Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Biography
Source(google.com.pk)Vintage costume jewelry is collectible not just for its beauty, but for the label and craftsmanship used in making each piece. Costume jewelry is primarily made of paste, or glass, and a plated or filled metal base which is meant to look like fine jewelry. Some vintage jewelry manufacturers like Krementz could specialized in this area, while others branched out to create whimsical and even lavish, exotic designs that one would not normally encounter at a fine jewelry store. The most popular costume jewelry designers signed their pieces, although there are many pieces that remain unsigned and at times, hard to identify. Regardless if a piece is signed or not, marks of high craftsmanship include: prong set stones, open backs on set stones, and no obvious glued parts. Vintage costume jewelry is valuable and can fetch high prices not for the materials used, but rather for the label. Parures and demi-parures are especially collectible and are wearable, as is all vintage costume jewelry, provided the pieces are in excellent shape with no tarnish or stones missing. Below is a list of the more popular costume jewelry designers between the 1930's to 1960's:
Hattie Carnegie, like Nettie Rosenstein, was also born in Austria and got her start in fashion as a couture designer. She created whimsical jewelry starting in the 1920's until her death in 1956. Pins would include designs of a dragon, rooster, or fish. Some collections could also pass for fine jewelry, frequently using several rows of rhinestones in contrasting colors for an elegant look. Her pieces are signed with her signature.
Coro not only designed, but also manufactured their own jewelry. The company began in 1901 with
Emanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger as its founders. Head designers for Coro included Gene Verri, Leste Gaba, and Victor di Mezza. The trademark was usually stamped on the back of the jewelry, and was accompanied by a small Pegasus to the right of the maker's name. Coro soon became famous for their duette, trembler, and crown pins. They stop manufacturing jewelry in 1979. The higher priced lines of Vendome, Corocraft, and Francois were also owned by Coro.
Fashioncraft was started by Robert Levy, David Jaffe, and Irving Landsman in 1942. Most of their jewelry is stamped "Original by Robert", which was used from 1942 to 1979. Fruits, crown pins, animals and flowers were frequently used in collections. Glass beads combined with rhinestones were also used in necklace and earring demi parures. The company is now known as Ellen Designs.
Florenza was used as a jewelry label from 1956 until 1981. Owned by Dan Kasoff, some of the pieces could easily be mistaken for "Juliana", the line made by DeLizza and Elster which utilizes brightly colored imitation gemstones set close together to form oversized brooches, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. The Florenza label was also used on hair accessories, dressing table items, and decorative boxes.
Hargo was started by Joseph Heibronner and Edith Levitt back in 1955, but is believed to have closed by the 1970's. Most of their jewelry is simply stamped HAR on the backs, but the line itself was unlike any other manufacturer at the time. Hargo is considered to be highly collectible for their mystical, Middle and Far Eastern, and African inspired pieces. The company also created jewelry that is strongly abstract in design; gemstones set in random patterns across a piece of gold or silver plated pot metal is not uncommon. Look for the odd whimsical Hargo piece that looks like colorful fruits, animals, and human figures.
Kramer was based in New York City and started making high quality rhinestone jewelry in the early 1940's. The company signed each piece with its name inside an oval or triangle. In addition to rhinestones, Kramer also used pearlized plastics cut to resemble precious stones in their designs.
The company had a tendency to outsource its designs to manufacturers like Dan Kasoff of Florenza.
Kramer stopped making jewelry in 1980.
Krementz has been around since 1884 but started manufacturing women's jewelry in the 1930's. Unlike other costume jewelry during the period, Krementz created pieces meant to emulate fine jewelry but at a more affordable price. Everything from pink diamonds to emeralds as solitaires, pendants, and earrings studs soon appeared in department stores. Pieces from the 1940's and 1950's and particularly exquisite and emulate the jewelry usually worn by starlets in Hollywood movies from that period.
Nettie Rosenstein already established herself as a fashion designer by 1913 when she turned to jewelry design. Born in Austria, Nettie based her business out of New York and made jewelry to go with her seasonal ready to wear collections. Even after she retired from designing garments in 1961, she still maintained her jewelry line that included herald pins, pearls, pave work, animals and insects. Her jewelry is signed with her name in script.
Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion and jewelry designer well noted for her modernistic pieces. She worked primarily with rhinestones, creating jewelry that is bold and meant to be worm to cocktail and dinner parties. Common themes include the circus, the zodiac, and Dali inspired pieces. Bright pink was her favorite color, combined with purple, blue, and green stones. Most of her pieces are simply signed "Schiaparelli" but there are a few that remain unsigned. She closed her business in 1954.
Trifari is ubiquitous, having been manufacturing jewelry since 1910. Founded by Gustavo Trifari, the line is best known for their Art Deco pieces which were designed by Alfred Philippe, who previously created pieces for Van Cleef and Arpels. Crown pins and pieces with "jelly" centers made the line popular. Jewelry from the 1930's could pass for fine jewelry, with with Philippe's help, Trifari started manufacturing pieces that were big enough for artistic display in a house. Oversized glass stones with birds (a creature that seemed to be favorite with the company) were big enough to stand on a coffee table. Trifari still manufactures jewelry today.
Van Dell started making jewelry in 1943. The company was located in providence, Rhode Island and like Krementz, created pieces that emulated fine jewelry. Van Dell used gold filled, gold plated, and sterling silver in their designs. Some pieces created by Van Dell also have a number stamped on the back of the jewelry, which suggests a limited edition number.
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
Vintage Costume Jewelry Designers Jewelry Desgin Sketches Ideas 2014 Neclkace Ring Earringes Gallery Bangles Software Drawing Images Photos Wallpapers
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