In 1996, a faux pearl necklace sold at Sotheby’s for over $200,000. It was not made of pearls. It was not made of gold. It was Kenneth Jay Lane vintage jewellery — and it had belonged to Jackie Kennedy Onassis. That sale said everything about what Lane had spent three decades proving: that a piece of jewellery’s power has nothing to do with the value of its materials.
In this blog, we will explore the history, signature style, and enduring collectibility of Kenneth Jay Lane vintage jewelry, from his unlikely beginnings as a shoe designer at Christian Dior, through to the bold, historically-inspired pieces that made him the undisputed King of Costume Jewelry, and the collector’s guide to identifying and dating KJL jewelry today.
Kenneth Jay Lane: From Shoe Designer to King of Costume Jewelry
Kenneth Jay Lane was born in Detroit in 1932. After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, he joined the art department at Vogue before moving to shoe design — first at Delman, then at the New York branch of Christian Dior from 1958 to 1963, where he trained under the legendary Roger Vivier.
While designing shoes at Christian Dior, Lane began experimenting with rhinestone embellishments. When fashion designer Arnold Scaasi asked him to create bejewelled accessories for a runway collection, Lane bought plastic bracelets from a five-and-dime store, had them jewelled at the factory where his shoes were being made, and created earrings himself by covering artificial fruit cores entirely with flat-backed rhinestones. The New York Times noticed. Bonwit Teller placed an order for six earrings — and sold out in a single day.
By 1963, Lane had committed entirely to jewellery design. He drew from an unusually wide range of historical sources — Byzantine, Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Indian Moghul, Chinese — reinterpreting them at a scale designed to be worn, not merely admired. He looked closely at the work of Cartier, Bulgari, and Fulco di Verdura, and reproduced their grandeur using rhinestones, faux coral, milk glass, and coloured cabochons. The earlier domestic pieces, produced by Gem-Craft in Rhode Island and DeLizza & Elster in New York, are generally considered the finest in construction quality.
The Duchess, Jackie Kennedy, and the Art of the Fabulous Fake
Lane’s career launched publicly when a fashion industry insider showed some of his pieces to Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, who bought several and recommended him to her friends. At a time when society reporting was a national sport, that endorsement was transformative.
What followed was one of the most remarkable client lists in the history of jewellery design. Jackie Kennedy commissioned Lane to copy her finest pieces so she could wear them freely while keeping the originals safely stored — including a Van Cleef & Arpels “Maharani” necklace given to her by Aristotle Onassis, which Lane copied in exchange for the right to sell replicas. Barbara Bush wore his three-strand faux pearl necklace to her husband’s inaugural ball. The Duchess of Windsor was rumoured to have been buried wearing one of his belts.
The New York Times, writing about Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball in 1966, reported that the most important men in a fashionable woman’s life were “her hairdresser, her make-up artist and Kenneth Jay Lane.” Time Magazine called him the undisputed King of Costume Jewelry. Lane saw his jewellery as “art that becomes reality when worn by people” — and he never apologised for a single faux stone.
Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Jewellery: Where to Start Collecting
Kenneth Jay Lane necklaces are consistently the most sought-after category in the KJL collector market. Several designs are particularly prized:
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Elaborate collar necklaces — large structured pieces from the 1960s and early 1970s with rhinestones and richly coloured cabochons; the most coveted KJL necklaces, especially when found with matching earrings
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Moghul and Indian-inspired cabochon necklaces — high-domed cabochon stones in deep colours drawing on Indian court jewellery; among Lane’s most recognisable and consistently valuable designs
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“Let Them Eat Cake” designs — oversized, ornate, historically referential pieces reinterpreted across multiple decades; early 1960s examples are considered a significant collector’s prize
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Faux pearl multi-strand necklaces — the category most associated with Jackie Kennedy; the Sotheby’s sale of over $200,000 in 1996 remains the most dramatic illustration of what Lane’s provenance can do to a piece’s value
Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Jewellery Bracelets, Earrings, and the Interchangeable Design
Wide cuff bracelets — particularly those featuring enamel work, faux jade, or bold cabochon stones — are among the most wearable vintage KJL pieces. Large dangle earrings from the 1960s are the other cornerstone of KJL collecting; three-inch drop earrings with pear-shaped crystal stones and chandelier designs in richly coloured cabochons are all highly collectible.
One distinctively KJL design feature worth knowing is the interchangeable earring system — pieces such as the well-documented lion earrings with interchangeable rings, which allow different drop or decorative elements to be swapped on the same earring base. Finding a complete set with all interchangeable components intact is relatively uncommon and increases value significantly.
How to Read KJL Jewelry Marks
Because Lane re-issued favourite designs repeatedly across decades, the mark is the most reliable dating tool. A piece that looks like a 1960s design may carry a 1980s or later mark — which affects both provenance and collector value:
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K.J.L. (with periods) — 1960s to early 1970s; earliest and most collectible mark; domestic production by Gem-Craft or DeLizza & Elster
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KENNETH © LANE — 1960s to 1970s; pieces sold exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue
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Kenneth Jay Lane / Kenneth Lane (full name) — 1970s to 1980s; boutique and department store pieces
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KJL for Avon / Kenneth Lane for Avon — 1980 to approximately 2004; collectible in their own right but a distinct category from earlier pieces
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©KJL (no periods) — early to mid-2000s; QVC and boutique pieces; imported pieces sometimes stamped with country of origin
“Kenneth Lane jewelry” and “Kenneth Jay Lane” refer to the same designer — both names appear across the mark timeline and neither indicates a different brand or greater value. Era and construction quality are what matter.
Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane Jewellery at Around the Block
At Around the Block in Toronto, we have an absolutely stunning collection of top costume jewelry brands. Our consignment inventory regularly changes but includes marked costume jewelry from all the top names in the industry, including Chanel, Dior, Sherman, Joseff of Hollywood, Miriam Haskel, Kenneth Jay Lane, and more. Drop by and discover why Around the Block is Toronto’s go-to destination for marked costume jewelry, fine jewelry, designer accessories, and more.
