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HASKELL ads from the 1940's. Water color artist Larry Austin did these to be used as advertising for Haskell
jewelry, and they show many of the wonderful unsigned pieces from the
early days of Miriam Haskell Jewelry .
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I sign my
name "Jane H. Clarke", and was asked several years ago if the "H" stood
for "Haskell" because I am known a lover of Haskell jewelry. (It doesn't...
it stands for Haley, my maiden name.) Haskell pieces are diminutive treasures with their artistic designs, beautiful hand work and rainbow of colors.
It has been
a delight to do the research for this article. I have had the
pleasure of sharing pictures from my own collection, and Cathy
Gordon and Mary Ann Legan were kind enough to share many fabulous pictures
from their collections, as well as their comments. Without them, this
article would not have been possible.
Camela "Millie" Petronzio, Larry Vrba
and Bertl Groll all gave us the benefit of their years of experience with
Haskell Jewelry. We cannot thank them enough for their insights.
Haskell is the attributed
maker for many of these pieces, but none are signed. Attributing unsigned
jewelry is always dicey, so where possible I have shown old Haskell
advertisements and/or other documentation. While beads and findings may be
used as clues, they are not definitive. (An example of why can be seen in
the comparison of a Haskell and an Amourelle necklace at the end of
this article).
Note: These items were
photographed from private collections, and are for reference only.
Jewelry that is available for sale can be
accessed at the links at the bottom of the page.
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MIRIAM
HASKELL... the name alone conjures up images of
tiny faux pearls, glass beads and rose montees fashioned into tapestries
of dazzling jewelry. During the early days of her jewelry making in the
1930's and 1940's, many pieces were unsigned. Now the hunt for them is
inspired by her wonderful sense of design, her intricate craftsmanship and
the mystery of what IS and what is NOT Haskell.
Some pieces we will never be able to identify positively... the attribution of
unsigned jewelry is always chancy... but we would like to share with you what we
have deduced, and solicit your input, too.
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On the left, hundreds of tiny aqua
transparent glass beads wrap around the dress clip and the wire mesh
bracelet in this matching set. On the back, the perforated clear plastic
support and metal clip are typical of the World War II to 1950's
era.
On the right, gold tone metal leaves and
flower-cup findings hold aqua glass beads in different sizes in each of
the three clips. View
close up
Notice how all these pieces are finished. The use of different sizes
of glass beads, the finishing of each string of beads with a tiny seed
bead, and style of the gold tone findings are all clues to the
maker. Haskell probably made dress clips in the
1930's and 1940's . Necklaces, bracelets and earrings were made to
match these dress clips, but now they seem even more difficult to find than
the dress clips.
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Pastel blue "moonstone" glass beads 2-7/8"
dress clip highlighted
with rhinestones and roundelles... what a combination! Again, note the
tiny seed beads at the tip of each strand. |
This lush
dress clip looks like a fantasy sky-blue grape cluster. These
beads and pressed glass leaves are seen in later Haskell creations and
demonstrate the fact that Haskell sometimes bought findings and beads in large lots
and used them over a long period of time, which can make dating difficult. |
The advertisement for this dress clip and the matching bracelet is on page 21 of
Deanna Cera's The Jewels of Miriam Haskell, and shown above. It is
dated 1937 and attributed to Frank Hess. #H19702 |
This snowy white cascade of small-to-larger glass beads suspended from
bakelite leaves is finished off with a tiny bead at each tip. This is the
kind of detailing that makes Haskell so artistically desirable.
#H19701 |
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Millie says although the shape of the logo tag is not always a definitive method
of dating, in
general the horseshoe shaped mark was used in the late 1940's through the
1960's. The more common oval shaped mark was used from then to the
present.
Old Haskell advertisements are a way of documenting unsigned pieces. Most
of them, as you can see by the ones shown in this article, were actual
pictures of real jewelry designs, not just generalizations.
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In the 1940's the switch was made to the "French clip", the
thinner wire clip back we see on many older Haskell earrings. |
The "flat back clip", the clip back style used by many costume
jewelers even today, was used first in the earlier years, usually due to
the heavier weight of the earrings. |
In the 1950's, as a result of complaints that the other style
was too uncomfortable, Haskell changed to the use of the "screw back-clip"
earrings. |
This is the earrings back most commonly used in Haskell jewelry
today. |
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According to Millie Petronzio, another clue for dating is the style of earring back.
The "flat back clip", the clip back style used by many costume
jewelers even today, was used first in the earlier years, usually due to
the heavier weight of the earrings.
In the late 1940's the switch was made to the
"French clip", the thinner wire clip back we see on many older
Haskell earrings.
In the 1950's, as a result of complaints that the
other style was too uncomfortable, Haskell changed to the use of the
"screw back-clip" earrings.
In about 1990, they returned to
the use of flat back clip earrings.
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The green glass beads and faux pearls dress clip is lovely, and on page 79 of Deanna Farneti Cera's
The Jewels of Miriam
Haskell you can see the matching necklace and bracelet set. Cera attributes the set to
designer Frank Hess, and dates it 1940.
On the far right is very similar
design of amber colored glass beads and faux seed pearls, again with the
wonderful detailing. #H19737 |
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Haskell early
unsigned 3-1/2" cranberry glass beads and clear rhinestones dress clip,
typical Haskell findings and finish work. View
View
View #H19938 |
Haskell yellow glass
bead 3-1/3" dress clip. #H19942 |
Haskell early
unsigned maroon glass beads dress clip 3" long.
View
#H19943 |
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These sets use a gold tone metal floral motif in the findings. Note the similarity of
the beads and findings of the clips on the left and right to this parure
by Frank Hess from the 2nd half of the 1930s. From Cera, The Jewels of Miriam
Haskell, Page 87
"The use
of clips not just as a lapel ornament but also as the central feature of a
necklace was very common during the years between the two
wars." From Cera, The
Jewels of Miriam Haskell, p. 25. Both Bertl and Millie say there were far
more dress clips made than fur clips.
There were five fashion seasons every year, with collections made for
each season. There could be ten to twelve lines in each collection, with
multiple necklaces, bracelets, brooches, dress clips and earrings for each
line. Colors and style changed seasonally, just as they do today.
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On page 76 of Deanna Farneti Cera's The Jewels of Miriam Haskell
are photographs of two dress clips in the same style as the beautiful blue
example shown above.
One is done in black beads and the other in yellow and white, with both
attributed to designer Frank Hess, circa 1938. Cathy Gordon has a
necklace in this same style, VIEW
HERE.
Interestingly enough, however, the pressed glass leaves from Cera’s
pictures look very different from the ones shown here on the blue clip.
Note, though, that the back of the blue clip shows atypical
Haskell-style metal clip and clear plastic mounting circle.
The matching necklace is interesting because it has a non-detachable clip on
the center element. The woman of style could clip the necklace in an
asymmetrical fashion if desired. Note the filigree gold tone floret and
the slightly flattened shaped glass beads, both of which are typical
Haskell elements.
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HASKELL
early unsigned Frank Hess design from the 1940's. This dress clip of green
glass beads is 3-3/4" long. View
#H19699 |
HASKELL
early unsigned dress clips with poured glass leaves and citrus-colored
glass beads. (These were purchased directly from Haskell Jewels'
collection of early pieces.) View
#H19561 |
HASKELL
early unsigned dress clip with gold tone filigree backing, aqua glass
beads and green enameled leaves. These same enameled leaves are seen
in later years in some of Bob Clark's designs. View
View #H19521 |
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On the right is an early Haskell unsigned necklace and bracelet set with
aqua glass beads and clear rhinestones.
On the left, the matching necklace/clips combination. |
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HASKELL early
unsigned aqua glass beads wrap necklace with rhinestone pave leaves, 21"
with 2" dress clips. View
View #H23378 |
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Courtesy of Cathy Gordon |
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CLIP
Back
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CLIP gold
tone clip with green glass beads, 2-1/2".
View #Y25126 |
HASKELL original gouache art
work, probably by Larry Austin. Advertising Miriam Haskell jewelry, a
bracelet and dress clip with heart-shaped glass beads and pressed glass
leaves, numbered "#82" in pen on the back, 8" by 10". #H31845 |
Wrap
necklace/clips View
View
View
#H19486
HASKELL
CLIP
Back
#H19703 |
| HASKELL early
unsigned blue faceted glass crystal beads cascade from this 4-1/4" dress clip
with enameled connecting links. The faceted beads are very high in quality. The
clip back is different, but many of the design elements are Haskell-like,
and Bertl Groll identified this as a Haskell piece.
View
View
View
View #H19939
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Green marble-like beads are set into gold tone cups in this design.
This clip has some of the characteristic Haskell materials (beads, center
"flower," etched brass) but Bertyl says this it is NOT Haskell. |
Green translucent glass beads with faceted crystal spacers dangle from
three ornate rods. An eBay find—advertised as "beads used by
Haskell, but not a Haskell". My bet is that they were wrong... this
is indeed an early Haskell! |
The matching necklace is a
wrap style, with clips on each end, definitely Haskell in style, findings
and finish.
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Larry Austin watercolor used as an advertisement for the set shown
here at right. View
HASKELL Larry Austin original
watercolor advertising illustration for Haskell bracelet and
clip/necklace of pastel blue glass leaves and beads, marked in pencil on
the back "930A" and "left", 8" x 10". #H27268 |
HASKELL
early Hess unsigned dress clips and coil bracelet made of baby blue glass beads and poured
glass leaves. View
#H16620 |
HASKELL early Hess dress clip in baby blue glass beads and poured
glass leaves, 4".
Back
#H24298
HASKELL
Larry Austin original watercolor advertising illustration for Haskell
pink glass beads and leaves bracelet and clip, foil "Miriam
Haskell" sticker, 8" by 10", written in pencil on the back
#615. #H24366 |
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HASKELL Attributed to designer
Frank Hess, the necklace, bracelet and clips date to about 1940.
View
View
View
View
View
View
#H12331 |
On pages 84-85 of Deanna Farneti Cera's The Jewels of Miriam
Haskell are photographs of this water color drawing by Larry Austin,
used as an advertisement, and of the dress clip. |
HASKELL
art glass and
seed beads and enameling in dainty pink and blue. Some of these
transitional pieces are signed and some are not. View
View View
View
View
#H8872 |
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HASKELL
early Hess unsigned dress clip. #H18844 |
HASKELL
26"
lariat necklace with 2" clips at each end, 15" necklace and 3-3/4" fur clip.
View View
View View
View #H19404 |
HASKELL early
unsigned purple,
green and pink beaded 3" dress clip with silver tone leaves.
View #H21831 |
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Pieces matching the pink clip on the left and the
necklace in the middle are shown on page 73 of
Deanna Farneti Cera's "The Jewels of Miriam Haskell". She
attributes this design to Frank Hess circa 1939. The
clip is also shown on the bottom right of the cover of her book.
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HASKELL pierced back pin on
a wooden beads pin circa 1945.
View
View
View #H31323 |
Pressed glass leaves on a wooden beads pin circa 1945. |
HASKELL push clasp on a artificial pearls
and rose montee pendant on black velvet neck band, 14-1/2" with 2-1/4" front
drop, catch patent #3427691, circa 1969.
View
View #H51089 |
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Note: These items were photographed from private collections, and are for
reference only. Jewelry that is available
for sale can be accessed at the links below.
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JEWELRY FOR SALE accessible below.
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