Framed Vintage Jewelry Christmas Tree Assemblage Art

This is a piece of wall art created by assembling various pieces of costume jewelry onto a fabric background to form the shape of a stylized Christmas tree. The core of the tree is constructed from a thick braided multi-strand faux pearl necklace, serving as the vertical trunk. The branches are formed by smaller looped strands of faux pearls in various sizes. The piece is highly eclectic, featuring a wide array of vintage costume jewelry elements: a peach-tone cameo brooch at the center, a watch face, various gold-tone pendants including the Ten Commandments, a nativity scene, a 'May the Lord Bless You' tag, a stylized angel, a bow, and a fish symbol. At the top, a crystal-encrusted brooch acts as the tree topper. The materials consist of plastic faux pearls, gold-toned base metals, enamel, and glass rhinestones. The assemblage is mounted onto a dark teal/forest green velvet-covered board and set within a decorative gold-finish wooden frame with a beaded inner border. While the jewelry pieces themselves span several decades (likely 1950s through 1980s), the assemblage style suggests a mid-to-late 20th-century craft tradition. Condition appears fair to good for a decorative object, with visible dust accumulation and some minor tarnish or finish wear on the metallic components, typical of aged costume jewelry.

I have conducted a visual analysis of this vintage costume jewelry assemblage art piece. The work is a classic example of mid-to-late 20th-century 'jewelry tree' folk art, a niche that gained significant popularity in the 1960s and 70s as a creative way to repurpose broken or sentimental costume pieces. The condition is fair to good; while the arrangement is structurally intact, there is notable dust accumulation and 'verdigris' or oxidation on several gold-toned metal components, which is common for base metals of this era. The market for these assemblages is driven by nostalgia and the quality of the individual components used. This specific piece features a desirable teal velvet ground and several distinct motifs including a cameo and religious charms (Ichthys, Ten Commandments). These specific elements increase its appeal to collectors of spiritual folk art. Comparables on the secondary market for framed, medium-format jewelry trees typically fall within the $150 to $300 range, depending on the presence of signed pieces (e.g., Trifari or Weiss). Limitations: My valuation is based on digital images alone. An in-person examination is necessary to check for hidden hallmarks on the reverse of the brooches, which could significantly increase value if any are identified as high-end designers. I also cannot verify the stability of the adhesive used; over time, these glues can become brittle, leading to 'dropping' of heavy elements. Verification of the frame's material (solid wood versus composite) and the age of the velvet would require physical inspection. No scientific testing was performed on the stones or metals, which appear to be glass/plastic and gold-plated base metal respectively.