Founded in New York City at the height of World War II, Kramer Jewelry Creations produced intricate and artistic pieces out of gilt metal, rhinestones, glass, and enamel. Louis Kramer, who started the company in 1943, was later joined by his brothers, Morris and Harry, as he tapped into the burgeoning costume-jewelry market. All aspects of the business took place in New York City, so the pieces were marked “Kramer,” “Kramer N.Y.,” or “Kramer of New York.”
With the help of his siblings, Louis Kramer managed the production of his jewelry line, and was hands-on when it came to the design and integrity of the final product. In fact, Kramer designed many of his company's most exuberant pieces and parures. Kramer seemed to favor flowers, particularly organic-looking floral designs made with colored enamel or gilt petals and leaves. Some of these flower brooches had rhinestones set in “trembling” centers. Kramer also made pieces dripping with rhinestones in vibrant colors like blue, red, and topaz, as well as geometric patterns and animal figures.
When Christian Dior introduced his exaggerated, feminine “New Look” in 1947, the fashion designer did not shy away from romantic, showy, costume-jewelry counterparts using ostentatious amounts of fake gems, including Swarovski crystals. In the 1950s and '60s, Kramer was tapped to produce this costume jewelry for Christian Dior—those pieces are marked "Christian Dior by Kramer," “Dior by Kramer,” or “Kramer for Dior.”...
Kramer's ornate Dior pieces, with their cascading Swarovski aurora borealis, petal-shaped pastes, and baroque faux pearls, built upon the company's obsession with craftsmanship and organic, romantic design, achieving a high level of elegance and sophistication in the process. But the collaboration with Dior, however fruitful, was not enough to keep Kramer from closing its doors in the 1970s. Today, complete parures, particularly those produced for Dior, are considered the most collectible Kramers.
Interviews & Articles
Carole Tanenbaum on Costume Jewelry's 'Wow' Factor

My husband and I have many collections. We were in London at one point in the ’80s, and I saw a fabulous collection of vintage cos… [more]
Christie Romero on Differences Between Fine and Costume Jewelry Over the Decades

I started out with general antiques and collectibles... I was a dealer for a while and bought and sold all kinds of things. Gradua… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Researching Costume Jewelry

Jewelry lovers, venture through this amazing database of vintage jewelry articles, catalogs, and brochures, as well… [read review or visit site]
Emerald City Vintage Costume Jewelry

It looks like we're not in Kansas anymore with Elizabeth Rowlands' site on vintage costume jewelry from the 1940s a… [read review or visit site]
Collecting Costume Jewelry

Carol Bell's simple but informative site focuses on photographs of brooches, bracelets, pendants, and pins, with an… [read review or visit site]
Morning Glory Antiques and Jewelry

Jewelry collectors, feast your eyes on this internet gem! It's a goldmine of jewelry information featuring all styl… [read review or visit site]
All About Jewels Dictionary

This incredible reference dictionary on jewelry, from Enchantedlearning.com, is both beautiful and comprehensive. S… [read review or visit site]
Cathy Gordon's Jewelry Gallery

With its vast galleries featuring clear images of jewelry and style, this site really covers it all! Divided up by … [read review or visit site]
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Bizarro Beauty Products, from 1889 to Now
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Pin-Up Queens: Three Female Artists Who Shaped the American Dream Girl
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Tokens for Sweethearts, in Times of War
American Picker Dream, Part I: Mike Wolfe On His Love Affair With Bikes


by 
