50s Jewelry
50s Jewelry |
The late 1950s and the l960s saw ornate and voluptuous beaded jewelry become the height of fashion. The company at the forefront of this trend was Coppola e Toppo.
Jewelry designer Lyda Toppo established her costume jewelry
company in Milan, Italy, in 1946.
She worked with her brother, Bruno Coppola.
The duo's early pieces, often multi-stranded strings of beads, were
characterized by locally sourced beads of Murano glass and Austrian crystal,
and by the exquisite use of graduated colored beads, which became a signature
of the company. They also favored faceted glass rhinestones, plastic beads,
faux pearls, and imitation seed pearls. These were set into gold-plated metal
or tightly strung on brass wire. Coppola e Toppo's designs made the clasp
integral to the overall look of the piece.
Highly ornamental and often heart- shaped, clasps were worn asymmetrically or displayed in low-backed dresses. Famously, their designs adorned the whole neck, not just the front. The company's style was classical and tailored, creating a distinctive look that encapsulated the glamour of la dolcevita. Early pieces dating from the late 1940s and early 1950s were marked "Mikey," after their pet dog.
50s Jewelry |
Highly ornamental and often heart- shaped, clasps were worn asymmetrically or displayed in low-backed dresses. Famously, their designs adorned the whole neck, not just the front. The company's style was classical and tailored, creating a distinctive look that encapsulated the glamour of la dolcevita. Early pieces dating from the late 1940s and early 1950s were marked "Mikey," after their pet dog.
50s Jewelry |
50s Jewelry
In the 1960s, beads enjoyed a resurgence in Western fashion
unseen since Edwardian times. Design influences were drawn from India, Africa,
and South America. Beads were "in" during the Swinging Sixties,
diamante and faux pearls were out. Notably, Coppola e Toppo's work for Emilio
Pucci, the "Prince of Prints,"
50s Jewelry |
Italian couturier Valentino, the "King of
Fashion" who boasted such clients as Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor,
provided many lucrative commissions during the 1960s. This work enabled Coppola
e Toppo to create more pieces under their own mark—"Made in Italy by
Coppola e Toppo"—in the 1960s and 70s.
50s Jewelry
50s Jewelry
50s Jewelry |
Look for the mark "Made in Italy by Coppola e
Toppo" from the 1950s onward. Earrings were usually marked with a cut-out
star on the clip. Coppola c Toppo pieces are highly sought after and very
expensive: Doyle in New York sold a collar and two-bracelet demi- parure for
$11,400 (£7,200) in 2006.
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