Bogoff Jewelry

Being a resident of the Chicago area, I tend to find a lot of jewelry that has a signature of "BOGOFF." It's always beautiful jewelry with an incredible presence.

Not knowing much on the company, and being curious in nature, I figured I'd do some research on them and share it here.

This post is merely a compilation of information that I have found in books and online. There are some far more in depth articles out there. See the bottom of this post for links.

Bogoff jewelry that I have found usually has a style and construction that consists of silver or rhodium plated pieces, paste set rhinestones, and either clip or screw-back earrings.  The majority of the pieces that I find are made with clear rhinestones, though I have seen pieces with pale blue in person, and have found pieces with other colors online.

Though the rhinestones are paste set, which in many circles is a code word for "cheaply made," the pieces from Bogoff are consistently high quality pieces with gorgeous design. 

Bogoff Up Ear Earrings by Pink Astilbe Vintage at Etsy

According to the book Collecting Costume Jewelry 101 by Julia C. Carroll, the company was founded in Chicago by Henry and Yvette Bogoff. "In the latter part of the 1920s this company produced accessories, including rhinestone buttons. In 1946, Henry began to design and manufacture rhinestone jewelry." (page 112)

The Bogoff company name is often connected online and in books with "Spear Novelty Company" in Chicago. However, Carroll points out in her Collecting Costume Jewelry 202 book that "the 1955 Jewelrs' Buyers Guide lists the company as Jewels by Bogoff located in Chicago, Illinois, with no mention of Spear Novelty." (page 151)

Various sites around the internet and in several books have varying dates for the end of the company, with the majority of sites claiming that the company closed in the late 1950s, though one claims the company was producing jewelry all the way until the 1970s. 

Bogoff Necklace by Pink Astilbe at Etsy

Perhaps the best website with comprehensive information about Bogoff Jewelry is Illusion Jewels, who managed to get an interview with Henry and Yvette Bogoff's son. It is well worth the read for the information as well as the pictures.

Other great images of Bogoff Jewelry can be found at Morning Glory Antiques. There they have a fantastic collection of vintage jewelry advertisements for Bogoff jewelry.

The Napier Book: 125 Years

I am so incredibly excited about my most recent purchase.  I just pre-ordered The Napier Co. book! 

Image of book from napierbook.com

It looks absolutely amazing!  According to the official website for this book, the author spent over 11 years researching the history of The Napier Co, and interviewed over 50 former employees of the company.  I had no idea that The Napier Co. had been around for over 125 years.  This book is so thoroughly researched that it will provide not just a history of the company, but will be a great resource for anyone researching style and fashions through those years also!

Check out this promotional video! Be sure to have some rags handy to wipe up the drool.

It's not yet published, but it looks to be the go to book of the season. Pre-order price is only $99!  After it's published, the price will go up to $129.00, so get your order in now!

Here's the link one more time if you missed it from above!  http://www.napierbook.com/

Cerrito Jewelry

I have come across only three pieces of jewelry made by a company called CERRITO. 

One was this lovely rose brooch:

Another was this Orchid brooch:

And a third was a gorgeous Dogwood blossom brooch that I gave directly to my mother and didn't take a picture of. (Pity)

According to the Illusion Jewels website, the ©Cerrito signature is for Cerrito Jewelry Limited, Inc out of Johnston, Rhode Island, and they started production in the late 1970s. The above mentioned orchid brooch is also stamped with a year (1982). 

There really is not a whole lot of information out there about Cerrito jewelry. What I have found is that Cerrito still makes jewelry and still exists. (Some business websites list their trademark as "active" while others list it as "inactive.") Although I have not seen any Cerrito jewelry advertised for sale here in the U.S, there was an old New York Times article from April 16, 1989 that discusses a trade organzation founded by "John Cerrito, president of Cerrito Jewelry Ltd." whose purpose was to cultivate foreign business.

Regardless of their current status, the jewelry that I have come across has been well made, and very realistic. The dogwood blossom brooch was so lifelike, I expected it to blow away in the breeze! (You'll have to trust me on this, as again, I didn't get pictures of it.)  The orchid brooch above also looks exactly like a Cymbidium Orchid! 



Photo from Fiftyflowers.com

I just wish that I had more information about the company, their history, and their inspiration!


Websites used as resources for this post:

IllusionJewels

New York Times