Signed Beauties of Costume Jewelry by Marcia Sparkles Brown (2002, Hardcover, Illustrated)

This isn't a bad book, as long as you don't use it as a price guide. The prices are generally 10x higher than what you'd expect to pay or get for an item. The pictures are generally good, though not as sharp and clear as I'd like, and the information about the various designers is good.

In reviewing jewelry guides which are often used as price guides I am trying to take a couple random samples and show book values compared to actual values received on closed ebay auctions. It is as such....
pg. 19 Kenneth Jay Lan Frog Parure. Book value 395.00, actual ebay closing bid 59.05 with all pieces in excellent condition. (okay so not 10x value here)
pg. 188 Trifari zodiac brooch. Book value 35.00, actual ebay closing 3.50
pg. 229 Tortolani Market Street Trolly. Book value 125.00, actual ebay closing 9.51.

As you can see value in book do not indicate the value you'll receive if you sell an item or the price you'll have to pay for a piece for your own collection. Some of the highest end designers (i.e. Miriam Haskell) prices may be more accurate than others. Yes, books are not an guarantee of the value but should be an indication of the value of a piece. I think this book very much overvalues the jewelry pieces.

I would recommend this book to a collector who already has a few jewelry collecting books and is just looking to add to their collection to find more of the treasures and get a bit more information. It wouldn't be a good "first" book as the values are very off and doesn't include some of the more popular designers that are very collectible such as Coro.

Very easy to read and research. Great & clear pictures. I especially like the little history of each designer listed.

I really enjoyed this book, it has a lot of really great pictures of the jewelry. The descriptions are excellent, The only dislike was that there weren't more designers, I would have liked to see some Juliana, and Coro, but overall a great book for the costume jewelry collector!

I like that there were quality pictures of the designs. I wish there had been more under the Eisenberg Collection. All in all, a good book for the costume jewelry enthusiast.

WONDERFUL REF. BOOK FOR ANYONE COLLECTING THIS TYPE OF JEWELRY. EVEN WITH THE PRICE GUIDE BEING OUTDATED, THIS BOOK IS IN DEPTH ABOUT THE COMPANIES AND SIGNSTURES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT. THE PHOTOS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND WILL ALSO BE A GREAT HELP ESPECIALLY TO ANYONE STARTING OUT. WELL WORTH THE MONEY, BUT YOU WILL STILL NEED AN UPDATED PRICE GUIDE IF YOU INTEND TO BUY AND SELL.

I bought this, knowing its age and the price was perfect. I have several of her other books and enjoy them. I read the reviews before purchasing it as well. I do agree that the prices are a bit off at this point, with the recession and all but I am constantly amazed at how many folks are still collecting so the competition is still out there! I found two pieces I own in this book, which adds to their value by reference. I still collect by what I like and what I can afford. I think the pictures are fun to browse through and that Sparkles clearly enjoys what she has done for years. This book did not have any Coro in it, so that was a bit disappointing considering how popular it is. Enjoy it for what it is--an older journey through collecting. Liked it being a hardback; holds up better. Would not buy it new.