Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
The father of so-called “fabulous fakes,” Kenneth Jay Lane was a spirited innovator within the jewelry industry, designing elegant and luxurious pieces without the use of real jewels. And while Lane aspired to create classic designs for earrings, bracelets and necklaces intended for everyday wear, his pieces caught the attention of celebrities, royalty and socialites.
From a young age, the Detroit, Michigan-born Lane was a lover of fashion. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Michigan. He pursued a design career in New York City, and a failed start in the art department of Vogue magazine led to a decade of designing shoes for the likes of Delman and Christian Dior.
Lane would occasionally develop shoe designs for friends he had in the fashion world such as Bill Blass and Arnold Scaasi. A show for the latter afforded him the opportunity to beautify shoes with rhinestones and create bangles and earrings to pair with the footwear — he found plastic bracelets at discount variety store and had them embellished by craftspeople at a shoe factory.
A love for costume jewelry design emerged thereafter. Lane created his own collection and admirers such as Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor showered him with praise. A pearl necklace he designed was worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. In the early 1960s, ready-to-wear pioneer Hattie Carnegie purchased Lane’s jewelry line. Lane was given the position of design director for Carnegie but he soon changed course, moving instead into a small studio and pursuing his own path.
Lane worked with milk glass, gilded silver hardware, faux coral and other materials, and sold pendant necklaces, dangle earrings and modern bracelets to private customers. He was fond of renowned fine jewelry houses Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels and designers such as Jean Schlumberger, and cited having found inspiration in Egyptian and Indian jewelry over the years as well as Art Deco jewelry. Lane’s designs, which he called “faque” and “junque,” became well-known for their distinctive color combinations and clever characteristics such as embroidery. By the time he purchased a small jewelry factory in Providence, Rhode Island, where his accessories would be made during the 1960s, Lane had secured relationships with top Manhattan boutiques and his work had caught the attention of fashion magazines.
Directed by the filmmaker Gisèle Roman, a 2018 documentary about Lane’s life and work called Fabulously Fake: The Real Life of Kenneth Jay Lane features interviews with legendary fashion designers Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch and Diane von Furstenberg.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Kenneth Jay Lane brooches, rings and other accessories.
1990s Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
1990s Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
1980s Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century French Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
1970s Mexican Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Sterling Silver
20th Century French Retro Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Unknown Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Pearl
1980s French Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Italian Artisan Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Pearl, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
2010s Thai Contemporary Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
1980s Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
1980s American Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Crystal, Base Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Other, Gilt Metal
20th Century American Modern Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings
Kenneth Jay Lane earrings for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Kenneth Jay Lane
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The impeccable costume jewelry by designer Kenneth Jay Lane, known as the “Master of Faking It,” has been made in the USA and abroad. During Lane’s early years, much of his domestic-made jewelry was produced in New York and Rhode Island, while other designs were made in factories in Asia. Some of Lane’s imported jewelry pieces are stamped with Thailand or China as the country of origin. Shop a selection of Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.