List of Vintage Jewellery Designers

Vintage jewellery can come to be a prize possession to any individual, even more so when there is an understanding and awareness of where it came from. Whether it was acquired as a lucky find in an antique shop, or it’s been passed down through the generations, its earliest history can make a piece even more special. To help you learn more about your vintage jewellery, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of some of the most well-known vintage jewellery designers throughout history. 

How to identify a vintage jewellery maker 

The best way to find out who designed or made a piece of vintage jewellery is to check for the maker’s mark. This will usually be a name or initials engraved onto the piece. Sometimes, however, you’ll only find a mark denoting the company that produced the jewellery, rather than the designer. This can make it more difficult to put an age or designer to the piece, without further research.  

If you are fortunate enough to find a designer mark on your vintage jewellery, use our list to find out more about its origin – including a rough idea of when it was made, and of where it came from. 

18th Century Vintage Jewellery Designers 

It’s still possible to find some pieces of vintage jewellery that date back to the 1700’s, although of course these are rare as much will be in museums across the world. Examples of some surviving pieces can be traced back to Europe, specifically France, England, Sweden, and The Netherlands. There are a few pieces hailing from the United States too. Here are some well-known vintage jewellery designers of this time: 

Production Dates Designer/Company Place of Origin 
1780 – present day Chaumet et Cie Paris, France 
1781 – present day Asprey & Company, Ltd. London, England 
1735 – present day Hennell, Ltd. London, England 
1767 – present day Bonebakker & Sons Amsterdam, The Netherlands 
1791 – present day W.A. Bolin Sweden 
1796  – present day Shreve, Crump & Low Boston, Massachusetts 
vintage brooch

19th Century Vintage Jewellery Designers

The 19th century produced a huge array of beautiful jewellery, much of which has become precious heirlooms. While still considered extremely special, pieces from this time period are of course less rare. From the glistening tiaras produced in Tsarist Russia, to the more accessible, colourful costume jewellery produced in Victorian England, this century was anything but bland when it came to jewellery design. See our list of vintage jewellery makers of the 1800s:

Production DatesDesigner/CompanyPlace of Origin
1802 – 1951CardeilhacParis, France
1802 – 1952R. and S. GarrardLondon, England
1806 – present dayJames Dixon & SonsSheffield, England
1815 – present daySamuel KirkBaltimore, Maryland
1817 – present dayCollingwood & CompanyLondon, England
1818 – present dayGorham CorporationProvidence, Rhode Island
1821 – 1982Maison VeverMetz, France
1824 – present dayElkington & Co.Birmingham, England
1824 – present dayReed & BartonTaunton, Massachusetts
1829 – present dayJaccard Jewelry CompanySt. Louis, Missouri
1832 – present dayBailey, Banks & BiddlePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
1834 – 1904Christopher DresserLondon, England
1839 – present dayChristofleSt. Denis, France
1841 – present dayAnton MichelsenDenmark
1842 – 1918House of FabergeMoscow, Russia
1844 – 1939Hunt & RoskellLondon, England
1847 – 1938Arthur J. StoneBoston, Massachusetts
1847 – present dayCartierParis, France
1848 – present dayComyns, William & SonsLondon, England
1851 – 1942Arthur MackmurdoHeygate, England
1853 -1935William B. Durgin CompanyProvidence, Rhode Island
1853 – present dayWurttembergiche MetallwarenfabrikGeislingen, Germany
1853 – present dayTiffany & CompanyNew York City, New York
1856 – 1935Johan RohdeDenmark
1857 – 1942Gustav StickleySyracuse, New York
1858 – present dayBoucheronParis, France
1859  -1933Dirk Van ErpOakland, California
1859 – 1942Nelson DawsonLondon, England
1860 – 1930sFouquetParis, France
1860 – 1939Alphonse Maria MuchaParis, France
1860 – 1945Rene LaliqueParis, France
1861 – 1944Florence KoehlerChicago, Illinois
1862 – 1948Edward ColonnaParis, France
1862 – present dayR. Blackinton & Co.North Attleboro, Massachusetts
1863 – 1957Henri Clemens Van de VeldeBrussels, Belgium
1864 – 1933Archibald KnoxLondon, England
1864 – 1934Henry J. WilsonLondon, England
1864 – 1936Alexander FisherLondon, England
1865 – 1933Margaret MacdonaldGlasgow, Scotland
1866 – 1940James H. WinnChicago, Illinois
1866 – present dayKrementzNewark, New Jersey
1866 – present dayWhiting Manufacturing CompanyNorth Attleboro, Massachusetts
1868 – 1928Theodor FahrnerPforzheim, Germany
1868 – 1940Peter BehrensMunich, Germany
1869 – 1933J. Paul CooperWesterham, England
1869  -1950Webster CompanyNorth Attleboro, Massachusetts
1870 – 1956Josef HoffmannVienna, Austria
1872 – 1919Unger Bros.Newark, New Jersey
1872 – 1940Alwyn C. E. CarrLondon, England
1872 – 1945Harold StablerKeswick, London
1873  – 1951Theodore W. Foster & Brothers Co.Providence, Rhode Island
1874 – present dayJ.W. BensonLondon, England
1875 – 1953Hukin & HeathBirmingham, England
1875 – present dayLiberty & Co.London, England
1876 – 1957Jan EisenloeffelAmsterdam, The Netherlands
1876 – present dayDavid-AndersenNorway
1877 – 1956Bernard CuznerBirmingham, England
1878 – 1945George GebeleinBoston, Massachusetts
1878 – 1960Carl Otto Czescha (Czeschka)Vienna, Austria
1878 – 1960sFrank M. Whiting CompanyNorth Attleboro, Massachusetts
1879 – 1958Evald NielsenDenmark
1879 – 1972Marie ZimmermannNew York City, New York
1879 – present dayHenry Birks & SonsMontreal, Canada
1880 – 1949Otto PrutscherVienna, Austria
1881 – present dayBulgariRome, Italy
1884 – 1960Erik MagnussenCopenhagen, Denmark
1885 – 1910J.P. Kayser SohnKrefeld-Bochum, Germany
1885 – 1910KayserzinnKrefeld-Bochum, Germany
1885 – 1940Samuel YellinPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
1885 – 1984Charles HornerHalifax, England
1886 – present dayAlvin Manufacturing CompanyProvidence, Rhode Island
1887 – present dayHobeMt. Vernon, New York
1888 – present daySpaulding & CompanyChicago, Illinois
1890s – 1917Feodor RuckertMoscow, Russia
1890 – 1932Tiffany StudiosNew York City, New York
1890 – 1952Goldsmiths’ & Silversmiths’ Co.London, England
1890 – 1966Bromsgrove Guild of Applied ArtBromsgrove, England
1890 – present dayBirmingham Guild of HandicraftBirmingham, England
1892 – 1950sMarcus & CompanyNew York City, New York
1892 – 1977Harald NielsenDenmark
1892 – present dayCinerNew York City, New York
1895 – 1930Bradley & HubbardMeriden, Connecticut
1895 – 1938RoycroftEast Aurora, New York
1898 – 1956Hagenauer WerkstatteVienna, Austria
1898  -1976Alexander CalderNew York City, New York
1899 – 1927Potter StudioCleveland, Ohio
1899 – 1955Charles ClewellCanton, Ohio
1899 – present dayMikimotoTokyo, Japan
Turquoise necklace with naturalistic vine leaves

20th Century Vintage Jewellery Designers

After the rich design culture of the 1800s, artists and jewellery makers of the 20th century were fuelled with an array of inspiration and motivation to put their own creations out into the world. And so we enter another vibrant period of exquisite jewellery, including the decorative pearls and pendants of the roaring 20s, and the bulkier costume jewellery pieces of the 50s and 60s. Our list contains some of the most prominent jewellery makers of the time:

Beautiful amethyst and pearl hinged bangle
Production DatesDesigner/CompanyPlace of Origin
1900 – 1905OrivitKoln-Ehrenfeld, Germany
1900 – 1905Ferdinand Hubert SchmitzKoln-Ehrenfeld, Germany
1900 – 1915Craftsmen WorkshopsSyracuse, New York
1900 – 1930Edgar BrandtParis, France
1900 – 1930sBenedict Manufacturing Co.East Syracuse, New York
1900 – 1970Kalo ShopChicago, Illinois
1901 – 1942Artificers’ GuildLondon, England
1901 – 1979CoroProvidence, Rhode Island
1903 – 1932Wiener WerkstatteVienna, Austria
1903 – 1964Margaret De PattaSan Francisco, California
1904 – 1950Marshall Field & Company Craft ShopChicago, Illinois
1904 – present dayGeorg JensenDenmark
1904 – present daySeaman ScheppsLos Angeles, California
1905 – 1996Paolo de PoliPadua, Italy
1906 – 1973Henry SteigNew York City, New York
1906 – present dayVan Cleef & ArpelsParis, France
1906 – present dayHans HansenDenmark
1907 – 2002Sigvard BernadotteSweden
1908 – 1967Harry DixonSan Francisco, California
1908 – 1997Claire FalkensteinSan Francisco, California
1911 – 1992F. Carlton BallSan Francisco, California
1911 – present dayMarvellaNew York City, New York
1912 – 2004Frances HigginsChicago, Illinois
1912 – present dayOscar Heyman & BrothersNew York City, New York
1913 – 1964Sam KramerNew York City, New York
1915 – 1978Harry BertoiaDetroit, Michigan
1916 – 2002Allan AdlerLos Angeles, California
1917 – 1982Henning KoppelDenmark
1917 – 1982Art SmithNew York City, New York
1918 – 1976Hattie CarnegieNew York City, New York
1918 – 1991Ed WienerProvincetown, Massachusetts
1918 – present dayJohn Paul MillerCleveland, Ohio
1918 – present dayTrifariNew York City, New York
1919 – present dayBuccellatiMilan, Italy
1920s – 1950sElsa SchiaparelliNew York City, New York
1920s – 1960Frederick DavisMexico City, Mexico
1920s – 2005Nanna & Jorgen DitzelDenmark
1920s – present dayCoco ChanelParis, France
1921 – 1950sGilbert PoilleratParis, France
1921 – 1959Walter LamplNew York City, New York
1921 – present dayJudith LeiberNew York City, New York
1922 – present dayNapierMeriden, Connecticut
1924 – present dayBetty CookeBaltimore, Maryland
1924 – present dayMiriam HaskellNew York City, New York
1925 – 1931Gerard SandozParis, France
1926 – 1991Earl PardonSaratoga Springs, New York
1930s – 1965Paul LobelNew York City, New York
1930s – 1974Salvador Vaca TeranMexico City, Mexico
1930s – 1988Margaret CraverBoston, Massachusetts
1930 – present dayEisenbergChicago, Illinois
1931 – present dayWilliam SpratlingTaxco, Mexico
1932 – present dayHarry WinstonNew York City, New York
1934 – 1960Matilde PoulatMexico City, Mexico
1934 – 1967Francisco RabajesNew York City, New York
1935 – present dayEugene Joseff, Joseff of HollywoodHollywood, California
1935 – 1975Nettie RosensteinNew York City, New York
1937 – 2001Peter MacciariniSan Francisco, California
1937 – present dayMonetE. Providence, Rhode Island
1939 – 1966Hector AguilarTaxco, Mexico
1939 – present dayLos CastilloTaxco, Mexico
1940s – 1950sHARNew York City, New York
1940 – 1972Bernice GoodspeedMexico City, Mexico
1941 – present dayAntonio Pineda GomezTaxco, Mexico
1943 – 1980Kramer Jewelry CreationsNew York City, New York
1943 – 1986Isidro Garcia PinaTaxco, Mexico
1943 – present dayBernd MunsteinerIdar-Oberstein, Germany
1945 – present dayH. SternRio de Janeiro, Brazil
1946 – 1956Jean SchlumbergerNew York City, New York
1946 – 1964MatisseLos Angeles, California
1946 – 1964Renoir of CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
1948 – 1985Margot de TaxcoTaxco, Mexico
1949 – present dayPaloma PicassoNew York City, New York
1950s – 1960sSelroNew York City, New York
1950 – 1979Enrique LedesmaTaxco, Mexico
1950 – present dayEd LevinNew York City, New York
1950s – present dayAaron BashaNew York City, New York
1952 – present daySigfrido Pineda (Sigi)Mexico City, Mexico
1957 – present dayLea SteinParis, France
1963 – present dayKenneth Jay LaneNew York City, New York
1965 – present dayFred LeightonNew York City, New York
1975 – present dayJohn HardyNew York City, New York
1980 – present dayDavid YurmanNew York City, New York
1985 – present dayAcme StudiosLos Angeles, California
1996 – present dayNicholas VarneyNew York City, New York

With this list of vintage jewellery designers, it should hopefully be possible for owners of historical pieces to identify where they came from. If you can identify a name or initials, use this list to determine where in the world it was made, and an idea of the date as well. Get more information and advice when it comes to buying jewellery, with our guide to the difference between antique and vintage jewellery, and understanding the difference between costume and fine jewellery.