Vintage Florenza Jewelry

As you might not expect, Florenza costume jewelry was not named as an homage to Florence, Italy. Instead, it gets its name from Florence, the mother of Dan Kasoff, who founded Florenza in 1948. Specializing in gold-plated metal bracelets, brooches, earrings, rings, and necklaces in Victorian revival and renaissance styles, Florenza designed its own pieces as well as manufactured fashion jewelry for others, from Coro to Weiss. The company was also known for its cameos, which were hand-carved into shell, glass, and resin, often in a design that was branded as Wedgwood Mocha. While flower shapes such as tulips and fuchsias graced many Florenza demi-parures, Kasoff and his designers were also inspired by stars, some referencing the natural world, others taken from history. In particular, Florenza produced a great number of variations on the Maltese cross, whose cabochons, navettes, and other rhinestones shimmered from settings of antiqued silvertone and electroplated 24-karat gold. Two other hallmarks of Florenza were its use of filigree and necklaces that fairly dripped with decorative gold chains.