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Katelyn Ricker
Bennett
12th Lit/Comp
10 October 2011
Famed Jewelers – Where They Began and Where They are Now
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” (Diamonds Are Forever) exclaimed Marilyn Monroe,
who made this phrase infamous. But what about pearls, gemstones, gold and silver? In the
world of jewelry crafting, the options are endless. But the jewelry known today has not always
been made of these precious materials. “Before written language, or the spoken word, there was
jewelry. In the late 1800s, British archaeologist Archibald Campbell Carlyle said of primitive
man "the first spiritual want of a barbarous man is decoration" ("The History of Jewellery").
Ancient jewelry, dating back over 5000 years, was made of bones and teeth. “The word
(jewelry) is derived from the Latin word jocale, meaning plaything, and the word jewel, which
was anglicised during the 13th century from the Old French word jouel. The word jewelry is
used to describe any piece of precious material used to adorn one's self” (“The History of
Jewellery”). As man evolved, jewelry became a symbol of wealth and status. It was also used
to keep ancient Americans from harm, heal illness, and keep away evil spirits (“The History of
Jewellery”). Some jewelers, such as Coco Chanel, Louis Tiffany and Melvyn Bernie, built their
empires by understanding the connection between marvelous jewelry and the wealth and status
their client’s wanted to display. But they were not always the famed jewelers that are known
today.

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Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883. She was the second child of an
unmarried couple. Her father sold bowls, cups, and other ordinary household items. Her mother
was a common peasant. When Gabrielle was twelve years old, her mother died. Exactly one
week after her passing, her father abandoned her, and left her at a provincial orphanage to be
raised by nuns. “At the time, she had no future, since she was a poor girl brought up by charity.
Coco never mentioned the years she spent at the orphanage as she tried her hardest to clear any
and all traces of her unhappiness” ("Coco Chanel Biography").
Chanel spent several years at school before she tried to make a start in the fashion
industry. Her first job was as a shopkeeper who specialized in linens. After that, she attempted
singing and dancing; she wanted to try to make a career in the theater business. The only thing
she got out of her experience as a singer is the nickname “Coco”, which was given to her by her
audience for her songs “Ko Ko Ri Ko” and “Qui qu’a vu Coco” ("Coco Chanel Biography").
When she was twenty-two, Chanel met a gentlemen horse breeder whose name was
Etienne Balsan. He proposed they live together, and she quickly accepted. Together, they lived
in a castle, although she was not accustomed to her position as a mistress. While she did enjoy
the life he supplied her, she wanted to make a career for herself. Soon after her stay with Etienne,
Chanel met yet another person who would change her life completely. The gentleman’s name
was Arthur Capel, known to some as “Boy”. In 1910, with Capel’s help, she opened her first
milliner (women’s hat) shop in Paris. Then in 1913, she opened her own boutique in Deauville,
France. Once Chanel opened her business and applied her own creativity to it, she became
known as a “woman entrepreneur.” The start of her career was when she was “hat maker to the
divas” ("Coco Chanel Biography"). Her customers loved her hats so much that they gave her
name to very important people in Paris (“Coco Chanel Biography”).

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“Traditionally, dressmakers never were considered a part of society. Chanel was the first
exception to the rule. [Chanel] became an important international figure who was invited
everywhere” (“Coco Chanel Biography”). According to Coco Chanel herself, “I did not go into
society because I had to design clothes. I designed clothes precisely because I did go out…”
(“Coco Chanel Biography”).
Shortly after World War II was declared, Chanel closed her salon. During September
1944, she was arrested because there were rumors of her being romantically involved with a high
ranking German officer. “A few hours [after she was arrested], she was released. Shortly after
she was released, she left for Switzerland, which was her home for almost ten years” (“Coco
Chanel Biography”). After a fifteen year break, she resumed her business and was more popular
than ever. Her fashions became iconic in the United States. After her death, Karl Lagerfeld took
over leadership of the Chanel Company (“Coco Chanel Biography”).
The Tiffany Company also had a humble beginning. Louis Tiffany was born to Charles
Lewis Tiffany and Harriet Young Tiffany on February 18, 1848. “[He] studied under the
American painters George Inness and Samuel Colman and trained as a painter of narrative
subjects in Paris” (“Louis Tiffany Biography”). It is said that a visit to Morocco helped
influence some of his major works. “Returning to the United States, he became a recognized
painter and an associate of the National Academy of Design…” (“Louis Tiffany Biography”).
“In 1875, Tiffany began experimenting with stained glass, which led to the establishment
of his own glassmaking factory in Queens, New York. By the 1890s, he was a leading glass
producer [who experimented] with unique means of coloring” (“Louis Tiffany Biography”).
What made him famous was the glass he named “Favrile”, which was a neologism, or newly
formed word, from the Latin word faber, which means craftsman. “Favrile glass was iridescent

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and freely shaped, and was sometimes combined with bronze like alloys and other metals. His
glass was admired abroad, especially in central Europe, where it created a new fashion” (“Louis
Tiffany Biography”).
Tiffany’s decorating firm, known as Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, served
many wealthy New Yorkers. “Tiffany was commissioned by President Chester A. Arthur to
redecorate the reception rooms at the White House… he created the great stained-glass screen in
the entrance hall” (“Louis Tiffany Biography”). In an effort to expand and grow his business,
Tiffany decided to reorganize. “In 1900, Tiffany’s firm was reorganized as Tiffany Studios.
Afterwards, he ventured into lamps, jewelry, pottery, and bibelots [trinkets or small household
decorative objects]. He created one of his major achievements, a large glass curtain for the
Palacio de Bellas Artes [in] Mexico City in 1911” (“Louis Tiffany Biography”). The corporate
reorganization in 1900 and expansion into new product offerings helped turn the family-owned
business into a multi-national corporation. “Tiffany and Company, is a jeweler and specialty
retailer, whose merchandise offerings include an extensive selection of jewelry, as well as
timepieces, sterling silverware, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances and accessories”
("Shareholder Information"). To symbolize the quality and craftsmanship for which the
company became famous, Tiffany designed a trademark which is recognized world-wide.
“Tiffany has one thing in stock that you cannot buy of him for as much money as you may offer;
he will only give it to you. And that is one of his boxes” (“Tiffany & Co History”). The shade
of blue used for the trademark Tiffany box has become synonymous with the company itself, and
thus is known as Tiffany Blue®. “True to the vision of Charles Lewis Tiffany, the Tiffany Blue
Box® was to become an American icon of style and sophistication” (Tiffany & Co History”).
Less recognized, but still highly desired, is the unique style of 1928 Jewelry.

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Melvyn Bernie was twenty-three years old when he first started his venture into jewelry
making. His first workshop was in his garage. During the daylight hours, he sold watches. But
by night, he made costume jewelry in the back room of his house in Van Nuys, California. He
used some of the money he made selling watches to buy the tools and materials to make his
jewelry. He then sold his creations to department stores and retail chains. Over time, his part-
time venture became a full time business named the 1928 Jewelry Company (Apodaca).
1928 Jewelry is known for producing pieces designed after antiques. Their jewelry,
which ranges from five dollars to 300 dollars, is new and made with gold and silver plating, and
is made to look like jewelry that might have been worn at the turn of the century. Today, the
company has a 50,000-square-foot plant. Depending on the time of year, there are 1,000 to
1,500 workers hand-crafting the jewelry that 1928 sells. According to the founder of 1928
Jewelry, Melvyn Bernie, “The plant is the largest site of costume jewelry manufacturing in the
world” (Apodaca). Eighty percent of the company’s jewelry is sold in major stores such as
Macy’s and Broadway. The jewelry line is very popular with women of all ages. According to
Jim Litwak, president at Trans World Entertainment, “The [type of] customers [the jewelry]
attracts is very mainstream, from the young customer who wants an antique look to the
grandmother who wants some costume jewelry to wear with [her] old pieces (Apodaca).
Jewelry had humble beginnings. Ancient jewelry was comprised of materials such as
bones and teeth. Over time it evolved into using gold, silver, diamonds, and other precious
materials. It is now often considered a sign of wealth and status. Likewise, today’s famous
jewelers also had humble beginnings. Three of the most prominent names in the industry, Louis
Tiffany, Coco Chanel, and Melvyn Bernie, started from nowhere and built their companies into
the empires we know today. Owning one of their pieces is, to many, the ultimate indulgence.

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Works Cited
Apodaca, Patrice. “Jewelry Firm Finds Gold in Antique Styles:Fashion:1928 Jewelry Co., Which
Started In A Garage, Now Has Revenue of $100 Million A Year.” Los Angeles Times.
N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2011. <articles.latimes.com///_1_costume-jewelry>. .
“Coco Chanel Biography.” Coco Chanel Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.famous-women-and-beauty.com/chanel-biography.html>.
Diamonds Are Forever. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2011. <www.diamonds-are-
forever.org.uk/quotes.htm>.
“The History of Jewellery: Origins of Jewellery Design.” All About Gemstones. N.p., n.d. Web.
16 Sept. 2011. <http://www.allaboutgemstones.com/_history_early_man.html>.
“Louis (Comfort) Tiffany Biography.” Bio. True Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.biography.com//ouis-Comfort-Tiffany-9507399>.
“Shareholder Information.” Tiffany & Co. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
<http://investor.tiffany.com/>.
Tiffany & Co History and Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
<http://press.tiffany.com//US//&Timeline.pdf>.