Alice Caviness - Collecting Costume Jewelry 101

ALICE CAVINESS JEWELRY

Dates of Operation: Jewelry from mid to late1940s – 1980 under the ownership of Alice Caviness, Lois Steever purchased the business and continued until 2000.

Note: The historical information in this section is from an article published on www.morninggloryantiques.com under the Morning Glory Collects heading. The article is a first-person interview with Walter Smith who worked for the company from 1960 – 1982.

Caviness produced jewelry in her own factory, she imported jewelry, and she purchased jewelry manufactured by others but designed by herself or with Millie Petronzio who was head designer for 25 years.

Lois Steever joined the company in 1957 and purchased the business after the Caviness’ retired to Florida in 1980. Millie Petronzio became head designer at Miriam Haskell in 1980.

Walter Smith remembers Caviness and her husband Jules Junquerra as having “a strong sense of style, an honorable attitude toward business and high ethical standards.” (Reference page at www.morninggloryantiques.com, Untitled article about Alice Caviness)

Caviness jewelry was sold in high-end boutiques and quality jewelry stores. They had showrooms in New York City, Dallas, Raleigh, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Most Common Alice Caviness Signatures

ALICE CAVINESS in caps is the most common signature for costume jewelry designs either stamped or on a cartouche.

The small figural designs imported from Germany are signed ALICE CAVINESS GERMANY STERLING SILVER

Sometimes the imported jewelry is signed in a round cartouche (not shown)

Gold filled Caviness jewelry is signed ALICE CAVINESS 1/20 12K G.F.

Design:

Alice Caviness jewelry in the collectible market today falls into three general categories.

Eye-catching designs featuring bold and colorful art glass and rhinestones
Jewelry with hand-strung elements in the style of Miriam Haskell
Sterling designs, colorfully enameled figural pieces, imported from Germany

Elements of Design

Color is one of the six elements of design studied in Chapter One. It includes information on:

enameling
rhinestones and specialty stones
color to establish theme, shape, and depth
plating

Caviness jewelry is a great example of a brand that effectively used color to create elegant, rich looking designs. Using color to achieve elegance is a unifying factor in Caviness jewelry.

Gallery

Eye-catching Stones

The most collectible Alice Caviness jewelry designs feature beautiful stones. This set combines jonquil, peridot, and smoked topaz rhinestones in an eye-catching, symmetrical pattern.

The bracelet measures 7″ X 1″. The clip earrings are 1 1/4″. Most Caviness bracelets have a safety chain.

Jonquil is the main color in this design. The peridot and smoked topaz colors, in small sizes, maintains the dominancy of the jonquil while elegantly adding color.

To the “jewelry eye” a bracelet with only jonquil stones would float. By adding smoke topaz and peridot colors in an interesting pattern, the designer also added depth and texture, creating a distinctive fabric of color the “eye” loves. Pearls are added for earthly elegance and a dash of smooth texture. All together this combination is a sophisticated use of materials.

Design Trait: Many Caviness designs include pearl accents. Pearls add a touch of royal elegance to a design.

The earring design is a variation of the bracelet design featuring the same combination of colors.

Left: The faceted jonquil, tear-drop shaped stones are an expensive touch to the earrings. Right: Back view showing the signature cartouche.

The choice of plating is key to the elegance of the design. The contrast enhances the vibrancy of the pastel colors.

Back view showing the japanned plating that creates contrast with the jonquil stones. The bracelet is signed ALICE CAVINESS on an oval cartouche. (Third row from the left.)

Definition: The term “japanned” refers to the black lacquer boxes and other objects imported from Japan in the 16th century. The ancient term has been applied to costume jewelry when the metal is finished with black enamel rather than gold or silver plate.

The pastel color combination used in the following Caviness set mitigates the bold size and shape of the stones. The combination of stones in the bracelet differs slightly from the combination in the pin. This type of variation is a normal occurrence in a design group.

The clamper bracelet fits an average size wrist. The pin is 2 1/2″ in diameter.

The bracelet and pin both feature large pastel stones, in primary colors blue, yellow, and red. The pin is constructed in two pieces. The top is a floral with a faceted crystal aurora borealis center stone. It is surrounded by large jonquil, light rose, and light sapphire cabochon stones. Highly reflective cabochon stones are sometimes called “mirror” stones. Tiny, faceted jonquil stones are nestled among the bottom leaves.

The clamper bracelet features the same pastel stones but includes pearls rather than tiny jonquil stones to complete the design.

Design Trait: This kind of nestling or grouping of small, faceted stones is a design trait of Caviness.

The back view shows the high-quality and interesting construction of the pin. It has a round stabilization bar and two spools attaching the piece together. The front of the clamper bracelet, under the stones, shows two touching hearts.

Close view of the “spools” holding the two pieces together.

Brand Trait: A touch of romance, including hearts, is a brand trait of some Caviness designs.

Truly beautiful in person, this Alice Caviness pin measures 3 1/4″. It is a slightly asymmetrical triangular shape. Clusters of crystal aurora borealis stones in various sizes form a carpet of shine over five moonstone cabochon stones. Skinny navette -shaped stones in fall colors form the leaves in this floral design.

The crystal navette stones reflect green when photographed but they are clear in person. Smoked topaz and light smoked topaz colors add depth to the design.

Back view showing that all of the stones are in closed-back settings. The aurora borealis coating provides plenty of sparkle without open-backed settings. It is signed ALICECAVINESS on an oval cartouche.

The design of the following earrings includes a similar cluster of small aurora borealis stones like the brooch above. The large oval stone is a mirror stone that reflects blue.

The earrings measure 1 1/4″. One earring is signed ALICE CAVINESS.

One of the most collectible Alice Caviness designs is a set featuring a cluster of stones including a large flawed emerald stone. The pin below is signed ALICE CAVINESS on an oval cartouche and a match for the famous set.

The pin measures 2″. The faux blue opal stone is set with fancy prong.

This design is an elegant way of presenting stones in natural shapes. The flawed emerald stone simulates a large unfaceted emerald. Striations of white are present in the stone. The combination of stones represents the natural, glorious gemstones the Earth has to offer. They include faux pearls, blue topaz, blue opal, alexandrite, yellow diamond, sapphire, and ruby.

The lines in the large faux emerald are white in person and indicative of a flawed emerald.

Back view showing the cupcake setting for the faux opal and the open-backed setting for the flawed emerald stone.

The following Caviness set is a lovely variation of the popular Maltese cross shape. The richness and elegance of this design is evident in several ways. First, the center stone is a rarely found square-shaped rivoli stone. The overall shape is symmetrical except for the perfectly placed metal floral detail. It adds a touch of asymmetry to the design. The flower is set on a distinctive, crown-shaped arrangement of stones.

The pin measures 3″. Each clip earring is slightly over 1 1/4″. It is a symmetrical design done in shades of ruby, rose, and light amethyst.

Rose and light amethyst skinny navette stones add lightness to the overall deep ruby color. Rose is a tint of ruby. Light amethyst is a tint of purple. Purple and red are analogous colors. Grouping tints of analogous colors creates an elegant monochromatic color scheme.

Definition: A rivoli stone is an undrilled crystal stone with a specific shape. It is pointed in the center with sixteen facets. This type of stone was made by Swarovski and first used in costume jewelry in the 1950s. MOST rivoli stones are round.

Single flower detail set on two fat navette-shaped stones all in a crown-shaped rhinestone frame.

Brand Trait: Small floral metal elements with rhinestone center stones is a Caviness brand trait.

Back view showing the beautiful plating. Note that the center is textured rather than smooth metal.

The next floral pin and earrings set is one of the easiest and most beautiful Alice Caviness sets to find in the collectible market today. The pin and both earrings are signed.

The pin measures 2 3/4″. Each clip earring is 1″.

Yellow is a primary color and a visually a strong, eye-catching color. In this design the yellow floral center is the point of central focus. Green (a secondary color) is next to yellow on the color wheel, so it works well as a base for the yellow elements.

Brand Trait(s): This set illustrates three Alice Caviness brand traits: Small enameled flowers with rhinestone centers, a plastic floral center, and enameled leaves.

Back view showing the open-backed stones and Caviness signatures.

The necklace and earrings set below features enameled leaves similar to the leaves on the green floral set above. It features the same enameled flower details. Only the necklace is signed.

The necklace measures 15 1/2″ and is not adjustable. The clip earrings are 1 1/4″.

The point of central focus is the pink enameled flower. Pink and green rhinestone chain is used as a frame/outline for the green and pink rhinestones. This romantic floral theme, done in pastel colors, is consistent with many ALICE CAVINESS designs.

Back view showing the open-backed settings and overall construction.

The interesting pin below features an especially large 1 3/4″ oval-shape, faux opal stone set in an elaborate filigree frame with dark antiqued plating.

The large opal stone resembles a “pinpoint opal”. In nature a pinpoint opal has pinpoints of color throughout the opal. This faux example reflects pinpoints of fire when turned to the light. It is a rare faux stone, especially in this size.

Definition: Filigree jewelry is an ancient technique using gold and silver wire. It was popular in some Art Nouveau designs and often paired with opals.

Brand Trait: Filigree metal is prominent in many Alice Caviness designs.

Consistent with the romance of Alice Caviness designs, the back of the frame is decorated with stamped flowers.

The bracelet below features blue cabochon stones with alternating rows of blue aurora borealis faceted stones. All stones are prong set.

When worn the bracelet wraps the wrist with curving lines of blue.

Brand Trait: Alice Caviness produced several designs using small blue cabochon stones.

The bracelet is approximately 7″ X 1″ and is slightly domed for comfort.

The bracelet is signed ALICE CAVINESS and includes a typical Caviness safety chain.

The back view shows the domed shape and gold plating.

The Caviness faux carved ivory set below has a floral motif. The oval pin and round earrings are set in beaded frames decorated with green beads.

The pin measures 2 1/2″ including the decorative frame. Each clip earring is 1″ in diameter.

The shape of the pin resembles the back of an antique hand-mirror with the stem of the floral design placed where a handle would be.

The piercings in the faux ivory can be seen from the back.

The earrings and the pin are signed ALICE CAVINESS.

Jewelry with hand-wired elements (Miriam Haskell style)

Miriam Haskell jewelry was expensive, luxury costume jewelry. Many Alice Caviness designs include the same “luxury” hand-wiring techniques often combined with eye-catching stones.

The set below has many Alice Caviness brand traits: Art glass stones, monochromatic and elegant color palette, romantic heart motif elements, AND high-end hand-wired elements. In this design the hand-wired elements are faux pearls, a Caviness brand favorite.

This beautiful Alice Caviness set features rare molded-glass, heart-shaped stones and hand-wired pearls topped by crystal stones set with rose montee beads.

Definition: A rose montee bead is a flat-back bead preset in a special setting with X-shaped holes on the back. Using thread or wire rose montee beads can then be threaded through the holes and in this way attached to a onto a design.

The clamper bracelet fits an average size wrist. The hinge is on the side. The pin is 2 1/2″.

The heart-shaped art-glass stones are molded so each is precisely the same size. They are bi-color stones in light and smoked topaz add interest to the monochromatic color scheme. A golden topaz color scheme is a neutral in that it, like fine gold jewelry, coordinates with almost any outfit. This design is distinctive, rich-looking, and eye-catching.

Close view of the bi-color stones, jonquil rhinestones, and hand-wired pearls capped with rose montee rhinestones.

Back view showing the heart-shaped settings. Hearts are a popular motif in Caviness design.

The overall shape of the bracelet is oval. It is decorated on each side with smoked topaz rhinestones and comes with a safety chain.

Each clip earring measures 1 1/4″. The center of the trio of heart-shaped stones is a small glass floral bead capped by a pearl.

Shape and sparkle are the stars in the following Alice Caviness clamper bracelet and matching clip earrings. The eye-catching design is a departure from Caviness’ colorful, romantic designs. The set is perfect for evening wear.

The clamper bracelet fits an average size wrist. Each clip earring, on the original Alice Caviness Fifth Avenue display card measures 1″.

The design of the bracelet includes a filigree base with hand-wired elements.

The bracelet is unsigned as is typical of many Caviness sets. The earrings feature the same filigree base as the bracelet with hand-wired stones and beads.

Rare, fancy-shaped stones are used in this symmetrical design. It is unique, distinctive, and eye-catching.

Primary color yellow is found in many Caviness spring and summer designs. The following set consists of yellow and white beads hand-wired to a filigree base.

The floral motif pin measures 2 1/2″. Each clip earring is 1 1/2″.

The back view shows the wires holding the beads in place. The earrings are signed ALICE CAVINESS. The pin is unsigned. The double layered filigree base of the earrings features both gold and silver tone filigree.

The fully hand-strung clamper bracelet and earrings set shown below has a monochromatic color scheme. All of the beads are shades of blue or opaque crystal.

The clamper bracelet fits an average size wrist. It is unsigned. However, both 1″ earrings are signed.

This view shows metal leaf elements added to the earrings. The interior of the bracelet is filigree metal.

Close view of the earrings and the ALICE CAVINESS signature. The earrings are also marked with utility patent number 2733491. This patent is for the earring mechanism. It was patented by A. R. Saccoccio February 7, 1956. This style of clip dates this set to after 1956.

Alice Caviness produced beautiful art-glass necklace and earring sets. Many like the sets below are monochromatic in color, but also elegantly detailed.

This double strand necklace fits a 16″ neck. The irregularly shaped glass beads have the look of expensive blown glass with a luminescent coating.

Alice Caviness loved floral designs. The leaf-style earrings support that motif. They are hand-wired to the filigree backs.

The blue and green art glass beads in this set are evenly spaced between twisted beads and star beads.

The triple-strand necklace measures 16″ with a 4″ extension. Each clip earring measures 1″.

The beads and stars in the earring design are hand-wired to filigree backs. Both earrings are signed ALICE CAVINESS. The necklace is unsigned.

Lovely for summer, this choker-style necklace measures 16″. It has a fold-over clasp and is signed with an oval ALICE CAVINESS cartouche.

The design consists of white ribbed beads and patriotic red, white, and blue millefiori beads.

The earrings are unsigned and measure 1 1/2″.

Definition: Milleflori beads are made from glass rods in various colors and sizes. They are gathered together and then sliced to create a pattern. This ancient process continues today.

Alice Caviness Imported from Germany

Alice Caviness imported small sterling silver enameled pins from Germany. They are signed ALICE CAVINESS STERLING SILVER GERMANY.

Beautiful enameling is an important tool to add vibrancy and color to a design. The parrot pin on the left measures 1 1/2″. Both birds have their own personality. The one on the left seems to be singing.

The “jewelry eye” accepts the colors of nature, so it accepts the vibrant combination of primary and secondary colors decorating the birds. Tiny marcasite stones outline the wings.

The pair of owls on the right measure 1 1/4″ and also feature marcasite stones and colorful enameling.

Alice Caviness sterling silver pins imported from Germany are a collectible separate from the Caviness costume jewelry and remain popular today.

Author’s Note: Since often only one piece in a set is signed, there is unsigned Caviness jewelry in the market. My recommendation is to look for high-quality Caviness with at least one signed piece.

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