe?

In her book, Valerie also states that conjecture is that "at some point during the company's life, designs, moulds and findings were removed from the building and used elsewhere for the manufacturing of copies." If this is true, then perhaps that "unsigned" Sherman is a copy and not authentic and is now coupled with a signed piece. Gee I wish someone besides Valerie knew more about this subject and could help us clarify this issue which is such a sore point between buyers, sellers and collectors of Sherman jewelry.

So while we're on this subject, on the left is another supposed set of Sherman currently being auctioned on eBay. (Click photo to visit the auction) The vendor states: "Earrings are signed Sherman, necklace is a definitive match (and is as expected, not signed)"

As expected??!! Oh boy! Now look what's happening: now we are having sellers claim this is "expected"! I don't think so! Quite honestly, this makes me mad. It's one thing for sellers to say one piece is signed and the other isn't but they're an obvious match. It's another to say we should expect that one of the pieces not be signed. Rubbish! We should expect both pieces to be signed if it's authentic Sherman. This auction will be very interesting to watch.

And by the way, do yourself a favour if you're serious about collecting Sherman jewellery. Buy Valerie's book!

PRICES OF SHERMAN JEWELRY

2008-07-07T17:05:00.005-04:00

Like any webmasters who care about traffic to their sites and want to know how surfers find them, I like to track my traffic. My tracker not only tells me how many people visited my site or blog today, but where they came from and what search terms they entered to bring them to my site.

Well if there's one search term that comes up time and again it's "prices of Sherman jewellery" (whichever way you choose to spell "jewelry". The frequency of searches for that term tells me an awful lot of people are wondering how much they should pay for Sherman jewelry i.e. when is a price too much, or conversely, is the piece they're considering worth what a seller is asking. And I must say I sympathize: I have found searching through sites, that prices for Sherman jewelry range from reasonable to ridiculous, though I'm sure the higher priced sellers would never agree with me on that statement. In fact, it's really just like real estate: it's worth whatever a seller is prepared to pay. And just like real estate, a lot of buyers paying more and more for Shermans are pushing the prices up.

Take the piece shown in the photo in today's post: it's gorgeous! The design is unique; the color is one of the most in demand colors for Sherman: fuschia; it's a matched set and most importantly, all pieces are signed Sherman. The buyer paid $612.50. But that was at an eBay auction. Find a similar piece on a private website and don't be surprised to see it listed for several hundred dollars more than that!

A fascinating site to visit for Shermans, or for many other pieces of signed vintage jewelry, is Carole Tanenbaum's Vintage Collection.

Carole is a well-known seller of Sherman jewelry and supplies major elite stores in Toronto. She is also a reputed speaker on vintage jewelry. If you visit the Sherman section on Carole's site, you might be knocked back a bit by her prices, but obviously people are prepared to pay that kind of money for Sherman jewelry in top condition. That should give you some idea of how high prices can be for Sherman Jewelry. And Carole isn't the only one selling Shermans for this price. There are many others.

So you, as a buyer or investor in Sherman jewelry really need to search around and compare. Find as many sites as you can that sell Sherman jewellery. See what prices the sellers are asking. But don't conclude that just because some sellers don't charge nearly as much for their pieces that there's something wrong with the jewelry. As in all purchasing and selling, some vendors are content to make a little less. As long as the pieces are signed, in great condition, with no loose or replaced or dull stones, you can still get Sherman at a bargain price.

And of course, this blog wouldn't be complete without a pitch for the many lovely Shermans at a very reasonable price that I sell via my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and via my SHOP at RUBY LANE. Ruby Lane is a great place to look, by the way, because there are several of us who sell Shermans there. Ruby Lane is an excellent place to start your research on prices for Sherman jewelry or any vintage jewelry. Have fun!

SHOULD YOU BUY JUST A SHERMAN BROOCH or SHERMAN EARRINGS or a SHERMAN SET?

2008-07-04T21:33:00.005-04:00

Recently a colleague of mine who buys, collects and sells Shermans like I do, was telling me about one of her customers who is hell-bent on investing in Sherman jewelry but is still rather new at it. She apparently knows what to look for in terms of color and condition, but because she loves to wear Sherman brooches and bracelets, she's been busy buying up just brooches or just bracelets.

Well while there's absolutely no reason a buyer shouldn't do that if that's what she likes to wear, if you are an investor in Sherman or plan to sell it down the way, you should ALWAYS be looking to acquire sets. A Sherman brooch with matching earrings will always be more valuable than just the brooch or earrings. If that brooch and earrings are also paired with a matching bracelet, as in the photo below from my site at SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE, or if you can find a set that includes a necklace with the brooch and earrings, or even better yet, a 4-piece set of brooch, earrings, bracelet and necklace, then you have found a super valuable Sherman parure and it's definitely worth buying because then it has become a true investment. Incidentally, this applies to all the famous vintage

designers: wherever you can, try to get sets by Schiaparelli, Shreiner, Weiss, Miriam Haskell, Kenneth J. Lane ... the list goes on.

Why are sets so much more valuable? After all, you might not like wearing clip-on earrings but you love necklaces or bracelets. Part of the reason, as is common with vintage jewelry, the sets have become separated over the years. People have sold off a bracelet to one person and the matching brooch to someone else. Bottom line then is 2, 3 and 4-piece sets are much harder to obtain, and as you know, the rarer something is, the greater its value. That's why my colleague has now counselled her eager buyer to look for sets where she can. She doesn't have to wear all the pieces at the same time if she doesn't want to; she just needs to have as many sets as she can get!

But here's something you can do (and it's kind of fun) if you have only piece of Sherman ie. a brooch or necklace. You can become a hunter! Attend estate auctions in your aread. Online, scour eBay, Ruby Lane, Trocadero, eCrater or Cyber Attic. Or simply just type Sherman jewelry or Sherman Jewellery into Google or Yahoo and see what you can find. If you're really lucky you might find earrings that are a perfect match for that brooch or necklace you love.

Is it impossible? Not at all. I have found wonderful matches that way and have been able to turn a 1 or 2-piece set into a valuable 3-piece parure like my Sherman fushia set of necklace, earrings and brooch shown below. Because of the color, fuschia, each of the pieces alone is valuable, but as a set, it's value is many times greater.

The DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIGNED & UNSIGNED SHERMANS IS DOLLAR VALUE!

2008-06-26T21:26:00.012-04:00

Today some interesting auctions finished on eBay. I had put watches on them, as I always do, because it's generally on eBay that folks pay the least for Sherman jewelry and also take the biggest risk that what they have won is an authentic Sherman. Like I've said elsewhere in this blog, if a Sherman isn't signed, how can you be sure it's a Sherman?

Well obviously from today's auctions, that uncertainty impacts very much on the price bidders will pay. Take the gorgeous wide aurora borealis bracelet shown above. It's absolutely awesome and this style is in demand for collectors. Now most Sherman bracelets on ebay go for in excess of $100 and some, big ones like this one, depending on colors, will even go for $1000 or more. Well imagine my shock when I checked back later to see what this sold for and found it had gone for only $88!! Gosh, had I known it'd do that, I would have bid on it myself! I re-read the ad, and there it was: the explanation for that low dollar: this bracelet is unsigned. Even though the seller included a photo of a brooch she claimed came from the same set but which she was selling separately, bidders put on the brakes and stopped at $88. Yet, recently, the very pretty but clear rhinestone Sherman bracelet sbown on the left sold for over $150! (If that bracelet had colored stones and not clear, it might have gone for another $100 on top of that.) Why did this one go for nearly twice as much? It's a signed Sherman of course.

Now here's another example from recent eBay auctions: the very pretty fuschia "set" below immediately caught my eye. I had to watch this one, knowing how much Sherman collectors will pay for fuschia, especially when it's a set.
Well again, I was stunned to see this set sold for a mere $125. That's really cheap for a Sherman set, even one that's not fuschia. Something had to be wrong ... and it was. While the earrings shown in the set were signed Sherman, the necklace was not! Several photos were provided, but a statement provided in the description indicated it was the seller's opinion only that the earrings and necklace were a set. There was no other proof. Now, it has been stated that not all Shermans were signed i.e. you might get signed earrings and an unsigned necklace that originally came only with a paper tag. But if the tag is gone, how do YOU know? The only thing you can go by, if you're buying online, or once you receive the item, is to closely compare the construction, the stones, the layout and if you then conclude they are identical and belong together, then yes, you most likely have a full Sherman set.

But to the point here: whether you invest in Sherman as a collector or as a buyer who wants to sell down the way, it's obvious buyers hesitate to bid on or buy unsigned pieces. If they do buy, they won't pay top dollar. They'll buy the piece as an "unsigned beauty" because that's what it is ... lovely but not as valuable. For my money as both a buyer and seller, I look for only signed pieces. A set like my fuschia set below, with necklace, earrings and brooch is "safe". All the pieces are signed Sherman.

And one more thing: if you're shopping on Ebay for your Shermans or any designer vintage jewelry, for heaven's sake READ THOSE ADS CAREFULLY. Even I missed the fact that those pieces mentioned above weren't signed pieces! But then I wasn't buying. And beware the person
who uses SHERMAN in the title to catch your eye. The seller of the necklace shown on the right used SHERMAN in the title. The colors in this piece are awesome and the style is very much like a Sherman. Maybe it's a Sherman and maybe it isn't. Bottom line is it's another "unsigned beauty" but the seller led you to believe it was a Sherman right in the headline! Fortunately, most bidders did read the ad and this very pretty necklace went for what is was worth: $39. But if an unwary bidder had missed that, they might have spent another $100 on this one!

KNOCKOUT SHERMAN SET FEATURES ALEXANDRITE-TYPE STONES

2008-06-25T22:29:00.005-04:00

Today I want to introduce you to what is probably my favourite Sherman set. Not only is it an exquisite design, but it features the scarce Alexandrite-type stones that are sought after almost as much as the Siam red and fuschia Shermans.

What's so special about Alexandrite-type stones? Well they have the same color-changing property of true alexandrite, a precious gem. True alexandrite can change from ash gray to green to pale blue to purple in minutes, depending on what kind of light it's exposed to. It's utterly fascinating to watch the color changing and it does it quite quickly. You can purchase genuine alexandrite stones HERE ... just a perfect size to set in a ring.

I look for jewelry with genuine alexandrite or costume jewelry like this Sherman set constantly. They are not easy to find and when I do get a piece, I never have them for long. I recently listed this ring with genuine alexandrite in my SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It was sold in 24 hours! I managed to acquire a gorgeous WEISS necklace and earrings that used the Alexandrite-type stones and it sold in under a month ... just last week as a matter of fact. You can see that one HERE. (Both those sold items will display for only one month from now)

And so now, we have this gorgeous Sherman set of necklace and earrings. That first photo shows you an all Lavender or mauve colored set. But now look at this other photo of the necklace:

Yes, it's one and the same necklace but as you can see, now part of the necklace is pale blue. If you click on that photo, you can see many more photos of this set showing the earrings in both blue and mauve, and also showing the backings on the jewelry. It's in mint condition. Further information on this set is provided at both SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or in our SHOP AT RUBY LANE. Slip over and take a look at all those photos. This one is rare, beautiful and highly collectible!

URANIUM GLASS JEWELRY by SHERMAN GLOWS IN THE DARK

2008-06-23T14:53:00.006-04:00

Never heard of uranium glass? Isn't uranium dangerous and if so, why would a vintage designer like Gustave Sherman use it in his beautiful jewellery?

Those were the first questions that popped into my mind when a knowledgeable colleague who also sells Sherman jewellery alerted me to the fact that one of my lovely Sherman sets (shown below) looked like it had stones made with a uranium glass component.

First off, she assured me it wasn't dangerous i.e the amount of uranium in the crystals is too minimal to pose any danger. As to why would Sherman or any vintage designer use uranium glass crystals, the answer lies in the properties of those crystals. Look at the photo above of the necklace being shown under UV light. The crystals glow! That, by the way, is how you can determine if your green-colored jewelry has uranium glass crystals. Just get the pieces under UV light and watch for the glow.

Well then, so the crystals glow. So what? The "so what" is that suddenly you have a rather rare Sherman set on your hands! Furthermore, because it's rare and because it uses uranium glass crystals, your set is now a lot more valuable. As my esteemed colleague informed me, "that Sherman of yours is now of interest not only to collectors of Sherman jewelry, but collectors of uranium glass!" WOW! And I had no idea of that when I acquired this piece.

So now this set is not only pretty, not only a Sherman, but it's rare and valuable. And I tell you what: it looks awesome when you're wearing it in a darkened lounge where there's Ultra Violet lighting. It just can't go un-noticed as it glows in the dark!

If you'd like to add this set to your Sherman collection, I am currently offering it at a 15% discount. You can see more photos and purchase it through my SHOP at RUBY LANE or directly through my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. That discount is good only until June 30, 2008. And by the way, I also have a lovely 2-row bracelet with Uranium glass stones that would go beautifully with this set. You'll find it on the BRACELET page of my site.

PLEASE NOTE: Since this post appeared, the Uranium Glass Bracelet mentioned above has been SOLD. That collector of Sherman knew a good buy when she found it!

WELCOME SUMMER with SHERMAN JEWELLERY - SALE!

2008-06-20T16:44:00.004-04:00

Well tomorrow is the first day of summer, June 21st. Yep, summer's officially arrived. And to celebrate summer, I'm having a SUMMER SALE on SHERMAN JEWELRY.

Visit my site at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE and MY SHOP at RUBY LANE and take 15% off any of the Sherman pieces shown there. Choose from necklaces, bracelets, brooch sets, necklace sets and earrings. Get your calculator out and apply a 15% discount to any piece you fancy.

15% still not low enough to let you afford a lovely necklace or set by Gustave Sherman? Make me an offer I can't refuse between now and midnight June 30, 2008. You just never know. I might say "okay!" You never know if you don't try, right?

You know, I could put these lovely pieces on auction at eBay, and you might get lucky getting a bargain if you're the top bidder. But then again, you might end up paying more than you would if you accepted my offer of a 15% discount! Imagine getting the gorgeous Sherman below for only $106! That's all it will cost with a 15% discount!

Or what about this stunning blue brooch and earring set? It's exquisite and in terrific condition both front and rear. The rhodium plate backing is silver and shiny as when it was new. How can you go wrong when the price, with 15% discount is only $123!

This offer of a 15% discount is only good for the next 10 days. It finishes at midnight on June 30th. Take advantage of my offer to save you money on jewellery by Gustave Sherman. And by the way, I offer combined shipping at no extra charge if you want to buy more than one piece.

What are you waiting for? Check out the links above and add to your Sherman collection today!

WHAT IS SHERMAN WORTH? HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?

2008-06-14T12:46:00.007-04:00

That's a loaded question! A quick answer would probably be what you hear when you're buying a home or any major investment: it's worth what a buyer is willing to pay! And when it comes to jewellery by Sherman, some buyers are willing to pay a lot!

Take the examples in the photos in this blog. They are of Sherman jewelry sold since June 1, 2008 on eBay, which after all is where we're supposed to be able to find bargains. So if these are bargains, then be prepared to pay a lot for a piece of Sherman jewelry.

That stunning fuschia cuff bracelet recently sold on Ebay for $4500! Yes, you read right. Now we currently have a T.Michaels designer gold & diamond jewelry set on our site at VINTAGE JEWELRY SHOWCASE

for which we're asking only $1425 and given the high cost of gold right now, it's a steal. But so far, it remains unsold. And yet that Sherman cuff bracelet sold for $4500! Ouch. In fact, that's not the highest dollar I've seen on eBay recently for cuff bracelets. There was another in excess of $5300!

Sure makes my gorgeous green/blue bracelet shown on the lower right seem way underpriced at $350 including insured shipping, doesn't it! And I keep thinking my prices are too high? Yeah right! If you'd like to see more photos of this beauty, just click on the photo.

Here's another comparison: the large smoke gray cuff bracelet shown on the left sold for ... are you ready? $2747! And I'm talking US dollars by the way.

Moving away from bracelets and into necklaces, what about this beautiful blue necklace below that sold for just below $175. No matching earrings, just the necklace:

Now not all Sherman necklaces get a dollar as high as that but this one's unique: it's large marquise stones, surrounded by clear crystals and its lovely design set it apart from other Sherman necklaces out there.

That probably also explains why some time ago, one of my sets shown on the right sold on Ebay for $320. It was just fabulous and the bidding was intense. But the set was so unique with its huge stones and superb condition. And after all, it was a set! You can click on that photo to see other items sold from my site at SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE but it's far from the complete list. Surf around the site to find more recently sold items.

What I do find intriguing, given the high interest in Sherman jewelry is how few visitors to my sites will not buy directly from the site where the price is so reasonable, but they'll bid on it on eBay. I guess they're still hoping to snag the Sherman for less on eBay. Well l'll say this much: I usually get more for my Shermans when they're being auctioned off on eBay. Why do I tell you this? Simply because if you're looking for a bargain on Sherman Jewellery, eBay might NOT just be the best place to find it! If those prices above are any indication, it's something to think about, isn't it.

YOUR CHANCE TO SNAG 3 ORIGINAL SHERMAN JEWELRY BOXES

2008-06-12T14:40:00.005-04:00

Just a few days back in this blog I was telling you it's a good idea to acquire Sherman Jewelry boxes if you can find them: very hard to get.

Well lo and behold, on eBay right now, a seller is auctioning off 3 such boxes! Two of them are the same as the black box with dots shown in the photo. The third is the gold brocade box shown in other photo. What an opportunity to grab some boxes for your own Sherman Jewelry, or if you sell Sherman, to be able to supply boxes for your buyer. Having an original "Jewels of Elegance by Sherman" box for authentic Sherman jewelry just increases the overall value of your piece.

These auctions end on June 16, 2008 just after 10pm EST but you'll have to be quick as they end with about only a minute in between. Expect to pay up to $25 or more per box. Like I said, they are rare and there's always a lot of interest from bidders. As I write this, the bids are only at $7.75, but don't kid yourself that you can get them for that low a dollar. I'll be bidding too LOL!

Gosh, I should charge the seller for the free advertising I'm giving him/her don't you think?! Just click on the photos to go directly to the auctions now!

BRACELETS BY GUSTAVE SHERMAN

2008-06-10T20:23:00.004-04:00

Tonight I want to talk about Sherman bracelets, those exquisite adornments for ladies' wrists!

Gustave Sherman made some incredibly beautiful bracelets and what I've found hard is trying to acquire them. For one thing, while you'll find tons of brooches, earrings and necklaces by Sherman, bracelets are much harder to come by. Valerie Hammond, in her book "All that Glitters" states that while bracelets were popular when Sherman was making them, they weren't as prolific, and hence today, they are somewhat scarce. Again, how accurate that statement is is anyone's guess. What I have found though to support her statement is that when someone is auctioning off Sherman bracelets on Ebay, there's always lots of interest and the price sometimes is unbelievable.

Take the one in the photo above. It sold on July 9, 2008 for just short of $1600 US! Ouch! Mind you, it's a rare bracelet with its rigid cuff construction and it's huge size i.e. about 2 1/4" large and 2 1/2" in diameter.

Apart from their beauty, Sherman bracelets have much attention to detail e.g. his use of the "butterfly" clasp closure in such a way that the clasp was nearly invisible. Sherman placed interlocking crystals over the clasp so you couldn't easily tell where the bracelet started or ended except for the little safety chain found on all Sherman bracelets.

Unfortuately, I don't have too many Sherman bracelets in my collection but I do have the magnificent 3-piece set (parure) above. This photo is good but it just doesn't do it justice. The blue color is fantastic. The bracelet is 6 3/4" long with alternating rows of swarovski crystals and aurora borealis. The triangular brooch is about 1 3/4" in diameter. Please click the photo above to see more views of this fabulous Sherman set. Remember, when you're buying designer vintage jewelry, sets and parures are more valuable to a collector than single individual pieces. And you'll be pleased to know you can purchase this set from my RUBY LANE SHOP for 1/4 of the price that person paid for just the bracelet mentioned in this blog!

CAN'T BELIEVE THIS JEWELRY IS BY SHERMAN?!

2008-06-08T15:50:00.003-04:00

Have you ever come across a piece of Sherman jewelry that you can't believe is a Sherman? I have, and more than once. I now own 3 pieces that I wouldn't have given a second glance except that I noticed that famous scripted Sherman signature on the pieces.

Take the one shown in the photo: it has none of what we usually associate with jewelry by Gustave Sherman. Where are the Swarovski crystals? The Aurora Borealis stones? What, no glitter?

Well actually it does glitter thanks to the excellent gold plate Sherman used in this piece and the construction is superb: 3 gold-plated interlocking chains hang to a length of 24 inches from which dangles a shiny gold-plated bezel is an owl-like pendant measuring 2 1/2" X 1 1/2". Then some more tassles. So different from any Sherman I've seen and yet decidedly Sherman. There's that signature right beside the locking piece. Click on any of the photos to see more views of this piece.

This kind of Sherman jewelry doesn't fetch the dollars that traditional Shermans do, so I would look at it less as an investment piece, and more as a fabulous piece of jewelry that is utterly contemporary in its styling. It's one of these pieces you can wear to the office to add that feminine touch to a suit, or simply to jazz up an everyday bit of clothing.

I have noticed lately how much of a comeback costume jewelry is making. In this past weekend's GLOBE and MAIL (Life Style) they had a section titled "Costume Drama". I couldn't believe how the chunky look of wood & plastics etc. are making a comeback. And the prices! Ay yay yay! While I expect to pay big dollars for gold and gemstones, who would guess some of this stuff is going for hundreds, even thousands of dollars?! What I'm wondering is what will it be worth in 50 years time ... if it lasts that long? At least Sherman jewelry has been around for 50 years or more and some of the pieces are still as good as new, thanks to the quality of the workmanship and materials. Oh by the way, in case you're curious, I'm only asking $65 for that delightful Sherman in this post. You can buy it from my SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or via MY SHOP AT RUBY LANE. It's unique! It's quality and it's Sherman!

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE IT'S JEWELRY by SHERMAN?

2008-06-04T19:44:00.000-04:00

That's a tough one to answer. I used to be adamant on this subject: if it wasn't signed Sherman, I didn't buy it. And quite honestly, I still feel that way about Shermans and most designer vintage jewelry, especially since the vintage jewelry market is being penetrated by very authentic looking fakes.

It also doesn't help that in a reference and guide book titled "All That Glitters" by Valerie Hammond, she states emphatically that no Shermans were ever unsigned. She bases that statement on conversations she has held with the Sherman family who still reside in Quebec.

However, in conversations I've had with other Sherman collectors, there's quite a bit of disagreement on this subject since according to them, there were pieces with paper hang tags that came in the distinctive "Jewels of Elegance" box that Sherman used, shown in photo. Incidentally, if you come across a jewellery box like the one above, buy it! They themselves are collector's items. And if you can get Sherman jewellery in its original box, so much the better. We have only one like that: it's the stunning signed Sherman bracelet in its own box shown in this photo: But now back to the question of authenticity: as with all vintage designer jewelry, you need to learn to recognize the style and craftsmanship of a designer piece. Sherman was partial to slender navette stones. He liked alternating aurora borealis with clear swarovski crystals in similar shades. On bracelets, the clasp was usually hidden by stones so that the clasp became unseen when it was being worn.

As for his signature, he used either block lettering, often seen on the earlier earrings, or the very familiar script-style Sherman, with a big "S". Sometimes the signature was stamped right into a piece, but he also used an oval cartouche bearing that scripted signature. If you visit my SHERMAN JEWELRY SHOWCASE or OUR SHOP AT RUBY LANE and type in "Sherman", you'll see lots of photos of the Sherman signature on the back of our authentic Sherman jewelry.

Bottom line, for me at least, I still prefer to buy a signed piece anytime over an unsigned piece ... and given the cost of Sherman, you should too!

SURPRISE: THIS SHERMAN DIDN'T SELL FOR AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD HAVE!

2008-06-03T17:50:00.000-04:00

In yesterday's blog, titled "THE MOST POPULAR SHERMAN COLORS", I told you about a fuschia Sherman set consisting of bracelet, brooch and earrings that was on auction on eBay. Well that auction just ended and much to my surprise, it didn't get the dollar I thought it would. After all, bidders on eBay have been almost going silly for fuschia or red Shermans in the last month or so, fetching not hundreds, but thousands of dollars.

So what happened? Why did this rather lovely set that I would have added to my collection go for only $212.49? (The winning bidder must be grinning from ear to ear!)
My guess is it had more to do with the time of day the auction ended ... 5:45 pm EST ... than it did with the set itself. That's close to dinner time for some of us while our neighbours on the west coast are still at work.

The other possibility is that this particular seller warned bidders that they'd have to pay taxes. For those of us in Ontario, that would add another 14% to the cost of the Sherman. Then add in shipping for another $13 - $15, and hey presto, that Sherman has become an expensive buy. And that's okay if you're only buying as a collector and money is no object: a set like this is well worth it. But it would stop those who buy to sell down the way. You see, like anything you hope to make money with, whether it's stocks or jewelry, you're always looking to buy low and sell high if you can.

In scouting around websites selling Shermans, I find the price range is extremely varied. Only a handful, like myself, have reasonable prices on Sherman, though I'm sure visitors to my SHERMAN JEWELLERY site who aren't familiar with how expensive Sherman Jewelry can be would probably find me expensive too. But let me tell you this: I've been floored by the prices I've seen charged not only on websites, but at heritage and antique shows. I went to one about a month back and well, I couldn't afford the Shermans I saw on display. I did purchase one set and
it's very lovely (pictured here ... click photo to see more views and read about it) but even it cost more than I wanted to pay. The rest, well forget it. In short, if you love Sherman jewelry and want to collect it or wear it, start saving now.

THE MOST POPULAR SHERMAN COLORS

2008-06-02T22:33:00.000-04:00

Right now on Ebay, the set shown in the photo is on auction. I'm watching it, not because I want to try and win it but just out of curiosity. You see, this set will probably go for huge dollars for two reasons:

1) It's a 3-piece set

2) Its color: FUSCHIA

I don't usually draw attention to jewelry being sold by others since I have plenty of my own to sell, but if you're interested in investing in Sherman jewelry, an auction like this one is a good one to either bid on or at least watch.

Shermans in fuschia or red shades command the highest dollar. With reds, the dollar will be even higher if it's what is known as "SIAM RED". Be it earrings, a brooch, a bracelet, whatever, if it's SIAM RED, collectors want it and they'll pay for it. It's much the same with Sherman jewellery in fuschia. These colors are also hard to get simply because those who own them hold onto them. About a month back, I actually saw a set of Sherman jewelry, bracelet & necklace, go for over $7,000 on Ebay ... and they weren't even a perfect match. The match wasn't perfect but the colors were!

So are there any other colors of Sherman that are popular? Well all Sherman jewelry is highly collectible, but preferences for both those who wear Sherman and those who collect it are the deeper colors: Purple is rare and sought after. Deeper shades tend to be more popular than lighter colors. Blues are very common, easier to obtain. Also highly desirable and hard to get are the "Alexandrite" type stones that change color in different lighting situations. I have 2 such pieces available from my website at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE. They are absolutely gorgeous. My favourite is the one pictured in this post. Click on the photo to see other photos that show the color changes. It's magnificent!

While you're on my site, don't miss the exquisite Fuschia set that I'm also selling. It's a 3-piece set consisting of dangling earrings, necklace and brooch. It also has something else that Sherman collectors are always looking for: the backing is "japanned". That means that the backing has a black finish, meant to give even richer color to the jewelry. It's definitely a set that anyone who wants valuable Sherman and is willing to pay for it should be adding to the collection. Here's what I'm talking about:

SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION on JEWELLERY by SHERMAN

2008-06-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

The Sherman Jewellery company was a baby boomer business i.e. it began operating in Montreal, Canada in 1947.

The "Jewels of Excellence" produced by Gustave Sherman's company have become so valuable because Sherman's goal was to use only the finest quality materials and stones available at the time. Sherman imported his "findings" as they are called, from the B.A. Ballou company in Rhode Island. The stones in Sherman pieces were made by Swarovski in Austria.

(Click photo above to see enlarged view. This is gorgeous!)

Another thing that set Sherman jewellery apart was the backings: rather than using chromium plating which was prone to peeling and chipping, Sherman used rhodium-plating. Rhodium comes from the platinum family of metals and is extremely durable. Durable is right! Some of my Shermans still have their original silvery shiny rhodium backing showing next to no wear. They look brand new!

Sherman's insistance on the highest quality made his pieces more expensive than other vintage jewelry of the time. But if they were expensive then, they have become even more so now. Sherman jewellery still fetches a high dollar today and is as much a collector's item as Miriam Haskell, Schiaparelli, Trifari, Schreiner, or Hobe or many others.

In future posts, I'll fill you in some more or just which pieces and colors are most in demand. While you're waiting, be sure to check out some of my gorgeous Sherman pieces at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE

DISCOVERING SHERMAN JEWELLERY: My Story

2008-06-01T10:27:00.000-04:00

Blindsided by the gold rush!

(click photo for larger view)

Over a year ago, while selling on Ebay, I got caught up the "gold rush" ie. if you wanted to make money, you sold gold. Gold bracelets, rings, necklaces or scrap ... it didn't matter. You'd always find a buyer for your gold pieces!

So one Saturday, I headed out gold hunting at garage sales. Foolish me thinking anyone would sell gold at a garage sale! I hit the ritzier area of our city. Much to my surprise and delight, I found a lady selling gold, rings and some super sparkly stuff that was very beautiful but not of interest to me at that time.

I purchased a lovely vintage gold bracelet from her which took all the money I had on me and as I walked away, she said "You're not interested in any of the Shermans?" She looked incredulous when I said "no", I was just after gold. She shook her head, probably thinking I was passing up on the real gold: jewellery from vintage Canadian designer, Gustave Sherman.

Some months later, while surfing vintage designers on Ebay, I discovered why she shook her head in disbelief. Jewelry by Sherman was selling like hotcakes at prices I couldn't imagine folks would pay for pretty, but pre-loved (nice word for used or worn) swarovski crystals and rhinestones. I had to find out more ... and did I ever!

And that, dear reader, is what I hope to share with you in this new blog. Stay tuned! By the way, that gorgeous set shown in the photo is available from both my website at SHERMAN JEWELLERY SHOWCASE or via my SHOP AT RUBY LANE Lots more photos of this piece too in the RUBY LANE SHOP.