Vintage CINER earrings
View Similar Items
Vintage CINER earrings
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Dimensions:Length: 1.97 in (50 mm)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1980-1989
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:BÈGLES, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: 002321stDibs: LU2993217529542
Ciner
What defines “fine” jewelry? For many aficionados, there’s a clear line separating the golden wheat from the gilded chaff. But the handcrafted pieces made by Ciner, a 128-year-old costume jewelry house with a glittering past to rival some of the hautest high jewelers, call into question our notions of what constitutes preciousness.
Quality? Craftsmanship? Painstaking detail? Vintage Ciner earrings, brooches, necklaces and other accessories have them all in spades.
Much of the Ciner’s allure can be traced to its origins in fine jewelry. Emanuel Ciner, an Austrian immigrant, founded the firm in Manhattan in 1892, crafting pieces from the traditional precious gems, gold and platinum. But World War I and the Great Depression caused purse strings to tighten and materials to become scarce. Rather than try to weather the economic downturn, which shuttered many other American jewelers, Ciner made the risky transition from fine jewelry to costume (or fashion) jewelry — virtually uncharted territory.
Emanuel Ciner’s sons, Irwin and Charles, introduced an array of innovations — rubber casting molds, which are especially durable and produce higher quality results, and white metal alloys, which affordably mimic the look of more precious materials — that would become the standard for costume jewelry. During World War II, Ciner’s advanced molding technology was utilized by the U.S. military to produce munitions and tools. This arrangement gave the firm access to the heavily rationed metals it needed for its jewels, enabling it again to endure conditions that drove others into bankruptcy.
The company hit its stride in the 1960s, when its jewelry was sold at some of the country’s toniest stores, even garnering an Andy Warhol–illustrated ad for Bonwit Teller. Its pieces were worn by the era’s brightest stars. In the famous 1957 Joe Shere photo of Sophia Loren sneering at Jayne Mansfield’s décolletage, Mansfield is resplendent in shoulder-grazing Ciner earrings.
Ciner is unique among costume jewelers in that its pieces aren’t imitations — they are coveted in their own right. Elizabeth Taylor, a voracious jewelry collector with a taste for the very finest, was a longtime client. Several suites of Ciner jewels were included in the 2011 Christie’s sale of Taylor’s collection, with one group of rhinestone-studded ear clips and a bracelet fetching $15,600 — more than 100 times the auction estimate. It’s a reminder of a time, not so long ago, when women of great style wore fine and costume jewelry with equal aplomb, often at the same time.
Today, Ciner — now run by Emanuel Ciner’s granddaughter Pat Ciner Hill and great-granddaughter Jean Hill — continues to adhere to the same exacting production specifications. It is the only jewelry house in New York, and likely the United States, that manufactures all its pieces entirely in-house. Each begins with dozens of elements that are cast in rubber molds and then individually filed and polished, plated in a particularly thick layer of 18-karat gold or rhodium, assembled on the bench and painted with enamel or set with stones. Every step is performed by hand by craftsmen, many of whom have been with the company for more than 30 years.
Find vintage Ciner clip-on earrings, choker necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
- Lucky Star Cuff Earrings Vermeil GoldBy AmmaniiLocated in Beverly Hills, CANewest addition to AMMANII's Sa'mma Earrings- homage to the sky, the Universal blanket that covers mankind and connects us under it's vast reach. Hand cra...Category
2010s American Contemporary Hoop Earrings
MaterialsZircon, Vermeil
- Ammanii Hoop Earrings with Star Charms and Freshwater Pearls in Vermeil GoldBy AmmaniiLocated in Beverly Hills, CAThe statement hoop earrings are a reminder of the vastness and versatility of our universe. Handcrafted from vermeil gold and ruthenium in a satin finish adorned with Freshwater Pear...Category
2010s Egyptian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
MaterialsFreshwater Pearl, Zircon, Vermeil, Rhodium, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold
- Ammanii Pavé Star Hoop Earrings in Vermeil GoldBy AmmaniiLocated in Beverly Hills, CAThese star hoops are designed with the inner beauty we possess in mind. Masterfully handcrafted from vermeil gold, base is sterling silver with a thicker coating of 18k yellow gold, ...Category
2010s Egyptian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
MaterialsZircon, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
- Ammanii Hoop Earrings with Freshwater Pearls in Vermeil GoldBy AmmaniiLocated in Beverly Hills, CAAn ode to every boss lady out there, these beautifully handcrafted hoop earrings are made from vermeil gold, sterling silver base with 18k yellow gold platin...Category
2010s Egyptian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
MaterialsFreshwater Pearl, Zircon, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
- Ammanii Hoop Earrings with Freshwater Pearls in Vermeil GoldBy AmmaniiLocated in Beverly Hills, CAFrom My Lady -our newest collection- inspired by my personal journey to find my own path while fighting the claws of fear, to listen to my voice while learning from others who have w...Category
2010s Egyptian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
MaterialsFreshwater Pearl, Zircon, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
- Neha Dani Ruby Pear Cabochon and Ruby Set with Diamonds, Roseate EarringsBy Neha DaniLocated in New York, NYThe Roseate Ear Tops by Neha Dani seem to twirl like a bird in the sky, sparkling with 2.57 Carat Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds and 3.17 Carat Rubies set on Natural Grey Titanium. Stu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Contemporary More Earrings
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, Titanium
Unavailable$35,500Free Shipping