An exceptional pair of vintage earrings from the 1970s. Stunning door knocker style with twisted design. These earrings have been re-plated with 1 micron of 18-karat gold, restoring them to their full glory — if not making them even more beautiful than before.
Signed Kenneth Lane
 
Diameter: 4.5cm
 
Era: 1970s
Condition: Excellent
Product code: ASJ-1455
 
About the brand
Kenneth Jay Lane launched his jewellery business in 1963, after beginning his career designing shoes for companies including Christian Dior. His glamorous, oversized costume jewellery quickly caught the attention of the fashion world, particularly after the Duchess of Windsor became an early supporter.
Lane became famous for his “Fabulous Fakes” — jewellery designed to look like spectacular fine jewellery but made using materials such as glass, resin, crystals and gilt metal. He believed costume jewellery could be just as stylish and desirable as the real thing.
His extraordinary client list included Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Princess Diana, helping turn costume jewellery into a fashionable luxury in its own right.
His designs ranged from enormous faux pearls and colourful cabochons to animals, exotic motifs and pieces inspired by historic fine jewellery. Early pieces marked “K.J.L.”, particularly those from the 1960s and 1970s, are highly collectible today.
Kenneth Jay Lane died in 2017, but his influence on costume jewellery remains enormous. His greatest achievement was making “fake” jewellery something fashionable women actively wanted to wear — even when they could afford the real thing.