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. 

18^th 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: 

19^th Century Vintage Jewellery Designers

The 19^th 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:

20^th Century Vintage Jewellery Designers

After the rich design culture of the 1800s, artists and jewellery makers of the 20^th 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:

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.