The history of the fine jewelry brand Gorman began in 1940 in Providence, Rhode Island, with the office and factory located at 160 Atlantic Ave. Initially, Gorman & Son, Inc was a family business founded by hereditary jeweler Henry J. Gorman. Headed by Henry J. Gorman as president, the vice president was his son Henry J. Gorman Jr., and the secretary and treasurer was his wife Mary Gorman.

Traditionally, the company sold jewelry directly from the factory to the retailers. Also, the firm had sales offices at 7 East 42nd St., New York, N.Y., and 315 W 5th St., Los Angeles, California. According to the Rhode Island Business Directory, which published company information annually from 1944 to 1968, Gorman also had a factory in Cranston. Henry J. Gorman Jr. died in 1973 at age 60 and was buried in Cranston.

The company’s craftsmen made gold filled jewelry with the use of cultured pearls and natural stones. Noteworthy, the earliest markings on the back of the pieces included the capital letters H G, as well as the gold karat. Later sterling silver jewelry was marked Gorman and sterling 925.

Having stood the test of time, the products of this brand are extremely rare, demonstrate high quality of execution, and today have collector’s value.
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The history of the Jones New York costume jewelry brand began in 1970 in Pennsylvania. Noteworthy, although the name of the jewelry brand includes New York, this name is fictitious and had no relation to New York. The founder and president of Jones Apparel was Pennsylvania native Sidney J. Kimmel (born January 16, 1928).

Initially a branch of W.R. Grace & Co, Jones Apparel Group became an independent major supplier of women’s clothing. Jones Apparel opened branches in various states – Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Vermont, and others. Since 1975, Jones began to produce shoes, watches, bags and fashion jewelry under various brands.

Since the company has registered several trademarks for the production of costume jewelry, the markings on the back of the jewelry are different. They include JNY (in various styles), Jones New York, JJ, Jones Studio, and Jones Wear (for watches).

In addition, the company produced costume jewelry under license from other jewelry companies. Among them, for example, the Anne Klein brand, acquired in 1976. All of these brands ceased to exist in different years.

Once the fastest growing women’s apparel company in the USA, Sidney Kimmel has gone through ups and downs, business splits and ownership changes. Today, Jones New York continues to operate as a fashionable women’s clothing brand.

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The history of Parco jewelry brand began in 1945 in Providence, Rhode Island and lasted more than three decades. The founders and co-owners of Parco Mfg Co were brothers Peter Parisi, president (1912-2006), Charles T. Parisi (1920-1994) – vice president, and John Parisi (secretary and treasurer). Located at 91 Hartford Avenue, Providence, Parco Manufacturing Co employed about twenty people.

The Parco craftsmen made stunning jewelry pieces with the use of gold, sparkling rhinestones, capturing the essence of post-war glamour. According to the 1940-50s ads, Parco was a great hand at original design in rhinestone jewelry. “Fine hand-set stones free from acid, tarnish proof rhodium settings and sheer inspiration are the ingredients” for their distinctive lines.
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The history of the PEM or P & E jewelry brand began in 1989 founded by the Museum Cooperative of Salem, Inc. Located in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the company ceased to exist in 2003. However, before that, in 1992, the Museum Cooperative of Salem and the Peabody Essex Museum merged. As a result, the Peabody Essex Museum Inc continued its operations and is active today.

Inspired by famous works of art, these miniature masterpieces are replicas of exhibits stored in the museum – paintings, sculptures, jewelry, furniture, etc. Creating jewelry by hand, the museum jewelry designers and craftsmen used only the best materials – fine enamel, crystals, pearls, silver and gold. Traditionally, jewelry came in the original box and with descriptive paper. The maker’s mark includes P&E or PEM on the back.

One of the oldest museums in the USA, Peabody Essex Museum was founded in 1799. Today, the museum includes more than 1 million exhibits. Noteworthy, museum visitors can purchase a gift or jewelry to remember their visit in the PEM Shop, also known as the Museum Gift Shop in Salem.

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The history of Douglas Paquette, Inc., also doing business as Douglas Paquette Accessories began in 1976 in Providence, Rhode Island. The company’s president was Douglas A. Paquette, who began the business as a hair ornament company. The firm later produced a variety of accessories and jewelry, from interchangeable belt buckles and keychains to dog collars and costume jewelry.

According to Jewelers’ Circular-keystone (1990), Douglas Paquette Accessories moved to 112 Frank Mossberg Dr., Attleboro, Massachusetts. The firm supplied high-quality jewelry and accessories to women’s specialty stores. Over its fifty years of operation, the company went through changes, mergers, opening of subsidiaries in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and their closures. The last Paquette Accessories boutique in Mystic, Connecticut closed for good in 2024.

The Providence-based jewelry studio handcrafted jewelry from the finest materials—gold, silver, metal alloys, crystals, and enamels. Notably, in the late 1990s, Douglas Paquette produced a line of costume jewelry for the famous Longaberger basket company. One of their brooches, a Christmas tree with basket charms, was featured in Nancy E. Trowbridge’s book, O Christmas Tree.

One of the trademarks launched by the company in the 1990s was Elite by Douglas Paquette. The earliest maker’s mark includes “Paquette” and a copyright symbol on an oval or rectangle cartouche. Since 1990s maker’s mark included stylized
“Douglas Paquette” in script on a papyrus scroll or paper scroll cartouche.

One of the brands launched by the company in the 1990s was “Elite by Douglas Paquette”. The maker’s mark trademark originally included “Paquette” and a copyright symbol on an oval or rectangular cartouche. However, since the 1990s, the marking has changed to a stylized “Douglas Paquette” on a papyrus or paper scroll cartouche.
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