One of the old and well-known jewelers of St. Louis, Missouri, Charles R Hettel (1855 – 1914) founded the C R Hettel Jewelry Co, 901 Washington Ave, in January 1890. Hettel was originally located at 504 North 6th Street. Charles Hettel ran the family business as president, and his wife Martha Freymark Hettel was a director of the company.

Initially, his company was engaged in jewelry and dry goods novelties at wholesale. Born in St. Louis Charles Hettel lived there all his life. Before founding his firm, Hettel worked for many years at Providence Jewelry Co, which was one of the largest businesses in St Louis at the time.

After Hettel’s death, his wife, Martha Freymark Hettel, continued the family business as president, and his brother, William H Hettel, became vice president and treasurer. Otto F. Freuler served as secretary.

Just ten years later, in 1924, the company’s management changed. Thus, Otto F Freuler rose from the position of secretary to the president and treasurer. O. H. Veehman was vice-president, and Walter J Freuler – secretary.

According to the notes published in The New York Times in 1938 and 1945, Walter J Freuler was president of C R Hettel Jewelry Co. The last mention of Hettel’s costume jewelry company was in the Jewelers’ Circular in 1961.

C & R Victorian and Mourning Jewelry

The company’s artisans handcrafted unique jewelry pieces that reflected the era. These included Victorian and Art Nouveau jewelry. A separate line included mourning jewelry, which was popular at the turn of the century, beginning in the Victorian era and continuing through the First World War.

Hettel’s exquisite, high-quality jewelry was in high demand, generating significant revenue for the successful business. This was natural, as at the time, a respectable woman couldn’t leave the house without jewelry. Moreover, women wore these pieces with meaning.

There were jewelry pieces for morning wear, for the home, for evening wear, and for attending social events. Women placed particular importance on mourning jewelry, as even during mourning, a woman couldn’t appear in public without a minimum of jewelry. These typically included lockets, rings, bracelets, and pendants crafted in dark tones from metal, black agate, tourmaline, ebony, painted horn, obsidian, garnet, and pearls.

Antique and vintage jewelry by C & R