Costume Jewelry Designers & Company Information

A - H

I - Q

R - Z

• R - Z:    Rader, Pauline ,  Reja ,  Richards [WRE] ,  Robert ,  S.A.L./Swarovski ,
  Sandor ,   Schreiner ,   Sphinx ,   Taylor & Company ,  Taylord ,   Trifari ,
  Vendome ,   Vogue ,   Warner ,   Weiss

Rader, Pauline - 1962 to unknown. Highly imaginative designs usually massive in size. Rader jewelry often shows mystical Greek or Italian influences. ( 5 ), p. 16

Reja - REJA: A mark La Reja Inc. that was changed in 1941 from Deja [Deja Costume Jewelry Inc.] because of a dispute about name likeness being too similar. This is mentioned in the book "American Costume Jewelry 1935-1950", an Italian publication, p. 20.

Richards, W.E. Company [WRE} - North Attleboro, MA. In business as early as 1902. Manufacturers of 10K gold scarf pins, pendants, links, brooches, rings, emblems, white and green gold pins, pendants, lucky rings and emblems. In business as early as 1902. Still in business today. ( 4 ), p. 198

Robert - "Robert" or "Original by Robert" are marks used by the Fashioncraft Jewelry Company. The firm was founded in the 1942 and closed in 1979. Robert jewelry is often confused with Miriam Haskell jewelry, due to the design, quality and materials used. Robert jewelry is highly collectible.

Robert/Orignal by Robert Signatures:

• Original by Robert - used from 1942 to 1979
• Fashioncraft
• Fashioncraft Robert - early 1940's
• Pinless Pin - 1945
• Robert - especially on earrings, designer Robert Levy

S.A.L./Swarovski - Swarovski America, Ltd. Swarovski started making their own jewelry in 1977. The logo used at that time was a flower mark, the edelweiss. This symbol was unrecognizable to consumers as Swarovski so the company changed this mark to S.A.L. which was placed on their jewelry until 1988 when it was replaced with the swan logo. Swarovski America, Ltd. is now known as Swarovski Consumer Goods Ltd. This change occurred when the giftware and jewelry divisions merged.

Sandor - Founded by Sandor Goldberger in 1938, the company was in business until 1972. The company's jewelry designs spanned a wide range of styles from figurals to dainty flowers. Sandor jewelry is highly collectible but the enameled flowers for which the company is most noted for are especially so. ( 7 )

Schreiner - Henry Schreiner came to the United States in 1923 from Bavaria, Germany, where he had been a blacksmith. Since there weren't many horses left in New York City at that time, he took a job at Con Edison, then worked for a baker. In 1926 or 1927, Schreiner went to work for the Better shoe buckle company. Business was booming because, with dresses being worn shorter, decorative shoe buckles had become very popular. He was quite adept at soldering and very artistic. He was an opera buff and admired great painters. His first love was doing work for the couture designers. In 1951, Terry (his daughter) and her husband, Ambros Albert, joined the business. The designing of Schreiner jewelry was a family affair. When Schreiner died in 1954, Terry and Ambros continued the business until 1975.
... The Schreiner company was known for its imaginative use of color, which Terry attributes to working for the courturiers and having the color swatches before anyone else. They often set the stones upside down, with the point at the top, in order to pick up the color of the material better. They used unfoiled stones for the same reason. If they put the "cracked ice" stones over a peachy color, it would pick up the peach tone and look like it was made for that garment.
The Schreiner company never produced a commercial type of jewelry; it did only fine hand work and never mass-produced pieces. It never paid for advertising, but always got wonderful editorial coverage in the magazines because the jewelry was right. ( 3 )

Sphinx -

Taylor & Company - Trademark: an oversized T with 14 on one side and K on the other. Founded between 1893 and 1909 by John N. Taylor, formerly with Krementz & Company. Last listing found was 1931. Products: 14K gold and platinum base brooches, bar pins, sleeve links, scarf pins, lorgnettes in 17K green ebony, 14K white, 19K green ebony and sterling silver. ( 4 )

Taylord - Taylor & Co., Newark, NJ mark for all the usual types of jewelry plus cigarette cases, bangles, buttons and jewelry clasps. Since April 1940." ( 1 )

Trifari -

Vendome - Operated as a subsidiary of Coro, Vendome was a high-quality line that succeeded Corocraft. The company was in business from 1944 to 1979. It was named after the Place de Vendome, the center of the Parisian haute jewelry trade according to Judith Miller's Costume Jewelry book. Pieces were made with brilliant, high-quality European stones and beads. Many Vendome designs are delightfully unique, employing moveable parts and rich enameling. ( 7 ) The Chief Designer of Vendome, Helen Marion, designed a series of pins inspired by the work of Georges Braque who was a Cubist artist. To see some examples of their work click here .

Vogue - Vogue Jewelry was founded in 1936 by Harold Shapiro and two other men. Harold was Bernard Shapiro"s father who later founded Les Bernard, Inc. The Shapiro's left Vogue in 1962 but the company continued on until the mid 1970's.

Warner - Background information on Warner Jewelry is scarce and incomplete. Based on the designs and material used, the company was probably established in the 1950s by Joseph Warner and continued operations into at least the early 1970s. Warner jewelry exhibits quality workmanship, superior materials and stones, often mounted on japanned (black) metal setting. Apparently not all Warner jewelry was marked, and some collectors and dealers tend to attribute many unmarked japanned metal backing to Warner. It is important to note that not all Warner jewelry has blackened metal backing, and that not all unmarked jewelry with black backing is Warner jewelry. Warner jewelry is not very common and since it is also of better quality, it commands solid and above average prices in the collectible market. ( 6 ), p. 155

Weiss - Weiss Company was founded in New York in 1942 by a former Coro employee, Albert Weiss. The company flourished during the 1950s - 1960s period, offering high quality costume jewelry with Austrian rhinestones of exceptional quality and clarity. Weiss jewelry has somewhat traditional designs, including floral and figural jewelry. Its beautiful rhinestone studded figural jewelry, such as Weiss butterflies and insects, is avidly sought by collectors. Also desirable is Weiss "black diamond" jewelry replicating the German smoky quartz, set in typical Weiss designs. Weiss jewelry, highly underrated and underpriced, is comparable to Eisenberg and Bogoff jewelry. Without a doubt, the company manufactured some of the most beautiful and appealing rhinestone jewelry of the post WWII era.
Tags may also be marked A.W. Co. with the large central letter W in shape of a crown. After Albert's retirement, his son Michael took over the company. The firm ceased operations in the early 1970s. ( 6 ), p. 156. Click to see examples of Weiss vintage costume jewelry .