It’s the season of elaborate costumes and sugary candy, and in an effort to pull together a collection of vintage jewels fit for a Halloween look, we found ourselves searching for inspiration not in the dark and moody “tricks” of the holiday, but in the delectable and bright colored “treats.” Similarly to how we love to appreciate the nostalgia and history behind each and every piece of vintage jewelry, we look to candy-themed pop culture icons of the past to find muses for this special themed jewelry drop.
Right before the dawn of the Mid Century era, one of the world’s most iconic children’s board games made its way into American households. Candyland, a simple candy-themed board game filled with bright colors and fantastical designs, was invented in 1948 by Eleanor Abbott and published in 1949 by Milton Bradley. This simple and highly re-playable game was a hit during a time when polio was on the rise and many children were isolated and in need of something to stir their imaginations.
In 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a children’s novel about a young boy’s adventures inside a chocolate factory with its eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka, was published and followed by a popular feature film in the 1970s. The bright colors and fantastical themes in the movie musical have captured hearts for decades.
These Mid Century era fictional worlds, with their whimsical characters and rainbows of colors, are vintage examples of what a world made of candy could look like. These eccentric worlds inspired our 2026 Halloween photoshoot, in which our model, Dahlia Jean, donned her sweetest attire to provide a fanciful and imaginative canvas for 25 of our most recent finds.
This collection is dripping with sugary sweet colors and big juicy gemstones that look good enough to eat! We sifted through hundreds of our newly-sourced vintage jewels this fall to set aside 25 pieces for a special drop fit for a colorful and eclectic Halloween. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable pieces from this collection:
Two 1960s scarab bracelets with colorful carved gemstones, reminiscent of nostalgic candy bracelets.
A contemporary multi-gemstone cluster ring, featuring a chaotic multitude of hues and resembling a certain candy that acts as a pivotal plot-point in Willy Wonka!
An Edwardian 14k gold fob with a huge, juicy purple amethyst at the bottom!
A 1970s era boulder opal ring resembling a delectable jelly bean!
An Art Deco era carnelian necklace with a beautiful creamy shine!
A Victorian era jewelry set of earrings and a brooch, made of black licorice-colored jet!
A rich purple amethyst ring with a sparkling diamond halo, from circa 1990s!
A fabulous bouquet statement brooch with lush blue glass stones!
We can't get enough of these "look-good-enough-to-eat" jewels. A big thank you to our friends at Candy*ology, a local candy shop in our neighboring town of Lititz, who provided us with the perfect backdrop for this scrumptious photoshoot! Which piece from this super sweet collection is your favorite?
