Richard Kerr (1920 – 2016)
Pair of earclips with colourful rhinestones (Rose Montees) on painted background
ca. 1980
unsigned.
The history of costume jewelry brand Richard Kerr began in 1946 when WWII veteran, US Navy Lieutenant Richard S. Kerr (January 23, 1920 – September 24, 2016) joined his father’s business. Richard graduated from the University of Illinois in 1943, and married Nancy Rebecca in 1948, with whom they later had two sons and a daughter. The jewelry company, owned by his father Walter H. Kerr (1889-1966), was based in Streator, Illinois. Following his father’s death in 1966, Richard took over and directed the company until his retirement in 1983.
Traditionally, to create a stunning sparkling effect, the company’s craftsmen used Austrian crystals, the number of which in one piece could be more than a thousand. It is hard to imagine how much labor and patience one had to have to manually insert each crystal. The marking on the back side of each item includes “Richard Kerr” on an oval cartouche.
The brand’s high quality, handcrafted products (mostly earrings) which were produced from 1946 to 1983, are highly collectible today.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
Richard Kerr (1920 – 2016)
Pair of earclips with colourful rhinestones (Rose Montees) on painted background
ca. 1980
unsigned.
The history of costume jewelry brand Richard Kerr began in 1946 when WWII veteran, US Navy Lieutenant Richard S. Kerr (January 23, 1920 – September 24, 2016) joined his father’s business. Richard graduated from the University of Illinois in 1943, and married Nancy Rebecca in 1948, with whom they later had two sons and a daughter. The jewelry company, owned by his father Walter H. Kerr (1889-1966), was based in Streator, Illinois. Following his father’s death in 1966, Richard took over and directed the company until his retirement in 1983.
Traditionally, to create a stunning sparkling effect, the company’s craftsmen used Austrian crystals, the number of which in one piece could be more than a thousand. It is hard to imagine how much labor and patience one had to have to manually insert each crystal. The marking on the back side of each item includes “Richard Kerr” on an oval cartouche.
The brand’s high quality, handcrafted products (mostly earrings) which were produced from 1946 to 1983, are highly collectible today.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
