Haskell Costume Jewelry

About Vintage Haskell Costume Jewelry

Miriam Haskell established her Miriam Haskell Company in New York City in 1926. From the get-go, her handcrafted floral-themed costume jewelry was a hit with the stylish women of Manhattan, who adored her intricate necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and pins. Haskell loved gilt findings and filigree, faux pearls, Austrian crystal beads, blown glass beads from the island of Murano, and, above all, rose montées

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Haskell was not a designer herself, but she was an excellent talent scout. Frank Hess was her first find. Where Macy’s saw only a hired hand to create its window displays, Haskell saw her young company’s first chief designer, a position Hess held from 1926 until 1960, when Robert F. Clark took over...

Perhaps because Haskell was not a designer, she almost never signed her pieces. Indeed, until 1950, when her brother Joseph took over the company due to Haskell’s health, about the only signed Haskells around were those sold at one New England shop that had agreed to carry the Haskell pieces on the condition that they were signed. Those pieces, which one Haskell family member estimates account for less than one percent of her pre-1950s output, came with a horseshoe-shaped plaque with Haskell’s name on it. Needless to say, they are very rare.

Some of the stars who loved Haskell jewelry included Lucille Ball, who wore Haskell pieces on her TV show. Joan Crawford was another loyal customer. She collected Haskells from the late 1930s through the 1960s. In 1978, a year after the actress’s death, her collection of vintage Haskell costume jewelry was auctioned off to great fanfare, partly because of Crawford’s reputation, of course, but also due to the quality of the pieces themselves.

Like a lot of collectibles, the value of a vintage piece of Miriam Haskell costume jewelry depends a great deal on its condition. Because her pieces are so intricate, it is difficult to replace a missing rhinestone or faux pearl. Look for metal that has not corroded and avoid pieces that have been chipped due to careless handling or wear.

Vintage necklaces are among her most sought work. Some have only a single strand of faux pearls. Others have multiple strands in matching or different sizes and hues — from traditional white to smoldering dark brown. Even the clasps are opportunities for embellishment, with pearls, rose montées, and filigree decorating their ends.

Bracelets are another favorite. Vintage Haskell bracelets often feature beaded flowers and leaves mounted on gilt or silvered hinged bangles. Other bangles are open at the back and many Haskell bracelets dispense with an armature altogether to remain loose and alluring.

Vintage Haskell earrings, either on their own or as matching pieces for a necklace, continue in the floral vein. The gilt, crystal, and pearl combos are considered the classics of this form. Finally, Haskell pins are perhaps the freest of all Haskell jewelry types. Besides the floral themes, Haskell pins incorporate a number of animal and shell designs.

Key terms for Vintage Haskell Costume Jewelry:

Rose montée: A precut crystal (the rose) mounted in a silver setting (the montée) that has either a tab with a hole in it or a channel in its back so that the mounted stone can be sewn to a garment or attached to a piece of jewelry. Comes in wide range of colors.

Finding: The functional part of a piece of jewelry such as the clasp on a necklace.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview with Miriam Haskell Costume Jewelry Collector and Author Sheila Pamfiloff

I’ve been interested in jewelry since I was in high school. I’ll be 60 in September, so that’s a lot of years. I wo… [more]

An Interview With Vintage Costume Jewelry Collector Carole Tanenbaum

My husband and I have many collections. We were in London at one point in the ’80s, and I saw a fabulous collection… [more]

An Interview with Rhinestone Costume Jewelry Appraiser and Repairperson Rosalie Sayyah

My parents had a second-hand store in Orlando, Florida. They sold furniture and clothing. They would buy estates, a… [more]

An Interview With Fine Jewelry and Costume Jewelry Collector Christie Romero

I started out with general antiques and collectibles... I was a dealer for a while and bought and sold all kinds of… [more]



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Miriam Haskell Rhinestone Glass 5 Strand Bib Necklace $295.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 17 watchers
Miriam Haskell Faux Baroque Akoya Pearl Necklace Set$152.50 Ends in 10 hours 6 bids 47 watchers
Magnificent Vintage Miriam Haskell Necklace Parure $127.50 Ends Friday 12 bids 40 watchers
Miriam Haskell Bib Necklace Glass Pearls 6” Drop 1930's$103.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 57 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl 3 Strand Necklace$102.50 Ends in 17 hours 25 bids 55 watchers
Rare Signed Miriam Haskell Pearl/rhinestone Ring$100.00 Ends Monday 9 bids 15 watchers
Vtg Miriam Haskell Poured Glass Beaded Necklace`yum!!$82.07 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 57 watchers
Classy Miriam Haskell Christmas Tree Pin W/dangles*bkpc$81.00 Ends in 17 hours 3 bids 15 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Baroque & Seed Pearl Necklace$79.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 8 watchers
Miriam Haskell Signed --pearl Necklace 37.00"$77.00 Ends in 8 hours 3 bids 24 watchers
Wow Large 3d Miriam Haskell Pink Art Glass Brooch!$76.01 Ends Sunday 4 bids 10 watchers
Signed Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl Necklace & Earrings$75.99 Ends Monday 3 bids 30 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Seed & Baroque Pearl Bracelet$73.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 17 watchers
Signed Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl/rhinestone Earrings$71.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 12 watchers
Vintage Rare, Signed Miriam Haskell Chandelier Earrings$68.99 Ends Tuesday 2 bids 5 watchers
Vintage Signed Miriam Haskell Large Brooch & Earrings$67.95 Ends Thursday 3 bids 35 watchers
Stunning Miriam Haskell Vintage Faceted Glass Bracelet$66.00 Ends Wednesday 12 bids 64 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Parure Necklace Bracelet Earring$56.99 Ends Saturday 3 bids 16 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Brooch Book Piece!$56.55 Ends Sunday 3 bids 7 watchers
Miriam Haskell Pearl Necklace Double Strand Tlc$56.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 21 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Choker With Pendant$56.00 Ends in 17 hours 9 bids 17 watchers
Miriam Haskell Sgnd Baroque Pearl Rhinestone Bracelet $55.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 10 watchers
Classic Miriam Haskell Borque Pearl & Crystal Necklace$53.00 Ends Thursday 10 bids 74 watchers
Miriam Haskell War Era Pearl Rhinestone Necklace $49.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 12 watchers
Divine Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl Necklace$49.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 10 watchers
Vintage Signed Classic Miriam Haskell Earrings-perfect!$49.99 Ends in 13 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl Green Necklace, Bracelets$49.00 Ends in 8 hours 1 bid 8 watchers
Miriam Haskell Signature Baroque Vintage Pearls~wow~!!$47.99 Ends Friday 2 bids 3 watchers
Haskell Pink Bead Demi Parure Necklace & Earrings$47.80 Ends Saturday 4 bids 15 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Ab Glass Bead Demi Pareu $47.00 Ends Thursday 5 bids 3 watchers
Gorgeous Vintage Miriam Haskell Signed Necklace$45.00 Ends in 15 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
Beautiful Vintage Baroque Pearl Miriam Haskell Necklace$43.75 Ends Friday 8 bids 18 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Seed & Baroque Pearl Brooch$41.00 Ends Sunday 3 bids 8 watchers
Miriam Haskell Designer Signed Stickpin $41.00 Ends in 6 hours 7 bids 14 watchers
Miriam Haskell Wired Bead Hinged Bracelet -safety Chain$39.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 3 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Signed Baroque Pearl Necklace$39.99 Ends in 18 hours 1 bid 15 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Turquoise Glass Bead Necklace $38.57 Ends Sunday 6 bids 35 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Rhinestone Glass Bead Bracelet$35.99 Ends Thursday 4 bids 17 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Signed, Patented Necklace $35.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Miriam Haskell Faux Baroque Pearl Necklace For Repair$34.00 Ends Saturday 5 bids 13 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Rhinestone & Pearl Star Brooch$33.65 Ends Sunday 4 bids 2 watchers
Vintage 1940s Miriam Haskell Engraved Bangle Bracelet$30.99 Ends Thursday 2 bids 6 watchers
Miriam Haskell Gold Egyptian Pendant Round Necklace$28.85 Ends in 17 hours 3 bids 8 watchers
Miriam Haskell Pearl Choker & Earrings$28.77 Ends Thursday 3 bids 5 watchers
Signed "miriam Haskell" Baroque Pearl Brooch/pin$28.00 Ends Saturday 3 bids 7 watchers
Miriam Haskell Rhinestone Coves Baroque Ctr Earrings$27.00 Ends in 14 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl & Bead Necklace$25.00 Ends in 14 hours 4 bids 14 watchers
Vtg Miriam Haskell Coral Baroque Glass Bead Necklace $24.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 16 watchers
Miriam Haskell Baroque Faux Pearl Rhinestone Earrings$23.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 9 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Filigre Aqua Glass Bead Necklace$23.50 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 18 watchers
Gorgeous Vintage Miriam Haskell Pin / Brooch Signed$22.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 12 watchers
Nice Vintage Beaujewels Haskell Style Necklace Earrings$21.64 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 15 watchers
Haskell Filigree Rhinestone Brooch Vintage Jewelry A55$21.50 Ends Thursday 5 bids 4 watchers
Vintage Miriam Haskell Heavy Rope Chain Necklace$21.00 Ends in 7 hours 8 bids 4 watchers
Miriam Haskell Vintage Brooch Pin$20.49 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 16 watchers

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Recent News: Haskell Costume Jewelry

Source: Google News

Pine Bush Auction
Antiques and the Arts Online, March 8th

Costume jewelry to include Miriam Haskell, hobe, florenza, coro, trifari, weiss, van dome, Erwin pearl, coro duet pin, kandell/marcus, ny glitz pin,...Read more

Louise M. Pollard, 92
Muncie Star Press, February 24th

Louise was born November 30, 1917, in Manchester, New Hampshire the daughter of Walter Brewster McGregor and Nettie (Haskell) McGregor...Read more

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