Bettina von Walhof Costume Jewelry Shines During the Holidays

As I ponder all the jewelry I’ve admired and worn since I avidly started collecting in the late 1980s, my thoughts often turn to people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during that time. I can’t think about my favorite holiday jewelry pieces without remembering Bettina von Walhof and her daughter Michelle. 

I met them in the late 1990s when they displayed a collection of Bettina’s designs at a jewelry collectors convention we were attending. It took about two minutes until I was awestruck by the imagination held in every single one of those creations. That weekend I walked away with a von Walhof Santa brooch with a fringy dangling rhinestone beard measuring more than five inches long. 

That was the beginning of a collection of Santa brooches and other Christmas jewelry that grew over the years to hold dozens of selections. I still pick this brooch to wear during the holidays more often than any other; it’s that special. I didn’t stop with Christmas jewelry, though, and later purchased Halloween pieces by the von Walhofs that I love equally as much. What makes them so unique is that they’re conversation starters as much as adornment. 

The von Walhoff story doesn’t stop with the jewelry. However, that’s actually just the beginning. Exploring what inspired the von Walhofs to come up with their clever designs is part of the fun, too.

Bettina von Walhof’s Inspiration

When looking at Bettina von Walhof’s jewelry designs, it’s hard not to notice that there’s an abundance of animals in the mix. There’s a good reason for that: Bettina was born into a family of traveling performers who worked extensively with all types of animals. This included television appearances when she was young on programs like “Wild Kingdom” and “The Ed Sullivan Show” as well as movies with Johnny Weismuller, who famously portrayed Tarzan. She was performing with her family by the time she was 4, in fact, and grew into a beautiful young woman with a deep appreciation for the animals surrounding her.

As her career later shifted, Bettina owned an antique business and other retail establishments, marketing both new and vintage jewelry. She decided to develop her passion for adornment into her own line of figural rhinestone brooches around 1996. Her love of animals always figured into her work with designs ranging from eagles and elephants to cats and camels. What they all have in common is being colorful and bold, with many measuring four inches or larger in height.

If you’ve never heard much about Bettina von Walhof jewelry, that’s likely because it isn’t overly plentiful in the vintage marketplace. Many collectors, like me, purchased pieces from her when they were new, and we’ve hung on to them for decades now. The other reason is that each style was made in very low quantities. Even my favorite fringy Santa was limited to just a few pieces made.

B&M von Walhof Jewelry

By the early 2000s, Michelle von Walhof (now Michelle English) took on a more prominent role in the family jewelry biz. In addition to managing customer orders, questions, and requests, she started designing, too. Animals were always a big part of the line, but Michelle expanded the idea by creating brooch designs based on vintage holiday illustrations. As an admirer of all types of vintage holiday collectibles, this really hit home with me.

Unable to resist, I added these whimsical and fun brooches to my collection as often as my budget would dictate. I collected jack-o’-lantern brooches, including one with a grimace and another called “Grumpkin” with an appropriate frown. Others include a black cat wearing a top hat and another ebony kitty perched on a big smiling moon that looks quite a bit like Bob Hope in profile. Oh, and a huge witch head that is frighteningly cool. What makes all these so endearing is that they bring to mind old die-cut Halloween party decorations, just as Michelle intended.

Beyond the Halloween pieces, I fell in love with a set of pink poodle dog brooches. A Scottie dog wearing a Santa hat and coat also trotted home to me. I even purchased another kitty, but this one was holding a big red heart. It made me think of all the Valentine’s Day cards I’d exchange with my grade school friends back in the late 1960s and early ’70s. All the nostalgia wrapped up in these glittering rhinestone pieces is truly what makes them so heartwarming.

I’ve also learned by keeping in touch with Michelle that she’s become an avid animal rehab specialist in recent years, helping orphaned and injured animals until they can survive on their own. Considering her mom’s background and love of animals, it’s only natural that she would inherit the same type of interest and compassion.

Marks on von Walhof Jewelry

The late 1990s pieces of jewelry marketed by the von Walhofs are marked Bettina von Walhof on an oval signature plaque. Very occasionally, you will run across a piece of jewelry from the same era with Bettina von Walhof’s name, and that of another designer like Lawrence Vrba or “The Show Must Go On” (the mark of David Mandel), as these independent jewelry artisans collaborated. Pieces made after Michelle became more involved in the business are marked B&M von Walhof on a heart-shaped cartouche.

While this mother/daughter duo is no longer producing jewelry, Michelle does offer a selection of new and old stock on Etsy.com (von Walhof Jewelry). I’ve noticed several Halloween and Christmas figurals available, along with other animal designs, and I’ve been able to add a couple of long-coveted pieces to my collection over the past few years. Both, in fact, were birthday gifts from me to me, including a recent parrot purchase. Yes, I’m also a parrot head, so the Bettina von Walhof McCaw brooch flew to Texas in remembrance of my very favorite singer and songwriter, Jimmy Buffett. If you visit and see something you like, snatch it up because it may be a good while before you have an opportunity to purchase another one

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