The Story of The Eisenberg Clothing and Jewelry Company

This blog has covered a wide range of jewelry and clothing designers from the last century -- but it has yet to profile the Eisenberg Company -- which made both clothing and jewelry.  Their clothing tends to be overlooked as their jewelry is what they are known for - but the clothes were as well made and stylish as the jewelry.

The company starting in Chicago in 1914 by Jonas Eisenberg as a clothing company. The clothing was conservative and very well made, mostly in black and grey colors -- the client base was well-to-do women.  The company stopped making clothing in 1958. The first "Eisenberg Original" label was for clothing -- it also extended to jewelry.

Eisenberg Clothing Ad, 1940s

Eisenberg began making jewelry sometime around 1930 to accessorize the clothes on display in the store -- originally the pieces were not for sale. They were made with the finest Swaroskvi crystals available -- high quality from the very start.

Alas for the company, the jewelry was so beautiful it kept getting stolen off of the clothes!  Realizing they had hit upon something, the Eisenberg Company began a separate line just for jewelry.  Their pieces are considered to be some of the finest costume jewelry made in the 1930s and 1940s.

Eisenberg Ad, 1947

The company was famous for its replicas of 18th century fine jewelry. They also made stunning sterling figurals. Animals were favorites, but some of the pieces were wonderfully detailed "story tellers," -- Puss n' Boots and Piggy Goes to Market brooches were made for the Eaves Company.  Other pieces resembled kings and queens, ballerinas and famous artists of the day such as Josephine Baker.  This jewelry is just sublime.  There were no corners cut in the design and manufacture of Eisenberg jewelry.



Beginning in 1940 Eisenberg jewelry was made by an East Coast company called Fallon & Kappel. The designer most responsible for their lovely creations was Ruth Kamke. She oversaw Eisenberg designs from 1940 until 1972 when Fallon & Kappel closed.

1950s Ad for Clothes and Jewelry

Art Deco fur clips and brooches were very expensive.  In one source I found, the author spoke with a woman whose husband bought her an Eisenberg fur clip in 1942 before he went off to WWII.  The clip cost $100.00 at the time -- a princely sum for the early 1940s!

The use of Swaroskvi crystals, high end colored stones and superior craftsmanship made their jewelry stand out from the very beginning. The colored stone pieces are especially sought after today.

Fine Jewelry

Eisenberg jewelry was not limited to costume pieces -- in the 1940s, along with the use of sterling silver, the company also made some jewelry in 14K gold as well as turquoise. They employed a skilled artisan family in Mexico to make the turquoise jewelry.

14K Gold Eisenberg Brooch

Some of the sterling silver pieces were set with citrine, which the company called "Topaz Quartz". True gemstone jewelry. Eisenberg also created the little known Artisan Series of the 1970s. Rings, hinged bracelets, earrings and pins of sunflowers, cream colored water lilies and matching sets of tree earrings and brooches used 14K gold and fine hand enameling.  They were loosely based on the work of Surrealist artists. These pieces are not well known today -- but should be every bit as collectible as a 1930s fur clip.

1940s Sterling Eisenberg Brooch

Eisenberg Sterling Ballerina Brooch

Josephine Baker Sterling Brooch

Eisenberg Jewelry in the 1950s

After WWII when fabric was no longer at a premium full skirts and sumptuous dresses of The New Look, created by Christian Dior became wildly popular. Eisenberg created jewelry to fit the times. Pave pieces with "icing" -- a ribbon of pave set across a brooch --- as well as curliques and wings were common design motifs. Brooches of colored rhinestones with fancy cuts and icing were hallmark 1950s Eisenberg creations.  This style was also used by the Weiss Company -- if you do have an unsigned pieces with ribbons of "icing" or other motifs known to be Eisenberg, be aware that some Weiss pieces are nearly identical.

Eisenberg Icing Earrings

1950s Brooch with Icing

Topaz Eisenberg Demi, 1950s

The unforgettable brilliance of the Eisenberg Ice clear rhinestone jewelry is another reason the company is so well regarded -- the finest Swaroskvi crystals were used to create brilliant, diamond-like pieces of jewelry.  Eisenberg Ice!  These pieces are hallmarked with "Eisenberg Ice" -- not just "Eisenberg" -- they are absolute stand outs in clear crystal rhinestone costume jewelry.

Eisenberg Ice Demi

Gorgeous Eisenberg Ice Brooch

Christmas Tree Brooches

Eisenberg Christmas tree brooches are outstanding and highly collectible. The holiday jewelry is some of the most collectible Eisenberg jewelry today. Indeed, interest in these pieces has at times been higher than in the rest of the Eisenberg works!  If you have any Eisenberg holiday jewelry in your shop make sure the price reflects the high value of these pieces.  As we zoom towards Christmas of 2015 buyers will be snatching up Eisenberg trees!

Christmas Tree Pin

Eisenberg Christmas Tree Brooch

Purple Christmas Tree Brooch

Eisenberg Jewelry Marks

The earliest pieces of Eisenberg jewelry were not marked at all -- a script version of "Eisenberg was first used on clothing in 1933. The first appearance of the "Eisenberg Ice" mark is in 1935. The "Eisenberg Original" mark for jewelry came into use in 1935 -- for jewelry as well as clothing. The company used several variations of "Eisenberg Original" over the years from 1935 through 1945. Some were in script, some in block print.  Marks for sterling were different than costume jewelry. From 1958 through 1970 only hang tags were used for much of Eisenberg jewelry -- a collector's nightmare!

For an excellent compilation of Eisenberg marks through the years please visit Illusion Jewels as well as the Eisenberg Research page of Aged and Opulent Jewelry -- both sites go into detailed discussion and have wonderful examples of all of the marks the company has used since they began.  These sites are included in the reference section at the end of this article.

Eisenberg Company Today

The Eisenberg Jewelry Company is still in business today -- even though it was bought by a larger jewelry conglomerate in the late 1980s.  In the early 1990s Karl Eisenberg, grandson of Jonas, was still head of sales for the company.  The company reissued a series of Eisenberg Ice jewelry in 1994 -- marked with the old Eisenberg Ice mark -- and a "94" to differentiate it from the older pieces.  Due to expense and change in tastes the new "Ice" series met with limited success -- but it continued through at least 2000.  If you do have a piece marked "Eisenberg Ice" check to see if it is a 1994 reissue or a much older piece.

Gallery of Eisenberg Jewelry from Love of Vintage Team Shops:

1950s Eisenberg Earrings from JustleChose

Eisenberg Brooch, From Vintage Imagine

Eisenberg Demi, From BohemianTrading

Artist Series Brooch from RareBeauty

Sterling Fur Clip from KatsCache

Sterling Eisenberg Brooch, From DecadencePast

References:

Vintage Fashion Guild: Eisenberg

Past and Present Jewelry: Vintage Eisenberg

Aged and Opulent Jewelry: Eisenberg Jewelry

Collectors' Weekly: Eisenberg Jewelry

Found in Mom's Basement: Vintage Fashion Advertising

JacksonJewels.com - Vintage Costume Jewelry

Guyot Brothers Company, Inc.: The Designs of Ruth Kamke

Illusion Jewels: Researching Costume Jewelry - "E"