A

The trademark for A.L. Lindroth Company, North Attelboro, Mass. since the 1940s. One item produced was a cameo pin believed to have been carved out of sardonyx/carnelian with yellow gold metal accented with an applied granular texture on the leaves (variegated with yellow, rose, and green gold filling) on each side of the cameo. The pin is considered to be of the Edwardian era (English kings named Edward) and designed for the very elite. Mark: "A.L.L." on the catch. Jewelry by this company is hard to find let alone little is know of the company and it is surmised that the company went out of business in the 1940s.

The Accessocraft Products Company, NY, was founded by Edgar Rodelheimer and Theodore Steinman, and opened in 1930. The jewelry has been classified good quality with unusual gothic designs and was highly popular in the 1960s having had the Art Deco decorative look of the 1920s and 1930s Many items had a style typical of the Renaissance, Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Rococo ornamentation. The unusual stones used in the jewelry were set in antique gold-tones or bronzed metals. Many of the 1930s pieces had a decidedly Art Deco look. The jewelry pieces were marked: "Accessocraft", "Plastigold" in September 1940, and "Feathergold" since Aug. 1945 (used for plastic jewelry including necklaces, bracelets, finger rings, earrings, jewelry clips, brooches, lockets, beads, ornamental pins, hat and hair ornaments made with precious or semi-precious metals, fancy buckles and jewelry initials) that were plastic plated. The company ceased operations in 1998.

Adele Smithline was born in 1903 and married Wesley William Simpson in 1930. Through 1930, she had worked as a designer for Gershel’s, William Bass firm, and Mary Lee Fashions. This last company allowed her to put her label on her accessory designs of jewelry, perfume and lingerie. The Adele Simpson Company, a clothing and accessories company, was found in 1944. It produced unusual designs, chains, medallions, necklaces, broaches and earrings in sterling silver and gold plated metal using clear and color pave rhinestones, faceted crystals and faux pearls. Mark: Adele Simpson" in script. The jewelry line was limited in production and ceased operations in the 1950s. Jewelry pieces are rarely found today.

Alberta jewelry was made by the Albert Manufacturing Company, Providence, RI, a jewelry company founded by Albert Weiner in 1935. The jewelry produced included designed dress clips and jewelry novelties with the use of faux pearls. Mark: "alberta" in cursive. Alberta jewelry is still being produced today.

Albion jewelry was produced by Albion Jewelers, Chicago, IL starting in 1935. They made costume jewelry of base metals and plated precious metals. Marked: "A", "Albion", and "Contessa" of pins, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets made of base plated metals since May 1955. Not all Albion jewelry pieces are marked.

Alice jewelry was produced by Alice Jewelry Company of Providence, RI since 1950. The company produced earrings, broaches, pins, anklets, pendants, bracelets and necklaces and specialized in high end gold plated enamel jewelry some with tiny faux pearls. Mark: "Alice " in script, "Feather Touch" for earrings since Feb. 1955. The jewelry is relatively rare.

Alice Caviness, a jewelry designer, started her business in 1945 creating jewelry in sterling vermeil, enamels, using cultured pearls, many sizes of color and clear rhinestones, hand carved ivory, and imitation color stones and beads. Alice was involved in every step of designing, production and sales of her jewelry. She acquired two designers, Camille Ketronzio and Lois Steever. The jewelry produced was of the highest quality and most unusual materials, design and construction with quality open and closed-back foiled and unfoiled stones. The pieces contained imported rhinestones and beads of striking colors, some with bold color combinations, layered materials, and cross motif that were sold in high-end boutiques. Alice retired in 1970 and died in 1983. Her partner, Lois Steever continued the jewelry production until 2000. Some of the jewelry was manufactured in West Germany. Mark: "ALICE CAVINESS" in block letters on an oval tag that is soldered on the back of the jewelry piece, "CAVINESS", and "ALICE CAVINESS STERLING SILVER" IN 1945 - 2000. The Alice Caviness jewelry pieces are hard to find.

AMCO: 1919 - Late 1970’s

A. Micallef & Co. Inc. was founded in 1919 in Providence, RI producing AMCO costume jewelry. The company produced lines of costume jewelry with designs resembling fine quality jewelry, bezel set in sterling silver, gold filled and gold plated metals using rhinestones and other imitation stones, simulated gemstones and cultured and faux pearls. Their jewelry, elegant and classic in designs of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, cameo brooches, pendants and rings, has the quality of Krementz with finishes not wearing off and said to have held up through the years. Marks: "STERLING AMCO", "1/20 12K Gold Filled AMCO", "20 12K G.F. AMCO", "AMCO 14K GF". AMCO costume jewelry has never been cheap and is sought after by collectors. The A. Micallef company ceased operations in the late 1970’s.

David Andersen founded his workshop in 1876 in Oslo, Norway, the Viking mythol., and now, after 125 years, has gifted the entire world, done by generations of skilled craftsmen, with some of the most exquisite enamel jewelry and tableware accessaries of silver and gold. The enameling comes in many colors and is applied over sterling (also marked with silver content) along with Norway, the country. All the jewelry is marked on the back with either the initials "D-A NORWAY STERLING" and sometimes the full name "DAVID ANDERSEN NORWAY STERLING 925S". Natural patterns such as leaves, insects, flowers, and animals are repeated in the jewelry pieces. Leading designers are Bjorn Sgurd Oster, Synnove Korssjoen and Konrad Mehus. A common practice of Norwegian families is to hand down a cherished David Anderson jewelry piece (necklace or bracelet) to a family member. Quality of a jewelry piece is determined by the durability of the enamel. The David Anderson enameled pins, earrings, rings, and necklaces are still made today. Because of the Dragon style of the 1890s and the Art Nouveau designs, the jewelry pieces have been demanding higher prices.

ANN HAND: 1988 - PRESENT

Ann Hand founded Ann Hand LLC, one of the most distinctive and prominent jewelry design firms in Washington, DC in 1988. Ann Hand’s firm has been servicing U.S. government service personnel with pins including several First Ladies, Cabinet members, Senators, Congresswomen, and Ambassadors who also have worn her signature pin of "The Liberty Eagle". Her jewelry designs include: The Great Seal pin, letter opener and money clip, Partners in Peace pins and earrings, Remembering Noble American pins and earrings, Justice pins, Federal Eagle pins and earrings, Bridal Collection Jewelry and Gifts, Sterling Silver pieces for Baby, Power Perfumes, Eagle Scarves, Signed pieces on cufflinks, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, scarves, picture frames, enamel boxes, and purses. Some of her artwork designs contain rubies, sapphires, diamonds and savorites in 18K gold metal. Ann Hand also designs jewelry with black and white pearl (faux South Sea Pearls) and rhinestones, the Liberty Eagle in earrings, necklaces, brooches, and lapel pins, Flags including those honoring Americans, cufflinks, necklaces, bracelets and specialty pins, Clinton Library Seal pins, Washington Landmark pins, brooches for all Armed Services, the Naval Academy, West Point etc. Her jewelry can be worn for day and evening wear.

Ann Hand’s catalog appears on her internet site and at her Washington, DC salon. Mark: New items are obtained in a pouch with print: Ann Hand Washington, D.C. The Jewelry is Marked: "Ann Hand" and "AH". Her jewelry designs are produced in the U.S.A. and the business is still operating in 2007.

The Ann-Vein Company was founded by Ann Vein in Atlanta, GA in 1950. Mark: "Ann-Vein".

ANSON: 1938 - Present

Olaf Anderson emigrated to the U.S.A. from Sweden in 1929 and founded, as president and treasurer, in 1938, the Anderson Tool & Die Co. of Providence, RI making tools and dies for the jewelry manufacturing business up until WWII (1941) when the machinery was converted into milling machines making war production work. After the war, in 1945, when the war contracts were completed, the company started manufacturing men’s jewelry that included a new type of a collar holder and a complete line of men’s jewelry, cuff links, identification bracelets, tie clips, stick pins, tie tacs, tie chains, collar holders, key devices and money clips comprised of sterling silver, gold and silver filled metal bases. The company changed its name in 1948 to Anson Inc.

In 1967, along with the men’s jewelry lines, women’s jewelry of stick pins, brooches/pins and silver beads were added to the manufacturing output that used rhodium, bronze and pewter along with the sterling silver, gold and silver filled base metals. The Tiffany Company sold Anson jewelry in their department stores.

In October 1983, Anson Inc. declared bankruptcy, emerged from a Chapter 11 reorganization and then was foreclosed on by Fleet (Fleet National Bank & Fleet Credit Corporation) who sold its assets (the operating assets and the entire inventory of Anson Inc. enabling C & J to continue the identical product lines without interruption) to C & J Jewelry in a private sale that did not include the sale information to Tiffany who was its most important retail distributor of Anson jewelry. Marks: "ANSON, Pat. Pend.", "ANSON". "ANSON, 12 KT GF", "ANSON, Sterling Silver", "Anson" in script, "ANSON, Pewter". "ANSON, Brass", "ANSON, Rhodium", "ANSON, 22K GF".

With over 50 years of experience behind it, the Anson’s jewelry embodies all the quality and craftsmanship that one expects from one of the industry’s leading U.S. manufacturers with its expertise and stringent quality control that meets and exceeds expectations for timeless, classical design quality and functionality with lifetime warranty on their costume jewelry produced insuring complete customer satisfaction. C & J Jeweler is still carrying the Anson’s trademark on the costume jewelry, and, continues today, in 2005, to manufacturer the same jewelry products at the original site. It continues to service Anson’s principle customer, Tiffany, and its other customers. The company has since branched out and added additional costume jewelry principally men’s sportsman pendants, charms, money clips, key rings, tie tacs, cuff links, collar holders, tie clips to the Anson lines. The product lines of baby jewelry and women’s bridal brooches/pins, stick pins, and silver beads are an insignificant portion of the products produced with the Anson name today. Anson jewelry is sold on the internet by Anson Jewelry, and R. Entrerprises, Jewelry for the Sportsman, and Personalized Engraved Anson Jewelry.

ASCH GROSSBARDT JEWELRY: 1800s - Present

For over 2 centuries, the Asch and Grossbardt families under the cofounders Larry Asch and Eric Grossbardt with the establishment of Asch/Grossbardt Inc., New York have produced fine jewelry and their collection of jewelry is known throughout the world. The company is recognized as being the foremost and premier manufacturer of fine inlayed gold jewelry with the original and copyrighted design pieces sold exclusively in partnership with authorized retail jewelry stores, fine stores that are upscale retailers. A list of stores in the USA, Europe, Japan, and the Caribbean selling Asch Grossbardt jewelry is listed on their internet site: aschgrossbardt.com.

With superb craftsmanship, each piece of Asch Grossbardt jewelry is artistically designed that transforms spectacular gemstones that are hand-cut and hand-set into seamless beautiful patterns in fine inlayed gold and sterling silver resembling the stained glass windows of a glorious European cathedral. After the stones are set in place, they are lapped on a wheel until smooth so that one cannot feel or see where one stone ends and another begins producing jewelry pieces that are extremely durable and are guaranteed to withstand everyday wear. The 14k gold or 18k gold or sterling silver is inlayed with hand-cut quality gemstones compounded to include black onyx, natural red coral, banded malachite, red jasper, sugilite (reddish, purple color stone discovered in 1970 from Africa), lapis lazuli, turquoise, diamonds and Australian opal and white mother-of-pearl topped with enamel.

The outside or inside jewelry piece may have white full cut .025 carat diamonds in white or bright yellow 14k gold metal. If newly purchased, a pouch will be enclosed. Mark: "Around outside of circle Asch/Grossbardt, inside circle AG", "c in a circle for copyright, A/G,14k", tag reads: "AG, Asch/Grossbardt" Asch Grossbardt was the leading designer of the company.

In May of 2001. Eric Grossbardt became the sole owner of Asch/Grossbardt Inc. when the cofounder, Larry Asch retired after more than 50 years in the jewelry industry.

Asch/Grossbardt jewelry, because of the unique quality, breath-taking color and meticulous craftsmanship, is referred to, on their internet site, aschgrossbardt.com, as being "on the short list of the most-coveted collections for true connoisseurs of fine jewelry". Each jewelry piece is considered a work of art, is highly priced and sought after, is outstanding and beautiful to see and to wear, and is made in the U.S.A.

AUSTRIA JEWELRY: 1730 - Present

Austria’s crystal glass was produced by a technique of applying lead to the back of glass to enhance the brilliance and sparkle. The inventor was George Frederic Strass, a Parisian, in the year 1730. He became so well known that he was appointed a prominent jeweler position for the King of France in 1734 and the Strass Crystal Stone bears his name.

Rhinestones, also known as crystals, have been around for centuries being cut and finished by hand which was a very timely process. The Swarovski Company was founded by Daniel Swarovski in Watten, Austria (in the Tyrolean Alps) in 1862. In 1891, Austrian Daniel Swarovski revolutionized the jewelry industry by creating a glass cutting machine which cut faceted glass that created such dazzle and brilliance to the glass. This glass outshined anything on the market at that time in history. Daniel Swarovski’s creation for rhinestones was made for speedy production and the process produced magnificent finished stones. This process of producing the cut glass rhinestones or crystals, sometimes has a foiled and flat backing with the use of lead content to enhance the sparkle and brilliance which is still being used today worldwide.

Swarovski rhinestones and crystals are consider the "Top of the Line" and today, the Swarovksi Corporation is known to produce the world’s finest crystal stones with different types being produced by Korean, Czech, Acrylic and Plastic that are in no way a comparison to the sparkle and brilliance of the Swarovski stones. The emphasis on the high lead content causes the brilliant sharp color to be reflected back to the viewer in a magnificent display of prismatic color.

TSwarovski company also perfected a surface coating on the crystals called Aurora Borealis that seems to explode with color even without bright light passing through them. Coloring agents of red, blue, green, violet etc. have been added to the crystals making the colors dance out of the crystals quickly at different viewing angles.

Since 1900, costume jewelry was being produced in Austria with factories founded, one in Tyrol (in the Tyrolean Alps) producing costume jewelry of all kinds, the quality of which is still today unique in the whole wide world. After the year 1915, a number of costume jewelry producers settled in Austria. Through their technical skills combined with Austrian taste, and sense for art, the costume jewelry production reached its full bloom, so that the fame of Austrian costume jewelry was established all over the world. The common jewelry found today from Austria consists of rhinestone and crystal made of glass, Austrian glass beads, some with enameled work. Most of the quality of the jewelry produced is above average, made with top quality rhinestones and crystals. It is marked "Made in Austria" or "Austria".

The United States imports jewelry from Austria. Austria is a major source of rhinestones and crystals with the Swarovski Corporation being one of the biggest suppliers.

Austria also produces the finest selection of gold, silver, and platinum jewelry using precious gemstones, semi-precious gems, multi-sized and colored pearls, crystals and rhinestones, creations from unexpected materials, and some contemporary jewelry that is intricate and delicately creative. The jewelry is striking, elegant and different and is found in small, exclusive and elegant boutiques in Austria. The cost of a piece of Austrian jewelry can be inexpensive or outrageous depending on its content.

AVON: 1886 - Present

Avon was founded by D.H. McConnell, Sr. in 1886 as the California Perfume Company in New York. In 1939, the company changed its name to Avon Products, Inc. producing fragrances, make-up, skincare, and bath/body products. In 1971, Avon started producing many lines of jewelry including figurals, perfume-holding pins, watches, and standard items of costume jewelry, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, earrings, and rings with the quality of these pieces ranging from cheaply-made to very good and were produced in large quantities. It is said that the jewelry made varies in quality from cheaply made to interesting pieces that compare to the better Sarah Coventry and the average Coro jewelry. The Avon products including low cost, high quality American costume jewelry was sold directly to the American consumer by Avon representatives going from door to door or scheduling house parties. The company did not make their own jewelry but other firms manufactured and designed their product lines. The Krementz Co. was one of the manufactures.

A list of some of the designers who have sold and are selling costume jewelry on AVON are: Seymour M. Kent, Louis Feraud, Kenneth Jay Lane, Celia Sebiri, Jose’ Maria Barrera, Shaill Jhevari, Elizabeth Taylor, Coreen Simpson, Luke Razza, Akoya Culture Pearls, Felicia, Marley Simon, Nicky Butler, R.J. Graziano, Susan Lucci, Technibond, Anne’s Eye for Annie Gilbar, Erickson B for Karen and Eric Erickson, Maharaja Collection and Adrienne. AVON jewelry is marked: "Name of designer, made for AVON".

In 1998, Avon closed its jewelry plants in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Now, in 2006, one of the Avon jewelry plants has closed in San Sebastian, Spain (had opened in 1982) due to the company’s restructuring . Avon’s sales and distribution network in Spain will not be affected. The reason given was that the consumers now seek more complex designs, and the operating costs have risen. Avon will now acquire its products from Asia. AVON jewelry is still sold through their representatives, is said to not be particularly valuable, but is of interest to those who collect Avon memorabilia. AVON is still selling costume jewelry today, in 2006, with many designer pieces listed and sold on its internet site "Avon-The Official Site", on eBay and on Avon Jewelry Sites on TV listed on the internet.

Avon Jewelry Plant To Close: Caribbean from AllBusiness

AVON OF BELLEVILLE: 1945 - 1971 (Not Affiliated with The Avon Perfume Co. or the Avon Products Inc.)

The Avon of Belleville Jewelry Company was founded by Abe Mazer in 1945 in Ontario, Canada with the trademark registered as "AVON" in capital block letters. The company’s ownership changed from Abe Mazer to Avon Canada Ltd in 1971 because of a trademark infringement due to the fact that the Avon Perfume Co. took offense to the name "Avon of Belleville" It is also noted that the Avon Perfume Co. started introducing fashion jewelry in the year 1971. It has also been said that their is no comparison to the better quality, construction and stone selection of the Avon of Belleville jewelry pieces produced from 1945 to 1971 to those of the Avon Perfume Co. produced from 1971 to 2006.

Avon of Belleville jewelry pieces including necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings that were beautifully designed and well made of gold tone, silver tone or sterling silver base metals with faceted clear and colored rhinestones and crystals of glass and simulated pearls claw set in the metal. Marcel Boucher had worked with the Mazers in the 1930s and apparently continued his association with them through Avon of Belleville for many of their jewelry pieces produced have the Boucher characteristics in design, quality of construction and selections of stones. Avon of Belleville jewelry was marked with design inventory numbers. Mark: "AVON" in block upper case letters, or "Avon" in script with a "four digit code number" and may or may not contain "CANADA" in block letters, or "Avon" block letters found on earrings, or "STERLING AVON" in block letters, or on a Hanging Tag: "Avon" in script, and "BELLEVILLE" in block letters below the Avon name. The company ceased operations in 1971.

B

BANANA REPUBLIC: 1983 - Present

Gap, Inc. was founded by Don Fisher (now Chairman Emeritus) and his wife Doris in 1969 in San Francisco, California.

Banana Republic was acquire by Gap, Inc. in 1983 at which time the brand had 2 stores and a safari motif. Banana Republic has now grown from its origin to an empire in its own right and is now a well-known retailer of women and men’s mid scale (not high-dollar, but far from discount) apparel stores with 450 located in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Today, Gap, Inc. is one of the world’s largest specialty retailers with more than 3,000 stores and a revenue in 2005 at $16 million with brand names of The Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Forth & Towne that employs more than 150,000 around the world.

Banana Republic’s jewelry designs are comprised of sterling silver, 18K over sterling silver, silver-tone and gold-tone base metals with colored imitation pearls, mother-of-pearl, sea shells, beads, and gemstones, and glass rhinestones and crystals faceted and embedded in the metal.

Paul Pressler is not President of Gap, Inc. Banana Republic jewelry is said to be an accessible luxury brand, and an affordable luxury for rich and middle class women and men. Mark: Tagged: "Banana Republic". Their jewelry designs, accessories and apparel can also be found on the internet at Banana Republic.com and publications of their product lines are seen in leading women and men’s magazines.

Banana Republic is still in operation in 2006.

BARRY KIESELSTEIN-CORD or BARRY CORD: Late 1970’s to Present

Barry Kieselstein-Cord, a jewelry designer, artist and a businessman was born in 1951 in New York City, NY and grew up there and in Long Island. His mother was an illustrator, highly creative and a bit eccentric and nurtured the artist in her son. His father was trained as an architect but spent most of his life in the real-estate business.

The Barry Kieselstein-Cord Company is one of American’s largest owned fine jewelry companies remaining true to Cord’s own personal artistic vision. His company employs over 150 full time employees to carve, cast, file, solder, granulate, clean, finish and polish Cord’s creations, In 1998, it has been said that the company generated 50million in annual sales and, today, continues to utilize old-world craftsmanship along with an intimate atmosphere of a family business producing jewelry for the US and the international market. Cord alone, inspects each work in progress and has the final say on workmanship and designer pieces of jewelry. He explores any and all design possibilities. The Barry Kieselstein-Cord company’s headquarters and studio occupies a floor in a large building in the center of the garment district in New York (119 W. 40th St., New York, NY) which is only a short distance from Cord’s walk-up apartment where he started his business 27 years ago. The company also has a showroom in Dallas, and boutiques in Aspen, Palm Beach, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Zurich, two in Las Vegas and one in Milan, Paris, and Moscow. His higher priced jewelry pieces are also sold at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman Inc., and Saks Fifth Ave. department stores throughout the US.

Cord has been a premier luxury designer and artist. He creates extraordinary jewelry and accessories. His designs include primarily silver jewelry, gator jewelry along with other fashion accessories, handbags, eyewear, luggage, belts, watches, gloves, small leather goods and home furnishings, and these collections are available for purchase throughout the US and Europe. Prices for his design items range from $200 and upward. It is said that Barry Kieselstein-Cord creates pieces of jewelry that are subtle, beautifully made, and are a wearable art. They do not have a huge amount of precious gemstones but are sought after for their workmanship and designs pleasing to the eye. Unlike some of the other big-name jewelry designer, Cord’s company is known to insiders only for he avoids overexposure. Cord is a private person, does not give out willingly information on himself, his company and his designs.

Cord’s name, at birth was Barry Kieselstein, then changed to Barry Kieselstein-Cord (Cord being part of his mother’s name) with the Kieselstein name known widely because of his designs of mythical creatures with unique finishes and his use of green and yellow, silver and platinum along with his whimsical motifs that include ducks, alligators, toads, dogs of all breeds, bats, and the famous T-rex series. His Women of the World collection features famous women throughout history carved in relief on bracelets, necklaces, rings, pendants, and earrings. Each pieces of jewelry that Cord meticulously designs and produces is signed, dated, and copyrighted in his studio. Mark: Embedded in the metal: "C in a circle for copyright, B Kieselstein Cord, date, moon and star symbols, 925", or "C in a circle for copyright, BKC, date, moon and star symbols, 925" or "C in a circle for copyright, Barry Kieselstein Cord, date, moon and star symbols, 14K", or "C in a circle for copyright, B Kieselstein Cord, date, moon and star symbols, 18K or 750", or "C in a circle, BARRY CORD FOR KIESELSTEIN CORD , moon and star symbol, 925 14K and date".

QVC.com, on the internet and QVC TV Network is selling some of Barry Cord’s jewelry designs (it is a name he is hoping to also become recognized by). His sterling silver pieces of jewelry sold here include the Kieselstein Cord Sport Collection jewelry line that includes, sterling silver designs of rings, pendants, cuffs, bracelets, necklaces and earrings with frogs, alligators, flowers, Aesop‘s Fables (the tortoise and the Hare), fresh-water-pearls etc. The Cow Girl Museum Collection and Hall of Fame, in Fort Worth, TX is another of his jewelry design lines with super southwestern flair. QVC has listed a black leather stopwatch, earrings, ring, and pendant of a Cow Girl etc. Mark: Embedded in the metal, "C in a circle for copyright B Kieselstein Cord, date, moon and star symbol, 925", or "C in a circle for copyright, B Kieselstein Cord Sport Collection, moon and star symbol, 14K/925", with "made in Thailand" also on some of these jewelry pieces on QVC.

Barry Cord’s daughter is BKC’s spokeswoman for the collection of sport jewelry on QVC. The company, Barry Kieselstein-Cord, under the direction of Barry, is designing and manufacturing fine jewelry and costume jewelry pieces who’s prices are from less than $100 to a high of thousands of dollars (5 digits) depending on the metal content, Sterling Silver, 14K, 18K and platinum, gemstone/diamond, and the extraordinary design. Barry Cord Kieselstein Cord Store, as he now wants it to be listed as, has stated the following: "Artists have to be impressionable, they have to translate feeling into three dimensional shape and form in a way that hasn’t been done before." His designs are embraced as high fashion and his earlier pieces are sought after by collectors. Barry Kieselstein Cord has won several fashion designer awards and his creations are part of the collections of the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

BASTIAN JEWELRY: 1895 - Present

The Bastian Company was founded in Rochester, NY in 1895 and was incorporated as the Bastian Brothers Company initiating operating as a jewelry store that was recognized for its quality, craftsmanship and integrity in the production of emblematic jewelry , lapel pins, medallions, belt buckles, paper weighs, paperweights, security-police-firemen badges and insignias, automotive decorative emblems, class and fraternity jewelry, novelties, rings, bar pins scarf pins and earrings. The company became a Union Shop and expanded its sales and marketing efforts to cover distributors in the entire U.S. and today, also has numerous distributors outside the U.S. including Canada.

The Bastian jewelry company, instills in their employees the need for high standards and quality craftsmanship demanding, in each step of the production of a product, from the die cutter, enameling, polishing, finishing and plating procedures, that their employees build integrity and quality into the products produced. Mark: "backward B and forward B (1909-1943)","B.B. CO", and "Bastian 10K"

The Bastian Bros. Co. publishes the following catalogs: Bastian Bros. Co. Catalogs, School Insignia Catalogs, and Jewelry New York (State) Rochester Catalogs. Their internet site indicates that the products are available through distributors. The Bastian Co. has listed their products as: badges, buckles, coasters, coins, key tags, Holiday ornaments, custom lapel pins, patriotic lapel pins, medallions, security ID badge lapel pins, pin holders, stock firefighter theme products and stock union theme products. The company has acquired CRDL Inc., a company that invented and patented magnetic sculptures and today offers more than 300 designs in that product line. The Bastian Brothers Company is still in business in 2007.

BEAU OR BEAUCRAFT: 1947 - September 2004

Beaucraft Inc. began operations and produced "Beau" and "Beaucraft" jewelry in Providence, RI from 1947. The company was one of the leading producers of beautiful and unique fine sterling silver jewelry ever made for over half a century. The jewelry designs had originality, versatility, and impeccable craftsmanship. Vintage Beaucraft jewelry pieces are now considered highly collectible and in the same class of jewelry as Coro. Their latest designs took on a new approach by contrasting brushed and high polished sterling silver finishes, creating a completely original look that combines classic style with modern fashion. The jewelry designs include fish and seahorses in sterling silver metal. Mark: "Beaucraft" (In Sterling), "Beau B Sterling", "B" with "Ster" or "Sterling", and "Beau Sterling". Beaucraft also made 14k jewelry.
In September 2004, after 57 years in the business, Beaucraft Inc. retired from the jewelry business and the entire inventory was put on the auction block with Amsco Ltd. purchasing the bulk of its inventory that is being offered to the public at "well-below-discount prices", "OVER THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF FINE BEAUCRAFT STERLING SILVER JEWELRY". Check the internet: AmscoOnline.com, the Amsco on-line retail store for NEW discount jewelry of Beaucraft. Amsco Ltd., for more than twenty years, has been supplying quality jewelry to the wholesale jewelry and catalog industry and are now able to offer this merchandise, as well as other discount merchandise, direct to the public at a fraction of the cost found elsewhere. Other jewelry for sale includes: Charter Club, One of a Kind (and Salesman’s Samples used to display merchandise to the buyers at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Saks Fifth Ave.), Religious, Nature, Awareness, Semi-Precious, Hearts, Angels, Holiday, and Patriotic.

BELLINI FOR FORMART: 1960s - 1970s, and Presently

Bellini jewelry was produced by the Formart Corporation located at 39 W. 38th St., New York City. The company designed excellent quality fashion jewelry during the 1960s and 1970s of gold-tone, silver-tone, and rhodium plated metals encrusted and set pave style in clear, aqua, pink sapphire and amethyst color unfoiled glass stones, clear and color rhinestones, and simulated pearls producing earrings, pins, necklaces, and bracelets. Bellini jewelry had the look of Eisenberg or Weiss in design. The Bellini jewelry was and is sold in department stores, specialty stores, boutiques, and mass merchants with pricing moderate to better.

Today, the Formart Corporation is still in business, at its same location in NY producing Bellini Collections of jewelry along with other merchandise lines to include watches, sunglasses, pill boxes, picture frames, candles, gift items, hair ornaments, handbags, sportswear, and hair wear including hats and caps. Mark: "BELLINI", "BELLINI BY FORMART", and "BELLINI COLLECTIONS".

BEN-AMUN: 1977 - Present

The Ben-Amun jewelry is designed and created by Isaac Manevitz, a native Egyptian, and the son of a fabled jeweler for Egypt’s royal family. The Ben-Amun Company is named after the designer’s eldest son (Ben) and the King of Egypt whose name was Tutankhamun (Amun).

Isaac Manevitz has been designing jewelry for over 30 years and his showroom, which is now open to the public, is located adjacent to the Manhattan factory in which all of the Ben-Amun creations are put together under the watchful eye of its creator.

Manevitz’s Ben-Amun jewelry designs incorporate the working with fine, unusual materials creating original and unique designs in earrings, bracelets (including charm), necklaces, pins and belts. The materials used include base metals of 14k and 24k gold plating, silver, brass and pewter plating, Italian resin stones and beads, Lucite, glass beads, stones and pearls, Swarovski and Austrian crystals, semi precious stones including moonstones and coral, and wood fabric wrap, with the final touch of hand painted enamel. Manevitz’s designs have established a tradition of creating distinctive jewelry that combines an unexpected mix of the finest materials that are favorite among discriminating women of all ages. Mark: Ben-Amun.

Ben-Amun is classified as high end jewelry that can be seen at Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom’s. and can also be found in magazines including Cosmopolitan, Flare, People, Inside, Fashion, Vogue, Bazaar, Glamour and Latino to name a few. The jewelry is a favorite on the runway for the designer Isaac Manevitz has worked with numerous designers, including Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren to accessorize fashion shows each season.

You will find 2 internet sites: Ben-Amun Jewelry by Isaac Manevitz and Ben-Amun Jewelry to view his jewelry collections and to also make an appointment to visit the showroom in Manhattan.

BOB MACKIE: 2000 - Present

Bob Mackie was born Robert Gordon Mackie in 1940 in Monterey Park, CA and was educated at the Chouinard Art Institute in fashion designing. After graduation, he worked for Jean Louis as a member of the famed Edith Head design team. He began creating dresses and gowns for Carol Burnett on her TV Show and Diana Ross on Broadway.

Bob Mackie, in 1982 launched his own first ready-to-wear collection of women‘s clothing and started building his reputation by dressing some of the most famous stars in entertainment, Cher, Madonna, and Bette Midler in gowns and dresses.

In the 1980, Bob Mackie added a line of jewelry that was produced by Marjorie Brandt & Company NY under a license agreement with the design work done by David Salvatore. His costume jewelry is made up of aurora borealis, clear rhinestones and crystals, colored beads that are set into silvertone and goldtone metal base. The designs and all styles of Mackie jewelry is approved by Bob Mackie. He also designed and manufactured knitwear, eveningwear, suits, a fragrance, handbags, scarves, watches and stationery under his name. In 1990, Mackie began designing for Mattel, the Barbie doll, under his name and continued this tradition, again, this year in 2005. In 1999, he launched his career in costume design, with his made-to-order couture collection. Besides Mackie’s costume jewelry, David Salvatore designs and creates accessories including sun glasses, hair accessories and small leather goods that are sold in department stores and freestanding Salvatore stores. Mark: "Bob Mackie" in script.

Bob Mackie, through the Marjorie Brandt & Company NY, is planning in August to come out with a new fashion jewelry collection. Mackie’s originally designed dresses costing $12,000 and expensive gown selling upwards to $100,000 dressing Cher, Carol Burnett, Angela Lansbury, Madonna, Barbra Streisand and Barbie. Not everyone could afford the price tags, therefore, Mackie has now developed an affordable, ready-to-wear line that includes jewelry, eyewear, watches, scarfs, and menswear items that puts the items in the affordable luxury category, for those who want stylish items at a price they can afford. His costume jewelry and other accessories are sold on the internet QVC.com and on the QVC TV Network Show which indicates that his items listed for sale are made in Thailand or China or the Czech Republic.

BOGOFF: 1946 - 1970s

BRIGHTON: 1966 - Present

The Brighton product line is a division of Leegin Creative Leather Products that was founded in 1966 by Lee and Ginny Leegin of California. In its infancy of 1966, the business operated out of a warehouse in Redondo Beach and produced leather belts, hand bags, and sandals.

In 1972, Jerry Kohl took over the company introducing many new designs in leather consisting of western belts, unique fashions, cowhide belts, hat bands etc. and the Brighton line was formed.

Only 2 years later, the Brighton line branched out and produced jewelry, footwear, eyewear, watches, and accessories and foods for the home and is now carrying wallets, sunglasses, lipstick and fragrances. The collection also included men’s belts, wallets, watches and other leather accessories along with women’s jewelry of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, brooches/pins and ankle bracelets.

Brighton jewelry is designed mostly of silver metal that is etched or embedded with circular, oval and oblong shaped links and hearts, some faceted Swarovski crystals, imitation stones of bright colors of turquoise blue, lavender purple, hot pink, orange, green and amber accents or enamel charm links in bright colors of hearts, flowers, leaves, and swirls.

Brighton collections are all a unique original design and accessories lines coordinate to create a match. It now employs more than 600 people in a technologically advanced plant with components for some of the products manufactured in the countries of France, Italy, Spain, China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Their products are available in nearly 6,000 specialty stores nationwide and 50 All-Brighton stores from coast to coast. Jerry Kohl, president and owner of Brighton’s and Leegin Creative Leather Products requires stores carrying their product lines to offer excellent customer service.

Today, you can find over 150 Brighton outlets across the United States, and more than 6,000 stores in the U.S. sell Brighton products and serves customers worldwide. Brighton is known as an industry leader recognized for their innovative styling, outstanding workmanship and the use of high-quality materials. The Brighton company designers are constantly on the lookout for new inspirations. It continues to surprise industry insiders with its uniquely ornamented bags, exotic leathers, and solid products. It has also helped its parent company, Leegin, grow to a large size that employs more than 500 people. Brighton marks: "B" logo for the Brighton signature at the closure, heart shaped lobster claw clasp and tiny "B" in the heart on the end of a necklace, bracelet, earrings, pendants, and brooches/pins. Brighton is still in business today in 2006.

BUTLER & WILSON: Early 1970’s - Present

In the early 1970’s, two British Antique jewelers and designers, Nicky Butler and Simon Wilson, established a partnership and company called Butler & Wilson. Both of these men began as Antique Dealers in jewelry. Nicky Butler and Simon Wilson headed the British Costume Jewelry Design House at first collecting elegant jewelry, and, then designed and produced their own costume jewelry pieces made up of Austrian rhinestones and crystals, gemstones, and pearls which were prong set, crystals tight in place into base gun metal, rhodium, polished gold plated and silver plated metals. The jewelry designed and produced by Butler and Wilson became sought after because of its global flair that had a decidedly multi-cultural feel combining multiple gemstones, rhinestones, crystals , faceted beads, and pearls with antique-style settings and other unique finishes. Their jewelry designs have made them famous for they have many jewelry pieces acquired by the rich and famous, desired by the London social elite, sought after by Parisian couture designers, and now has captured the hearts of Americans. Marked: "B & W". The partnership broke up in the 1990’s with Simon Wilson retaining the Butler and Wilson name. Since that time, Nicky Butler , under his own name, has designed and manufactured costume jewelry.

Wilson and Butler were world leading designers that added magical touch to a whole new range of hand whimsical animals to beautiful jewelry that has also encrusted evening bags and belts using semi-precious stones, rose quartz, agates, turquoise, opals, pearls, Austrian rhinestones and crystals. Their jewelry has glamour and glitz which is very much in vogue, is of vintage couture, modern Oriental, and Indian designs that provides the inspiration for fashionable jewelry collections. It mixes traditional and modern creating individual and original styles. Butler and Wilson stormed the fashion world in the 1980’s by creating costume jewelry that helped put fashion jewelry back in demand at a reasonable price.

Co-founder, Simon Wilson mixes the traditional and modern in order to create an individual, original style to his jewelry designs. Marked: "B & W" after the original founders, Nicky Butler and Simon Wilson. Today, Butler & Wilson has two prestigious stores located in London, England providing fabulous collections of jewelry, accessories, and apparel including bracelets, earrings, brooches/pins, necklaces, hair clips, bags, wallets, watches, charm bracelets, and bridal gift ideas. The Butler and Wilson establishment sells items on their own internet website, "Butler & Wilson", and they also sell their creations on the internet - "QVC". QVC has indicated that "they are proud to showcase their sultry, sexy, pieces, which comes to us straight from the pulsing heart of London’s West End".

C

CARL-ART: 1937 - Late 1980’s

The Carl-Art Inc. company was founded in Providence, RI in 1937 producing jewelry with Sterling Silver and Gold Filled metal base. Their jewelry lines included necklaces and Sautoir (a long, free flowing necklace choker), watch, key and vest chains, Waldemar and Serpentine chains, earrings (screw back), charms, brooches, pendants, and crosses. Most of the Carl-Art jewelry pieces are small sterling silver pieces and novelty items and 14K gold chains and charms. In their jewelry, Carl-Art used faceted clear and colored crystals and rhinestones, cultured pearls, faux moonstones, amethyst, garnet, hematite, and turquoise stones that were bezel or prong set in the sterling silver and gold filled metal base. Mark: Sterling Silver, CA with an arrow going through the letters", "Sterling Silver in 12K Gold, Pat.#, CA with an arrow going through the letters", "14K, CA with an arrow going through the letters", "1/20 12K GF, CA with an arrow going through the letters", and "Sterling Silver plated in 12K Gold, Pat.#, CA with an arrow going through the letters". The company ceased operations in the late 1980’s.

CARNEGIE, HATTIE: 1900s - 1970s

CELBRITY:

Mark: "Celebrity", "Celebrity Gems", "Celebrity, N.Y. with or without a copyright symbol".
CHRISLEE: 1961 - Present
The Chrislee Company was founded in 1961. It was founded by Lloyd Crisfield who is still the CEO. The jewelry was sold to department stores and boutiques with necklaces selling for $60 to $100.
CHRISTIAN DIOR: 1930 - Present (Dior Product Lines are now produced by Kramer NY)
Christian Dior, born in 1905, and starting in 1930, became a French Designer of clothing in several different fashion houses. He opened his own "House of Dior", Paris, France in 1947 selling clothing and fashion designer gold plated metal jewelry containing imitation precious stones including rhinestones, (that dazzled like diamonds), rubies, sapphires and faux pearls. Dior was the first designer to use the aurora borealis rhinestones. He opened several other Parisian fashion houses; one, "Dior Costume Jewelry" in Germany in 1948. His costume jewelry was manufactured by various jewelry houses including the Henkel and Gross in Germany in 1955, Maier, and Schreiner. Dior died in 1957 but had, in 1950, licensed his U.S. production to Kramer NY, who was awarded the use of the Dior name to be put on the Dior jewelry lines that they produced. Marks used: "Christian Dior", "Dior West Germany (year manufactured)", "Christian Dior by Kramer", 1950-1957, "Chr. Dior with a copyright symbol" 1952-present, "CHRISTIAN DIOR BOUTIQUE GERMANY", 1952-present, and "Christian Dior in an oval" 1958 to present. Yves St. Laurent, an apprentice of Dior, continued to design the jewelry after the death of Dior which is now produced by Kramer of New York and seen in boutiques today.

CINER: 1892 - Present

Ciner Manufacturing Company NY was founded by Emanuel Ciner who opened his own fine jewelry store in Manhattan, NY in 1892 after having emigrated to the U.S. from Austria in 1886. The company produced expensive, high quality, well designed, timeless and fashionable fine jewelry including wedding and engagement rings. In 1931, Ciner began mass producing a broad range of costume jewelry that resembled fine jewelry and marketed his products through select high-priced stores. Each bead, stone and pearl was hand- strung and hand-knotted. The metals used were 18k gold, platinum, sterling and white metal. Ciner’s fashionable evening jewelry had the look of luxury for the rich and famous. With the use of smaller colored stones, Swarovski rhinestones that glisten like diamonds, and imitation gemstones, glass cabochons, and simulated pearls, the pieces produced imitated the real jewels. The Ciner Company’s logo was "The Tiffany of Costume Jewelry". Generations of family members followed Emanuel in designing the jewelry lines. Smaller color stones than the normal were used, creating, in the jewelry produced, the look of fine jewelry.
The use of pearls, especially made for Ciner by Japanese artisans, are glass-based beads that have been coated many times with a luminescent finish that gives the pearls the look of cultured pearls. Early Ciner pieces of jewelry produced before World War II were frequently not marked. Mark: "CINER with or without a copyright symbol". Ciner, is still in business and continues to use the finest materials and workmanship in their jewelry lines of more than 7,000 pieces leaning toward modern designs.

CINI: 1920s - Present

Guglielmo Cini, a jewelry maker, was born in Florence, Italy and in 1922, at the age of 17, emigrated to the U.S. settling in Boston, MA and later moved to Laguna Beach, CA where he set up shop. He was consider a Florentine Artesian and Master Craftsman. Cini’s along with designer Felipe Mendosa possessed great skills in workmanship and imaginative designs, in the beginning, creating "the silver look" and later they incorporated facet colored rhinestones into their designs. His and designer Felipe Mendosa crafting skills brought forth beautiful costume jewelry pieces that were hand crafted, using sterling silver and silver plating with gold metal which achieved a higher quality look. Mark: "Guglielmo Sterling" in a rectangle box, 1920s to present, STERLING BY CINI with a copyright symbol" in a rectangle box, and "Sterling Cini with a copyright symbol". In 1979, Cini died. The company continued to make Cini jewelry with Felipe Mendosa as designer. The Cini jewelry is still made today. (See Cini Jewelry.com)

CLAUDETTE: 1945 - Mid-1950s
Claudette jewelry was made by Premier Jewelry Co., Inc. NY in 1945 and believed to have gone out of business in the mid 1950s. Mark: "Claudette" and "Claudette with a copyright symbol". Some of the jewelry produced contained colored Lucite stones.

D

DALSHEIM: Late 1930’s - 1956

Dalsheim Accessories Inc. was founded by Maurice J. Dalsheim in NY in the late 1930’s producing costume jewelry made exclusively of seed pearls, clear and colored glass crystal or plastic beads, Austrian aurora borealis, clear and colored rhinestones, genuine bone (in 1951), and small goldtone and silvertone metal novelty pins similar to the classically inspired Victorian designs that were sometimes accented with enamel work. The designs for necklaces, bracelets, brooches, pendants, and earrings were produced with silvertone and goldtone metal bases, embedded with prong set faceted fresh water pearls (colors of clear, pink, pale blue, jonquil or chandelier-clear), colored stones of topaz, amethyst, sapphire, emerald, watermelon, and onyx, Austrian glass crystals and clear, colored rhinestones, and carved white and colored transparent Lucite plastic beads. Dalsheim jewelry advertisements appear in popular magazines including Vogue in 1958.

Most of the Dalsheim jewelry was not signed but carried a Dalsheim tag when new. Those pieces that were signed were marked: "DALSHEIM", "DALSHEIM encircled with a C" after 1955 for copyright, "WHITE JET" beginning in 1939. Dalsheim Accessories Inc. ceased operations around 1956.

David Mandel "THE SHOW MUST GO ON": 1980’s to Present

David Mandel studied fashion design while attending the Traphagen School of Fashion and the Art Student League in New York City, wherein, the latter school taught language art, and development through immersion, the practices of drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and assemblage. Mandel became a New York fashion designer producing jewelry, beaded clothing and art items. That led him, in the 1980’s into the world of high-end fashion designing costume jewelry, which was his main fashion emphasis along with vintage clothing and accessories.

David Mandel apprenticed with Lawrence Vrba who was a respected costume and theatrical jeweler and was able to accept commissions for jewelry projects of his own in his off time. His first year in business in the 1980’s contained unsigned jewelry pieces and then Mandel left Vrba to establish his own business, creating his own tags and signing his designed works: "THE SHOW MUST GO ON".

David Mandel collaborates with other clothing designers and his clothing has been worn by celebrities in many fields. Mandel’s work has caught the eye of collectible and vintage dealers and his creations are being sought after by collectors throughout North America, Europe and Japan. His jewelry designs are made into rings, necklaces, bracelets, charm necklaces and bracelets, pins, earrings, crowns and tiaras using base metals of gold tone, silver tone, nickel-rhodium, and pewter with clear and colored rhinestones, colored glass stones, old colored Czech stones of the 1950s, faux turquoise, amethyst, topaz, emerald, and ruby stones embedded in the base metal. His whimsical, fantasy, and object jewelry creations, made up of either 1 or 2 or 3 piece sets (necklace, pin, bracelet, earrings etc.), to name a few, include sailfish, octopus, lobster, URN, spider web, snowman, ballerina, motorcycle, and flower arrangements. His jewelry pieced produced are very limited editions or one-of-a-kind, are high-end costume jewelry pieces selling from $100 to the $1,000 plus price tags. It is beautifully made with flawless and vibrant stones. David Mandel is said to have hoped, through his creations, he can make the world a more enjoyable and exciting place to be in. He indicates that fear has no place here. Only fantasy, ecstasy and bewilderment.

DAVID YURMAN: 1979 - Present

David Yurman is recognized internationally as one of America’s leading fine jewelers and along with his wife Sybil, they are known worldwide for wearable, classic designed jewelry and watches that carry distinctive signature quality. Prior to starting the David Yurman Company is New York City in 1979, the couple were artists of 20 years with respected careers in sculpture and painting.

David Yurman’s jewelry is of exception high quality. Base metals of sterling silver, 14K and 18K gold with gemstones of rhodolite garnet, onyx, amethyst, topaz, bezel, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds and other precious stones are set in the metal of rings, necklaces, chains of necklace charms, bracelets including bangles, pendants, cufflinks, and earrings for women, men and even children.

The Yurman name on jewelry is associated with "Status Symbol", therefore many knock-offs-copies, inspired by David Yurman, and fakes are found in the market place today. For his own protection, his brand of jewelry, on the Cable Collection is where his signature is trademarked, copyrighted and stamped with his designer mark that guarantees a buyer that the purchase is a real piece of his jewelry. To name a few jewelry lines, David Yurman has designed and created the iconic Cable Collection, numerous Limited Editions, Silver Ice with an R in a circle, Pearls, Fine Timepieces, Men’s & Cable Kids.

Marks: "DY925, 750", "DY750", "DY925", "C in a circle for copyright D. YURMAN". His past advertising campaign has included famous models such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. His jewelry is sold in his Yurman Store, in-store boutiques, and in Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Ave., Neiman Marcus, and other top notch retailers including authorized independent jewelry stores. His earnings a year are well over a million settling copyright and trade infringement lawsuits. The David Yurman Company continues to grow in 2006 at a phenomenal pace.

DOROTHY BAUER: 1982 - Present

Dorothy Bauer, a jewelry designer and classically trained sculptor of Berkeley, California created the company: A Piece of the Rainbow in 1982, selling hand-blown glass jewelry. That same year, she changed the company’s name to Dorothy Bauer Designs creating jewelry using Swarovski and Austrian crystals and rhinestones. Each piece of jewelry has been beautifully constructed and soldered by hand at the Berkeley site.

Dorothy Bauer continues today to use Swarovski and Austrian crystals and rhinestones in her jewelry creations. These components are secured in place by findings and these findings modify the pieces of jewelry produced into wearable art forms that are very versatile. Dorothy Bauer’s unusual original creation of jewelry designs are made into pins, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hair ornaments, belt buckles and shoe clips using base metals of fine silver, 23k gold, antique silver, and antique brass. Mark: "BAUER" in a plaque on the back of the jewelry pieces.

Bauer’s jewelry designs are outstanding especially her Christmas trees, some made as Limited Editions with hand engraved name and numbered.. Green, multi color and 3-D tree pins with prong or faceted crystals and rhinestones numbering in the thousands highlight the encased colored lights, ornaments, candles, toys, bells, and candy canes of the Christmas trees . Christmas Ornamental pins are created including, to mention a few, the rocking horse, snare drum, Rudolph and sleigh, large Santa face, fireplace, and bulbs. Some of these designs are made not only for pins but also for earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Bauer’s other jewelry creations include All Occasional Pieces: hearts, flower baskets, flowers, animals, birds, and Patriotic items. It is said that her creations are something for everyone, are witty, colorful, and a fun collection of wearable sculptures and pictures that express your humor or support your concerns putting sparkle in your day and night by wearing these produced jewelry pieces. Note: Bauer’s newest creation is Dog Jewelry using the same components as in her regular jewelry lines.

For jewelry creations and questions in regard to jewelry available, contact Dorothy Bauer Designs, 702 Harrison St., Unit A, Berkeley, CA 94710, phone# 800-531-3087. Internet sites:

Past and Present Jewelry - Dorothy Bauer

Dorothy Bauer Designs Swarovski Austrian Crystal Jewelry

Sunday Color Dorothy Bauer Swarovski Crystal and Accessories

Dorothy Bauer Dog Jewelry: Online Dog Boutique: Fashionable Dog.

DANECRAFT JEWELRY: (1920’s) 1940 - Present

The Primavera brothers, Victor Sr. and Thomas Jr., who had emigrated from Italy to the USA in 1910, founded the Primavera Brothers Jewelry Company in the 1920’s in Providence, RI producing jewelry and silver beads. The elder Thomas Primavera Sr. never came to America but, in Italy, through the earlier years, the Primavera family of successive jewelers dating back to the Seventeenth Century when they started to become a well recognized name and supplier of fine jewelry and silver beads to the Italian wealthy, royalty, and aristocratic families. Victor Sr. and Thomas Jr. learned the art of design and the jewelry making trade in Italy, from their father under the candlelight.

The Primavera Brothers Jewelry Company was one of the early manufacturers of costume jewelry in America and a pioneer in introducing the quality designs used previously in the fine jewelry manufacturing industry. After the death of Thomas Primavera Jr. in 1934, Victor Primavera Sr. founded the Danecraft Corporation under a parent company, Felch and Company in Providence, RI manufacturing sterling silver jewelry and silver beads designed by Victor Primavera under the Danecraft name.

The Primavera company began using more modern machines, producing quality sterling silver and vermeil (gold metal over sterling) jewelry with designs similar to the Scandinavian silver jewelry. According to the Primavera family, the name Danecraft was adopted because of Victor's preference for, and influences by, the Danish silversmithing tradition and designs.

In the 1940’s, Victor Primavera Sr., as its President and Victor Primavera Jr. as vice president, founded their own company, Danecraft and began operating as an independent company expanding , through the years, and manufacturing a large amount of silver jewelry and silver beads with varied exquisite designs often inspired by nature. Advertisement of their product lines appeared regularly in major national magazines and the sterling silver jewelry was sold through the finer department stores in the USA. It is said, that the Danecraft sterling silver jewelry produced, was some of the best manufactured in terms of quality of design and craftsmanship the industry had to offer during post-war decades. Marks: "DANECRAFT, R in a circle, STERLING", "DANECRAFT, C in a circle for copyright, STERLING", DANECRAFT STERLING", "DANECRAFT, Reg. U.S. Pat. Off., STERLING", "DANECRAFT on an oval signature plaque", "DANECRAFT STER.", "Danecraft 14kt Gold in script", "Danecraft with a C for copyright in script".

In the 1970’s, Danecraft introduced their vermeil lines with 24k gold over sterling and expanded their distribution network along with designing a collection of 14k jewelry and silver beads under the name: "Primavera Jewelry and Silver Beads" that the company unveiled in New York which was made up largely of smaller pieces of jewelry with delicate and intricate designs that showed popularity in those years and were marketed in competition with the fine gold jewelry produced by other companies.

In 1977, the company changed its name to the Felch-Wehr Company but still markets under the name Danecraft. In the 1980‘s, the company continued to expand and diversify their jewelry designs and production by creating jewelry and silver beads in various classifications: the upscale "VITTORIO" by DANECRAFT line and the unique and elegant styling of the "Whimsical & Novelty Pins" line. Danecraft, under its new company name, is still privately owned and operated by the Primavera family. Today, Victor Primavera Jr. is serving as chairman of the board and Victor Primavera III overseas operations of the company. Two senior designers are currently creating most of the new jewelry lines for Danecraft. Leslie Block Prip is the main designer of the sterling silver line while Lounne DiBella designs the "Vittorio by Danecraft" line. Skilled craftsman are still working at the company using precious metals in designing and producing the same high quality fashion jewelry that the Primavera family has been known for throughout its history. The company, under the name Felch-Wehr, is still in business today, in 2005, and their costume jewelry of sterling silver and gold metal content is sold in better department stores throughout the USA.

D’ORLAN: 1960 - Present

DOMINIQUE: 1992 - Present

Dominique jewelry has only been signed by "Dominique" since 1992 for the maker had previously, through the years, designed jewelry for Weiss and Eisenberg. The designer is a man who is very humble and private and has no interest in being publicized.

The stones in Dominique’s jewelry pieces are all hand set and prong set with the finest small to large Swarovski rhinestones and crystals of diamond clear to colors of purple, violet, emerald green, red, sapphire blue, aqua, white milk glass, rose, and pink to name a few. The jewelry pieces produced are said to be the best made with quality stones, manufactured from only the rough stones of flawless clarity, and cut to maximum brilliance.

The most common shapes of gemstones used include round, oval, pear or teardrop, navette or marquise, square, rectangular, baguette, trapezium, and lozenge. It has been said that a Dominique simulated diamond crystal is equal in appearance to the carat size of a real one carat diamond and his jewelry pieces provide the look and appeal of real diamonds at a fraction of the cost. The base metals used include plating of gold, silver or platinum. Jewelry designed by Dominique include brooches/pins, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings that are absolutely gorgeous, color scale perfect, superbly sparkling with brilliance, and stone clarity. Dominique is making less pieces of jewelry every year so his pieces are becoming highly collectible.

E

Original" with copyright symbol 1935-1945, "E" in script, and "Sterling" 1943-1948 during and right after the World War II war years,"EISENBERG ICE" in block letters 1950-1958 using rhodium metal. The jewelry produced during 1958 to 1970 was not marked, "Eisenberg" used on enamels with a copyright symbol in 1970. The company began using "Eisenberg Ice" in script letters in 1970 although many pieces are not marked but came with a Eisenberg tag. A limited number of old broach styles, the "Classic Series", have been reproduced in 1994 and 2000 by the Eisenberg Company and are marked "Eisenberg Ice" in script with a date under the name or "EISENBERG ICE U.S. PAT. PEND," 1970 to present. The jewelry has never been sold at low prices, in fact, the 1950's advertisements listed jewelry pieces at $10.00 to $30.00 per piece. Eisenberg jewelry is highly sought after especially the earlier pieces. The Eisenberg Company is still operating as of this date in 2004.

ELAINE RADER: 1962 - Present

Elaine Rader was born and raised in NYC with her father being a professional artists. She began making jewelry 17 years ago and for 12 years has been a full time artist with her jewelry displayed at Galleries and American Fine Arts and Kraft Shows around the country. Her work is not displayed in any retail galleries.

Elaine Rader alone designs and creates one-of-a-kind jewelry for personal adornment. It is organic, sculptural and primitive in designs. Her works are an expression of the North Georgia Mountains, of the surrounding nature where she lives (Blue Ridge, GA). She finds beauty in the shapes of bones and of trees in winter and rocks perching in a river balancing color, texture and shape using sterling silver with 22K gold accents for her pins, pendants, necklaces, earrings, rings, vessels, and jewelry sculptures.

Elaine Rader’s designs incorporate techniques of forging, raising and various surfaces giving the metal depth and texture. Her jewelry designs consists of a variety of fossil materials to boulder opals, precious and semi precious stones and may include fresh water pearls, Tahitian pearls and blister pearls (Mabe), faux gemstones, crystal and colored rhinestones. Mark in script: "Elaine Rader", an oval gold plate "ELAINE RADER". A list of her Shows/Dates for 2006 can be found on her internet website "elaineraderjewelry.com". Her jewelry designs have won many awards through the years.

Elaine Rader’s jewelry is expensive, has highly imaginative designs, is usually massive in size, and often shows mystical Greek or Italian influence. It can be purchased on her website and she will make jewelry to your order. She is still in business today in 2006.

ELIZABETH ARDEN: 1939 - Present

ERIC GROSSBARDT: Two Centuries to Present

For over 2 centuries, the Asch and Grossbardt families under the cofounders Larry Asch and Eric Grossbardt founded Asch/Grossbardt Inc. in New York with the company producing fine jewelry, made in the U.S.A., and their collection of jewelry is known throughout the world. See Asch/Grossbardt Jewelry for additional information.

Eric Grossbradt began his career in fine jewelry with Honora, a company founded by his father, Jerome Grossbardt. Both these company’s names Eric Grossbardt and Honora are selling some of their jewelry on QVC.com and the QVC TV Network.

The jewelry, manufactured and sold by Eric on QVC, consists of pendants, earrings, cuff bracelets, charm bracelets, necklaces, and rings, some made to look like sunflowers, starfish, and faces. His Masterpiece Collection of inspired designs was influenced by the style of immortal painter, Pablo Picasso creating a face in the design using gemstones fitted and inlaid in 18k gold and sterling silver. The Museum Collection with gemstones fitted and inlaid in quality sterling silver with an 18k frame or accent using a mixture and combination of inlays of green malachite, rhodonite (a light rose in color to flesh pink stone with black veins and inclusions of manganese oxide, orange and purple tiger’s, spiny oyster, Chinese blue turquoise, white, pink, gray and yellow mother-of-pearl, black and green agate, red and pink coral, lapis lazuli, red jasper, black onyx, red and pink coral and white and multi-color mother-of-pearl stones. The gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. Mark: Stamped and Hallmarked: "EG, 925 and 18k, China".

In May of 2000. Eric Grossbardt became the sole owner of Asch/Grossbardt Inc. when the cofounder, Larry Asch died from pancreatic cancer after more than 50 years in the jewelry industry. The QVC jewelry produced by Eric Grossbradt is inlaid to create a dramatic work of art, has beautiful designs and is reasonable priced.

ERWIN PEARL: 1952 - Present

Erwin Pearl founded Erwin Pearl Inc. as a fine jewelry firm in 1957. He was born in Austria and grew up in Belgium and the U.S. where his parents had sent him to live with his uncle at the outbreak of WWII. Erwin Pearl became one of the world’s top diamond cutters and started designing his own jewelry using real diamonds, real pearls, and precious stones. His customers included leaders in society, politics, and entertainment. His attention to detail and outstanding workmanship added touches to the pieces designed and manufactured and this contributed to the fine jewelry Pearl produced. He has been the recipient of diamond and pearl design awards. In 1970, Erwin Pearl started designing costume jewelry using clear and colored rhinestones and crystals, and glass pearls with brushed gold-tone metal bases that created the look of elegance and class for daytime and evening wear. Card marked: "Erwin Pearl". It is said that Erwin Pearl makes costume jewelry in moods from cool fun to the tailored business look. Erwin Pearl stores are located throughout the U.S. Many new designs are being produced today and include: Adorable pooches pins, Sterling initial pendants and rings, Turquoise and sterling silver jewelry, Zirconium jewelry, Bridal and dressy pearls collection with glass pearls, Rainbow crystal jewelry, Chandelier jewelry, Austrian crystals and French enamel jewelry, Two-tone goldtone and silvertone jewelry, Men’s accessories - money clips, key chains, and cufflinks, Rainforest pins, Pure silver jewelry and Watch collection. His costume jewelry lines have increased dramatically. Prices range from high to low cost items.

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FISHEL NESSLER: 1885 - 1937

Carl Fishel and Nessler (First name unknown) founded Fishel Nessler & Co. on Fifth Avenue, NY in 1885 producing silver plated with a brass tone finish necklace chains (rope), rich in patina with clear beads and crystals of floral designs with a distinctive screw barrel closure. Mark: "F.N. CO.", "FN & Co.". By 1930, the pins, necklaces, dress clips, and bracelets were sterling silver or rhodium plated base metal paved with simulated stones including turquoise, sapphire etc. along with the clear beads and crystals. Mark: "fish motif with FN Co. inside the design", "fish motif and STERLING inside the design with an L outside its nose". The company was best known for the Art Deco style necklaces, pins and earrings made in the 1920’s and 1930’s using high quality Austrian crystals and rhinestones beads or cabochons and simulated stones pave set into sterling silver, silver and rhodium plated base metals. The company ceased operations in 1937. Fishel Nessler jewelry is not common and is hard to find.

A Carl Fishel, Gustavo Trifari, and Leo Krussman had been employed by Rice & Hockster, a maker of women’s shoe buckles and hair ornaments and all three had seen service in World War I, 1917-1919. The company manufactured women’s high top shoe buckles and bobbed hair ornaments. Paris was the fashion capital of the world and had dictated that women keep their hair long and held in place by lovely celluloid and rhinestones combs and wear high buckle shoes but styles were changing. After Carl Fishel’s vacation trip to Paris, France in 1921, and with the trend of French women’s styles changing to no longer bobbing their hair and no longer wearing high top shoes, and stagnant in sales, a change of product line was necessary. Now, with the popularity of the gold chain necklace (rope), the company in 1921 changed its product line producing the gold chain necklace (rope) that was inspired by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The company opened its own jewelry business of Trifari, Krussman and Fishel (Head of Sales) in 1925. See Trifari for additional information on this company.

FLORENZA:: 1937 - 1981

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GRAZIANO, R.J: Late 1970’s - Present

Robert J. Graziano of New York, for approximately 27 years, has been one of the most widely respected designers of fashion jewelry in America. His jewelry designs, including those for bridal and party use, are finely crafted in extraordinary detail with design changes seasonally. It has been said that his jewelry pieces are rich in glamour and appear on pages of fashion magazines, Vogue, In style, and Town & Country. Saks Fifth Ave, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom’s, Bergdorf, Goodman’s and Neiman Marcus, to name a few, carry his jewelry along with his handbags, and belt collections, the last two designed with the same feeling that incorporates a mix of luxury fabrics and leather. Graziano has recently applied his techniques to a marvelous grouping of photo frames up to 3 x 5 inches that are illustrated on the internet at SendAFrame. The internet, HSN and Barrie Pace, of Hartmarx Corp. also sell Graziano’s manufactured items including his jewelry on their sites. All Graziano’s designs are manufactured in the U.S.A.

Graziano’s jewelry designs, including necklaces, bracelets, brooches/pins, earrings, and rings that are constructed with gold plated, silver plated and copper base metals, containing Swarovski Austrian clear and color crystals, color glass beads, simulated and semi precious stones of coral, quartz, turquoise, pearls, amethyst, topaz, and garnet that are embellished and handset meticulously in the base metal and topped with Graziano’s exclusive French enamel in colors of white, green and purple to name a few. Mark: "R.J. GRAZIANO" and "GRAZIANO". Robert J. Graziano’s jewelry is made with the upmost care and arduous to detail. His costume jewelry is receiving a positive response from buyers almost immediately.

GEORG JENSEN: 1866 - 1935 and 1964 - Present

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HARRY ISKIN: Late 1920s - 1943

Harry Iskin founded the Harry Iskin Company in Philadelphia, PA sometime in the late 1920s and in 1930, the company name was changed to Iskin Manufacturing Company manufacturing Masonic charms, society emblems, class pins, trophies, medals, and silver beads of white, rose, and yellow gold, sterling silver, and vermeil metals.

The silver beads and jewelry were marketed in the 1930s and 1940s with colored stones, amethyst, emerald and marcasite, and rhinestones, multi-faceted and prongs set in the metals. Mark: "Iskin" earliest mark, Tag and Metal Stamp: "Iskin Jewelry in a circle with letters H over I, 10k G.F., or 12k G.F or Sterling". Many pieces of jewelry contained 2 colors of gold metal, rose and yellow gold. The Iskin company gradually focused on the production of specialty jewelry of medals, emblems, flower pins, and silver beads. The firm went out of business around 1943. Iskin jewelry found is prized and highly collectible.

HILLCRAFT, Rockville, IN: 1950 - Unknown

Hillcraft Jewelry was started around 1950 at a Tuberculosis (TB) Sanitorium located in Rockville, Indiana where the patients started making jewelry with gold filled wire. The facility was owned by Alan Chamberlain, Bill May and Charles Ellis with Charles Ellis later leaving the group to start his own jewelry business in Greencastle under the name of Castlecraft. Other owners through the years included Dale Kirk and Joe Rossinger with no additional information available on the jewelry, owners, or location of the facility in 2006 from the Rockville, IN public library.

The Hillcraft jewelry including earrings that slid up over the earlobes. Hillcraft was not marked on the piece, but came in a box with a tag inside marked :"Hillcraft" in script form. The Hillcraft jewelry was not sold in stores. It was sold only through Women’s groups as fund raisers. The jewelry is scarce and a rare find.

HOLLYCRAFT: 1948 - 1971

HONORA JEWELRY: Early 1950’s - Present

The Honora Jewelry Company was founded by Jerome Grossbardt with headquarters located at 48th Street, New York, NY in the early 1950’s with the name standing for quality, value, and beauty in the jewelry industry. The Honora Company has designed and produced a wide variety of styles and pearl types jewelry into bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings and pendants using fine quality fresh water cultured pearls from top producer in Japan, China and various South Sea countries.

The jewelry pieces created and manufactured by Honora use 14k, 18k and platinum base metals and strung their products with the highest quality string available including some pearls hand-tied with silk thread or microcord, some with diamond spacers between each pearl, accents of leather, and clasps of sterling silver and woven stainless steel. Honora’s fact sheets indicates "our trademarked "PEARL GAME", a 34" opera which breaks down into a variety of wearable lengths, is available with or without diamond rondels (spacers between each pearl) , and continues to be the industry standard for a fine basic cultured pearl strand". Mark: Tag: "HONORA in an oval circle". If purchased new or the sale of nearly new item, a stamped pouch is enclosed with the jewelry piece.

For women, pearl strands and earrings or studs have always been a fashion gem through the years. Even today, with pearl sales skyrocking, pearl jewelry is still considered a popular investment to buy or receive as a gift. Pearls epitomizes elegance and are vital and essential to a woman’s wardrobe. Honora pearls, prized for their beauty and value, are extremely fashionable and highly well-priced according to the materials used and designs created in a variety of styles and pearl types (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and rings) using high quality fresh water cultured pearls, mostly purchased today from the Chinese growers (makers of upper quality range of production, increase in size, roundness and spectacular colors of pearls), and high quality carat gold and platinum metal.

Honora, through the years has and is also designing and manufacturing fine 14k and 18k gold, and sterling silver jewelry including some with genuine diamonds and gemstones. Honora pearls are sold on the internet at Homora.com, QVC.com, Amazon.com, Macy’s.com, Norman Landsberg Honora Jewelry Collection, James Free Jewelers.com, to name a few, and on the QVC TV Network.

HOUSE OF BUCCELLATI: 1919 - Late 1969

Early 1970 - Present

The Buccellati name has been known in the jewelry and silver world since 1750 when Contardo Buccellati, a silversmith, had a store in Milano, Italy where the Buccellati style of jewelry and silver had won the favor of the most discriminating clientele including the royal houses of Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Egypt as well as the Vatican with personal patronage of Popes and Cardinals.

Mario Buccellati officially started the House of Buccellati in 1919 in Italy taking over the business of his relatives where he had started to work as an apprentice before WWI. The business flourished, and, before WWII, Mario Buccellati opened shops in Rome and Florence, Italy, in New York and Palm Beach, Florida after the war. It was a family business with 5 sons and 4 brothers including Gianmaria. The firm manufactured primarily antiqued silvertone jewelry in both traditional and modern designs in thick and chunky metal giving the impression of aged silver. Mark: Mario Buccellati" or "Buccellati" both in script signature form. Mario Buccellati pioneered the jewelers Art of engraving. This Art form identified his unique one-of-a-kind pieces that set him apart from other jewelry goldsmiths and silversmiths of the world.

Mario Buccellati died in 1965 and the business was taken over by his 4 oldest sons with the sons working together until late 1969 when they split up and went their separate ways with the firm going out of business. Mario’s brother Gianmaria Buccellati maintained the company’s workshop site in New York, and the production of jewels and silver.

In the early 1970s, working with his brother Luca, Gianmaria reestablished the company and started out to expand the company globally by setting up a retail presence in Europe, the U.S, and Asia opening shops in Japan, Monte Carlo, Paris, Sardinia, Milan, Venice, New York and Beverly Hills, California. The House of Buccellati produced their jewelry of silver and gold in small workshops with skilled artisans that are consider the best in Italy, a staff of 250 persons uniquely trained in the exacting principles of taste, quality, style and techniques of the House of Buccellati. The pieces were crafted by hand, using ancient techniques that have passed from generation to generation with many of these workers being the sons and grandsons of Mario Buccellati, therefore, family identity has remained with the establishment for years and generations. Mark: "BUCCELLATI", "GIANMARIA BUCCELLATI".

The House of Buccellati has pursued jewelry designs in rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches, and bracelets that focuses more on the unique setting of precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, and even minerals embedded in sterling silver and gold metals on favorite themes from nature and the Arts. The name of Buccellati has become the supreme example of modern excellence in the highly traditional Art of Silversmith and Goldsmith. Designs today in 2005, Gianmaria and his son Andrea Buccellati have created a new range of jewelry products that are suitable for a contemporary and active lifestyle called the Buccellati Collection lines, in gold metal, with some jewelry pieces indicated with pricing from $1200 to $2900 at Bergdorf Goodman as follows:

Classics - 18k yellow gold, necklace, rings and earrings engraved and decorated with diamonds.
Crepe de Chine - 18k yellow gold, necklace, ring, earrings, bracelet.
Hawaii - 18k yellow gold, bracelet (Honolulu).
Anemone - 18k yellow gold, bracelet with diamonds.
Ondini - 18k gold, bracelet, earrings engraved and decorated with diamonds.
Rete - 18k gold, bracelet, pendant and earrings with pearls.
Rombi - 18k gold, bracelet, ring, and earrings decorated with diamonds.
Acanthus leaves - Executed in 18k gold, necklace, brooch.
Virgola - 18k gold, small necklace, ring, brooch engraved and decorated with diamonds.
Pins and Brooches - 18k gold, crabs and bees with diamonds, red coral, pink coral and pearls.

This range of jewelry above, with its superb styling and craftsmanship, reflects all of the characteristics and expertise of fine jewelry making that has made this Milanese house famous since 1919. Buccellati jewelry, set in sterling silver and gold metals are sold through their boutiques in New York and Beverly Hills, their retail stores in Paris, Milan and to very select group of the finest jewelers in the U.S. and Canada, on the internet at Bergdorf Goodman.com, Nieman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman department stores with other on-line selling only occurring with habitual clients, buccellati.com (see for additional information) and with retail stores throughout the world.

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IAN ST. GEILAR: 1993 - Present

Ian St. Gielar was born in Poland and came to the U.S. in 1981. His passion for jewelry making was realized when he became a contributing designer for Stanley Hagler in 1989 and in 1990 was said to be considered chief designer for the company but left the company in 1994.

Ian St. Gielar worked with vintage beads and findings to create breathtaking jewelry considered as genuine works of art using muted pearl designs to those of colorful, intricate and eleborate designs some using natural stones, coral, bones, carved ivory, mother-of-pearl having layers of components with colors and textures close together creating bold use of color, bringing new life to the line of costume jewelry that could be worn in daytime and all seasons even with casual clothing.

Ian St. Gielar’s jewelry styles and designs compare with that of Miriam Haskell, and Robert De Mario’s components such as beads, faux baroque pearls, metal stampings attached to a filigree plate with wire. His jewelry designs of bountiful floral arrangements are joyful and exuberant and have been worn by Whoopi Golberg, Morgan Fairchild, Melanie Griffith with his photo designs appearing in magazines, Vogue, Harpers and Shine, to name a few.

Ian St. Gielar died in March of 2007 from a heart attack following a car accident. His wife Valentina, who worked with him for over 8 years, will continue his work under the name Ian St. Gielar Studio. Mark: disc tag, "IAN ST. GIELAR", and "STANLEY HAGLER N.Y.C" (without the period after the C) or some with both of the disc tags on the back side of the jewelry. Ian St. Gielar’s jewelry is not sold on their On-Line Store but can be purchased on eBay or contact stanleyhaglernyc@bellsouth.net

Note: For Your Information: Ian St. Gielar departed the Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. company in 1994. Ian St. Gielar, after Stanley Hagler’s death in 1996, designed his signature disc tag as follows: "STANLEY HAGLER N.Y.C" which did not include the period after the C in N.Y.C. confusing the public. Mark Mercy has indicated on his website that the Stanley Hagler company always had a period after the C of N.Y.C. before the STANLEY HAGLER name. Ian St. Gielar also created his own disc tag: "IAN ST. GIELAR" in 1994.

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JAMES AVERY: 1954 - Present

James Avery was born in Milwaukee, raised in the Chicago area and was introduced to Texas Hill Country while in the U.S. Air Force. He pursued courses to jewelry making techniques while attending the University of Colorado. In 1954, Avery decided to go into business making jewelry with the thought that jewelry must be pleasant to wear as it is to see with jewelry designs that are functional as well as expressive.

In 1957, James Avery produced his first Christian Jewelry Catalog of 16 pages that featured 39 items, all hand-made. That same year, he hired Fred Garcia to assist with the designing, sawing, polishing, finishing and selling of his jewelry. The company in 1965 was known as James Avery Craftsman, Inc. located on acreage near Kerrville, TX.

The James Avery jewelry today consists of designs in Sterling Silver, 14K and 18K yellow and white gold and gemstones for both women and men with 1100 designs and 14,000 separate jewelry items in the active line. The company maintains its quality and responsiveness essential to a successful business by designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling their own product line from its headquarters in Kerrville and 5 jewelry workshops located throughout Texas. A Denver, Colorado store opened in July of 2005 and has also incorporated art and furnishings from regional Colorado artisans. Sales are said to be $85 million. It employs more than 1,300 nationally and maintains fine detailing and sample design that is true to the original spirit of the company.

The James Avery classic and contemporary collections include the Hammered Sunburst, Oval Onyx Collection, La Prima Vera Cross, Sorrento Ring and Gentle Wave Cuff Bracelet. The product line includes high quality, unique designs in heavy gram weight, creating charms, charm bracelets, rings, crosses, earrings, key chains, necklaces, ornaments, pendants, and pins hand-crafted in metals of Sterling Silver, 14K and 18K yellow and white gold crafted with gemstones. Marks: "AVERY 14K", AVERY Ster", "AVERY Ster 14K", "AVERY Sterling", "JA Ster", James Avery logo "3 candle candelabra flanked with the letter J on the bottom left and the letter A on the bottom right with Ster below with or without the copyright C".

James Avery jewelry cannot be compared to other jewelry. His designs are said to be statements about the deepest meanings of life and family. James Avery and sons Chris and Paul Avery, President and Executive Vice-President of the company, are working to carry on the dream of their father with a set of values, and a commitment to doing all things well. The James Avery Craftsman, Inc. company is still in business in 2006 reaching and satisfying customers through retail stores, mail order and on the internet.

JAY FEINBERG: 1982 - 1988 (See JAY STRONGWATER: 1990 - Present)

JAY STRONGWATER: 1990 - Present

Jay Feinberg founded Jay Feinberg Fashion Jewelry, under his own name in 1982 in New York. He had started making jewelry while a sophomore at Rhode Island School of Design when he began designing a necklace for his mother Penny that led to raves from locals of Montvale, NJ and an order from a hometown boutique. By calling on department stores, he suddenly had orders for his jewelry from Saks, Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman and found that his jewelry was displayed and draped on mannequins wearing Oscar de la Renta dresses with buyers soon calling him requesting his next jewelry collection. This was the beginning of the Jay Feinberg Fashion Jewelry establishment in 1982.

The 1980s were good years for jewelry and Feinberg’s jewelry often was seen on the New York runways and the pages of Vogue magazines. In 1988, a partnership developed with an investor to help the business grow, but it fell apart and in 1989, the business closed and the investor retained the rights to use the name of Jay Feinberg. In 1990 Jay Feinberg reopened his business changed the name to Jay Strongwater Fashion Jewelry after his mother’s maiden name.

Strongwater designed jewelry and accessory lines for Oscar de la Renta to highlight his clothing lines. Strongwater’s jewelry is instantly recognized by the swirled and layered enamel, the hand-placed clear and color Swarovski crystals and a lighthearted use of motifs. His work is said to be iconic. His jewelry of necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings and rings is hand-painted over metal (filigreed, pewter, antique brass, and silver plate, hand-enameled, hand-set in the U.S.A. with Swarovski crystals using old-world hand crafted techniques with the use of gemstones to include lapis lazuli and tiger eye. Outstanding jewelry designs taken from nature like leaves and flowers and/or animals to include butterflies, frogs, salamanders, and dragonflies embedded in metal of gold and silver. Mark: JAY FEINBERG" (1982 - 1988), "JAY STRONGWATER" (beginning in 1990 on tags and stickers), "JAY" (on earrings).

Today, in 2005, Jay Strongwater’s jewelry and accessory lines are sold at Sak’s Fifth Ave., Henri Bendel, Nieman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman department stores. Additional items now produced by the Strongwater Fashion Jewelry company include picture frames, decorative boxes, compacts, home accents, lipstick cases, vanity trays, bookmarks, figurines, key rings, mini frames, napkin rings, perfume bottles, pins, purse sprays, tabletops items, vanity jars/mirrors, vases, wine stoppers and candlesticks. His jewelry and accessories are of the highest quality in designs and workmanship and, therefore, sell for high end prices.

JEANNE: 1919 - Possible 1970s

Mark Dottenheim of New York City started making faux pearl jewelry in 1919. Little is know of the company. The jewelry brooches produced were whimsical and figural using faux emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and pearl stones, simulated glass crystals and rhinestones that were bezel set in textured gold metal that looked like it was being lightly hand hammered, then florentined or imparting a dull luster and then lightly antiqued. Quality of jewelry found is above average and not commonly seen. Some brooches found recently include an whimsical plump dark metal owl, a sunburst lions head in the center with textured gold metal plating, a star type with a huge faux emerald faceted in the center of the gold metal base, a toadstool or mushroom that is fat and bulky embedded with faux stones, a gold plated rooster embedded with faux stones, a gold plated bird basket with eggs of faux pearls, and a gold plated butterfly with rhinestones embedded in the metal. Mark: "JEANNE" for the faux pearl jewelry beginning in 1919 and "JEANNE with a C in a circle for copyright". Through the years, some of Dottenheim’s jewelry was also marked: "DAWN GLOW" and "SUPERBA".

JEWEL CREATIONS, INC., THE ATLANTA GEM LAB: 1977 - 2004

Kathryn Kinev, designed and made jewelry for friends starting in 1977. She started Jewel Creations, Inc. while attending Georgia State University in Atlanta establishing a shop in the Buckhead area of Atlanta in 1985. In 1984, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Jewelry Design and Silversmithing and in 1987, received her status as a Gemologist. Her first real job in jewelry was designing 18K gold pieces for various designers.

Kathryn Kinev did all her own jewelry designs. She also alloyed her own metals, drew her own gold wire and weaved her own mesh along with appraising, identifying, repairing and restoration of jewelry per request. Her jewelry pieces were hand-crafted and custom designed encompassing rings (diamond, wedding, engagement, anniversary), earrings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants using base metals of 14K, 18K and 22K gold and platinum with precious gemstones to include aquamarine, amethyst, opal, sapphire and diamonds along with simulated colored gemstones or red, orange, yellow, green, blue indigo and violet. Kathryn was a rare jeweler in respect to the uses of granulation, an ancient and time-consuming technique of applying tiny spheres of gold to a surface of metal.

Kathryn Kinev sold Jewel Creations, Inc. in 2003 but was still making custom jewelry and selling it online in 2004 (Last Update July 30, 2004, Jewel Creations, Inc., Owner Kathryn Kinev). Her site was known as the Atlanta Gem Lab, www:jewel creations.com that was a full gem lab appraising diamonds and jewelry as well as a metal shop for her craft. On her website, she indicates " I’ve been making replicas of ancient Egyptian jewelry. I had the opportunity to examine pieces of the Petrie (museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London) and it was incredible. I’m fascinated by how these ancient cultures made jewelry without casting only by hand-hand forming pieces". Kathryn Kinev had provided estate, insurance fair market value, divorce and many other types of appraisals. Her appraisals are kept on file for 10 years. She has been in the jewelry industry for 25 years and independently appraising since 1985. She had compiled a large inventory of unique hand-crafted jewelry with one of her pieces, a 22K bracelet taking more than 900 hours to create. Mark: "Kinev" in script with an oval containing a KK". Her internet sites, Jewel Creations and Atlanta Gem Lab appear listed in 2006 but no name or address can be found for her or these companies in the Atlanta White and Yellow pages, therefore, she may have gone out of business after 2004.

JOHN HARDY: 1975 - Present

John Hardy, a jewelry designed, was born in Canada and settled in Bali in 1975 thereby being introduced to its culture of art and handicraft, He worked with local artisans and later his wife Cynthia, designing his version of modern jewelry of luxury using multiple leathers, base metals of sterling silver, 18K and 22K gold, and some rhodium embedded with gemstones of amethyst, garnet, citrine, topaz, sapphire, turquoise etc. colorful ceramic polymers (synthetic substances), diamonds, and cultured fresh water pearls.The John Hardy jewelry is hand-made using traditional techniques inspired by Balinese life that is said to feel good to wear and improves with age. The jewelry designed and produced for men include watches, rings, necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks, and Tuxedo Sets. For women, watches, rings, necklaces, charm bracelets, bracelets, earrings and pendants. Designs for Kids are also produced.

John Hardy has 600 employees that includes an international management team fro Europe, America, Australia and Asia with the bulk of his employees being Indonesian craftsmen who create his designs by hand. The workshop and design center is located away in the rice-farming hills of central Bali. Often a single artisan works on a piece from start finish. Because the jewelry is hand-made, it is distinguished not only by its high quality but also by its design stories with collections inspired from such diverse sources as the garden (Kali, Ayu) and the Architecture of Rajasthan (Jaisalmer, Batu, and Sari), the tribal art of Borneo (Dayak) and from ancient Asian jewelry techniques (Dot, Chain, Palu). The inner surfaces of the John Hardy jewelry have a complex inner grillwork, like a secret story that is worn next to the skin.

The John Hardy jewelry is said to be extravagant and luxuriously high end of fine jewelry with from hundreds to many thousand dollars in price range. A watch had been listed for $19,000. Mark: Stamped with the logo "JH", "JH 925", "JH 18K", and "JH 22K". The jewelry is sold at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Ave. stores and internet sites, and on the John Hardy internet site where one can order a catalog of their jewelry. Ebay has also been listing some of the John Hardy jewelry. The company is still in business today in 2006.

JOMAZ AND MAZER (SEE MAZER)

JOSEPH ESPOSITO JEWELRY: 1910 - Present

In 1910, Guisepppi Esposito, an Italian jewelry designer, founded Esposito Jewelry. The jewelry company’s motive was directed toward the principles of superior craftsmanship, innovative design, hard work, and the personal touch using sterling silver as the base metal. In the early years, the Esposito jewelry specialized in precious metal engagement and wedding rings and later added new raw materials and designs to market high fashion rings, necklaces, bracelets, earring, and enhancers.

In 1911, the Esposito family moved the company from Italy to Rhode Island, USA. Today, the company employs 250 people with a 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The company is today, under the leadership of Joseph Esposito, Guiseppi Esposito’s great grandson, who oversees the design process of all the collections, and, under his leadership, is still offering the same principals of superior craftsmanship, quality and design handed down to him by his great grandfather that today, the industry demands and is found in the finest collections of Fashion Jewelry and Sterling Silver .

It is said that Joseph Esposito is now creating timeless jewelry pieces with a polished sterling silver or 14k gold metal base, bezel set, faceted gemstones of turquoise, rhodocrosite (a member of the carbonate class and an ore of manganese, pink in color), black onyx, white topaz and also including cultured fresh water pearls, and mother-of-pearl shells. His jewelry is styled with an emphasis on fashion and trends; the jewelry is made in the USA. Pieces are displayed in style magazines and worn on fashion runways.

The Esposito Sterling Signatures Collection line of jewelry is sold exclusively on the internet QVC.com, and on the QVC TV Network containing outstanding jewelry quality, at affordable prices, with a great deal of detail in the design, and a forward look that is expected of a company with 4 generations of design experience behind it. Esposito jewelry.com, on the internet, offers Sterling Silver, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver and 14k and Brilliant CZ Designs collections on their site along with an online catalog of their unique collections.

JUDY LEE: 1959 - Unknown

The Blanch-Ette Company, Chicago founded in the late 1950s produced Judy Lee costume jewelry. It produced jewelry of rhinestones, simulated stones and pearls stamped in silver toned metal. The company employed marketing and distribution methods similar to Emmons, Sara Coventry and Avon and the jewelry was sold through house parties. It was of average quality, not very common on the market, but had interesting traditional designs set with high quality clear and colored rhinestones. Judy Lee jewelry can be still purchased today at an average price. It is not highly collectible. Mark: "Judy-Lee", and "Judy-Lee Jewels".

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KIRK’S FOLLY: 1979 - Present

The Kirk’s family, Ellen, George, Jennifer, and Elizabeth Kirk, founded Kirk’s Folly in 1979 in Providence RI and have created fantasy jewelry and accessories that are hand-made, The company is recognized throughout the jewelry industry as a leader in fashion jewelry because of its unique quality, workmanship and attention to detail. Another plus is that their items are made in the U.S.A. Their jewelry designs consists of fanciful images of angels, fairies, sun, moon, stars, wizards, sea creatures, wood sprites, gnomes, unicorns, and flower fairies that are brought to life as wearable objects. Each jewelry piece is handcrafted and hand-set with Swarovski clear and color rhinestones to include aurora borealis, glass clear and color crystals, faux pearls, some stones prong set, others bezel set, with 14k gold plating, goldtone and silvertone metal bases, and enameling. Some pieces are encrusted with follydust. The family’s unique designing, the overseeing of the manufactured jewelry creations along with the excellent customer service reflects the high quality statues of the company’s products geared towards consumer satisfaction. Mark: in a oval "Kirk’s Folly" in script form. The Kirk’s Folly jewelry line is featured in the world’s most exclusive stores throughout the USA, and in England, Germany, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Their jewelry appears on pages of America’s top fashion magazines. It is sold on the internet sites, QVC.com, and Kirk’s Folly Couture, Treasure Chest Boutique, and on TV, the QVC network. The company today, continues to design and produce whimsical jewelry. The family members take their business very serious, personally handling or overseeing each aspect of the company, from design to manufacturing to customer service, to insure that each item produced reflects the quality the Kirk’s Folly name demands.

Kramer Jewelry Creations was founded in New York in 1943 by designer Louis Kramer with brothers Morris and Henry joining the company in the beginning. The company’s jewelry was of high quality and design. The company designed and manufactured low to high quality jewelry with the latter some of the most luxurious and artistic costume jewelry using diamente and paved rhinestones of clear and color, simulated pearls, lapis, jade, ruby, and sapphire stones. In the 1950s, the "Golden Look" was produced using gold plated metal and in the 1960s, the "Diamond Look" was produced with silver plating. Their designs were always innovative and well crafted. The company’s higher priced jewelry was usually marked "KRAMER" or "KRAMER of NEW YORK" while the lower quality pieces only carried a tag. The company also produced jewelry for Christian Dior starting in 1950 marked "Kramer for Christian Dior" and "Dior by Kramer". Kramer created many hand-set quality pieces that had beautiful and outstanding jewelry designs including those of flowers, insects, butterflies, crowns, turtles, birds, to name a few. It produced jewelry pieces with an abundance of the highest quality Austrian rhinestones and crystals, simulated stones and pearls with clear or a variety of colors. The company ceased operations in the 1970s.

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LEE SANDS JEWELRY: 1975 - Present

Lee Sands began his career for the fashion industry in 1975, in Hawaii, designing chic, versatile costume jewelry for today’s women that has created and popularized the fashion look throughout the world. Sands designs include colorful and wooden beads, shimmering inlays, and semi-precious stones with sterling silver as the base metal. His jewelry line started with authentic puka shells handcrafted into pieces of jewelry.

Sands designs and produces necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pendants, rings and watches made in the USA. He is known as a famous fashion designer of jewelry with sales all over the world. Both Sands’ jewelry lines and fashion accessory lines (high quality handbags, wallets, and watches) emphasize the beauty of nature by using materials such as shells, woods, semi-precious stones, cultured fresh water pearls, mother-of-pearl, abalone, ancient amber, elk skin, buffalo and inlays including lions, flowers, leaves with sterling silver accents. Sands is an extensive traveler to some of the most exotic locals and destinations around the world that is assisting his finds in creating fresh jewelry designs and popular styles with new natural materials found throughout his travels.

Lee Sands was introduced on QVC in 1988, and since 1990, has been selling his costume jewelry collections on the internet QVC.com and on the QVC TV Network. His colorful beads, shimmering inlays, semi-precious stones, cultural fresh water pearls, and color mother-of-pearl, and shells ,with sterling silver metal, adds classic and unique style to his many beautiful genuine gemstone designer pieces of jewelry.

LITTLE NEMO: 1913 - 1978

The Brier Manufacturing Company of Providence, RI was founded in 1913 by Benjamin Brier, Charles Brier and Samuel Magid specializing in imitation diamond jewelry using stones imported from around the world that were cut, polished, and in some cases, set by machinery and possessed a gold filled base metal. In 1928, the company moved from a rented quarters to a new factory on Richmond St. where they remained for half a century.

The Depression of the 1930s stimulated the Providence jewelry industry, as precious jewelry craftsmen applied their skills to the design of cheaper, mass-produced jewelry, which raised the production of standards of costume jewelry and took on the appearance of expensive jewelry. Some of their jewelry included Art Deco designs that had convex oval shapes that were produced in the 1930s having geometric texture openwork in gilded brass, bronze tone, gold tone, silver tone or pop metal bases that were embedded with clear and colored rhinestones and colorful glass stones.

The Nemo jewelry of the 1940s and 1950s was of high quality with jewelry designs including patriotic military pins (saber, branch of service hat and gloves), U.S. flags, and U.S. eagles paste set with clear and colored rhinestones and molded colored glass stones of red, white and blue in the enameled base metal.

The Little Nemo Company of Brier’s enjoyed success as a syndicate plant manufacturing costume jewelry designed into necklaces, brooches, pins, bracelets, dress and fur clips, charm bracelets and charms, tiaras, hairclips of gold plated, silver plated, bronze tone, gilded brass and pot metal bases with hand faceted clear and colorful rhinestones, and colored glass stones to catch light and glitter. Mark of Brier Manufacturing Co. that manufactured Little Nemo jewelry: "LN", LN25", "LN50", "LITTLE NEMO" inside the shape of a ring, "NEMO GOLD SEAL QUALITY LN/25", "L/N", "LN" inside a flattened diamond shape, "VENUS" in 1958, and "NEMO" in block letters 1955. The Brier Manufacturing Co. and designs of Little Nemo jewelry ceased operations in 1978.

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MAMSELLE (B. B. GREENBERG CO.): 1962 - 1995

The B.B. Greenberg Co. was founded in 1962 by Ronald C. Green Jr., Richard H. Pierce, and Noel M. Field Jr. producing Mamselle Jewelry with headquarters at 333 W. River St., Providence, RI. John P. Brogan became Director and Chairman of the Board and James R. Winoker became Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the B.B. Greenberg Co. in 1987 and James R. Winoker became Director and President of the company in 1991. The jewelry designs were of gold plated base metal with brushed and polished surfaces. Some designs had colored paint highlighting the enamel. Some had colored and clear crystal rhinestones, faux pearls, and imitation stones embedded in the metal of the pins, brooches and pendants produced.

Mamselle jewelry consisted of letter initial pins (A-Z) of gold plated metal with brushed and polished surfaces some with etched diamond cuts in some of the gold plated metal designs. Mark: "MAMSELLE" stamped in the back of a jewelry piece. Jewelry designs included lady bugs, turtles, ducks, birds, bunny rabbits, bears, owls, cats, dogs, fish, horse, lambs, leafs, mushrooms, flowers, wreaths, Christmas trees, and hearts made into pins and pendants.

Some of the workers were personnel employed at Coro making jewelry for that company. The B.B. Greenberg Co. was dissolved on March 16, 1995 by Judgment and Order of the Providence County Superior Court. NOTE: Information on the B.B. Greenberg Co. obtained from: The State of Rhode Island, Secretary of State, Corporations’ Division, Providence, RI in 2006.

MIRACLE: 1946 - Present

The A. Hill & Company (Birmingham) Ltd. In England began producing Miracle jewelry in 1946. The jewelry produced has the medieval look that is antique inspired from Celtic, Irish, and Scottish styles including many different English historical styles for Anglo- Saxon, Viking and Baroque. The jewelry design pieces are made with antique pewter, silver and gold base metals with faceted or embedded colorful imitation gemstones of agate, quartz, topaz etc. and semi-precious stones and rhinestones. Many pieces of Miracle jewelry are metal detailed on the back side which is appreciated by collectors today.

Mark or stamped to name a few of the Miracle marks: "A Miracle Creation" hallmark in a small cartouche in the 1950s, "Miracle" in 1960s-1980s, " Miracle with or without a number, or with or without an R for copyright date", "Miracle Anglo-Saxon", Miracle Viking", and "Celtic Jewelry + (in Irish Gaelic)".

The factory in Shenzhen, China produces 2,000 pieces of Miracle jewelry monthly and have indicated that good quality is ensured with its skilled workforce. The company sells 80% of its market here in the U.S.A. with exports to the Middle East and has expanded its clientele through exhibiting its jewelry in Hong Kong.

Miracle jewelry celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1996 and has been the leading designer of Celtic, Irish and Scottish style jewelry in the world with their designs initiated from historic pieces and library accumulations over the years. Miracle jewelry is considered in the range of medium to high-end priced, cost wise, with diamonds in 18K white gold from their classic and elegant to trendy styles. Using the antique pewter, gold and silver base metals each piece of jewelry is highlighted by the embedded imitation agate, quartz etc. stones, along with rhinestones, gemstones, and semi precious stones. Miracle jewelry is still being produced today in 2007.

NOLAN MILLER: 1957-Present

Nolan Miller, a costume and jewelry designer was born in Burkbarnette, TX and moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from the Choinard Art Institute with the intention of designing costumes for the film heroines. He became friends of Aaron Spelling and through him, gained an entry into the film studios and later was lucky to take over the crucial design job left vacant by the death of Edith Head.

Nolan Miller founded and was President of the Nolan Miller Couture in Beverly Hills, CA in 1957 designing costumes and jewelry for the famous film stars including Loretta Young‘s, entrance ensemble for her TV show, Eva Garbor’s of Green Acres negligees, and other celebrities fashions for Natalie Wood, Joan Crawford, Lucile Ball, Jaclyn Smith, Linda Evans and Elizabeth Taylor to name a few.

In the 1980’s, for the Dynasty Show on TV, Miller designed the dresses and jewelry worn by Joan Collins, Diahann Carroll, Krystal Carrington and other ladies of the case with these creations becoming the symbol of the dress style of the 1980’s. Miller’s design studio had to produce 35 to 40 new outfits every week, 2 days spent each week to discuss a wardrobe and 5 days to make all the clothes and jewelry. In the 1990’s, after the Dynasty Show was cancelled, Nolan became a private couturier with some designs produced to dress the toy Mattel Barbie Doll along with designing outfits and jewelry for other movies up through 2002 (Hotel, Poker Alice, Hollywood Wives, Finder of Lost Love 1984, Hart to Hart, Sin Deep, and Peter Gunn 1989, Soapdish & All I Want for Christmas 1991, Life of the Party 1998, Love Boat, Titans, and in 20020,Charlies Angeles). AntiqueDress.com Museum Memorabilia Collection lists several of the Nolan Miller dresses worn by celebrities through the years. Miller’s lavish use, both of fine and costume jewelry on pins, earrings, necklaces, and pearls, using stones being fake or real, were worn day a night on the shows. His jewelry designs contain Austrian rhinestones and crystals, faux colored pearls, real precious stones and simulated colored stones with gold plated and silver plated metal bases. Nolan Miller’s jewelry is now selling on QVC and it is said to be capturing all the glitz, glamour, and excitement of Hollywood without spending a fortune. His creative jewelry designs coordinate and complement one’s wardrobe look. Some of his collection lines include: Glamour Collection, Crystal Heirloom, and Sun Luster. Mark: "Nolan Miller". He also, still today, has a fashion line designing dresses, suits and separates.

MIMI DI N: 1960 - Retired, No Longer Designs Jewelry

Robert" early 1940s, "Haskell designing jewelry although, Haskell in her lifetime, supervised the production of all the jewelry pieces. The 1950s brought Haskell jewelry with incredibility elaborate designs using stones, pearls and beads and filigree in new and exciting ways. The business was purchased in 1954 by Morris Kinsler. In 1984, Sanford Moss became owner but the business was sold again in 1990 to Frank Fialkoff, who is still producing today, the Miriam Haskell jewelry of traditionally the same quality and originality that bears the Miriam Haskell name. No jewelry was marked between 1926 and 1947. The company used many marks to identify their jewelry. Mark: "Miriam Haskell" in metal on the clasp, the hook, in a crescent shaped cartouche or oval stamp.

MONET: 1928 - Present (Now Owned by Liz Claiborne Since 2000)

MOSELL: 1940 - 1980

Frederick Mosell started the Frederick Mosell Jewelry Co. NY in 1940 when he migrated to the USA from his home in Paris. He started out with novelty jewelry pieces and soon was producing elegant design pieces. He only worked for a short time in New York, and is best know for his sophisticated designs that are reminiscent of elegant Egyptian revival. Some vintage gold plated necklaces, brooches and earrings of starfish, ferns, and leaves (to name a few) had small to large rhinestones and cabochons in their fine detail work, and were very elegant, and suitable for either wearing with the evening dress or casual outfits. Jewelry pieces by Mosell are very hard to find and are quoted in jewelry guides as "very hot". Marked: "MOSELL". Mosell jewelry stopped production in 1980.

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NADJA BUCKLEY: 1940 - 1979

Little is known about Nadja Buckley who was a renowned 1940s designer of supremely elegant, fabulous and massive jewelry that was sold in the finest department stores (Macy’s to name one) and upscale jewelry stores. The costume jewelry pieces, maintaining a tradition of outstanding design and craftsmanship, were made in gold-washed silver metal with many containing semi-precious stones and some contained pieces of cubic zircons. Even her rings were massive and fabulous in appearance. Her jewelry had the look of or could be mistaken for real fine jewelry.

Nadja Buckley designed jewelry for Georg Jensen in 1948, the greatest design company of the 20th century, producing necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings and rings in sterling silver metal. Her jewelry pieces had the overall look of opulent (very wealthy or rich) and showy (of striking or attractive appearance) content and it was advertised in Vogue and Glamour magazines introducing her jewelry designs in 1948 up through 1979. A 1945 issue of Harper‘s Bazaar featured a Nadja Buckley silver compact studded with zircons that was selling for $900 at Bonwit Teller, a one time outstanding 5th Avenue retailer with stores throughout the U.S. A., that imported designer clothes and accessories from Europe, and in 2000 declared bankruptcy. In 1945, the $900 price, at that time in history, was a large portion of the average working person’s salary for the year. Mark: "Nadja Buckley 925", "Georg Jensen (in oval) 925S, #assigned to designer, and may include Denmark".

Nadja Buckley’s jewelry pieces are very rare and exceedingly hard to find. They are sought after by collectors and highly priced because of their excellent design quality and workmanship along with Buckley’s association, for a time, with Georg Jensen. Mark: "Nadja Buckley", "Georg Jensen (in oval) 925S and designer’s #and some labeled Denmark". Nadja Buckley’s ceased jewelry operation in 1979.

NAPIER: 1875 - 1999

The company was founded in 1875 as Whitney & Rice in Attleboro, Mass. manufacturing silver products. The company was sold in 1882 and its name changed to Carpenter and Bliss, and shortly thereafter, in 1878, became E. A. Bliss and Co., Inc., New York. With rapid expansion starting in the late 1880's, in 1890, the company moved to Meriden, Conn. Mark "M. Co. inside a large B" on jewelry in 1908, "N" in an oval shape box for jewelry necklaces, bracelets etc. since Dec. 1923, "NACO" for jewelry and cases since Dec. 1923. After WWI, the company shifted its emphasis from silver products to production of modern or costume jewelry.

The name for the jewelry, "NAPIER" was named after James Napier, its President in 1920, (who headed the company until 1960), changing the company’s name to Napier-Bliss Co. In 1922, the name was changed again to the Napier Company located now in Meriden, CT. Marked: "NAPIER" for jewelry since Oct. 1920, and "By NAPIER" in a box for scarf pins, bracelets, brooches, dress clips, bar pins, rings, dress and shoe buckles etc. since July 1942, and "NAPIER with a copyright symbol" after 1955. Trademarks all included the name "NAPIER".

Napier was considered to be the oldest fashion jewelry house in the U.S. Most of the costume jewelry, made is modern and simple in basic geometric form and floral motifs designs, that lacks fancy ornamentation and embellished glitter of other costume jewelry, but has backgrounds of sterling silver and silver plating with some of the background metalwork having a sculpture look that resembles Mexican and Scandinavian silverwork. Napier’s collectibles include the unique early designs along with the sterling silver designs and the unusual Oriental inspired coin and charm bracelets of the 1950s. The Napier jewelry was mass produced in large quantities and marketed through major department stores. It designed and manufactured a simple, yet elegant line of costume jewelry avoiding the most expensive materials like aurora borealis rhinestones to keep the cost down. It created jewelry with high style and superior craftsmanship updating the styling, quality and value for the modern American woman, ranging from career jewelry to casual wear and special occasion. Victoria & Company Ltd., later called Victoria Creations purchased the company in the late 1980s, and in the year 2000, Jones Apparel Group became its owner also buying the "NAPIER" brand. Jones Apparel Group ceased operations of "NAPIER" jewelry in 1999.

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN: Early 1935 - 1975

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ORA: 1921 - Present

The Oreste Agnini Company, Chicago, IL was founded in 1921 by Oreste Agnini. He emigrated to the U.S. from Italy in 1903. The company acquired the trademark ORA in the late 1940‘s, a name that was a combination of the company’s co-founders (OReste Agnini and Ralph Singer). The company was the first jewelry manufacturing operation in the city of Chicago. Agnini had displayed his artistic talents early in life that lead to the designing of jewelry. His drawing skills became apparent during WW I sketching observations while behind enemy lines. Ralph Singer, another emigrant from Italy, joined Agnini in the jewelry manufacturing business, soon after the company’s founding, changing the name to Agnini & Singer with Singer, not only handling the factory operations, but also doing much of the jewelry designing. Singer had previously been a diamond setter in the U.S. All the stones used in the production of their jewelry were of the highest quality made in Czechoslovakia and purchased in Rhode Island. The company manufactured beautiful and very fine quality costume jewelry. The company supplied much of the jewelry (pins and broaches) for the Eisenberg dresses and clothing before the formation of the Eisenberg Jewelry Company. Agnini & Singer were also responsible for jewelry that was featured in the 1939 Chicago World's Fair symbol, as well as the crowns for the Mardi Gras queens.

Early pieces of ORA jewelry were not marked, probably those produced in the 1920s, 1930s,and 1940s, and probably many of the high quality, unsigned pieces displayed the delicate, Old World workmanship admired today were early examples of Oreste Agnini's work. Eventually the business was known as ORA Designs. Mark: "ORA" began appearing in the 1940s. Other marks: ORA CREATIONS", and "ORA ORIGINALS". In 1952, Oreste Agnini retired and sold his half of the business to Ralph Singer who named the business "The Ralph Singer Company". Ralph Singer died in 1963. After Singer’s death, his son-in-law, Raymond Pausback, ran the business, becoming a partner with Ralph Singer’s widow, Celeste, and eventually buying out her half of the business. Pausback sold the business in the 1980’s to Sanford Smith Sr. When the latter died, his son Stanford Smith Jr. became owner of the Ralph Singer Company and continues in that capacity up to this date in 2005. Stanford Smith II is still producing ORA jewelry today along with a product fashion line and fraternal jewelry. The ORA jewelry is now marked "ORA".

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PAULINE RADER: 1962 - 1980’s

Pauline Rader was the daughter of a jeweler and began designing her own jewelry around 1962. Her designs were influenced by her study of and love for the jewelry of antiquity being highly imaginative and usually massive in size, that often showed mystical Greek or Italian influences. She used heavy antique gold tone, gold wash or silver tone metal for the base with pave set or bezel set, faceted simulated colored stones, simulated pearls, glass colored beads and rhinestones. Some of her designs included polished gold and white enameled finish.

Pauline Rader produced necklaces, bracelets, brooches, pendants, earrings and rings with the look of chunky MOD designs including some ancient coin replica pieces of jewelry, figurals and flowers. Mark: "PAULINE RADER" in block letters in an oval cartouche and a "circled C" for copyright.

Pauline Rader produced designs in very small quantities for a select clientele and elite boutiques, therefore, her jewelry is difficult to find and is very collectible. She ceased operations in the 1980’s.

PAULINE WARG: 1975 - Present

Pauline Warg is a metalsmith, silversmith and enamellist in Scarborough, ME, having 30 years of experience designing metal jewelry and hollowware incorporating precious and non-precious metals, gems and enamel. Her skillful work with great attention to detail produces jewelry with time honored silversmith techniques. The jewelry designs are said to be wearable, functional and sculptural objects and consist of fused or metal bead necklaces and bracelets on hand-woven metal chains, She also designs custom cabinet knobs, home hardware, enamel Ikebana and bowls.

Pauline Warg teaches metalsmithing at colleges, universities, high schools and other institution of learning the craft. From 1991 to 2001, she has managed and facilitated a metalsmith program of Future Builders in Maine and now is active in the Warg Enamel and Tool Center, a full-service tool, equipment and supply company for jewelers, metalsmiths and enamellists. The center is active in jewelry enameling, jewelry making, metalsmithing, and presents classes for all levels of participants also supplying quality products at competitive prices with excellent customer service. Her book "Making Metal Beads Techniques, Projects, Inspiration" is available in 2006. Mark: "Warg Designs, Inc. Pauline Warg (her name in script) Fine Metalsmithing".

Pauline Warg designs and creates one-of-a-kind and limited editions of fine objects, wearable jewelry, functional and decorative items for the home. Her pieces are varied and vast in scope with a strong sense of refinement, skill and beauty. Her works have been exhibited nationally and internationally and she is still in business in 2006.

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JUDITH RIPKA: 1977- Present

Judith Ripka, with extraordinary eye for design, was taught by her mother to appreciate all the little things around her, and, therefore, Judith sees each piece of jewelry as an expression of the beauty in the world as shared through the eyes of her mother. She launched her career in jewelry designing in 1977 and has helped her clients to understand that fashion is about style and creating a total look far beyond the clothes and that jewelry is integral to a woman’s wardrobe and is needed to provide the finishing touch to an outfit.

The Judith Ripka Company, Inc., for over 15 years, has designed and crafted jewelry of the utmost quality and continues to produce fine official jewelry designed and manufactured by its name sake. Judith Ripka was the recipient of a prestigious award for Outstanding Jewelry Design in 1982. In March 2004, she was introduced as the Official Jewelry Designer of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles with the sponsorship of Rock the Runway, a benefit for the City of Hope kicking off the Fall 2005 collection for fashionistas and celebrities to purchase and to support a worthy cause.

The Judith Ripka Company opened its doors to a boutique concept in March 2005 in New York City with retail space of 1200 sq. ft. This luxury shop for the fashion elated style-savvy celebrities expresses the heart and soul behind Ripka’s designs with her distinctive 18k gold and diamond fine jewelry with exceptional all-time high client services. You will see her upmost quality 18k gold and platinum metal with semi-precious stones jewelry designs in some of the finest women’s magazines, in her exclusive boutiques, and on many of the most stylish and elegant women in the world. Judith has stated: "When a woman is wearing my jewelry, I want her to feel as if she is wrapped in one of life’s luxuries". Each piece of her jewelry must compliment the clothes worn and should be a finishing touch to the outfit. Ripka’s clients are impressed with her elaborate flair for detail and her unique interpretation of color, gemstones, metal and overall designs. Mark: "Judith Ripka".

Judith Ripka creates versatile, classic jewelry with a special, modern twist using only the finest diamonds, colored precious gemstones and unique one-of-a-kind stones found throughout the world. Her jewelry is expensive to purchase. The Judith Ripka Company has retail locations for their jewelry throughout the US including Aspen, CO., Atlanta, GA., Beverly Hills, CA., Boca Raton, FL., Chicago, IL., East Hills, NY., New York, NY., San Francisco, CA., Short Hills, NJ. Other distributors include Nieman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave., , Norstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Deutsch & Deutsch of Houston, Lewis Jewelers, Radcliffe Jewelers and J. Brown, Baltimore, MD.

Judith Ripka and her company is looking forward to domestic and international growth and is laying the foundation to envision new goals, meet potential challenges and explore future global expansion. Some of Judith Ripka’s jewelry is now being sold on QVC, in sterling silver base metal, having semi-precious and simulated gemstones, diamonds and pearls. The jewelry pieces are moderately priced on QVC.

JOAN RIVERS: 1990 to Present

Joan Rivers has been a comedienne, best seller author, actress, playwright, screenwriter, film director, talk show host, fashion critic, business women and jewelry designer as of 1990. She was born Joan Molinsky in June 1933 in New York. In 1990, Joan embarked on a new adventure, launching her new jewelry designs on QVC. Her dream was to create a line of affordable, classic pieces of costume jewelry for today’s woman, to design and produce timeless jewelry that doesn’t go out of style to includes necklaces, bracelets, brooches/pins, rings and earrings.

The costume jewelry Joan Rivers designs with David Dangle, her designer partner, contains gold tone and silver tone base metals with simulated pearls, emeralds, sapphire and other stones, colored beads, clear and pastel rhinestones, and light and dark crystals embedded in the base metals. Joan’s jewelry line is a perfect expression of her natural creativity, confidence and flare. Marked: "Joan Rivers" and "Joan Rivers Classic Collection". QVC has also, through the years, been selling her Joan Rivers Beauty collection of Forever Fragrance line, skin care line, beauty body treatment line, and make-up line of cosmetics.

Joan Rivers, this year, will introduce The Scoundrel Collection of Jewelry of which Broadway Baubles featured in the Hit Show, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a musical where cast members are outfitted with QVC costume jewelry of her designs along with Kenneth J. Lane and Nolan Miller. The jewelry will combine the glamour of old Hollywood with a retro twist on current trends. Joan continues to design costume jewelry from her personal jewelry collection along with her newly creative designs and has these jewelry pieces produced at an accessible price since 1990. It has been said the Joan Rivers‘, trademark, mix of wit, knowledge and compassion has made her a fashion style icon and a QVC treasure.

ROBERT LEE MORRIS JEWELRY: 1962 - Present

Robert Lee Morris, a jewelry designer, was born in Nurnberg, Germany in 1947 where, at the time, his U.S. Air Force father was stationed. He graduated from Beloit College, Wisconsin in 1965 in sculpturing and film making, and was #1 artist in his graduating class. Morris taught himself the rudiments of jewelry making. Since 1976, Robert Lee Morris has been a leading name in fashion and art jewelry and that year, was on the cover of the Vogue magazine. He opened his own gallery ARTWEAR, a Mecca for talent in the jewelry-as-art field in 1977.

Morris is considered one of America’s most influential jewelry and accessories designers. It is said that his career in jewelry design continues to unfold and blossom with his collections featuring clean, fresh, romantic sterling silver, in shapes drawn from original design elements. His already legendary, sensuous designs have draw their inspiration from nature, myths and fantasy and are described as being created originally through his intelligence and learning taking his inspiration from the living, the spiritual and the material and incorporating it into the silver and gold metal jewelry designs he creates. Morris molds each prototype himself out of wax or metal. He creates designs in rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and pendants of sterling silver, 14k yellow gold, brass, and copper with a brightly polish finish using gemstones and stones including cornelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise, jasper, coral, onyx, mother-of-pearl, white diamond, moonstone, and gemstone beads, clear crystals and rhinestones, and also some tree wood. His jewelry makes a bold and beautiful statement.

Morris’ jewelry designs made with solid 18k gold have been sold at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Ave. The Robert Lee Morris Gallery, the very first "designer store" of its kind, is his manufacturing site, located at 409 W. Broadway, New York City, NY. Stores carrying his jewelry designs are found throughout the U.S., in Canada, England, Hong Kong, and Switzerland. Other jewelry designs are sold on his internet site: Robert Lee Morris, Robert Lee Morris, The Gallery, and Pearlmans Jewelers. All jewelry he designs are created by Robert Lee Morris himself and include archival and one-of-a-kind pieces as well as the complete current line of jewelry. Some of his marks on jewelry are: "Robert Lee Morris" in script and "Sterling Silver" or "925" or "14k"or "18k" or RLM 925", "RLM750", "RLM 14k". Some of his jewelry pieces are hand signed (etched in the metal) "by Robert Lee Morris in script, 18k or 14k or Sterling Silver and a C in a circle for copyright and dated".

For QVC on the internet and the QVC TV Network, Morris has and is designing the RLM Studio jewelry pieces using Sterling Silver, 14k gold, copper and brass metal. Mark: "RLM Studio, 925 and place of origin", RLM Studio, 14k and place of origin". Robert Lee Morris has said: "My work is a mirror of my soul, a reflection of who I am, so when a person wears one of my pieces, they have became very intimate close to me." Morris, over the decades, has worked with numerous prominent clothing designers, Donna Karan for one, whom today he is still a partner producing clothing and accessories.

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SANDOR GOLDBERGER: Early 1930s - 1972

Sandor Goldberger founded the Sandor Goldberger Company in the early 1930s creating costume jewelry designs of a wide range of styles. Through the years, the company produced jewelry of sterling silver, gold plating, silver plating, and Japanned base metals with enamel coated clear and color rhinestone, poured glass stones, faux pearls and imitation stones. In the early 1930s, Beatrice Grace McGowan became Sandor’s leading designer producing wonderful colorful and naturalistic enameled flower designs done in sterling silver metal. Her designs set Sandor apart from other costume jewelry makers. The beautiful jewelry produced includes Aztec designs, designs of stamped color enamel figurals, dainty flowers and flower sprays covered with enamel. Mark: "Sandor Goldberger" in 1939-1940 and "Sandor". McGowan retired in the late 1950s after 20 years with Sandor. The company ceased production in 1972. Sandor jewelry is highly collectible especially the enameled flower pieces because of their beauty, wonderful sculpturing of the metal and their incredible likeness to the real thing.

SARA COVENTRY: 1949 - 1981 (Bankrupt) and Reestablished 2002 - Present

Sara Coventry, Inc. was founded by Charles H. Stuart in Newark, NY in October 1953. Stuart had also founded Emmons Home Fashion Company in 1948. Both companies did not design or produce their own jewelry but contracted the work out to manufacturing companies located around Providence, RI. Sara Coventry jewelry for both women and men was sold at home fashion shows up until the mid 1980s when the company changed ownership and started moving toward distribution in the traditional way. Stuart files for bankruptcy in 1981, therefore, the jewelry was not made after that date. In 2002, the Sarah Coventry jewelry started to appear on HSN (the internet) and in 2003, the jewelry was again sold at home parties. The company is in business today. Mark: "Coventry" until 1950, "Sara Coventry". "SC", "Sarah". Sarah Cov.", and "SAC".

SCAASI: 1958 - 1965

Arnold Scaasi, whose real name was Arnold Icaasi (changed it to add an Italian flair), was born in Montreal, Canada in 1931, the son of a furrier who studied fashion design in Montreal, moved to Paris in the early 1950’s and later to the U.S. obtaining a position with designer Charles James in New York and 2 years later freelanced for hat designer Lilly Drache.

Scaasi’s success brought a series of license agreements in the 1950’s for not only jewelry, but furs, fragrances, ties, bridal wear, sleep ware, accessories and dresses at a price on QVC. Scaasi designed fashion jewelry from 1958 to 1965, one line (known as The Scaasi Jewel Collection) for the hair, neck, and ears to match his famous butterfly prints that were designed in Paris. Mimi di N and Scaasi were partners briefly in the 1950’s producing a line of costume jewelry. Scaasi had teamed up with Jacques Jewelers (now known for their platinum and 18K gold metal base jewelry embedded with diamonds, pearls, and gemstones). The association, with Jacques Jewelers, because they were known for their fine jewelry produced, helped Scaasi gain celebrity status in jewelry. Scaasi chose the base metals, stones and the designed pieces to fit his fashions.

The Scaasi’s costume jewelry designs produced were big and bold, some with large cabochon stones, using the base metals of gold and silver plating, often with striking and startling color combinations of simulated pearls, superior rhinestones (Swarovski) along with synthetic stones supplied from Germany. The Scaasi jewelry complimented his original clothing creations. Mark: "Jewelry by Scaasi"

In 1962, Scaasi opened his own ready-to-wear business followed by a made- to- order enterprise, his own haute couture line (original clothing created by Arnold Scaasi) with a seamstress and tailor in Manhattan. Scaasi was highly creative and hard working catering to women who wanted luxurious clothes made to fit their bodies and lifestyles to perfection, from Jackie Kennedy, Mamie Eisenhower, and Barbara and Laura Bush (All First Ladies), along with film stars , socialites and entertainers. His runway jewelry pieces, appeared on and with his designer clothing and were accepted and worn with pleasure and satisfaction by movie stars to include Barbra Streisand, Diahann Carroll, Mitzi Gaynor, Joan Crawford, and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few. It is said that Scaasi has a sense of style, color and shape seen on his creations. He has become very famous in the world of fashion for designing women’s glamorous evening wear, tailored suits, and cocktail dresses.

The Scaasi jewelry complimented his original clothing creations. In 1965, he gave over his jewelry factory to Kenneth Jay Lane who had been previously designing shoe and shoe ornaments for Dior and then, designing the Scaasi rhinestone buttons and shoe ornaments. In 1967, Kenneth Jay Lane’s shoes/ornaments and costume jewelry were seen on the runway. He was known to have developed a new technique of pasting the flat back rhinestones on shoe ornaments and jewelry. Although Arnold Scaasi no longer designs jewelry; he designs an original couture collection twice a year which he presents to clients and the fashion press.

SCHIAPARELLI: Late 1920s - 1974

Eliza Schiaparelli was born in Rome, Italy in 1890. She moved to Paris in the 1920s where she opened her first couture fashion house. She left Paris in 1940 and opened her own fashion operation in New York City in 1949 and also opened a boutique offering ready-to-wear clothing, selling jewelry, perfume, cosmetics, lingerie, and swimsuits to complement her fashionable line of clothing. She licensed her name for mass production of costume jewelry and accessories made by David Lisner Co. which was also the authorized American agent and distributor for her earlier French-made pieces. In 1947, she created clothing in hot pink color, for before that time, black, brown and blue were the only popular and basic colors in women’s clothing. Top designers for her establishment were Jean Schlumberg (designed the Circus collection), Serge Matta, Pierre Hubert Givenchy, Cecil Beaton, and Jean Clement. In 1949, the Ralph De Rosa Company produced Schiaparelli jewelry.
Schiaparelli’s earlier jewelry, was showy, imaginative, and bold with innovative designs but in her later years, the jewelry lacked the "off the wall" look of her earlier work. She is best known for her whimsical designs taking inspiration from nature, the circus themes, and the signs of the zodiac. Her jewelry designs also include Native African Art, and Jungle Primitives. She designed chunky suites with prong-set molded iridescent glass stones (called watermelon) and aurora borealis rhinestones (developed by Swarovski in 1955) or large faceted colored glass stones that were produced in the mid 1950s. The company used pot-metal, sterling silver and gold plated backings. Eliza retired in 1954 with the Schiaparelli line discontinued around 1955. She sold the rights to her name and business in 1973, therefore, American manufacturers continued producing her designs up to 1974. Lydo Coppola (married name Toppo), in Paris, designed pieces for Schiaparelli early in her career. Schiaparelli’s early 1930s pieces were unsigned and are rarely ever seen today. In the late 1930s, jewelry pieces were signed "schiaparelli" in lower case block letters up until 1949 and "Schiaparelli" in script after 1949, and "Designed in Paris--Created in America" 1949. Eliza died in Paris in 1973. Her jewelry is highly sought after and very collectible.

SHERMAN: 1947 - 1981

Gustave Sherman opened his business, the Sherman Costume Jewelry Co. in Montreal, Canada in 1947 with just one employee, Jimmy Koretza, a Hungarian jeweler, who is said to have provided the expert craftsmanship for Sherman’s exquisite designs. Sherman was considered by many to be Canada’s premier jewelry designer. His jewelry created from the late 1940s through the 1970s frequently copied the look of fine or real jewelry pieces but was recognized as costume jewelry using the best top quality Swarovski stones, including some trade and fancy stones Swarovski made to Sherman’s liking along with some stones with reverse foil to obtain much sparklier stones with a prism-like appearance and multiple color flashes. Because Sherman was willing to pay more than the going market rate for the stones he purchased and used in his jewelry pieces, he acquired the finest stones Swarovski had to offer, and as a result, his finished pieces reflected jewelry lines of superiority. Sherman insisted on top quality workmanship, the finest materials, and, with the beautiful Swarovski stones, created and produced one price range of jewelry sold and that was expensive. It was not uncommon for a piece of Sherman jewelry to sell for prices ranging up to $50 a piece in the early days of production. The best Swarovski crystals were prong-set to last, backing were usually highly polished in rhodium-plated, japanned (black backing), and gold-plated settings.

From 1941 to 1981, Sherman produces some of the world’s best and finest costume jewelry that is know for its superior and exquisite designs using meticulous details. Sherman’s choice of crystals with Aurora Borealis coatings were often employed in the composition of his designs. He favored navettes and elongated marquise stones which contributed to the flowing lines of his creations. Round stones were also incorporated, particularly in necklaces and bracelets. Sherman leaned towards monochromatic color combinations using subtle variations of the same tones, champagne to topaz, sapphire to light blue, fuschia to pink, and emerald to peridot are just some examples. Over one thousand different color combinations can be found in his designs with many of his color combinations off beat and nontraditional and only produced for one season. He integrated Aurora Borealis highlights of pinks, purples, blues and greens that exploded like so many brilliant fireworks. Clear crystal designs sparkled like diamonds, creating a blaze of rainbow colors. Sherman jewelry must be seen to be truly appreciated. All Sherman pieces found today may not contain the Sherman mark. On some of these set pieces, the tags, boxes or cards have disappeared, been separated, or been lost through time. Marks: "SHERMAN", "Sherman", in script, and "SHERMAN STERLING".

Marketing of Sherman’s modest designed jewelry pieces was done through department stores and leading shops in Canada including Birks. The huge ultra glamorous jewelry pieces were sold in small shops and local boutiques in every region of Canada. Sherman would not compromise the quality of the jewelry pieces the company designed and produced with beautiful rhinestones and crystal beads, when current fashions of the 1970s was switching to the faux gold and silver look. Therefore, a decline in his business occurred in the mid 1970s. He did however, start producing quality gem jewelry in large quantities with precious metals but the price of gold had skyrocketed. His jewelry pieces still demanded high prices due to higher cost of production. Sherman was forced to close his jewelry store in 1981. He died in 1984 in Montreal, Canada. Sherman jewelry is highly sought after by collectors who are paying high prices for the outstanding designer pieces.

SCHRAGER (Jonne): 1925 - 1962

The Schrager Jewelry Company was founded in 1925 producing costume jewelry under their name up until the 1959s and then produced jewelry under the name of Jonne. The costume jewelry produced was usually of high quality with classic designs with intricate bead work, exceptional detailing and beautiful clear and colored, rhinestones, pearls, and poured glass stones using gold and silver plated base metals, Mark: "House of Schrager 5th Ave.", "Jonne" on tag with "House of Schrager" on the reversed side. The company ceased operations in 1962.

SCHREINER: 1939 - 1977

Henry Schreiner founded the Shreiner Jewelry Company in 1939. He had been a blacksmith in Bavaria, Germany and emigrated to the U.S. in 1923. He started to work for the Better Buckle Company working with metals designing and fashioning belt buckles, buttons and dress fasteners. His daughter and her husband joined the firm in 1953 and soon the three of them were creating jewelry for Adele Simpson, Norman Norell, and Christian Dior with the use of the clients names on the jewelry produced. Jewelry designed include flower pins of daises, geraniums, sunflowers, cornflowers, and white marguerites, dragonflies, carrots, pineapples, peas in a pot, turtles, acorns, in different colors. The stunning, unusual and distinctive Shreiner jewelry used gun-metal plating, bronze plating and gold plating for backing along with very expensive custom made special shaped stones made in Germany by skilled Czechoslovakian craftsmen. Some of the designs had inverted-set or upside-down rhinestones and unusual color combinations of the stones. These stones are no longer being manufactured. Schreiner pieces of jewelry were never mass-produced (the company did only fine handwork), but the pieces made were highly fashionable and attention getters, therefore, no media advertising was necessary to sell their costume jewelry. Henry Schreiner died in 1954. Some of the earlier pieces were not signed. The jewelry marked "Schreiner", "Schreiner of New York", and "Schreiner Jewelry" was the firms own original designed pieces made for retail sales. The company also designed ornaments for Elizabeth Arden. The family ceased operations of the company in 1973. It has been said that the Schreiner Jewelry produced is some of the finest made, and most admired of the vintage jewelry found today. It is highly sought after by collectors.

It is said that, as jewelry designs were improved upon, the name of the company changed. The Selini pieces of jewelry were identical in style and size to those produced with the Selro name. Research found the face jewelry to be similar or identical including the cabochons and rhinestones. Many Selini jewelry pieces were sold with hand tags, not signed on the pieces themselves, and, therefore, the hand tags were discarded when the jewelry was worn. It is said that Selro jewelry pieces were always signed on the pieces. See Selro for additional information on the costume jewelry produced. (For additional internet information on Selini: http:hometown.aol.com/kitticitti/SeliniSelroCombined.html

SELRO: 1950S - 1960S

Selro Corporation was founded by Paul Sellinger in NYC in the 1950s. Selro jewelry is highly collectible due to its striking designs of silver-toned , antique silvertone filigree, and gold-toned base metals. The design clusters utilized clear and beautiful colored rhinestones, faux pearls, lucite and plastic stones, and glass moonstones. Some of the outstanding jewelry pieces have large glass moonstone cabochons surrounded by teardrop glass pedals of gorgeous faux colored stones and faux pearls. The smaller stones are glued in with the larger ones prong set. Selro also produced devil and figural images and faces that included dragons, Asian faces, black Oriental Siamese or Tribal and Warrior faces, and Princess faces with headdresses and flowers. Mark: Selro". The company ceased operations in the 1960s.

SHERMAN JEWELRY: 1947 - 1981 in Canada

Gustave Sherman, considered by many to be Canada’s premier jewelry designer, founded the Sherman Costume Jewelry Company in 1947 in Canada producing quality pieces with the best Swarovski stones and crystals beads including aurora borealis, crystal beads (navettes and/or marquise cut stones), some stones with reverse foil to obtain much sparklier stones with a prism-like appearance and multiple color flashes. Jewelry pieces were prong set, with quite heavy and highly polished rhodium plating, gold plating, Japanned plating and other metal platings for base metals. Foiled stones were used extensively with unfoiled stones in open settings rarely seen in the jewelry designs. The bracelets had safety chains and hidden clasps. Sherman costume jewelry produced was known for its superior and meticulous details on design. Mark: "Sherman". The company ceased production in 1981.

SORRELLI: 1982 - Present

Lisa Oswald had been designing jewelry since she was a little girl graduating from Kutztown State College with a B.F.A. in Jewelry in 1982, and then, working as an intern in New York City for jewelry designer Debra Fine Yohai. In 1983, with her twin sisters, Susie and Sandy, she started her own business naming the costume jewelry "Sorrelli" (which means sisters in Italian).

The Sorrelli jewelry is handcrafted from the original designs, worked by hand using no casts or jigs, and was first being made in the Oswald kitchen, then in their Brooklyn loft and now today, in a barn studio at their Pennsylvania home in Kutztown, PA. producing nearly 300 new jewelry styles per year and employing 12 crafters. Each piece of jewelry produced with the help of the crafters who used Lisa's original prototypes to guide them through each step of the production, insures us of the creativity and design distinction that one finds in the Sorrelli signature and each piece produced is guaranteed

Lisa Oswald uses genuine semi-precious earth stones, Swarovski Austrian rhinestones and crystals that are prong-set or glue-set and, soldered cluster for movement, in antique bronze colored metal manufacturing and producing bracelets, earrings, necklaces, pins, rings. The stone settings are of multi-dimensional sizes, shapes and colors. Sorrelli jewelry comes with a "SORRELLI" tag or on a card (Earrings): "SORRELLI Chandeliers for the ears with Certificate of Authenticity and Guarantee." The Sorrelli costume jewelry is worn by celebrities and career women, and is available on the internet, Sorrelli Jewelry.com, Nordstrom.com, Regencies.com Designer Jewelry, and is found in high-end department stores and boutiques throughout the US and in Sorrelli showrooms in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Manhattan, San Francisco, Tokyo and Switzerland.

Sorrelli Collections are color grouped and release together with similar matching colors each year by seasons. The Limited Edition Collections are stocked for a 6 week period only, until they have been purchased or can be purchased by special order. Some of the product lines are labeled: Blue Sunrise, Bright Haze, Brilliant Bronze, Captain N Teal, Gum Drop, M & M, Miscellaneous, Pink Coral, Purple Rain, Red Delicious, Southwest Bright, Spring Rain, Tropical, and White Bridal. Sorrelli is said to be one of the most renowned costume jewelry lines available today because of the excellent workmanship, designs and the use of quality semi-precious gemstones stones, Swarovski rhinestones and crystals. It has been said that "each Sorrelli piece is created to last and to be treasured through time".

NOTE: Sorrelli jewelry is hand crafted from genuine semi-precious stones and high quality Austrian crystals. The prototype jewelry piece is designed in their studio, and then sent to their factory in China to be reproduced by hand which explains the "Made in China" tag that you'll see on some of their pieces. This has been the way their jewelry has been manufactured for the last 5 years. The Sorrelli vision, to create beautiful jewelry which brings enjoyment to those who wear it, continues today.

SORRENTO: 1911 - ?

The Vincent Sorrento Company, bearing the founder's name, was founded in 1911 but the name was changed to Uncas Manufacturing Company before 1922. The costume jewelry produced used sterling silver and gold plated metals. Mark: "Sorrento" since 1957.

SPEIDEL: 1913 - Present.

The Speidel Chain Company was founded bu Albert Speidel in Providence, RI in 1913 manufacturing 14K gold watch chains before and after WWI, pendants, bracelets, brooches, scarf pins, earrings, and cuff links. Edwin Speidel invented the Speidel expandable bracelet watch chain in 1930. Mark: "BONA-FIT". The name was later changed to the Speidel Corporation in 1935 now producing jewelry, ornamental hearts, Star of David, necklaces, ankles and ornamental charms. Mark: "DEFENDER since 1930. The jewelry was Marked: "SPEIDEL" starting in 1932 with the company producing ornamental chains of all types, pendents, bracelets (identification and chain), brooches, pins, clips, earrings, lockets, religious crosses, charms, and cufflinks of Sterling Silver, 14K gold, gold plated and silver plated metals. "OLD WORLD JEWELS" was the company mark since 1949 producing bracelets, pendants, broaches, lockets, earrings, jewelry and ornamental clips and pins. In 1965, Textron Inc. bought the company. Hirsch Ambaender AG acquired the Providence Watch Hospital in July 2001 (company has been in business since 1940) and Speidel in Dec. 1997 who also now sells medical jewelry. The Speidel product lines as well as the Providence Watch Hospital are again located back in the U.S. The Speidel Company is still in business today.

SPHINX: 1948 - 2000

The Sphinx Company, a renowned company making quality costume jewelry was founded by S. Root in 1948 employing about 200-300 people in a factory in Cheswick, England. The jewelry produced was said to be well made, of high quality construction, beautifully designed, and had the look of real jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, pendants, brooches, earrings, rings, and charms were produced in gold tone or silver tone base metals with pave set or prong set aurora borealis, clear and colored rhinestones, simulated pearls and colored glass stones.

Sphinx produced jewelry for Kenneth Jay Lane, Butler & Wilson, Saks 5th Ave., Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and other department stores with some pieces unsigned for customers who wanted to sell the pieces on their own, and because the jewelry was produced in a rush, had to meet the public demand. Mark: "SPHINX" in an oval cartouche with some having a "LETTER AND NUMBER" included or without the Sphinx name, having only a "LETTER AND NUMBER" in a cartouche.

Some of the Sphinx jewelry is highly collectible and can now be purchased at low, moderate and high prices depending on the make-up of the jewelry settings, stones and metal content. Sphinx ceased operations in 2000.


STANLEY HAGLER N.Y.C.: 1953 - Present

(MARK MERCY: M & M DESIGNS FLA.: 1996 - Present)

Stanley Hagler, a jewelry designer, founded the Stanley Hagler Company in New York City in 1953. His company produced jewelry pieces that were opulent, complex, hand made, hand wired-embroidered and usually colorful. The company was a one-man operation until 1979 when designer Mark Mercy joined the company. Mark: oval disc tag, "STANLEY HAGLER" (1950 through 1982). Stanley Hagler and Mark Mercy worked together in New York City until 1983 when they moved the company to Florida and added "N.Y.C." to the "STANLEY HAGLER" oval disc designer tag to keep the New York City connection in Stanley Hagler’s work.

In 1989, Ian St. Gielar joined the firm as a contributing designer and designed many of the jewelry pieces. Hagler jewelry can be identified by the layers of elaborately detailed hand work with some jewelry hand wrapped on colored seed beads and seed pearls set on Russian Gold plated filigree along with Swarovski rhinestones, colored stones, crystal pearls, and various colored cabochons.

Downsizing of the company appeared in 1993 due to health problems of the founder and Ian St. Gielar left the company in 1994. Stanley Hagler died in 1996 but the company continued to produce jewelry under the Stanley Hagler name. A Common Law Trademark allowed Mark Mercy, now a partner in the company, to keep the rights to the Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. name after the death of the founder. In 1996, Mark Mercy also founded M & M Designs Fla. Labeling creations of tiaras and large custom pieces. Ian St. Gielar, in 1996, gave his own name to his new company Ian St. Gielar. Both men continued to design jewelry.

Mark Mercy retained all legal rights to use the Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. name on his jewelry and has all of the original, vintage, component pieces of the Stanley Hagler lines. Therefore, the same high quality jewelry pieces were and have been produced. The jewelry is still handmade today, has elaborate detailed designs using vintage materials, from a huge collections of jewelry parts, assembled over many years including synthetic flowers, color glass beads and seed pearls, Swarovski rhinestones and crystals, head pins and parts. The jewelry produced is comparative to Haskell, Boucher, Christian Dior, Schiaparelli, and Chanel. Through the years, the Stanley Hagler Company produced jewelry pieces for Lord & Taylor, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks 5th Avenue.

The jewelry name Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. and M & M Designs Fla. are well known throughout the finest stores and boutiques in the U.S. and other countries including Japan, England, Germany, France, Australia and Switzerland. Their designed pieces have been worn by the Duchess of Windsor (Mrs. Simpson), Ivana Trump, Barbara Walters, Madeleine Albright, Susan Lucci, Candice Bergen to name a few with jewelry designs seen in TV shows, and movies.


Marks: oval disc tag "STANLEY HAGLER" (from 1950 - 1982), "STANLEY HAGLER N.Y.C." (from 1983 to present). For more information on Stanley Hagler jewelry, see Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. Jewelry by Mark Mercy since 1979 on his internet website. Stanley Hagler jewelry can be found on eBay and on the Stanley Hagler NYC Collection from Cristobal of London‘s website.

Note: For Your Information: Ian St. Gielar departed the Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. company in 1994. Ian St. Gielar, after Stanley Hagler’s death in 1996, designed his signature disc tag as follows: "STANLEY HAGLER N.Y.C" which did not include the period after the C in N.Y.C. confusing the public and also disc tag "IAN ST. GIELAR". Some of his jewelry contains both of these disc tags.


STAR AND STARET: 1925 - 1960

Star and Staret jewelry was originally produced by the Star Novelty Company, Inc. of Chicago. The company began making costume jewelry, marked: "STAR" in 1925-1940. The company changed its name to Staret in the 1940s. Staret jewelry pieces are known for their exuberant design and exceptional use of enameling and high quality rhinestones. The style and sometimes excessively showy shapes of costume jewelry stamped Staret, recalls to mind, the more famous jewels of Eisenberg & Sons but does not have the Eisenberg quality. Novelty jewelry was also designed and made by the company. Overall, the quality of Staret designs is good quality with good quality stones with some pieces being exceptional with better quality of workmanship and design. Mark: "STAR", "STARET". The company ceased operations in 1947.

SUZANNE SOMERS JEWELRY: 2003 - Present

Suzanne Somers was born in October, 1946 in San Bruno, CA. She has been a TV actor (in Three is Company), a model, writer, and in 2003, a costume jewelry designer.

Suzanne Somers’ designs and manufactures costume jewelry consisting of rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, watches and brooches that are said to be bold, with exciting colored accent stones. The stones, faux pearls, imitation mother-of-pearl, simulated turquoise, black, lavender, clear, and champagne color crystals, peridot gems, aurora borealis, rhinestones, chalcedony beads and glass stones are bezel set and prong set into silvertone, goldtone, sterling silver and vermeil metals.

Suzanne started selling her Somersize products (such as pjs, clothes, shoes, kitchen appliances, diet and exercise videos, books etc. on her own internet online store as well as costume jewelry: Suzanne Somers.com. In 2003, she started to sell her costume jewelry on the internet, HSN.com and on the HSN TV Network. HSN has stated: "About Suzanne Somers Jewelry…If you’re not wearing at least one of Suzanne’s bold, exciting stones then you simply haven’t lived! These fun pieces are created with Suzanne’s bubbly personality in mind. You’ll find spectacularly colored stones such as "Margarita", "Fruit Punch", and "Caribbean Mist" set in silver and vermeil." Her jewelry’s price ranges from low to medium with design, workmanship and makeup of stones a factor.

SWAROVSKI (S.A.L.and Swan Logo): 1862 - 1956 and 1970 - Present

Daniel Swarovski founded the Swarovski Company in Austria in 1862 and, in 1892, developed a new mechanized technique for faceted glass crystals creating a sparkling, diamond-like "Chatons" that still bears the Swarovski name. Swarovski was a top supplier of rhinestones and crystals from Austria to American jewelry manufacturers. In the 1970s, Swarovski expanded the company to Providence, RI, U.S.A. and then later moved it to Cranston, RI. Daniel Swarovski and Christian Dior also developed the iridescent Aurora Borealis stone in 1955. In 1977, the Swarovski American, Ltd. company started producing costume jewelry of bracelets, ornament chains, pins, clips, and earrings using their own high quality rhinestone and crystal stones. The jewelry was, in the beginning, first manufactured in limited quantities and offered only to members of its Collectors Club. Mark: "COMET" for imitation jewelry artificial precious stones and beads made of glass or plastic since Oct. 1957, "S.A.L." until 1989 and then replaced with the Swan Logo tag "SWAROVSKI" 1977 to present. The company is now known as the Swarovski Consumer Goods Ltd., the change being made when the giftware and jewelry divisions merged and is still in business today.

SWEET ROMANCE: 1980 - Present (Newer Costume Jewelry)

Sweet Romance jewelry was founded by Shelley Cooper in 1980 reproducing jewelry designs from the 1920s in the Art Deco and Victorian themes and exotic designs of the 1940s and 1950s. Mark: "Sweet Romance". The jewelry is still being made today.

SWOBODA: 1956 - 1985, Reestablished as N.W. Jewels by Nathan Waxman June 2000- Present

Edward Swoboda, a talented jewelry designer, founded Swoboda Inc. in Los Angeles, CA in 1956 after having had an extensive knowledge of gemstones that were used in his manufacturing enterprise. The jewelry is characterized by magnificent thick gold plated metalwork, set with semi-precious stones and cultured pearls. Mr. Swoboda traveled extensively to South America where his gemstones were imported from. It was said that his polished gemstones and cultured pearls were unequaled in costume jewelry. The jewelry produced was designed with the Oriental and Victorian influences. In 1957, Nathan (Nate) Waxman joined the company as a trainee and quickly learned the art of casting, plating, and molding allowing him to create many of the designs. In the early 1960s, the Swoboda firm maintained showrooms in Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas and the jewelry was sold in leading department stores Dillard’s, Goldwater’s, Marshall Fields, Saks Fifth Ave., Bloomingdale’s, Gumps, Ciros, Harrod’s of London and Neiman Marcus. Swoboda jewelry lines consisted of complete sets, necklaces, broaches (most popular) and earrings. The jewelry was not marked but had a hang-tag "SWOBODA" until 1966 when "SWOBODA" OR "SWO.INC." appeared in the metal cast. Swoboda retired in 1979 and lives in Los Angeles. The jewelry is extremely rare, especially the more elaborate pieces that are highly prized by collectors who will pay nearly $800.00 per set and or above $400.00 for a necklace. Lower priced pieces consist of figural pins, some with carved jade or other semi-precious stones on gold plated metal. Nathan Waxman ran the company until 1985 when the company ceased operations. In June 2000, Nate Waxman established his own company, N.W. Jewels on an internet website that offers a wide variety and collection of Swoboda Costume Jewelry from vintage collections to limited quantity reissues.

SYMMETALIC: 1902 - Present

The W.E. Richards Company was founded in North Attleboro, MA in 1902 producing wRe and Symmetalic costume jewelry of sterling silver with 10K and 14K gold overlay metal with jewelry consisting of Art Deco, Edwardian and Victorian designs using finer high quality materials, cultured pearls, Austrian rhinestones and aurora borealis rhinestone crystals, with some pieces produced containing semi precious stones. The costume jewelry included broaches, rings, scarf and hat pins, links, emblems, and pendants. Mark: "wRe". "Symmetalic" since 1936. The company is still in business today and the jewelry is highly sought after.

T

Taylor, Elizabeth: AVON November 1993 to Present

House of Taylor Jewelry, June 2005

Elizabeth Taylor born in 1932 in Hempstead, England is best know as a movie actress and her sales of fragrances (White Diamonds perfumes) cosmetics, gaming and publishing through the years. She was said to be the 11th Greatest Movie Star of her time by Entertainment Weekly and the 40th Greatest Movie Star of all times by Premiere Magazine. She has owned some of the world’s most magnificent jewelry including "The Krupp Diamond" and "The La Peregina Pearl"

In November 1993, Elizabeth Taylor collaborated with Avon Products Inc. on a collection of fashion jewelry signed and designed by her and carrying her name. The initial costume jewelry lines would consist of five collections with prices ranging from $40 to $200 and the lines will be sold directly to the consumer by Avon representatives nationwide going door to door or scheduling house parties using the company’s direct-mail catalog. The company did not make their own jewelry but other firms (like Krementz) manufactured and designed their product lines. Mark: "Elizabeth Taylor with a Script E, and Avon" embedded in a plaque on the back of the base metal piece of jewelry. Her collection consisted of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and rings with themes, Egyptian Collection sets, Shah Jehan sets, Elephant Walk sets, Eternal Flame sets, Midnight Romance sets, Passion Flower Sets, Radiant, Brilliance, Gilded Age and Sparkle Kiss rings and earrings, Katherina Cross sets, Hearts in Tandem sets, Sparkle Earrings, Signature Gold Coast sets, Sea Coral sets and Zebra sets to name a few. Some of these creations have been seen on eBay auctions the past few years. Avon is still producing some of her jewelry lines.

Elizabeth Taylor, in April 2005, has formed the House of Taylor Jewelry in Los Angeles, California in collaboration with Mirabelle Luxury Concepts (Jack and Monty Abramov creating the jewelry designs) and Techline Jewelry Corporation (technology on the jewelry designs). She will be developing her signature collections for the firm as well as consult on all brands distributed by the company including those by Kathy Ireland who is opening her fashion and bridal collection lines of jewelry to the mid-tier company pricing for the company. Ireland will design a beautiful and diverse collections and will lead design direction not only for her own collections, but will also serve as an Ambassador for the House of Taylor Jewelry all under the direction of Elizabeth Taylor. Kathy Ireland’s collections pricing will range from less than $200 to approximately $2,500 and will be based on her best selling Style Guides, a mission to "finding solutions for families especially busy moms". The goal of the House of Taylor Jewelry is to produce fine jewelry, making marketing and direct source partnering, to serve the best jewelry retailers worldwide and their costumers with the most diverse jewelry creations that are marketed.

The House of Taylor Jewelry is slated to be introduced at JCK (Jewelers Circular Keystone), in Las Vegas in June 2005 with keynote speaker Kathy Ireland and in New York, July 31-August 3, 2005 at the JA International Jewelry Show at the Jacob Jarvits Convention Center. Because of Elizabeth Taylor’s love and interest in jewelry through the years, her collections will include a traditional fine jewelry assortment as well as one of a kind couture pieces with price points of over one million dollars. In addition to developing her signature collections, Ms. Taylor will consult on all brands distributed by the House of Taylor Jewelry and the Abramov brothers will acquire additional licenses to support the firm’s operation.

THEODOR FAHRNER: 1883 - 1979

Theodor Fahrner, at the age of 24, in 1883, took over his father’s business and workshop in Pforzheim, Germany manufacturing high-quality and mass-producing rings, gold and silverwear, and jewelry designs by artists in the Mathildenhohe artists colony located near Frankfurt, Germany. By 1887-1895, the firm expanded into manufacturing other jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings employing artists who designed jewelry. Jewelry artists included were Franz Boeres, Rudolf Bosselt, Max Joseph Gradl, Hermann Haussler, George Kleemann, Ferdinand Morawe and others creating jewelry of Art Nouveau and/or Jugendstil style (an artist style that arose in Germany about the mid-1890s and continued through the first decade of the 20th Century that was a combination of English Art Nouveau design before 1900, (floral in character), Japanese applied art and prints, and later more abstract phase of Viennese work).

Fahrner allowed the artist/designer’s name to appear on their pieces along with his own TF trademark with the new trend of streamlined modern designs inspired by the major European Art movement or Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Art Moderne and Contemporary styles in affordable silver jewelry. Working in silver, enamel, marcasites, iron and semi-precious stones, the designers made each contemporary style of jewelry in hundreds of jewelry pieces available to a wide segment of the population exporting large quantities to near and distant cities including London and the U.S.A.

Theodor Fahrner’s firm manufactured and mass produced high quality rings, gold and silverware, and sterling silver jewelry in necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings designed by artists in the Mathildenhohe artists colony. Some of the jewelry has produced high selling prices in 2001, from $3,700 to $11,500 (made in the 1920s era).

Fahrner’s jewelry designs contained lots of enamel, sterling silver metal of various silver content, and faceted colored stones of turquoise, green agate, amazonite, chalcedony, rock crystal, pearl, marcasites, hematite, coral, onyx, and amethyst. In 1901, the TF trademark was introduced. In 1919, Theodor Fahrner died and the firm was purchased by Gustav Braendle and the firm’s name became Gustav Braendle, (Herbert Braendle in 1952), Theodor Fahrner Nachf.

In the 1920s and 1930s into WWII, the Deco style jewelry of Fahrner was produced by the firm with filigree jewelry produced in 1932. In 1945, a bomb destroyed all of the archives. In 1952, Gustav Braendle died with son Herbert now leading the company. 1954 brought on a reduced workforce due to changing jewelry fashions and by 1960, the company was producing modern silver jewelry with stones expanded by the Antique Art series of gold and silver with Roman and Egyptian motifs. Marks: "Germany Sterling TF 935", "TF ‘ 950‘", "Theodor Fahrner Germany 935", "TF (in circle) Sterling Germany", "TF and Germany", "TF (in circle) 925 Original Fahrner" (after 1932), "artist/designer name, TF (in circle) for trademark and silver content # (925, 935, or 950)".

In 1979, Herbert Braendle died and the firm of Gustav Braendle, Theodor Fahrner Nachf was dissolved with most of the firm’s records destroyed. The jewelry pieces produced by Theodor Fahrner’s company are sought after by collectors with pricing exceptionally high.

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VINTAGE CREATIONS: 1973 - Present

Murry and Mildred Shapiro founded Heirloom 73 Jewelry in 1973 in Forest Hills, NY after time spent studying and collecting antique jewelry and deciding to go into manufacturing the classic designs that looked like it came from Grandma’s jewelry boc. Murry’s reproductions were so meticulous that many people thought the jewelry was accurate or that the jewelry produced adhered to the original vintage jewelry.

In researching vintage designs, the Shapiro’s became fascinated with jewelry made with marcasite and, therefore, researched and developed their jewelry with prong-set marcasites set into the sterling silver metal rather than those by other designers who were gluing their marcasites into the metal base of their classic design pieces. Necklaces, bracelets, pins, earrings, pendants and rings were produced in sterling silver metal with prong-set marcasites.

In 1979, the company with the Shapiro family made up of Murry, his wife Mildred and their son Drew moved their showroom to Manhattan and eventually formed a division "Vintage Creations: specializing in the marcasite jewelry. An optional vermeil finish (24kt Gold over Sterling Silver) was also available on most styles creating a stylish two-toned look. A few years later, Vintage Creations moved to a plant at 22 Throckmorton St., Freehold, NJ with the company business growing in leaps and bounds making Vintage Creations a leading manufacturer of sterling silver marcasite jewelry and an exception leader in producing fine costume jewelry made with sterling silver and marcasites.

Drew Shapiro worked diligently in the business and was the designer of a jewelry line with a unique twist of sterling silver and prong-set Swarovski crystals that were often enhanced with semi-precious stones and cultural pearls naming this new line of jewelry Jenna Nicole Crystal. Necklaces, bracelets, pins, earrings, pendants and rings were designed for the Jenna Nicole Crystal jewelry line that had the diamond look and could be compared to the most expensive diamond pieces with pricing ranging from $35 to $650. Mark: Logo and New Tag: "JENNA NICOLE CRYSTAL FOR THOSE WHO APPRECIATE QUALITY (in a triangle box)".

In Oct. 2002, the Swarovski Crystal Components Division chose Jenna Nicole Crystal as a partner in the Swarovski Ingredient Branding Program and her jewelry packaging and promotion now featured the Swarovski Crystal Components logo (Swan and SWARVOSKI name) on hang tags and labels along with her own jewelry mark of JENNA NICOLE CRYSTAL.

The jewelry of Vintage Creations and Jenna Nicole Crystal is sold on their internet website, Vintage Creations, on Jenna Nicole Crystal Jewelry: Eclectic Elegance Old and New Jewelry, and it is also sold in leading department stores, specialty and gift stores, fine jewelry stores, boutiques and through mail order catalogs. Jenna Nicole Crystal, in 2005, is producing, not only exceptional fine costume jewelry, but also jewelry accessories for bridal, evening wear and formal wear.

WILD BRYDE JEWELRY: 1980 - Present

Michael Warner, a avid naturalist and wildlife observer (now sole owner of the company) and Tracy Holzman started designing Wild Bryde jewelry in Richmond, California in 1980. Their jewelry immediately attracted accounts of the San Francisco Zoo and the Audubon Canyon Ranch at Stinson Beach, California.

All of the Wild Bryde jewelry designs has been inspired by wildlife and nature. The designs are hand drawn with the original artwork done by Michael Warner who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration from the California College of Arts and Krafts in Oakland. His art work is reflected in each and every Wild Bryde piece of jewelry that includes earrings, pins, necklaces, bracelets, and barrettes.

Wild Bryde jewelry is lightweight in construction, etched in recycled brass. Each piece is hammered by hand using a special planishing tool that produces a smooth surface finish on metal by rapid succession of blows delivered by a hammer that is designed for that purpose. This procedure gives the jewelry subtle facets that catch the light, making the piece attractive and distinctive from all angles along with the final process of plating. The use of gold-plating, 14K gold filled and/or a rhodium finish metal highlights the jewelry pieces. Mark: "Wild Bryde" similar to script writing with each letter of the name separate. The design numbers produced now totals over 8,000 species, specific animal, plant, and natural designs.

All Wild Bryde jewelry is made in the U.S.A. Sales have outstretched to Europe and Japan. The Wild Bryde company is a wholesale business and sells to retail stores with a retail catalog sent per request from their website: wildbryde.com The company is still in business in 2007.

1928 JEWELRY: 1968 - Present

The 1928 Jewelry Company was founded in 1968 by Melvyn Bernie in Burbank, California creating finely detailed fashion jewelry, replicas of vintage jewelry drawn from a wealth of antique designs. It is producing modern replicas of the most beautiful and exquisite jewelry of past years with vintage details and fresh interpretations designing necklaces, bracelets, pendants, earrings, brooches and pins, and hair accessories for exceptional value and the price conscience consumer.

The 1928 Company also designs rosaries, jewelry boxes, key and fob chains that have beauty and are significant to the originals of days-gone-by with the use of the company’s expert skills at producing new items that are profoundly and spiritually unique including the Vatican Library Collection of jewels. Their jewelry designs contain bases of silver, gold and brass metals with crystals, simulated colored stones and pearls including mother-of-pearl and imitation colored gemstones and beads. Their product line includes one of Christian-oriented jewelry and gifts. Mark: "1928"

Most recently, the 1928 Company has introduced a new brand 2028 into their family. It was developed as an exclusive line for Macy’s Stores that will feature more fashion forward designs with the choices containing premium quality components honoring "every woman’s exclusivity" from the rich to the middle class consumer, and for those who want and desires the today’s fashion look of fine jewelry. Mark: "2028".

The 1928 Company is a privately held company that has unique familial feeling towards its employees. They successfully contribute to their employer and assist in the company’s business success which comes from design inspirations from the past in this ever changing development of the fashion world as we see its expansion to new horizons. The 1928 Company is still in business in 2006.