Miriam Haskell Information

Miriam Haskell first began making jewelry commercially around 1924, and she designed pieces with great unqiness of design. She flew to Europe to pick "select" beads of glass for her fine designs. High workmanship and much detail, with wired construction and filigree pieces. She chose Russian gilt to cover her findings. Frank Hess joined her in the company as the lead artistic designer, and he was a master of new and technically complex production techniques that allowed their vision to become a reality. Hess worked as the lead designer until he retired in 1960, and he was succeeded by Robert Clark. Mr. Clark continued the traditions but incorporated some of his own ideas into production.

In the early years, Haskell jewelry was not marked and production was limited. Since the early jewelry was unmarked, Haskell jewelry is questionable as to authenticity. There are of course distinct characteristics an expert looks for, including the design itself which often incorporates surprises or irregularities that one looks for. Quality was always evident, with finer quality materials and all prong set in the design. Haskell jewelry is known for its use of elaborate filigree and careful wiring, all handmade with such gorgeous designs. I highly recommend your purchasing a book to educate yourself via pictures of her workmanship. The advent of World War II forced Haskell to sometimes use alternative materials including for the first time plastics, and she purchased many of her materials locally.

In the early 50s, the company started marking their jewelry. Several styles were used according to the design including an incised "Miriam Haskell" on the hook, "Miriam Haskell" in a crescent shaped cartouche, and an oval stamp "Miriam Haskell" on the clasp. Some designs during the fifties were very elaborate, combining stones, pearls, beads, and filigree in amazing designs. The company was sold to Frank Fialkoff in 1990 and the company is still producing today, making some of the older designs highly sought after.