Connecting with History

Joseff of Hollywood made most of the jewelry that you've seen in the fabulous films of the 1940s and 50s.  Movies such as "Gone with the Wind," "Cleopatra," and "Elizabeth and Essex" all featured jewelry created by this talented creator.

When Eugene Joseff came to Hollywood in the late 1920s, he soon noticed that the movies were using modern jewelry with historically accurate costumes, and the problem was jarring to him.  He designed pieces that were historically accurate, but finding no company that could reproduce the intricate designs, he created a company of his own to produce them. 

At first, he only rented his creations to the studios, but soon the stars were clamoring for pieces to add to their own collections, so he started a retail line of jewelry.  Today the Joseff pieces are hard to find and highly collectible.

I currently have a piece listed in the shop, with the typical antique gold finish that was preferred by the studios, being less reflective under the lights.  The bookchain necklace perfectly reflects the Victorian design, which actually had a revival during the 1930s  when a lot of Victorian styled jewelry was created to recapture the Victorian era and all its charm.  Joseff, of course, did a better job of accuracy than most.  Keep an eye out for Joseff jewelry; its desirability will only increase with time.