Most of the jewellery created at “Haskell” was unsigned at this time. Miriam oversaw all aspects of production.
In the beginning of the 1930s Miriam Haskell establishes retail shops at Saks Fifth Avenue, NYC and Harvey Nichols in London. In 1926 Miriam Haskell goes into major production. Each piece was handmade and so elegant she gathered quite a following. In her twenties it is said that she ran a gift shop in New York City where she began making jewellery with great success. Miriam Haskell was born in Indiana in 1899. It is therefore easy to imagine why a Miriam Haskell item will command such a high price. These items undoubtedly took a long time to produce. You can see in her jewellery, natural motifs, the intricate flowers, natural materials and complex construction. Miriam Haskell took many cues from the artists of the Art Nouveau period. Another clue is that these lesser pieces usually do not have the classic Miriam Haskell oval mark.Miriam Haskell jewellery, 1924-present – is known for its elaborate and innovative design as well as the attention that is paid to detail in the construction of a piece. Most of the time it is easy to tell these pieces apart from Haskell’s more luxe lines since the quality doesn’t compare. Haskell to be used on lower quality mass-produced department store jewelry.
However, some collectors feel the business “sold out” during this later period by allowing the name M. Even into the 2000s, quality faux pearls were used along with other impeccable touches on the company’s high-end lines. When Vrba left to pursue his own business in 1978, Millie Petronzio quite capably took over Haskell’s design team refocusing on more traditional Haskell styles.Īll these designers carried on the tradition of incorporating quality components and skilled craftsmanship into Haskell jewelry while adding their own vision to the designs. He also veered in a different direction by using alternative materials like wood, shells, and natural stones in some of his in his pieces to appeal to a new generation of consumers. Known by his friends as Larry, this designer is credited for the tremendously popular Egyptian revival jewelry sold by Miriam Haskell during the mid-1970s. Peter Raines briefly took his place when he left.Īfter Raines came Lawrence Vrba. He stayed with the firm through the late 1960s and then partnered with William DeLillo to start a new business. While not as well-known as some other heads of Haskell’s design team, he did sketch a number of popular collections. Bottom line, many Haskell designs are intricately crafted and need to be very carefully examined for damage before making a purchase.Īfter Hess left Haskell, Robert Clark became the lead designer for the company. Hard to clean verdigris can also be present on tiny spacer beads, especially when it comes to faux pearl necklaces. This causes the wiring to break and tiny components are easily lost.
Pieces that combine brass wiring with faux pearls are notorious for having verdigris present – a bright, bluish-green encrustation or patina caused by atmospheric oxidation. The real pitfalls of Haskell jewelry, however, are the damage issues that come along with it. All these pieces were unmarked, which can further throw collectors trying to identify them because many can be quite sloppy when viewed from the back.
Brooches and clips had the decorative components sewn or wired onto disks made of plastic or perforated metal. These were sewn or affixed to woven cord to fashion necklaces and bracelets. In contrast, during the World War II era traditional materials were hard to come by so alternatives like wooden beads, genuine seashells, and plastic elements were used instead.
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