posted on April 20, 2003 05:31:24 PM new
Okay, I don't know how many of you get annoyed by having to weed through dozens of listing that have nothing to do with what you are searching for. The popular item of the day is what too many sellers are putting in their titles: "vintage", "antique" and:
"Fruit salad". Now, some less educated sellers seem to think that all jewelry with fruit in it is fruit salad. Just like the bowl of plastic apples on your grandmother's dining room table can hardly be called a fruit salad, not all jewelry containing fruit can be called fruit salad. I have seen necklaces made with wood fruit called fruit salad. I have seen faceted rhinestone pins with faux seed pearls being refered to as fruit salad. I have even seen a bracelet with faux pearls called fruit salad in the title, but nowhere in the auction description were the words fruit salad.
Fruit Salad is: Costume jewelry that is set with colorful, molded stones. The stones are glass or plastic, and can be transparent (see through) or translucent (allows light to pass through them, but the light is diffused (scattered).
Here is an example:
Notice there is not one grape, cherry, orange or banana in the piece of jewelry (although there could be). Now, I understand that fruit salad is "hot" right now and you probably will get more hits with that in your auction title. But, let's be fair, folks, to those who are looking for the genuine article. If I'm looking for fruit salad and what you are offering are faux pearls, I'm not buying. No matter what you may have in the title. All I will be is annoyed at having had stopped by your auction.
We all make mistakes as sellers. Heaven knows I have made my share. The only time a seller's mistake grates on my nerves is when I think they are deliberate. I think that sometimes we aren't sure what to call something and we look at the auction's of other sellers to compare. Maybe it's there that the same mistakes keep getting repeated.
Hope everyone, sellers and bidders alike, had a joyous Easter and that everyone's weather was as gorgeous as ours here in Cleveland!
posted on April 20, 2003 06:09:33 PM new
I truly thought that fruit salad had to have actual fruit. I understood that the stones were either transparent or translucent and were multi color but I did think it also had to have actual fruit. Thank you for clearing that up. I have never listed any because I was never really sure. Thank you!
You are very welcome. You could very well have fruit salad and not know it. What a treasure that would be! I own one piece myself and that I picked up at a garage sale. The prices tend to go too high on EBay for that sort of thing. I'm always amazed at the flea markets and garage sales what I can find. This weekend my favorite seller at the flea market (a sweet old man) through a necklace into my bag for nothing. Well, this necklace, which consists of 9 24" chains, happens to be 24k gold! I'm debating on taking it back to him on Saturday. I don't think for one minute he knew what he had and since he is so kind, I'd hate to take advantage of him. While I can certainly use the money, I think he can use it more. Keep your eyes open!
posted on April 20, 2003 06:46:09 PM new
Thsi made me think of macedonia soap from Spain. It looks like jello with square cubes of glycerin inside. Macedonia means "fruit salad" in spanish.
Does "fruit salad" jewelry have to be vintage?
sabreena20
posted on April 20, 2003 10:22:43 PM new
Interesting Topic" While reading through my books to check to see about "Fruit Salad" then checking eBay I find 39 auctions with the word Fruit Salad in the title. I came across one auction that I thought truly might be Fruit Salad is 2629631449. Really what is Fruit Salad. I really doubt it is actually fruit but the colors that are in the jewelry that resemble the colors of fruit, or how that the piece of jewelry is made. Transparent colors either pastel or true color, but I really don't think that most rhinestone Jewelry fit into that catagory. I might be wrong, as I have been before, but that is what I think is Fruit salad. When I think of Fruit Salad I think of a cluster of fruit colored beads mixed with green.
The same could be said about Juliana. What is really a true Juliana Piece if the piece isn't signed or have a hang tag. Many sellers list their jewelry as Juliana and it isn't. It is put in the title or description to bring Juliana Collectors to their auctions. Is that wrong, no but misleading.
Yes, the pin in the auction that you referred to is also fruit salad.
Cheryl gives a good description of it above. Thanks for starting this topic, Cheryl.... the fruit salad jewelry is fun to collect and I'm going to start looking for more of it.
posted on April 21, 2003 04:02:37 AM new
kiara also has a good point. Fruit Salad can contain rhinestones, but it is not the faceted rhinestones that make it fruit salad. The word "molded" is important here. Faceted rhinestones are "cut". In the example she uses, the colored molded glass would be the fruit salad part of the necklace (which is gorgeous, by the way.)
Libra63
You have a good point about Juliana. An uneducated bidder would have no idea. I know some sellers that put the word "style" in the auction to be on the safe side. Unless it's listed in a book or tagged, I don't think there's a way to be certain. There were a lot of other jewelery companies making things in the Juliana style. One sure needs to be careful.
posted on April 21, 2003 05:04:55 AM new
I have to admit that after the help I received on that glass necklace I had shown here (auction #2628844412), I was confused about fruit salad. I saw stuff that had no fruit, had wooden bananas, etc.
So I hope I listed this correctly as I wouldn't want to dupe someone into buying something that was described wrong.
posted on April 21, 2003 09:08:33 AM new
These discussions are great and this is one reason I like coming here.
Clive-you got a nice price for your necklace and earrings. This is what I mean about fruit salad. Look at the earrings don't they remind you of a bowl of fruit?
I agree with the faceted and pronged rhinestones. That does not remind me of fruit salad.
I do like the auction that Kiara posted. If I can remember Trifari made a lot of this kind of jewelry and it is very pretty.
posted on April 21, 2003 10:00:22 AM new
Here is a set with rhinestones that Lisner made. I have also seen this one in a yellow amber color. If you enlarge the pics you will be able to see the molded pieces much better.
posted on April 21, 2003 10:38:59 AM new
clivebarkerfan
You're okay. The leaves on your necklace, if you look closely, are molded and transparent. Even if you only have 1 or 2 stones that are fruit salad stones, I think it's perfectly okay to call the necklace fruit salad. Your necklace has that and much more going for it. If I remember right, some of your beads appeared to be sugared. Another hot collectible. It's a winner all the way around.
posted on April 21, 2003 04:56:57 PM new
great! I was concerned for a minute. My girlfriend has now taken an interest in this type of jewelry thanks to you all! She always kept away from the jewelry tables at garage sales when we went a few years ago since she wasn't familiar with anything. Now she's reading the weba dn looking at past auctions to learn.
posted on April 21, 2003 06:00:06 PM new
Looking through the web is a great place to learn. I've learned a lot, believe it or not, from other people's mistakes. Tell her to "have fun!"
Cheryl