It didn’t matter that Marilyn F. Cooperman didn’t have any formal training when well-known American luxury jeweler Fred Leighton asked her to design jewelry. By then, she had written professionally about fashion, established her own clothing company, and built up so much New York City chutzpah that she could have made it anywhere.
When she was 20 years old, the Toronto-born Cooperman moved to New Zealand and wrote a newspaper column about fashion and beauty. In 1963, she relocated to New York City and opened her first clothing company, Max and Marilyn, where she sold Art Deco–inspired clothing to department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s.
Cooperman designed a collection of resort wear for Fred Leighton’s apparel store, but by the mid-1970s, she returned to writing and worked as a fashion director for Seventeen magazine and later held editing roles at Simplicity and Vogue Patterns.
In 1987, Leighton, an esteemed red carpet jeweler who has become known for bringing antique and 20th-century jewels to a discerning international clientele, asked Cooperman to design accessories for his store on Madison Avenue. She accepted his offer and took up studies on wax casting at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
After five years of designing for Leighton, Cooperman opened her own jewelry company, Marilyn F. Cooperman, Inc. Her earrings were brightly colored, eye-catching confections that featured opals, rubies and blue sapphires, and she created innovative, alluring bracelets that mixed patinated silver and 18-karat gold. Her accessories were a hit, especially among celebrities, political figures and royalty.
Cooperman’s jewelry is held in the collections of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, the Yale University Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She was on the Board of the American Society of Jewelry Historians.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Marilyn F. Cooperman earrings, brooches and rings.
Marilyn Cooperman Pearl Moonstone Diamond Paisley Brooch
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in Bal Harbour, FL
Amongst Marilyn Cooperman's iconic designs, the paisley brooch is a great one. Versions were done in mixtures of various colored stones and there were ...
Moonstone, Pearl, Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Marilyn Cooperman Peridot Slice Pins- Full Set of Three
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in Bal Harbour, FL
Marilyn Cooperman (1936-2020) was an exclusive New York based designer, whose work was coveted and collected by true jewelry connoisseurs. Pieces of hers are in the permanent collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Yale University Museum and The Museum of Arts and Design. Cooperman's designs were noteworthy for the use of mixed metals (generally patinated silver and 18kt gold) and the unique combinations of stones. This set of three brooches epitomizes her work at it's best. These "slice" pins were made in different color combinations and sizes, but a complete set of three is rare. While the stone selection and setting appears to be at random, Cooperman meticulously chose and placed each and every stone to create this bold, yet harmonious, design. Each pin is set with a mixture of peridot, tsavorite and multiple colors of sapphire...
Brown Diamond, Peridot, Sapphire, Tsavorite, 18k Gold, Silver
Marilyn Cooperman Gem Set Brooch
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in New York, NY
Marilyn Cooperman Gem Set Brooch 18k yellow gold/sterling silver, The brooch contains various cuts of amethysts, citrines, tourmalines, aquamarines, p...
$11,000 / item
Marilyn Cooperman Fish Lunching On A Pearl Brooch
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in Bal Harbour, FL
From the exceptionally talented designer Marilyn Cooperman, the "Fish Lunching on a Pearl" brooch is one of her most iconic designs, and this one dates back to the early 2000s. A la...
Emerald, Moonstone, Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Yellow Diamon...
Bochic “Orient” Blue Sapphire, Amethyst & Peridot Brooch Set 18K Gold & Silver
By Bochic
Located in New York, NY
Bochic “Orient” Blue Sapphire, Amethyst & Peridot Brooch Set 18K Gold & Silver Can be worn as Brooch or Pendant Natural Sapphire - 5 carat Blue Sapphire Natural Amethyst - 2 c...
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Garnet, Peridot, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Top...
Gold Crystal and Gem Set Large French Giardinetto Flower Brooch
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1970 18K Yellow and White Gold Giardinetto Brooch, measuring 2 5/8 inches in length and 1 1/2 inches wide. The Rock Crystal vase portion is set in White Gold and has diamond mo...
Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Edwardian Natural Pearl and Diamond-Set Bee Stick Pin
Located in London, GB
An Edwardian natural pearl and diamond-set bee stick pin, the thorax set with a cream pearl and the abdomen with a gold pearl, both accompanied by GCS Re...
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Silver
Antique Pearl and Diamond Brooch
Located in Firenze, IT
The ribbon bow set with rose cut diamonds and centering a button pearl measuring approximately 6mm.; estimated total diamond weight: 3.00 carats; silver-topped gold mount; length:6...
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, Silver
Gold, Peridot & Seed Pearl Australian Dress Pin. Edwardian, beginning of XX c.
Located in MELBOURNE, AU
9K Yellow Gold, Peridot and Seed Pearl Australian Dress Pin Measurements: 32mm Weight: 1.4gr. Edwardian, beginning of XX c.
Peridot, Pearl, Gold, 9k Gold
Victorian Entwined Snake on Natural Pearl Brooch-Pendant
Located in New York, NY
Wonderful Victorian Snake on naturally formed tooth pearl brooch. Highly unusual, lovely design and quality. Snakes represented the eternity of love...
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 14k Gold
Artisanal Gem Set Brooch
Located in New York, NY
Attractive artisanal Gem Set Brooch from the 1950's set in sterling silver. An unusual combination of watermelon tourmaline, aquamarine, fluorite and ci...
Aquamarine, Citrine, Tourmaline, Sterling Silver
David-Anderson Enamel Fish Brooch
Located in New York, NY
David-Anderson Fish pin is enamel over sterling silver. This whimsical fish has multi-colors finishing with a gilt layer. The pin measures 2" in height, 1 5/8" in width. This pin wil...
$250
H 2.41 in W 1.89 in
Nolan Miller Bow Pin Brooch Pave Peridot Olivine Emerald Crystal, Gray Gunmetal
By Nolan Miller
Located in Milford, DE
A sophisticated bow pin by Nolan Miller. Glittering green pave crystals are set on a dark gray gunmetal-tone setting. Tags, Marks, Hallmarks: Nolan Miller
Crystal
Arts and Crafts Moonstone Diamond Platinum Brooch, F.G. Hale
Located in New York, NY
Lovely Arts and Crafts Platinum, Moonstone and Diamond Brooch from the turn of the 20th Century attributed to Frank Gardner Hale. Beautifully hand crafted...
Diamond, Moonstone, Pearl, Platinum
A Victorian Gem-set Butterfly Brooch
Located in London, GB
A Victorian gem-set butterfly brooch, the body set with old-cut diamonds, the wings embellished with rose and old-cut diamonds, emeralds and rubies, perched on a branch with rose-cut diamond-set leaves, all mounted in yellow gold, the detachable butterfly can be worn individually as a brooch, accompanied by associated fitting, circa 1880, unmarked, tested as 18ct gold, measuring 4.3 2.7cm, gross weight 10.8 grams. This antique brooch is in very good condition for its age. Unmarked, tested as 18ct gold. This colourful and bright Victorian butterfly brooch comes from the collection of Bentley & Skinner, Jewellers by Royal Appointment to His Majesty King Charles III. This brooch features a yellow gold floral branch set with sparkling rose-cut diamonds. Resting on the branch is a butterfly set with further rose-cut and old European cut diamonds and decorated with bright and vivid rubies and emeralds. This charming brooch...
18k Gold
Corocraft Sterling Enamel Clown Fish Brooch
By Corocraft
Located in New York, NY
Striking Corocraft Sterling Enamel Clown Fish Brooch set in pink gold plated sterling with enamel accents. A large faux oval aquamarine is clutched ...
Vermeil, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Marilyn Cooperman Mother Neptune Earrings
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in Bal Harbour, FL
The stylish jeweler Marilyn Cooperman always named her designs and these earrings are "Mother Neptune". The earrings are full of illusions to the sea, from the central ammonite foss...
Diamond, Moonstone, 18k Gold, Silver
MARILYN COOPERMAN Yellow Gold, Silver, Emerald and Diamond Brooch
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in New York, NY
An 18 karat yellow gold, silver, emerald and diamond brooch, Marilyn Cooperman. Designed as a crescent displaying five gold set pear shaped cabochon emeralds. The emeralds and the ...
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Marilyn F. Cooperman 18k Gold and Gemset Clip-Brooch
By Marilyn Cooperman
Located in San Antonio, TX
Floral design clip- brooch set with various blue, pink and violet sapphires and amethysts designed by Marilyn F. Cooperman.
Amethyst, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold