#Tips #Recognizing #Unmarked #Miriam #Haskell #Jewelry #WorthPoint
I’ve already covered some of the main pitfalls to look for when buying Miriam Haskell jewelry, knowing it’s a brand on the radar of most vintage jewelry shoppers. One caution is to watch for pieces of jewelry purported to be Haskell designs when they’re not since identification mistakes often happen in this branch of jewelry collecting. On the flip side, you don’t want to overlook a genuine piece of potentially valuable unsigned Miriam Haskell since that’s just as easy to do.
If you don’t already have a copy of Miriam Haskell Jewelry by Cathy Gordon and Sheila Pamfiloff, I highly recommend adding it to your reference wish list. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the various types of jewelry the company produced. In the meantime, I will cover some key points for identifying early unmarked Haskell designs. Collectors often pay significant sums for these items.
What Qualifies as Early Haskell
When you want to delve into the history of a jewelry company, looking at where the business began and where it ended up is usually in order. That can mean determining the first marks used by the firm and how they signed pieces after that. With Haskell, these determinations are a bit murkier because they didn’t start marking anything until about 1948. That first mark, as you may know, was shaped like a horseshoe and was used for a short period before the long-running Haskell oval cartouche took its place. However, the business had been selling jewelry for a couple of decades before that and all those early designs were unmarked.
In my mind, it’s those unsigned pieces made from 1926 through the 1940s that deserve the “early” Haskell designation. However, because many secondhand jewelry sellers aren’t aware of them, they inadvertently call some of the oldest marked pieces early Haskell.
Identifying Early, Unmarked Haskell
First, be aware that a few pieces of traditional Haskell baroque pearl or seed pearl jewelry left the factory unmarked. Those aren’t the pieces that usually fall into the early category. Designs made from the time Miriam Haskell founded her business through the late 1940s more often held glass or plastic components or alternative materials like wood or shell combined with metal leaves, florets, and other findings.
There are also some other specific components and construction techniques to watch for in unmarked Haskell jewelry, including:
Distinctive pin backings and sewn or wired-on elements—Clear plastic disks were used as the base for many clusters of beads. These look rather crude from the back since the thread used to hold the decorative embellishments in place can be seen. Other unmarked brooch designs have pierced metal plates to which the beads and other components were sewn or wired. All of these were used with both pin backs and clips. Some unmarked Haskell pieces have gold-plated metal plates covering the thread or wirework used to attach the decorative touches to the front. In comparison, later Haskell designs have filigree backings that serve the same purpose.
Necklace and bracelet fabric cord backings—Many amazing Haskell designs were made with components sewn or wired to fabric cord. These can appear homemade when looking at the back but are much more impressive from the front. Many wrap bracelets were produced with this type of foundation, but those had memory wire inside the cord.
Self-loop necklace and bracelet clasps—Some early designs with components attached to fabric cord have a loop fashioned out of the same cord that fits over a large bead as a fastener. These also lend to the homemade look of some early Haskell designs.
Early earring backs—The clip earring backs used on unmarked Haskell designs are usually very simple 1930s-style clips with rounded tops. Some screw-backs were used as well. Sometimes, the wires holding components can be seen, but they may be covered with a small metal plate or dome.
Overall, many different combinations of elements were used in early Haskell jewelry, and sometimes that was dictated by what was in style and affordable during the Depression era or available during World War II. It’s safe to say that many creative designs you wouldn’t readily peg as Haskell were marketed during this timeframe.
A Few Areas of Caution When Identifying Unmarked Haskell
Truthfully, I see lots of jewelry being sold as unsigned Haskell that this company didn’t produce. Some of the items often misidentified are book chain style necklaces with dangling elements. Yes, one of the authors of Miriam Haskell Jewelry, Cathy Gordon, identified a necklace like this (along with other styles of chain) online as probable Haskell. Does that make all chain necklaces with dangling glass baubles Haskell? No.
Knowing Gordon’s integrity and having seen some of her extensive collection firsthand, I know she’s qualified to study elements in minutia and make an educated attribution. However, most of us have far less experience in identifying Haskell components at that level of detail, so I would advise caution when purporting chain necklaces made by Haskell. Many companies used those chains and similar dangles made with glass beads or natural materials to fashion jewelry during that period.
Jewelry was being made in other parts of the world, which sometimes got confused with Haskell. For instance, Czech wooden components sometimes look similar to the little block-shaped beads Haskell made into brooches and bracelets. Venetian glass fruits and leaves made into necklaces are sometimes mistaken for 1930s Haskell as well. Many beaded wrap bracelets are also misidentified.
Gordon and Pamfiloff worked closely with former Haskell designers familiar with the company’s archives and the work of Frank Hess—Haskell’s lead designer during this early period—to identify the characteristics of unmarked jewelry. Stick with the styles, components, and techniques they’ve identified in their book or online, and you’ll be on your way to cashing in on unmarked Haskell.
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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