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VEGA Maddux was a California jewelry maker from the
late 1960s to 1997 when she passed away. According to her son, Maddux
was her maiden name. Those who knew her say she had a huge heart and was hospitable
and friendly. It is thought that she worked for the Sasha Brastoff
studios, possibly in the 1960’s, and she also did a cameo appearance in
the movie, "Who’s killing the Great Chef’s of Europe" in the late
1970’s. She worked in the mid-1960s with Jimmy Durante and Eddie Jackson
as a comedian. A friend remembers seeing her at the California Roadium Flea Market with caseloads of her wonderful jewelry
and another customer shopped her wares at the Santa Monica Gem Show,
saying that she sold out almost immediately as each show opened, so
popular was her jewelry. Rumor has it that she was a real cat lover and
had a lovely operatic voice, a lady of many talents and interests. Her
work is colorful, whimsical, detailed and well-made, and her pieces are
not easy to find. Be careful though because there are now other
makers doing jewelry that looks very much like her pieces. There are
also pieces out there that have the grooves but no enameling.
Scroll down for on this page for a fascinating view of her work on stage.
And HERE
to see more about the woman and her work and life.
CLICK HERE to see which of her jewelry we have for sale.
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VEGA necklace with black enamel,
black glass cabochons, carved jade centerpiece, orange enameled butterfly
and orange and lavender flowers, chain 20", pendant 8" long by 3-1/2"
wide. View
View
View #X32392
NOTE: This is now a part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
thanks to Carole Tanenbaum. |
VEGA bracelet with black enamel,
black glass cabochons, carved jade centerpiece, orange enameled butterfly
and orange and lavender flowers, 6-1/3" open back and 3" at front. View
#X32394
NOTE: This is now a part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
thanks to Carole Tanenbaum. |
VEGA MADDUX necklace with purple and deep honey colored stones set in
black , deep purple and dull yellow enameling on a silver tone setting.
It is unsigned but guaranteed to be definitely by her, wearable length 22"
with a 7" front drop. The motifs include a butterfly, flowers and scrolls
with a jade colored carved and pierced glass center.
View
View
View #X37810 |
VEGA opal brooch with butterfly and blue, yellow and green enamel, 2-1/2" by
3-1/2". View #X33546 |
VEGA opal bracelet with
butterfly and blue, yellow and green enamel, 6-1/4" and 2" wide at the
front. View
View
Both #X33544 |
VEGA MADDUX butterfly brooch with burgundy, black, orange, yellow
and green enameled butterflies and flowers, just amazingly beautiful as only
Vega did it, it’s 4-1/4" by 2-1/2".
View
View #X33547 |
VEGA lapis and malachite
necklace with burgundy, blue and green enamel and silver tone spacers,
20" long with a 3-3/4" front drop. Vega Maddux was a
California jewelry maker and more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat". All her pieces are beautifully
fashioned and her colors are sophisticated.
View
View
View #X33542 |
VEGA ivory and malachite
necklace, green, pink and brown enamel with yellow bird and yellow and peach
flowers, malachite and ivory beads, 19-1/2" with a 5-1/2" pendant.
Vega Maddux was a California jewelry maker and more of her work can be
seen in "Jewel Chat". This necklace has all
the rich coloring and detail that made her work famous.
View
View View
#X33543 |
VEGA butterfly necklace of
carnelian and onyx with red, orange, yellow, green and black enamel, 22-1/2"
long with a 5" pendant. Vega Maddux was a California jewelry
maker and more of her work can be seen in "Jewel
Chat". Rich autumnal colors beautifully set off the Monarch butterfly
motif. View View
#X33549 |
VEGA necklace with
ivory, jade and lapis beads, carved lapis centerpiece with yellow, orange,
blue and green enamel work pendant with bird and flowers. The beads are 30"
long and the pendant is 4" long. Vega Maddux was a California jewelry
maker.
View
View
View
View #X20143 |
VEGA jewelry close-ups. |
VEGA jade and rose quartz beads
with pink, black, green, yellow, orange and rose enamel work bird,
butterfly and flowers, necklace 24" with a 6" pendant. Vega Maddux was a California jewelry maker.
View
View #X5742 |
VEGA brooch with jet and pink
quartz enameled butterflies, flowers and scrolls, 4-5/8" by 2-3/4".
View
View #X34858 |
VEGA MADDUX lapis set with blue,
green, maroon and pale yellow enamel
necklace and earrings with a lovely floral motif, necklace 22-1/2" wearable
length with 5-1/3" pendant, earrings 2-1/4".
View
View
View
View #X35270 |
VEGA Maddux coral, black and
enamel butterfly and flowers necklace 27" with a 7" front drop and 2"
earrings. The orange, peach, green and black combinations is striking and
her butterflies and flowers motifs are some of my favorite. This is a large
necklace as you can see by the dimensions, circa 1970.
View
View
View
View
View #X35544 |
VEGA ring, orange and green
enamel flowers with turquoise and lapis stones, size 9, 2-3/4" at the front,
signed "Vega". View
View #X33153 |
VEGA ring, butterfly and
flowers in soft green, yellow, red and green enamel and lapis stones,
size 11, measures 2-1/4 at front, not signed but guaranteed a Vega.
View
View #X33154 |
VEGA ring, butterfly and
flowers in soft green, yellow, brown and red enamel with amethyst and
pink quartz stones, size 8-1/2, measures 2-1/4" at front, signed "Vega".
View
View
View #X33155 |
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VEGA enameled ring with jade and pink quartz
stones and a peach rose with green leaves, size 9, 2-1/3".
View
#X33332
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VEGA enameled ring with a parrot
design and red, green and burgundy enameling and
Azurite/Malachite
(The Azurite is the blue material and the Malachite is the green material), size 10, 2-1/2". Azurite
was thought to be an aid to spiritualism by the Egyptians.
View
View
View #X33331 |
VEGA enameled ring with black and
caramel enameling with pink quartz and black onyx cabochons, size 7 1-3/4".
View
#X33333
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VEGA MADDUX ring in pink quartz with yellow and green enameling,
size 10 and 2-1/2" along the finger.
Vega Maddux was a 1960-1980s
California jewelry maker and more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat".
View
View #X36363
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VEGA Maddux opal and
enameled ring with swirls and flowers, size 9 and a whopping 3" along the
finger. Vega Maddux was a 1960-1980s California jewelry maker and more of
her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat".
View
View #X33677
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VEGA Maddux ring in caramel, gray and honey colored stones set in
gold and silver tone with enameling in two colors, size 9-1/2 and 2-1/4"
along the finger. Vega Maddux was a 1960-1980s California jewelry maker and
more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat". This is signed lightly on the back, typical of her
signature, and there is some scratching on the back as well, as though
someone was testing for gold. The 3-D asymmetrical design with elements
curling around and over each other is just one part of the appeal of her
work. #X36306 |
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VEGA MADDUX ring with lovely butterfly, flowers and leaves and a purple
smooth stone surrounded by lovely enamel work in orange, yellow, green and
caramel, size 7-3/4 and 2-1/8" along the finger. Circa 1970-1980 it’s
signed on the back faintly as are many of her pieces. What a special piece and in excellent condition.
View
View
View #X38463 |
VEGA MADDUX ring with opals and
enameled butterfly in bronze color, green and deep orange, size 8 and 2-1/3"
along the finger. View
View #X36798
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VEGA ring, enamel and brown
butterfly and flowers, size 9-1/2, measures 3" at the front, not signed but
guaranteed a Vega. View
View #X33156
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VEGA MADDUX ring with two faceted brown quartz or better and one yellow
stones, some with really light wear along the edges that can be seen with a
loupe only. Set among yellow, brown and black enamel work, it is signed on
the back "Vega" and is size 8 and runs 1-7/8" up and down the finger. Vega
Maddux was a 1960-1980s California jewelry maker and more of her work can be
seen in
"Jewel Chat", our on line reference. She made jewelry that was like
no other’s and the bridges and layers make it interesting from every angle.
The last photo shows the comparative sizes of our Vega rings.
View
View
View
View
View #X41395 |
VEGA
MADDUX butterfly ring with two lovely malachite
stones, two-tone orange enamel on the butterfly and black and green enamel
accents. It is signed "Vega" on the back, and it’s a size 8 and runs 1-3/4"
up and down the finger. Vega Maddux was a 1960-1980s California
jewelry maker and more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat", our on line reference. She made jewelry that was like
no other’s and the bridges and layers make it interesting from every angle The last photo shows the comparative sizes of
our Vega rings.
View
View
View
View
View
View #X41394 |
VEGA
MADDUX ring with two high domed purple
faceted stones surrounded with green, orange, orange and black enameled
flowers and scrolls all set in what looks like brass, size 6-3/4" and it
runs 2" along the finger. Vega Maddux was a 1960-1980s California
jewelry maker and more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat", our on line reference. She made jewelry that
was like no other’s and the bridges and layers make it interesting from
every angle The last photo shows the comparative
sizes of our Vega rings.
View
View
View
View
View
#X41396 |
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VEGA MADDUX
ring with pink quartz and green marbled stones in a size for larger
fingers, size 10. Running 3" along the finger, it is 1-1/3" at the
most wide. Along with being a professional
comedian working with Jimmy Durante, among others, Vega Maddux was a
1960-1980s California jewelry maker and more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat". NOTE: There is a crack across the bottom
green stone, but it is solid in it’s setting. This is signed very lightly on
the back, typical of her signature, and there is some scratching on the back
as well, as though someone was testing for gold. The overlapping and asymmetrical design with elements
curling around and over each other is just one part of the appeal of her
work.
View
View #X42029 |
VEGA MADDUX enameled golden
butterfly ring with orange spots, an flower and green leaf. The stones are
natural amethysts and have natural striations, set into gold and silver tone
metal. It is size 6-1/2 and runs 2-1/16" along the finger. Along with
being a professional comedian working with Jimmy Durante, among others, Vega
Maddux was a 1960-1980s California jewelry maker and more of her work can be
seen in
"Jewel Chat". This is signed lightly on the back, typical of her
signature, and there is some scratching on the back as well, as though
someone was testing for gold. The 3-D asymmetrical design with elements
curling around and over each other is just one part of the appeal of her
work.
View
View #X42009
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VEGA opal earrings with red,
green and yellow enamel, 1-1/2". One opal has a very stable crack in it,
visible under magnification.
View
#X33550
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VEGA carved amethyst and
enameled
brooch, 3". Vega Maddux was a California jewelry maker and
more of her work can be seen in "Jewel Chat".
View #X33548
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VEGA MADDUX ring with a violet flower in enameling and a coral
carved bird, size 7-3/4 and 2" along the finger. This is beautifully
made with several layers for dimension, all in excellent condition. It
is not visibly signed, but it is guaranteed to be a Vega piece. She
signed with a hand etched signature "Vega" that was often so faintly
done that wore off a bit, circa 1980.
View
View #X38984 |
VEGA Maddux ring of carved
ivory in orange, caramel, cream and black enameled setting, size 6-3/4,
1-1/2" along the finger and 1" high. Vega Maddux was a California
jewelry maker and more of her work can be seen in
"Jewel Chat".
View
View
View #X33703 |
VEGA necklace with black and
pink quartz stones, black, orange, yellow and green enameled butterflies
and flowers set in gilt silver, signed "Vega" on the back, 27" long with
a 7-1/2" front drop.
View
View
View #X33152
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VEGA MADDUX pendant with tiger
eye and malachite highlighted with black, burnt umber, chartreuse and
cream enamel, 2 7/8" long x 1 1/2" wide.
View
View #X36705 |
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Many thanks to Paul G.,
who shares his memories of Vega Maddux:
I met Vega as a kid through my grandparents. She performed with my
grandfather, Eddie Jackson, and Jimmy Durante. I enjoyed hearing her reminisce about the old
days in show business with my grandparents. She was close to my
father as well.
She
was part of my Grandfather’s act with Jimmy Durante. She would sit
in the audience and sometime during the show Jimmy would come out on
stage with a VERY small one piece outfit. Of course it was beaded
and very red and very small, and he would ask for a volunteer to put
it on and perform on stage with he and my grandfather. Vega would
jump up and (you know in her hey day she was a large women) and run
on stage to put on this tiny little outfit! It got a lot of
laughs. She would then come out and perform with them using her
"hips" and pushing both of them (Eddie and Jimmy) all over the stage
as they danced and sang together.
In the early 1990’s a group of us would meet at a restaurant called
Vitello’s in North Hollywood on Cahuenga Blvd. where she would sing
her beautiful operatic music. The help would also sing while you
were having dinner, but NO ONE could come close to matching her
magnificent voice!
As I got older I use to go to the swap meets with her and Leslie,
her husband, in their motor home. I would
unload all of the display cases and tables and help her set up for
the day. To see her pieces spread out on a table was absolutely
incredible! In the morning I would pick out a bracelet and or a
ring and wear it during the day so people could see it on.
I would
generally watch everything at the tables while Vega was in her
van/motor home either making new pieces or doing repairs for people
who would be coming by our booth that day. When Vega, wanted to be
"on" she was so flamboyant, it was contagious. People were drawn to
her.
She was like family to me because of her closeness with my
grandparents. I knew her for most of my adolescent years
growing up.
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VEGA and her wonderful operatic voice. |
July 1968
"Vega Maddux, a… blonde bombshell who… danced right into your heart
with a bang!"
I am told the act included pulling Vega, supposedly an audience member,
up on stage wear a teeny costume, which she donned to dance in. |
Jimmy Durante, Vega Maddux, Sonny King and Eddie Jackson. |
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USO Show
Carib Amphibious Ready Group 2nd
USS Guam, February 16, 1967 |
La Copa Supper Club, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Jimmy, Eddie and Vega
February 11, 1967 |
Jimmy Durante January 28, 1968
Whiting Auditorium, Flint, Michigan |
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Caesar’s Monticelllo Restaurant Menu and program,
October 24 – November 3, 1968 |
Desert Inn, Las Vegas
October, 1970 |
Vega Maddux and Eddie Jackson |
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