Chico’s FAS, Inc. is a Florida based company founded in 1983. Today Chico’s FAS includes three brands: the original Chico’s, White House Black Market (since 2003) and Soma (since 2004). [Information from www.chicofas.com]
Chico’s and White House Black Market are “mall boutique” and online stores that include fashions, jewelry, and accessories. Although mass produced for over 1000 stores, the jewelry often features interesting designs.
Very few “mall boutique” jewelry designs make it into my vintage jewelry collection, but there are exceptions. The following White House Black Market necklace and earrings set is one of those exceptions.
The set is called the Mixed Metal Star Necklace and Cuff Bracelet. Although the set is sold out, the original online WHBM marketing information remains available online. It is described as being made of zinc/glass, steel. It was custom designed for WHBM, handcrafted with nickel-free and lead-free metal. A headband (not shown) was also available in the Mixed Metal Star design.
The necklace is signed with the WHBM rectangular cartouche. Except for the original tags, the bracelet is unsigned.
The 16″ necklace sold for $110.00 and the bracelet for $55.00. The tags state the jewelry was made for Chico’s Fas Inc. and made in China. Amazingly there is a third tag stating:
This item is delicate. Please handle and wear with care.
This third tag speaks to the integrity of Chico’s Fas Inc. The eye-catching design is well thought through and the plating is beautifully done; however, the weight of the jewelry and the style of construction suggests this set must be handled with care. It is impressive that the company selected to let the customer understand this prior to purchasing the jewelry.
The construction of the necklace consists of individual star charms (both gold and silver plated) of varying designs and sizes piled on top of each other. The charms are both soldered together and connected with metal rings resulting in a design that is dimensional and flexible. The placement of the stars, especially the stars placed around the neck, is asymmetrical.
The back views for both the necklace and bracelet show the thick plating. The bracelet design is fully soldered with no connecting rings, so it is strong and rigid. However, it is fragile due to the way it opens.
The bracelet opens in the front (not shown). This opening is hidden in the arrangement of stars. Care must be taken when opening and closing to avoid damaging the front design. The bracelet fits an average 7 1/4″ wrist and although a challenge to carefully put on, the eye-catching impact of this sparkling design is worth the effort!
I don’t know the age of this set. It is no longer available. I was fortunate to find this at a local flea market for a fraction of its value. However, had I seen it in the WHBM store, it would have been difficult to resist at full price. For now, it is part of my collection! It will be interesting to see how well it endures over time.
Happy Collecting,
Love,
Julie