Vintage Locket Unlocks Four Photos by Anne McCollam on Creators.com

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Vintage Locket Unlocks Four Photos

Q: I have enclosed a photo of an opened gold locket. When folded closed, the cover has a black and white cameo, and behind each photo case are the words and number "Coro — Pat. No. 2545267." The locket is in mint condition.

Is there any value to this piece of jewelry, and if so, where can it be sold?

A: You have a gold-tone, vintage folding locket. Emmanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger founded their jewelry company in New York in 1900. In 1943, they combined the first two letters of their last names to form the name Coro. They were one of the leading makers of costume jewelry. In 1969, they sold 51 percent of their stock and begin a financial decline. They were forced into bankruptcy and sold to another company that also filled bankruptcy. It was all over by 1979. The Patent number "2545267" was issued around 1950.

Vintage Coro costume jewelry is highly collectible. You could sell it on the Internet, Craigslist or by placing an ad in a local paper. Similar Coro folding lockets can be found selling in the range of $75 to $125.

Q: The mark seen in this photo is on the bottom of each dish in my dessert set. The set includes six cups, six saucers, six dessert plates, a serving plate, a cream pitcher and a sugar bowl.

They are decorated with blue flowers and green leaves against a white background. Each piece is trimmed in gold.

What can you tell me about my dessert set?

A: The mark on your dishes was used by Gladstone Fine China in the 1960s. The china factory was named for the famous English politician, W.E. Gladstone and it can trace its history back to Burslem, Staffordshire, England, around 1870. During World War II, they ceased manufacturing. In 1952, Thomas Poole Pottery and Gladstone merged and used the name Gladstone Fine China. A hundred years after its beginning in 1970, the pottery closed.

Your dessert set was made around 1961 and would probably be worth $100 to $125.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P. O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com