Hobe Sterling Silver Floral Bracelet

Did I tell you that I love sterling silver?  This beautiful floral bracelet was made by Hobe in the 1940s.  It could use a good cleaning, but I like the patina, and will leave the decision to remove it to the person who may eventually purchase the piece.  Hobe jewelry was always handmade, using many fine jewelry techniques, and was of extremely high quality (especially in their early years from 1935-55).  It was also created using the finest stones along with sterling silver, gold, and platinum plated metals.

French immigrant William Hobe founded Hobe in the 1930s in New York City.  William's family included well-known jewelry makers, and his father Jacques (a master goldsmith and designer) started a company of the same name in Paris, France in 1887.  American Hobe jewelry was sold in upscale department stores, but really took off after William Hobe approached theatrical producer Florence Ziegfeld, and was contracted to create exotic costume jewelry for showgirls.  It is also said that the term "costume jewelry" was actually coined by Florence Ziegfeld when referring to the items Hobe created for his productions.  Hobe ceased operations in 1992. 

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in purchasing this piece.  Questions, comments, and additional information are always appreciated.  My online shop on http://www.etsy.com/ is coming soon.

Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:

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