Jewel Art manufactured sterling silver jewelry in East Providence, Rhode Island in the 1940s. The company was established in 1946 following World War II. There is very little infomation online about this company, but I am still astonished by how many great costume jewelry companies were started in New England. Of course, my collection is compromised of pieces mainly purchased in the Northeast, so to have so much jewelry manufactured in this region of the country makes sense. I decided to research this coincidence and here is what I found on the extremely informative website http://www.guyotbrothers.com/:
"The development of several important technologies during the nineteenth century helped Providence and Attleboro establish themselves as the leading American centers for inexpensive jewelry production. But what originally brought silversmiths and jewelers to the area? Several factors came together at the end of the eighteenth century that created the correct environment for the first jewelers to set up shop in the growing port city. Alfred Weisberg, one of the founders of the Providence Jewelry Museum, hypothesizes that wealthy Rhode Island ship captains, after accumulating considerable wealth from the Triangle trade, had their silver coins fashioned into plate for protection and storage. The need for this silver ware, engraved with identifying marks to help prevent theft, encouraged silversmiths to settle in the colony. Many silversmiths of this period also made jewelry. Therefore, it seems likely that the as the colony grew, and more wealthy captains moved into the city with their wives and daughters, there would be a need for jewelry. Traditionally, silversmiths worked out of their home, dedicating a large, ground floor room to their workshop and an adjacent room to their retail shop. A significant, in fact larger than expected, number of silversmiths founded premises on North Main Street in Providence."
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.ebay.com/ is coming soon.
Thank you to the following website(s) for the historical content of this blog post:
Broadwater Rose Jewels. Retrieved 2/12/2011 from http://www.broadwaterrosejewels.com/Jewel%20Art%20Sterling%20Page.htm
Guyot Brothers. Retrieved 2/12/2011 from http://www.guyotbrothers.com/jewelry-history/american-costume-jewelry.htm
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