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Eisenberg Jewelry is among the finest costume jewelry ever made and a favorite of many collectors. The quality is exceptional in design, materials and workmanship. In fact, the workmanship was so superior that the jewelry has held up really well throughout the years. As have the designs that are as fashionable today as they were when they were created.
If you are looking to add vintage Eisenberg jewelry to your collection, you have come to the right place. Here we will cover the history, materials, marks, and tips on how to buy.
Image source from Collector's Weekly
Brief History of Eisenberg Jewelry
Jonas Eisenberg immigrated from Austria, settled in Chicago, and, in 1914, opened Eisenberg & Sons, Inc. specializing in high-end ladies fashions. The store was struggling during the 1930s, and Jonas came up with a genius marketing plan: brilliant, bold pins and brooches that complemented the fashions. The idea exceeded all expectations, and the jewelry became more popular than the dresses. In 1940, Jonas and his son Sam opened Eisenberg Jewelry, Inc., where, in addition to the pins and brooches, they carried fur clips, clip earrings, screw earrings, bracelets and choker necklaces.
Initially, the Eisenberg jewelry was made by Agnini & Singer of Chicago, but when the Eisenbergs launched a jewelry line separate from its fashions, it was produced by Fallon & Kappel (F&K), the two companies eventually becoming exclusive: Eisenberg jewelry was only made by F&K; F&K only made Eisenberg Jewelry—until the mid-1970s when F&K closed. After that, we have no idea who made the jewelry.
In 1969, Karl Eisenberg, Sam’s son, took over the company; and in the 1970s, he was responsible for the extremely popular “Artist Series”: jewelry designed by many of the leading artists of the day, including Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso. Also in the 1970s, Eisenberg enamel clip earrings were very popular, as well as bows, flowers, cascading rhinestones and pronged clips of kings and queens.
In 1977, Eisenberg Jewelry merged with Berns-Friedman, a jewelry maker for mid-level department stores. The company went out of business in 2011.
Image sourced from Milky Way Jewels
Fun Fact: Eisenberg Ice was in many movies at the height of Hollywood glamour, and the studios still have the pieces in their costume departments.
Eisenberg Jewelry Designers
- For a time, Agnini & Singer and Reinad Novelty Co. (perhaps others) designed and manufactured jewelry for Eisenberg.
- In 1943, F&K began making the jewelry exclusively, and Ruth Kamke was the designer. Ruth designed for Eisenberg more than 30 years. She started as a teenager and worked until the 1970s. Ruth created almost all of the Eisenberg Originals made after 1939 and also the Eisenberg Ice until 1972. She designed literally thousands of pieces.
- After that, there were several designers on the F&K staff, but we have no particular name.
- In the 1940s, a collection of turquoise pieces were designed by artisans in Mexico.
- The “Artist Series” was designed by Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso.
Jewelry Marks
- The first pieces of jewelry were not hallmarked.
- 1938 to 1942: “Eisenberg Original”
- 1943 and 1944: “Eisenberg Original Sterling”
- 1944 to 1948: “Eisenberg Sterling”
- 1945 to 1950: "EISENBERG"
- Late 40s to early 50s: the letter “E”
- 1949 to 1958: “Eisenberg Ice” in block letters
- 1958 to 1970: most pieces not marked
- 1970: “Eisenberg Ice” in script
- From 1977 when the company merged to the early 1990s: the mark was replaced with a removable hanging ID tag
- 1994: “Eisenberg Ice” was reissued with the addition of “94” to differentiate it from the older pieces
Examples of Eisenberg Marks
Materials Used
- Swarovski rhinestones mostly in white but also in a few colors
- Rhinestones imported from Czechoslovakia and Austria (in bell shape, pear, round, marquise, emerald, oval)
- Pearls
- Cabochons
- Poured, blown and molded glass
- Beads
- Enamel
- Rhodium plate metal
- Sterling silver
Vintage Eisenberg Ice Christmas Tree Pin from The Jewel Seeker on Etsy
Most Collectible Vintage Eisenberg Jewelry
- Christmas pins are in high demand. The glitter of the rhinestones fit right in with Christmas decorations. Trees, snowmen, Santa—the Christmas theme resulted in Eisenberg masterpieces.
- Due to World War II, crystals were no longer available from Europe. They were replaced with domestic pressed-glass stones. Ruth Kamke designed amazing figurals (e.g., women, animals, mermaids) with these stones, and they are very rare today.
- Pieces made with sterling silver are highly prized, especially the matched sets of necklaces and earrings. They were only made during the war, because base metals were needed for the war effort.
- Special sterling silver pieces include those set with a type of quartz called citrine, named “topaz quartz” by Eisenberg. A few very unusual pieces with topaz quartz were made in 14-carat gold.
- Also during the war, turquoise and jade were set in 10-karat gold-plated pieces made by artisans in Mexico.
- The items in the “Artist Series” of the 1970s have no rhinestones. Instead the pieces are enameled, some with geometric or abstract designs, other with hand-painted sunflowers, water lilies, purple trees, and the like.
- Eisenberg brooches that tell stories, such as “Puss in Boots” and “Piggy Goes to Market.”
How to Spot Fake Eisenberg Jewelry
Beware! There are many fake Eisenberg pieces because of their popularity—so many that there are items that only an expert or veteran collector can determine authenticity. Here are some tips on how to spot fake Eisenburg jewelry.
- Examine the construction. Shoddy workmanship is a dead giveaway that the piece is a fake. The quality and attention to detail in Eisenberg jewelry was impeccable.
- A misspelled hallmark or one that is “off” in any way is a great clue.
- Check that the size of the piece is accurate. Copies are often larger than the originals.
- A fake piece of Eisenberg jewelry might have plating that is too “loud” or plastic instead of glass stones.
- Original vintage factory and designer names are almost always die stamped, not cast. Most fake and reproduction mountings are one-piece castings; originals are mostly assembled from many parts soldered together.
- Use a black light to check for glued stones and glue used in assembly. Originals will not be glued.
Tips for Buying Vintage Eisenberg Jewelry
Best way to avoid knock-offs is to work with a reliable vendor.
- Check the vendor’s reviews and feedback from customers.
- Read the vendor’s "Shipping and Return Policies."
- Find out if the vendor will give you a guarantee of authenticity.
Conclusion
From around 1958 to 1975, most Eisenberg jewelry was not hallmarked. That’s a lot of jewelry. It would be a shame to miss out on some fabulous collectibles because you are depending on the mark. True, the mark is the “first line of defense” in thwarting the unscrupulous, but there are ways to identify Eisenberg without a mark. For instance, you can check out the Eisenberg ads from that period and go to antique fairs and vintage jewelry shops to examine real Eisenberg jewelry, particularly the backs.
You can start your research by visiting the Eisenberg pages on Etsy. Another place to browse for vintage Eisenberg jewelry is eBay.
Tell me what you love about Eisenberg Jewelry in the comment section below! And let me know if you have any questions, I'd love to help 🙂
Hello,
Your article is helpful, however I still have a question. I have a large brooch with clear stones…..some have darkened . It’s marked Eisenberg Original on the back but it also has a number 7 in a circle. I can’t find any information about this. Would love to have an answer!
Thank you,
Sandy
Hi Sandra, thanks for your question. Sometimes Eisenberg jewelry will have a circle with a letter or number inside it representing the unoffical mark of the stone setter.
At any time did pieces have just EINESBERG on them or are these knock-offs? I was left with a bag of costume and rhinestone jewelry from a great Aunt. Two of the pieces, a brooch and a single earring, have EINESBERG on them. Thanks for any additional
information or resources that I could maybe share pictures with to determine.
Hi Barbie, I looked into it, and yes, there was a period where just “EISENBERG” was marked onto pieces. These would be from between 1945 and 1950. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Great tips! Thanks for sharing these valuable tips. I found it very helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
https://www.hancocks-london.com/product-category/jewellery/vintage-antique/
Great guide! Really very informative and helpful for me. I really enjoyed reading this post and found here great ideas. Thanks and keep sharing.
I have a Eisenberg waterfall broach/clip / it is about 1 1/4 ” wide and about 3″ long
it says eisenberg original with the letter z or n in a circle
and I can share a picture if you need it
I did have some provenance on it with a wedding picture and newspaper article but I lost that somewhere
thank you
Hello Jim, thanks for stopping in. Are you sure it is a z or n in the circle and not a c for the copyright symbol? As far as I know, Eisenberg didn’t use z’s or n’s in their mark. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
I have an Eisenberg Original.. However the “stones” or amethyst pieces have a Roman Head in each one. Intaglio? The bottom of the stone is gem cut, not flat. The amethyst is very dark compared to newer pieces. It has 14 of these Intaglios. So you know anything about this piece? Thank you.
Hi Joy, that sounds like a lovely piece! I don’t know much about Eisenberg creating Intaglio’s. When I look on Etsy and Ebay for Eisenburg Intaglio’s I don’t find anything.
Do you have any tips for selling? I have a brooch with the signature of "Eisenberg original" and would love to send you a picture if I could. I am selling all my old costume jewlery and have no idea what to ask. It has large glass balls hanging from it in a gray/blackish color with rhinestones around them. All the other stones appear to be intact.
Thank you for any help!
Hi Janis, I do have an article about selling your used jewelry. Another option might be to reach out to some vintage costume jewelry sellers on Etsy and see if they purchase jewelry.
I have a brooch/pin that was my grandmother’s. It is marked “Eisenberg Ice” and also has a four-digit number on it. Could this be a true Eisenberg Ice piece? Thanks.
Hi Rhonda, is the 4 digit number a year? Or maybe a serial number? Have you tried searching for the number online? I gave some tips in this article for identifying true Eisenberg quality, so you can use those tips to help.
I have a Christmas tree, Eisenberg Ice (block letters) stamped in the back.
It is beautiful. I’ve had it probably 25 yrs. I don’t find it in any articles
about EI. Thoughts???
Hello Shirley,
There are several Eisenberg Ice Christmas tree brooches for sale on Etsy. Yes, they are lovely! If you go to drloriv.com, you’ll find a great article about Eisenberg Jewelry. She can also give you a valuation on your brooch, if that’s what you are looking for.
Good luck with it!
Susannah
My mother was a nice jewerly owner and she left me an eisenberg necklace and clip on earrings. On the piece that snaps its together there is a mark that OCX or DCX and the number 38. It is a beautiful necklace and earrings, but I don’t intend to keep it and my daughter doesn’t want it either. Thanks!
Hello Ruby,
Most Eisenberg pieces had a clear, identifiable mark. From 1935 to 1948 they used a script ‘e’ or “Eisenberg Original.” from 1945 to 1958, EISENBERG was in capital letters. After 1955 the copyright mark was added. unfortunately, from the 1960s to the 1970s a paper hang tag was used to identify the piece, making it difficult to authenticate once the hang tag was lost. Other later marks include “Eisenberg Ice” and “Eisenberg Sterling.” D on jewelry generally refers to a diamond solitaire, but as Eisenberg jewelry was costume, I’m not sure what the markings mean. It might be best to contact one of the following websites for a closer evaluation: whatsitworthartappraisals.com, valuemystuff.com. or drloriv.com.
Wishing you good luck with finding an answer!
Susannah
Hello, thank you for this awesome information, I am kind of young and one day I let go an unmarked Trifari necklace with pink glass, for 35 dollars. A few years later I found out about my mistake and I was determined to learn everything possible about fashion jewelry, including Eisenberg, so I began reading other people information, mostly in etsy, and recently in internet, since there is not much information out there.
Is there a book that has pictures of all Eisenberg pieces, as well for other famous designers, as Juliana, Schiaprelli, Regency, etc.?
I looked in Amazon, but it seems there is a book for several designers or one book each, but they seem not to include all the jewelry. Which ones do you recommend? I still haven’t bought any.
Thanks you in advance,
Flor S.
Hi Flor, there are several good books on Eisenberg, such as Eisenberg Originals “The Golden Years of Fashion, Jewelry, and Fragrance,” and on “Elsa Schiaparelli” by Palmer White and “100 Years of Collectible Jewelry” by Lillian Baker on thirftbooks.com. The latter might be a good starting point for an overall education of collectible pieces.
Good luck with your collecting!
Susannah
it’s a bit jarring that you spell Eisenberg with a “u” in several places!
oh my goodness! I don’t even know how that happened. Oops. Thanks for pointing that out, I have corrected them all.