The history of the oldest Button House B. Blumenthal & Co., began in 1877 under the name Blumenthal and Blanchard. Located at 70 Franklin Street, a bustling New York City commercial district known for its dry goods, textiles, and manufacturing, Blumenthal and Blanchard remained in business until 1880.

After Blanchard’s retirement in 1880, management passed to Benjamin Blumenthal. When his nephew, Gustav Blumenthal, joined the firm as a partner, their business became known as B. Blumenthal & Co. At the turn of the century, Alfred Blumenthal, Gustav Blumenthal’s brother, joined the firm.
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Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Parenti Sisters Jewelcraft has a history spanning exactly half a century, from 1927 to 1977. The founders of the firm were second generation silversmiths Delfina Parenti and Zoe Parenti (Borghi). Born in the Italian town of Crevalcore, near Bologna, sisters Delfina Parenti and Zoe Parenti (Borghi) came to the US in 1907.

They settled in Boston, Massachusetts and spent years perfecting a European-trained technique in the making of fine silver jewelry. In 1927 the sisters established their business at 400 Boylston Street, in Boston. The success of the company’s jewelry led to expansion and the opening of branches in Osterville and Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1941, the company’s headquarters address changed to 97 Newbury Street, Boston.
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The history of the William Lowe company began in 1951, as a result of the renaming of the Roger Wurmser company, which had been known since 1934. Incorporated in 1939, Roger Wurmser continued the business in precious jewelry manufacturing and the importation of diamonds and colored stones.

Roger Wurmser also announced changes to the company’s management. William G Lowenthal (1883 – 1966) became president and treasurer, and Roger Wurmser – secretary of Roger Wurmser, Inc., 610 Fifth Avenue, New York. The firm had branch offices in Chicago and Los Angeles, and in July 1946 they opened branch offices in Paris, London, Antwerp, Geneva and Amsterdam.
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Established in 1905, the Newark Jewelry Manufacturing Company was known for its Jacco brand jewelry. The brand name reflects the surname of its creator Louis P. Jacobitti (1874 – 1954), the founder and president of the company. He came to the US from Italy when he was 16 years old and became a U. S. citizen as a young man.

Headquartered at 18-20 Columbia Street, Newark 5, New Jersey, the company made jewelry in great variety of styles, sizes and prices, boxed or carded. Jacco creations included crosses, lockets, diamond mountings, and wedding ring sets, cuff links, ladies’ stone rings with genuine, synthetic and imitation stones. Also, men’s stone rings, signet rings, tie slides, spray pins, cameos, brooches, wedding rings, chatelaine pins, chains and pendants.
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The biography of the iconic designer of the first half of the 20th century, Hattie Carnegie (1886 – 1956) is well known. Briefly, Hattie Carnegie (Henrietta Kanengeiser) was born in Vienna in 1886. Her family emigrated to the United States at the turn of the century. She rose from poverty to become the owner of a multimillion-dollar fortune and a fashion icon for half a century.

Hattie was as popular in the United States as Coco Chanel was in France. She released her first collection of costume jewelry in 1939, although she had been producing accessories for her clothing collections since 1918. Some of her jewelry, such as hat pins, even appeared on the pages of Vogue magazine in 1927.
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The history of the company, which produced men’s jewelry—buckles, cufflinks, tie clips, and other accessories—began in 1909. Its founder was Stephen Rae Hickok (1885–1945), who purchased a small jewelry business in Rochester, New York.

In May 1917, the Hickok Mfg. Company was incorporated with a capital stock of $150,000. Its founders were S. Ray Hickok, his wife, Harrye Justine Hickok, and Lowell W Shields, all of Rochester, New York. Stephen Rae Hickok, president of the corporation, led it for many years until his death in 1945.

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The history of exquisite costume jewelry under the Valjean brand began in 1944 and spanned nearly three decades. The founders of the Valjean Pearl Corporation were copartners Louis Rabinowitz and Sam Shemler. Notably, each of them had decades of experience in the jewelry business, including pearls.

Sam Shemler (1906 – 1981) headed the Valjean Pearl Corporation as president until his retirement in 1967. According to the New York Business Directory, in 1953, Valjean employed 63 people, 18 men and 45 women. Originally located at 881 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, in 1952 Valjean moved to 20 West 37th Street, and in 1961 to 389 Fifth Avenue, New York.
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