Month: August 2026

Karlan & Bleicher Jewelry Company History

Karlan & Bleicher Jewelry Company History (1926-1984)
Seasons Greetings, December 1954. Karlan & Bleicher Jewelry Company History (1926-1984)

The partnership of Jacob Karlan and Blanche Bleicher, a harmonious man-woman couple, resulted in the establishing of Karlan & Bleicher corporation in December 1926. Jacob Karlan became president, and Blanche Bleicher was secretary and treasurer of Karlan & Bleicher, Inc., 185 West Third Street, New York City.

Born in Russia on November 18, 1892, Jacob Karlan came to the USA in 1910. Originally a tool and die maker, he developed ideas for ring manufacturing. His patented numerous ideas were beneficial not only to his own company but to the industry as a whole.
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Fifth Avenue Jeweler J Arthur Hull

Fifth Avenue Jeweler J Arthur Hull
Bracelet of Rubies and Diamonds, Powder Box, Sapphire Ruby and Diamond Clip Brooch, Sapphire and Diamond Pin, Pink Tourmalines Rubies and Diamonds brooches. Palm Beach Life March 1938. Fifth Avenue Jeweler J Arthur Hull

Unjustly forgotten today, John Arthur Hull (11 December 1877–3 March 1960) was once a renowned jewelry designer. Remarkably, his private clients included some of the nation’s wealthiest families. Born to James Franklin Hull and Mary Caroline Cooley in Westchester, New York, John Arthur Hull created jewelry for 60 years.

Beginning his career in the jewelry business at a young age at Tiffany & Co., he later became vice president of Dreicer & Co. and Cartier in New York. John Hull opened his jewelry store on Arlington Street in New York City in 1920, and on 565 Fifth Avenue in 1925.
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Fifth Avenue Boutique Aimée Lee

Fifth Avenue Boutique Aimée Lee
Nina Ricci designed dangling hoop earrings, gold plated, Vogue April 1960. Fifth Avenue Boutique Aimée Lee

Aimée Lee, an upscale jewelry, accessories, and clothing boutique at 545 Fifth Avenue, was a prominent part of New York fashion in the 1950s. The boutique sold imported European costume jewelry, as well as jewelry from renowned designers of the time. Among them, for example, were costume jewelry by Nina Ricci and designer jewelry by Robert Fleischer, Gubelin, and others.

Advertisements for Aimée Lee jewelry and accessories graced the pages of the most prominent fashion magazines and newspapers from the 1950s to 1960. They included Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, House & Garden, Esquire, American Girl, Town & Country, The New York Times Magazine, and Cosmopolitan.
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Burt Cassell Costume Jewelry

Burt Cassell Costume Jewelry
Sunburst pin set with genuine turquoise and cultured pearls, hand engraved bracelets, September 1963 ad. Burt Cassell Costume Jewelry

From its founding in June 1953 until its closure in 1983, Burt Cassell Jewelry Corporation was a leader in the production of gold filled and Scarab jewelry. Burt Cassell, the founder of the eponymous company, served as its president and treasurer.

The jewelry factory was located at 118 Richmond Street in Providence, Rhode Island, and the showroom was on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
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Anthony Creations Jewelry Manufacturing Company

Anthony Creations Jewelry Manufacturing Company
Sterling silver gold finish rhinesdtone jewelry, Vogue October 1946 ad. Anthony Creations Jewelry Manufacturing Company

The history of the “Originals by Anthony Creations” costume jewelry brand began in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1945. Anthony’s founder was jeweler Antonio Aquilino (1907 – 1948), a native of Naples, Italy. He emigrated to the United States in the 1920s. Antonio Aquilino named the company after his son, Anthony.

Registered at 50 Aleppo Street, Providence 9, the company produced necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and brooches made of sterling silver, gold-plated, or 12-14k gold filled, Swarovski crystals, lucite, and rhinestones. Designed in a classic 1940s style and elegantly packaged in branded boxes, these jewelry sets became popular.
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