Lake Country This Month

FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE LAKE COUNTRY • Page 3B March 2016 To schedule a free consultation, please contact us at (262) 303-4916, or visit our website at www.bucherlawgroup.com When You Are Really in Trouble... Bucher Law Group, LLC, has over 100 years legal experience, with five staff attorneys to assist you with every legal need. We offer assistance in criminal defense, real estate, probate, litigation, worker's compensation, social security disability and family court matters. We Now Handle Wills and Probate Our staff is available 24/7 to provide immediate intervention with the expertise and legal acumen to assist with the many needs of our clients. 248020001 Se Habla Espanol Llame Para Hablar Con Julia. Back row - Steven Lownik, Paul Bucher, Paul Kritzer, Thomas Simon Front row - Deborah Mueller, Susan Calvanico, Julia Westley, Jodie Massey We are located in Delafield at: 355 Austin Circle Suite 110 Q. I have had so much fun collecting costume jewelry for many years and here is a sampling of my collection. How does one determine value in today's society? — S.G., Oconomowoc A. The topic of vintage costume jewelry is infused with misunder- standing, sentimental value, replicas and copies. Mom's and Grandma's jewelry boxes often held more than just jewelry. The contents were very personal, representing a lifetime of memories. A 19th-century platinum diamond ring could be tangled among resin chains and baby's first tooth. Nothing was ever worthless or thrown away — even if one earring was lost the mate was kept. Writing a column on costume jewelry could create both intrigue and confusion about inherited items. Additionally, it is extremely difficult to pho- tograph and there are lit- erally thousands of pieces coming on the market. For costume jewelry to be valued at more than a few dollars, certain criteria must be met. Collectors are looking for items marked with a maker's stamp, label or some form of identification deter- mining manufacturer, designer, silversmith or jewelry store, etc. Pieces have to be in mint condi- tion with no pitting, breaking, color-fading, missing, replaced or loose components. Cloudy rhinestones or a bent prong are among the most common minor damages that deplete value. The information here is only minimal and there are countless other jewel- ers and manufacturers that are very collectible. BARBARA EASH Antiques Appraised Costume jewelry shines brightly on resale markets Miriam Haskell pearl necklace: At age 25 Miriam Haskell moved from Indiana to New York City and created a sensational line of fabulous, high-quality fake jewelry. Plated metals were used instead of silver or gold and silver-screen stars loved to flaunt them (while keeping their genuine jewels locked away). It wasn't until the 1940s when Miriam began to mark her jewelry pieces with an oval or horseshoe-shaped plate embossed with her name. One design feature she was famous for was the use of imita- tion baroque pearls, (a bumpy, irregularly shaped pearl). Your triple- strand choker has Lucite spacer disks called "rondels" that imitat- ed cut-crystal and gave added dazzle. Value: $250 Mexican tourist bracelets: When collecting sterling silver jewelry, look for a sterling mark and designer stamp. Avoid pieces that are light-weight — they are constructed of inferior metal. Seek out well-crafted cuttings, strong buckle hinges and if the piece con- tains stones, they must be high-quality with no imperfections. Your two hollow strap-bracelets, repetitive, link-stamped design have moderate quality, scratched surfaces and are quite common. Current low demand and stalled sales are making prices drop. Value per bracelet: $125. Georg Jensen (1866-1935) dove pin (pictured with bracelets): Trained as a sculptor, Jensen opened a workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1904. He used his name as the maker's mark for decades — making it difficult to date many pieces. Famous for sterling silver jewelry, he often used raised designs of flowers, leaves and birds. In his extraordinary pieces he incorporat- ed semiprecious stones that sell especially well. This hollow Georg Jensen dove brooch has been very popular, with many currently in the market. Minimal value is $100. Submit an item for consideration Do you have an item or collec- tion of items that could be shared in a future newspaper column? Let Barbara Eash hear about it! To have your item or collec- tion considered send the follow- ing information: up to three, sharp, well-lit photos of front & back of the item(s), measure- ments as well as any history or hearsay, length of ownership and your full name, address and daytime phone number. Mail: Waukesha Antique Shop, ATTN: Barbara Eash, 1427 E. Racine, Ave. Unit E-2, Wauke- sha, WI 53186 or email: beap- praisals@gmail.com. If your item(s) are considered for a future column, we will contact you. No photos can be returned and no purchase of items will occur. (Barbara Eash is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America, specializing in appraisals of antiques and col- lectibles and has extensive experi- ence writing and speaking about antiques.) H. Pomerantz bird pin: This tropical bird pin has one red-eye rhine- stone, white rhinestone embellishments and is made of silver-tone pot metal. Close to 5 inches long, the teardrop belly remains crystal clear on this 1930s beauty. The letter "H" was dropped in his later designs. Another costume jewelry pro- ducer, Trifari Jewelers, made Jelly Belly jewelry that was extremely popular and many looka- likes and imitators hit the marketplace. Note that a reissue in 1996 of a Trifari Jelly Belly Fish brooch is making it rounds today. Your H. Pomerantz New York bird pin has a value of $165. Hattie Carnegie tassel brooch: Costume jewelry often came from jewelers who worked directly with high-couture designers to accessorize their clothing line. This designer piece from Hattie Carnegie is called a Trembling Brooch. The small, 3-inch bouquet has metal tassels mounted on tiny springs that tremble with any movement. Not only did it wiggle, it flickered under any light. Note the closure pin reaches across the entire back of the brooch, providing stability when worn. Value: $165. An army of volunteers ready to make a difference By Eric Oliver Enterprise Staff OCONOMOWOC — David Tennyck spent a decade in nonprofits help- ing various organizations throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha County before he came to Family Promise of Western Waukesha County in February. The nonprofit, which uses community resources to help home- less children and families achieve and sustain inde- pendence, is entering its second full year, Tennyck his second month as exec- utive director. Tennyck came to Family Promise because he was interested in the partner- ships throughout the com- munity. Whether it's the numerous churches that house the homeless on a rotating basis or the army of volunteers ready to help however they can, Tennyck said western Waukesha County is resource rich and willing to share. "To me it's really a where-the-rubber-meets- the-road ministry," Tenny- ck said. "You don't often see multiple denomina- tions coming together all focused on one goal." The resources in west- ern Waukesha County are almost overwhelming, Tennyck said. It involves partnering to not only take care of the county but to help spread the resources and the peo- ple power as far as possi- ble. Tennyck envisions a Family Promise that part- ners with area businesses to help the homeless find long-term, fulfilling employment, or one that partners with several of the volunteers to spread their knowledge far and wide. And he also wants to open the nonprofit's doors to helping Milwaukee County. "I see western Waukesha County as the source of improvement for both Waukesha and ultimately for Milwaukee County, too," Tennyck said. "This program helps a lot of people here to look eastward. Even though we serve our community first we have an apparatus in place — this is really out- wardly focused. We're say- ing 'Here we are, we're ready. Who can we help?'" Tennyck started his first month in the office "peel- ing back the onion." He applauded the effort of his predecessor and the board in assembling the 800-per- son volunteer base at his disposal. His biggest challenge is getting people to know Family Promise is there and ready to help. The nonprofit served 60 in its first full year, and he is hoping to double that in the coming year. "We want to get people from a temporary home- less situation to a situa- tion where they're viable, independent and in an apartment where they have a job, because we have the resources to make this happen," he said. For more information go to www.fpowwc.org. Email: eoliver@conleynet.com First month for new executive director of Family Promise a success Eric Oliver/Freeman Staff David Tennyck, Family Promise of Western Waukesha Coun- ty's new executive director.

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