Hungarian-born Jolie Gabor (1896 – 1997) was known for the exceptional beauty of the custom-made jewelry sold in her ultra-smart shop at 699 Madison Avenue, New York 21, N. Y. She made high-fashion jewelry with delicate artistry and fashioned wholly of precious and semi-precious jewels.

Jolie Gabor lived a long and vibrant life, remaining active even at age 80, giving motivational lectures on beauty and female empowerment. Born Janka Tilleman, she grew up in the family of jewelers who owned jewelry house and several jewelry boutiques in Budapest. Later Gabor joined her parents’ business and ran her own jewelry store.

During the occupation by the Germans Gabor had to close her store and leave Hungary for the United States. Jolie Gabor arrived in New York City in 1945, where she opened a costume jewelry business “Jolie Gabor” in 1946. Business flourished, and late in 1948, she opened a new and bigger store in Palm Springs, California.

The Mother of the Gabor Girls

American jeweler Jolie Gabor became also known as the mother of beautiful actresses Magda, Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor. Noteworthy, her daughter Magda was one of the designers who worked for Jolie Gabor firm, alongside with Elsa Beck and Stephen Kelen d’Oxylion. They made jewelry with the use of gold, silver, cultured pearls, tourmaline, emeralds, sapphires, aquamarine, amethyst, topaz, rubies and diamonds.

Jolie Gabor Jewelry in Ads