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HenrySchreiner Early Set ProngSet Crystal Silver Spray Tiered Earrings & Brooch
$3,930per set
£3,036.61per set
€3,510.60per set
CA$5,553.37per set
A$6,228.48per set
CHF 3,261.76per set
MX$75,682.09per set
NOK 41,418.86per set
SEK 39,268per set
DKK 26,204.82per set
About the Item
Henry Schreiner, the Austrian-born blacksmith founder of Schreiner in New York in 1932, handcrafted this demi-parure of prong-set colorless crystal stylized-foliage sprays after he began designing extravagant silver-soldered settings around the 1940s, which were likely inspired by Edwardian platinum diamond jewelry admired during his youth in Bavaria. The large brooch and matching clip earrings feature sprawling wire arrangements with tiered rods. For some of the leading fashion designers since the mid-1930s, such as American Norman Norell, he finished such custom-order pieces unsigned to accompany ready-to-wear ensembles in the tradition of European couture sets by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli.
The elegant sprays of Czech-made rhinestones in three faceted shapes for silver pre-cast settings were clearly assembled by the company's founder himself, who died in 1954. Prior to characteristic Schreiner hook-and-eye frame construction at the height of his company's production in the mid-1950s, Henry Schreiner had created delicate complex wire branch-like designs with a scattered crystal appearance, which he achieved with wide spacing between soldered multi-size settings along rods. After his death, this technique was not reproduced when the founder's son-in-law took over ongoing design and became best known for his dense ruffled-ray glass-or-plastic stone compositions. The set cannot be dated later than 1954 since none of the stones are machine-collet set, inverted, Swarovski-manufactured Rivoli or Chatons, nor Lucite. More so, most of the brooches produced after Schreiner's death under the direction of his daughter Terry and her husband Ambros Albert included a versatile pendant hook, while earring clips featured a "donut-hole" at the top.
Other elements distinguish this Henry Schreiner brooch. Without rivets or a base, the six branches are supported along a baguette-set curvilinear frame custom shaped like a winding ribbon. In typical layered construction, several tiers of wires totaling 16 are set with crystals and silver-soldered into fan shapes over or under the three-dimensional frame, which ends in an asymmetrical arrangement showcasing pre-made sets of mostly marquises. Finally, its sleek two-inch pin is soldered to the back under its hinge and under its small safety clasp without a support bar. Instead, the pin is perfectly aligned behind the central decorative rod.
Our photos include shots taken with either indoor lights or in sunlight, so you will see that the foiled clear crystals mirror a range of mostly blue-gray to yellow-rose tones in the changing light. It is difficult for us to capture the set entirely in focus given the multi-tier construction.
The 4 1/8-inch brooch is more than twice the size of each earring. Notably, when worn on the ear, the vertical clip positions the longest 2-inch part of the setting on a diagonal. Several faceted surfaces are dulled by microscopic scratching from normal use over time.
The best source for viewing a variety of the elements that characterize this early jewelry set, which the original owner acquired with a fashion-designer ensemble, is the tabletop book Schreiner: Masters of Twentieth-Century Jewelry by Carole Tanenbaum & Eve Townsend--the author team that consulted with his daughter. According to family members in the business, unsigned prong-set buttons and jewelry are the most common form of early Schreiner pieces, as this is how the company sold sets at wholesale to American fashion designers after they had supplied new season samples. Comparatively, Schreiner jewelry was signed when sold to leading retailers by the 1950s, such as Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel and Saks Fifth Avenue.
- Creator:
- Metal:Rhodium,Silver
- Stone:Crystal,Diamond
- Stone Cut:Mixed Cut
- Dimensions:Width: 2.75 in (69.85 mm)Depth: 1 in (25.4 mm)Length: 4.25 in (107.95 mm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Victorian
- Place of Origin:United States
- Period:1940-1949
- Date of Manufacture:late 1930s-early 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3244218223772
About the Seller
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In 1956 when Christian Dior's ultra-feminine New Look had dominated fashion for nearly a decade, Schreiner New York handcrafted these opulent unsigned earrings with 22 prong-set open-back crystals to accompany the eveningwear of an American high-end fashion designer. They may have been for client Pauline Trigere when her ready-to-wear collections with accessories including unmarked-Schreiner jewelry were sold by NYC's Bergdorf Goodman and worn by her clients including Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Elizabeth Taylor. Comparatively, Schreiner jewelry produced in the 1950s for direct sale to high-end department stores, such as Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel and Saks Fifth Avenue, were the only pieces to include a brand signature.
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