Sweet Romance - Collecting Costume Jewelry 101

Dates of Operation: 1987 – Present

Shelly Cooper is the CEO and designer of Sweet Romance Jewelry. Her designs are manufactured and assembled by artists in the Sweet Romance Jewelry Los Angeles facility using components sourced from Europe and the U.S.A.

The Sweet Romance mission statement reads:

Our heartfelt purpose is the style and joy that Sweet Romance Jewelry brings to those who love the daily inspiration and self-expression of wonderful jewelry.
www.sweetromanceonline.com

Distinctive Design:

Sweet Romance Jewelry designs are original creations by designer Shelly Cooper inspired by her love of history and extensive knowledge of antique jewelry. Currently, there are many jewelry collections offered on the Sweet Romance website including: Candy glass, Bees & Butterflies, Starlight Collection, Vintage, Classics & Pearls, Animals, Free Spirit, Religious, Lily of the Valley Collection, Floral Jewelry, Inspiration, Wedding & Bridal, Elvira Jewelry Collection, Artifact Ring Collection, Pins Collection, Easter Jewelry, Spring Faves, Moon & Stars, Western & Southwest, Dark & Goth, and Holidays.

Most of the designs incorporate an arrangement of beads, charms, chains, and other components. The designs are detailed and colorful.

Brand Trait: Many designs have inspirational as well as historical themes.

The Mayan Cross set shown below celebrates the Mayan culture.

This triple strand necklace measures 15″ with a 5 1/2″ extension chain. It consists of two lengths of chain and one row of faceted art-glass beads. An elaborately decorated 2 3/4″ cross pendant, with a 1″ bale, slides along the strands so it can be perfectly positioned regardless of the preferred length.

A brochure titled “Awaken your spirit…” speaks to the inspirational theme of this design. It reads,

Even before the arrival of Christianity in the Yucatan, the Maya revered the symbol of the cross as their Tree of Life. As the two cultures converged in the 1500s, the Maya retained traditions from their own understanding of the cosmos. Yet, they embraced the cross as a medium through which a person could awaken their spirit, invoke blessings and receive divine inspiration.
Sweet Romance Brochure @2000 The Mayan Cross

The back view shows the bronze plating and beautiful chains. One chain is decorated with stations of tiny rhinestones.

The necklace is signed SWEET ROMANCE USA on the cross pendant and *Sweet Romance* TM on the back of the tail decoration.

The pendant is beautifully detailed with red and green beads. Turquoise and black enamel simulate the look of genuine turquoise and onyx stones.

Turquoise is a healing, calming color that dominates this inspirational design. Red and green are contrasting colors used sparingly to emphasize the details of the cross.

Close view of the art-glass faceted stones.

Innovative:

Sweet Romance Jewelry combines vintage components with high-quality modern components to create contemporary jewelry with a vintage vibe. The jewelry spans a vast range of motifs as defined above.

One of the most innovative aspects of Sweet Romance Jewelry is the interesting and unique way Shelly Cooper incorporates “charms” in her designs.

Five strands of glass beads are strung together in this 20″ necklace with a 1 1/2″ clasp and 2″ earrings. The wire bracelet wraps around and fits an average size wrist. This set was also sold with orange/red beads and components.

Not all pieces in a collection are signed. The earrings in this set are a clear match in design, color, and materials but they are unsigned.

Tiny floral “charms” are interspersed throughout each of the five strands. Additional metal components are also part of the design. The floral motif is repeated in the symmetrical clasp and the earring design.

The back view shows the clip style earrings and the secure double-hook rectangular clasp.

Brand Trait: This style of clasp is used in other Shelly Cooper designs. She also creatively reuses the decorative components in other designs.

Left: Close view of the “charms” on the wire bracelet that exactly match the “charms” on the necklace and necklace clasp. Middle: Close view of the clasp showing the mostly symmetrical arrangement of components. One floral component is blue with a pink center and the other is green with a lavender center. This color difference provides a touch of asymmetry that adds interest to the design. Right: Close view of the signature cartouche and sturdy double hook clasp.

Brand Trait: Masterful touches of asymmetry are often part of symmetrical designs to add interest and contrast.

Quality Manufacturing:

Sweet Romance Jewelry is manufactured using time-honored techniques and hand-finishes.

The About Us page on the Sweet Romance Jewelry website outlines the process.

Pewter metals are used for casting.
Bronze, gold, and silver metals are used in the finishing process.
High-quality Swarovski beads and rhinestones are part of many designs.
Some designs include semi-precious beads, natural pearls, enamel and lacquers.
Vintage elements from Europe or the United States are incorporated in designs.

Brand Trait: Note the rectangular frame surrounding the double-sided floral component. Frame designs, especially rectangular frames, are a Sweet Romance Jewelry brand trait.

The necklace features beautiful components throughout the design. Every inch is thoughtfully decorated so it is attractive all the way around. This close view shows the decorative, textured rings finished in the same plating color as the clasp. In addition, green glass bead caps decorate faceted black glass beads.

Brand Trait: Each design is carefully planned to include coordinating, decorative elements throughout the design.

Each design is conceived with an illustration and then developed into sculptured and tooled elements by our staff of artists.

Our Process www.sweetromanceonline.com

The following Sweet Romance set is part of the Cafe Society Collection. The necklace is currently available on the Sweet Romance Jewelry website.

The 1920s love affair with tropical themes and elegant use of color is expressed in this Art Deco flower vase necklace.
www.sweetromanceonline.com

The necklace is 26″ long with a bronze finish. The bracelet measures 8 X 1.25 inches. The earrings are 2 1/2″.

The earrings shown here coordinate with the necklace but differ in design. They feature a cross of rhinestones followed by decorative rhinestone links. They were purchased with the bracelet. An advertisement for this set shows a different pair of earrings with the necklace. It is not unusual for a designer to create more than one earring design for a collection.

Beautiful elements are often used in multiple collections. This double-sided floral element is part of another collection shown on the Sweet Romance website. The description identifies this component as Czech.

This interesting and beautiful bracelet features enameled flower vases in black, rectangular frames. The strong symmetry of the design is mitigated by setting every other vase upside down.

Another view of the Art Deco inspired set shows the lovely, long length of the necklace often called a sautoir.

A sautoir is a French term for a long necklace that suspends a tassel or other ornament. Necklaces that would fit the criteria for a sautoir have existed throughout history. Sautoirs, as we know them today, evolved in the early part of the twentieth century in response to the elongation of the feminine silhouette created by the columnar styling of dresses of the period.
langantiques.com Antique Jewelry University

Marketing:

Sweet Romance Jewelry has been featured in many magazines and is part of wardrobes used in television and movie productions. It is also sold in museum shops. Shop NBC and QVC (USA, Japan, UK) also sold Sweet Romance Jewelry.

Author’s Note: The best marketing for Sweet Romance jewelry is for a collector to hold and appreciate the quality of the jewelry designs.

Table of Contents