Jewelry US Copyright History

The Jewelry Copyright is another avenue to search when trying to date vintage jewelry by using the “Copyright Registration and Renewal Records“. Published each year this document lists the recorded copyrights for jewelry under the heading “Works of Art”.

To the left are the links to Designers which I have found registered copyrights for. While these records do not have drawings similar to patents. They often provide a description of the jewelry piece. As well as the date of registration and registration number.

In an effort to make this page and its links more helpful in dating vintage jewelry. I will be attaching photos and vintage jewelry advertisements to the copyrights as I locate examples.

Due to the complexity of the search, since a Jewelry Copyright does not have registration number stamped on it.  This may be a slow process. Yet in the long run this could become an invaluable research tool.

Therefore if you would like to help improve this page feel free to contact me. Please be sure to add your photo, the brand name, and copyright registration number to your email. As well as the information on how you would like to receive credit for the submission.

Rise of the Jewelry Copyright

In 1954 the Supreme Court while hearing the case Mazer v Stein determined that a copyrighted statuette listed as a work of art did not lose its protection because it was intended to be used as a lamp base. As a result of this ruling designers of costume jewelry, textile fabric, toys and dinnerware began to flood the Copyright Office with applications.

While some of these request were denied as the office did not believe them to be works of art. The court became saturated with challenges. Consequently this led to the May 1961 amendment to the copyright statute.

In conclusion this a link to more information about the history of the 1961 amendment.