BEHIND THE JEWELS F - I


F

Fahrner: Founded in 1855 by Georg Seeger and Theodor Fahrner, Sr. in Pforzheim, Germany. Sold to Gustav Braendle in 1919 and renamed Gustave Braendle-Theodor Fahrner Nachf. Ceased operations in 1979. Known for Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Arts and Crafts and Celtic Revival jewelry. Often employed semi-precious stones and pearls into its designs. TF trademark introduced in 1901 and Fahrner began exporting to Great Britain via Murrle Bennet & Co. Fahrner Schmuck trademark introduced in 1910. Scarce, highly collectible and priced accordingly.

Fischel and Nessler: Founded in New York in the late 1800s. Ceased in 1937. Best known for Art Deco style necklaces and earrings made in the late 1920s-1930s. Made invariably with silver and set with high quality Austrian crystal rhinestones, beads or cabochons. Marked with a fish motif with an L at its nose. Scarce on the market.

Florenza: The Dan Kasoff Company was founded by Dan Kasoff in New York City in 1948. In 1950 his son Larry joined him and they registered their line Florenza, named after Dan's wife Florence. Ceased production in 1981. Distinctive designs with Renaissance and Victorian flavor. Excellent metalwork, ornamented by distinct and superior rhinestones and antiqued gold tone metal. Most pieces are marked Florenza.

Forstner: Originally founded as the Forstner Chain Corporation around 1920 in Irvington, New Jersey. Name later changed to Forstner Jewelry Manufacturing Corporation. Ceased operations by the early 1980s. Most of their Sterling Silver jewelry is marked Forstner in block letters. The script signature was filed with the US Patent Office in 1949 and renewed in 1972.

G

Garcia, Miguel: Became a designer of jewelry with no background in silversmithing. Related to Pedro Perez, owner of Rancho Alegre, and designed jewelry which was manufactured there. Also designed jewelry for Emma Melendez. His jewelry displays stylized pre-Hispanic motifs. Signed Miguel or GVE. Collectible and priced accordingly.

Garne: Garne Jewelry was in business from circa 1940s to the 1960s. Average quality with traditional designs. Signed pieces are marked Garne Jewelry. Not very common.

Gerry's: The trademark "Gerry's" was used by several manufacturers. Average quality jewelry, primarily figural pins. Relatively common. Signed Gerry's with a copyright symbol.

Givenchy: The House of Givenchy, opened in Paris in 1952, made jewelry which featured classic designs on a large scale using gold plating, Lucite and other plastics. Can be found on the market.

Glass, Leo: Founded by Leo Glass in New York, circa 1928. Leo Glass had previously worked for Lisner for ten years. Produced very high quality jewelry until the mid to late 1940s. In 1941 he announced he was entering the popular price jewelry market. By the mid 1940s the quality of Leo Glass jewelry was quite low. Went bankrupt in 1957. Signatures are Leo Glass in script in a polygonal plate and Leo Glass Sterling on an oval plate.

Goldette: Goldette is the trademark of the Ben Gartner/Circle Jewelry Products. Founded in New York City circa 1958. Jewelry shows Victorian and Oriental influences. Average quality. Marked Goldette on an applied oval plaque.

Goodspeed, Bernice: Moved to Mexico in 1930 to study cultural anthropology at the University of Mexico. Married Carl Pappe in 1935 nd relocated to Taxco. Opened studio in the late 1930s where pre-Colombian arts and artifacts were sold. Began designing and manufacturing silver jewelry in studio workshop. Her jewelry displays strong pre-Hispanic as well as religious/cultural influences. Relatively rare on the market and priced accordingly. Marked with a B in a circle.

Gorham & Co: Founded in 1813. Largest 19th-centural silversmith company in the US. Chief designer was William Codman. Silver jewelry was a very small part of the firm's production. Acquired by the Textron Corporation in 1967. Signed with a variety of marks including three shields - a line, anchor and insignia; an anchor with a lion superimposed; or an anchor within a shield.

Granit: Erik Granit began manufacturing silver jewelry in Helsinki, Finland in the 1950s. Most of his jewelry is of abstract design. High quality. Marked EG or E.Granit.

Green, Sadie: Small company in Southbridge, MA who specializes in antique glass from the 1900 to 1940 period and vintage Austrian crystal. They use brass findings issued from the original dies in Victorian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco period designs. Still in business. I love Sadie Green jewelry and think their pieces will continue to rise in price as more buyers discover them.

H

Hagler, Stanley: (pr: HAY gler) Born in the United States in 1923. In the late 1940s he briefly worked as a business advisor to Miriam Haskell, He began creating his own designs in the late 1950s. There are two designers associated with this company: Stanley Hagler from the 1950s, and Ian St Gielar from 1989. Stanley Hagler retired in 1993 and died in 1996. Jewelry continues to be produced under Stanley Hagler & Company. His jewelry employed the finest materials and Russian gold plated filigree. They were hand-wired and stones and crystals were prong-set. His jewelry was often multi-purpose. Necklace clasps could be used as brooches, necklaces could be used as double bracelets. The marks from the 1950s are Stanley Hagler printed straight across an oval disc. After moving to Florida in 1983, the signature changed to Stanley Hagler N.Y.C on the curve of the oval. Jewelry with the tag Stanley Hagler NYC (with no periods) was designed by Ian St Gielar since Hagler's death in 1996. Very collectible, scarce on the market and priced accordingly.

Halbe: Pat Seal of Illusion Jewels states that she has ads dating back to 1950 and knows they were still in business in 1963. Had addresses in New York and with the Bond Boyd Co. of Toronto, Canada. Nice quality jewelry.

Hand & Hammer: Founded in 1979 by Bill and Chip deMatteo and a small group of other craftsmen including Philip Thorp in Williamsburg, Virginia. Produce silver jewelry of high quality. Collectible and price will probably rise.

Har: There is no information on the company that made Har jewelry other than the fact that it was made in New York in the 1950s to the mid 1960s. Har jewelry shows quality workmanship and fine metalwork. Very distinctive range of exotic, fantastical designs. Scarce and highly collectible.

Haskell, Miriam: Born in Cannelton, IN in 1899. She moved to New York in 1924 and opened a costume jewelry shop in the McAlpin Hotel. She was not a designer herself, but was able to spot the potential in others. She established the Miriam Haskell Company in 1926. She appointed Frank Hess, a window-dresser at Macy's, her chief designer. She started trademarking her jewelry in the 1940s. In 1960 Robert F. Clark became the chief designer and in the 1970s Larry Vrba became the chief designer, and in the 1980s Millie Petronzio became the chief designer. Miriam Haskell died in 1981.

Haskell and Hess, and later designers, traveled abroad to find the best materials. Notable are glass beads from Murano, faceted crystals from Austria, faux pearls from Japan. Her jewelry was hand-wired often with filigree antiqued gilt metal. Can be found on the market and are highly collectible and priced accordingly. Early pieces are unsigned. When signed, they are marked Miriam Haskell. Jewelry is still being produced today, but of a lesser quality. The new jewelry is either privately labeled (such as J-Lo) or signed Haskell or M. Haskell.

Hickok: Hickok Manufacturing Company Inc. of Rochester New York has been in operation since the early 1900s. Major manufacturer of men's jewelry and accessories. Often marked in hard to see places. Used signature Hickok and also HMCO, Savoy, Kristol and a dozen others.

Hobe: (pr: HOE Bay) Jacques Hobe, a mid 19th century Parisian goldsmith, was recognized throughout Western Europe as a producer of fine jewelry. He had three sons who continued to tradition. One son, also named Jacques, saw great potential in the use of machinery and automation brought about by the Industrial Revolution. His son, William, made the name Hobe famous for its mass-produced costume jewelry. The legend perpetuated by the Hobe family is as follows: William Hobe worked as a representative of a German company selling theatrical costumes. He came to New York and approached Florence Ziegfeld, of the famed Ziegfeld Follies, to purchase their costumes. Florence places a large order and also asks William to create inexpensive but real looking jewelry to complement the showgirls' costumes. According to this legend, the term "costume jewelry" was coined by Florence Ziegfeld when he referred to the jewelry purchased from William for his showgirls. Also according to the legend, this was how Hobe began producing costume jewelry. Hobe jewelry employs excellent designs with high quality stones and superior silver or gold plated metalwork. Hobe advertisements of the 1950s claimed that the jewelry was mandmade in its entirety. Post WWII jewelry is usually signed Hobe, registered in 1948 and in use since January, 1926. Hobe inside a geometric frame such as an oval (1958-1983), a triangle (1933-1957), Hobe in a crown and Hobe under crossed swords which are pre 1900s were also signatures that were used. From 1903 to 1917, Hobe written with an accent mark in an oval cartouche. From 1918-1932 a house-shaped outline has Hobe in the first line and second line is Design Pat.

Hollycraft: In 1948, Joseph Chorbagian, his cousin Archie and friend Jack Hazard formed the Hollycraft Jewelry Company on Broadway in New York City. During their first two years of business, all jewelry was signed Hollycraft. In 1950 the company began marking their pieces with the year of manufacture. Their jewelry is known for excellent designs, a rainbow of rhinestones and occasional enameling. The rhinestones are usually pastel in color. Discontinued business in the 1960s. Extremely collectible jewelry with rising prices.

Howard & Co.: Established in Providence, Rhode Island in 1878. Changed name to Howard Sterling Company in 1891. Plated and sterling jewelry signed with an ornamental lower-case h and a four-leaf clover. Ceased operation circa 1902. Very collectible.

I

Iskin Manufacturing Company: Founded by Harry Iskin in Philadelphia circa late 1920s. Focused on production of specialty silver jewelry. Most of the jewelry found on the market dates to the 1930s and 1940s. Signed in an oval with and I superimposed on an H and sterling beneath
 

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