The family of Schreiner Jewelry Post

[beekeeper_42]

The family of Schreiner Jewelry are still alive and kicking.  Mom, Terry, is 89, and can't believe how my parents, and grandfathers creations have become so collectable.  My dad's , Ambros, famous ruffle pin retailed for $7.50 in the mid 1950ss.  It now often sells for over $750.00.  She is also very unhappy of crooked dealers claiming they have unsigned Schreiner, when it's not even close to anything we produced.  I have written a dealer in Cal. several times to remove things that are clearly not Schreiner.  She accused me of being another dealer trying to make her look bad... really!  Buyers beware of anything unsigned unless you have experience identifing Schreiner pieces, and don't believe them if they claimed it's verrified.  Sometimes I will post on a piece if it is clearly a Schreiner piece, and allow the seller to use my post.  Many books have poor information about my family's business.  One dealer claimed Sphinx is a hallmark of Schreiner, and listed some book from the 70ss, that stated it.  Schreiner Jewelry was only made in NYC, not in Europe, or any place else.  We did design for many of the best ready-to-wear, designers of the 30ss- 70ss, that was sold to them unsigned, but only made by us in NYC.  These pieces were sold with the garment.  Hope this helps new collectors, and best of luck to you!

SOME POSTS IN THIS THREAD HAVE BEEN EDITED.  ALL EDITES WILL BE IN CAPS AND IN RED. - SANDY, BOARD MODERATOR.

[beekeeper_42]

The first one we did not use that style wire, no on the second one, I believe it's Austrian, knock off.  Dad's shadow boxes were like for holding hobby knick knacks in a display case, and stones were lower than the surrounding wire ring

[beekeeper_42]

Sorry I missed your question somehow.  Anything from Eve Townsend are good since she was here at the house several times to interview myself, and mom before she died.  I think many others people just make things up, like the business started in 1954 with my grandfather, and parents.  That would be a good trick since Heinrich died in 1954.  Other misinformation I see once in a while, often in listings, is a piece was made for us by another manufacturer , or in Austria.  We never sent anything, EXCEPT, plating for the last few years, to a "jobber".  When I first started doing this I got into it with someone selling real junk that was stamped SPHNIX, claiming it was our European name we sold under, since he read it years before in a book from the 70s.

[the_dstone_collection1]

 

Good to know about Eve. Thank you Every once in a  I see an online magazine story regarding your family’s company, written by someone who seems knowledgeable

enough/ credentials. but as you’ve mentioned before, they will be certain that all statements made that make me scratch my head, and wonder  whether I had the stroke or the author did? Mainly because it’s contrary to what you’ve been teaching us.
So I have a question about a brooch that just sold on eBay. So I figured it’s OK to ask my question now after it’s been sold? It was sold as an unsigned Schreiner. So I was wondering if it truly is? If it is then this is where it gets interesting for my next part of the question. About a year and a half ago maybe two I purchased a rhinestone piece using the exact same combination of stones and colors only about half the size and seemingly the same construction. It does not have any sort of a pin on the back, but it was made, apparently as  pendant only. Instead of a hook, I like you guys would normally use, there is a tube or barrel that looks to be hand constructed, and then soldered on. It deviates from what you guys would have produced. But on the same hand that deviates from almost every other jewelry manufacturer of the time that I know of. From the beginning, I wondered if it was either a prototype or experiment? I also wondered if it was some thing and employee made at the end of the day with a few loose stones to take something pretty home to the little wife? (yes, I realize that the process probably takes longer than just whipping it out and taking it home with them. I’m assuming you get the idea?) 

So I will post the one sold on eBay first and then I’ll post a couple of my piece.

I hope you have some thing fun planned for the holiday weekend?
As always, many many thanks!

david

 

 

 

[beekeeper_42]

David; your first pin could be ours, or a Sherman, or perhaps an Austrian, since all the stones and settings were common. and nothing stands out as ours for me to say 1005.  Your second pin is not ours as we never did anything with a tube.  I suspect it was made to be able to slide on a chain, that is now missing.  Enjoy your weekend too.  Stephen

[flipping_treasures]

Hi Stephen.  Hope you had a great Labor Day weekend.  I hope you don't mind, but I came across the brooch the other day and thought it might be one of yours.  It has the pie crust settings, dog tooth prongs wire construction and the pin has no pin stop. 

 

TIA

[beekeeper_42]

No, not with the heavy "gobs" of soft solder

[flipping_treasures]

Thank you.  

[drg642]

Hi Stephen,

I have been reading this thread with great interest, and I appreciate so much you sharing your time and family history with us.  If you have the time, would you take a look a this brooch.  It has beautiful cabochons, and hook and eye construction, so I thought it might be Schreiner.  However, the design seems a little simple, and I don't know if you ever used gold backed stones.  Thanks for any insight you can give.

[the_dstone_collection1]

Thanks Stephen! I didn’t know what to think about that first one that was on eBay. Sadly wasn’t mine but still it did lead to confirming my suspicion about the one I actually own… the second brooch. 
i’ve got a couple more for you. I swear at some point, I will run out, and I have already eliminated a number of suspects just through reading and learning from  this blog. Thank you for that! And thanks in advance for looking at the next two!

 

 

 

 

 

[beekeeper_42]

There are a lot of things here that should tell you this is not a Schreiner.  The piece is made of casting, not soldered together.  Our layers were almost always put together with round wires.  The exception were our early berry style brooch, and earrings, there I think the riveted balls of settings, came with the flat wire already attached when we bought them.  The rollover clasp is wrong too

[drg642]

Thank you very much.  Appreciate the information, and I'm glad to know for sure.

[gurlcat]

I bought an entire vintage jewelry lot (albeit a small one) JUST for these earrings, because they were so interesting as well as clearly old and well-made.  When they arrived I was disappointed to find no mark anywhere on them, but I figured with all their particular features it should be possible to identify their maker.  Incidentally, they are not sterling as they appear; a worn spot on the side of one of the dragon's snout-tips reveals bright yellow metal under the surface.  

I've posted them on a couple of groups with expert collectors, and the consensus is the same as my own, that they have elements of 'this' and 'that' designer, but not a perfect fit for any.  For instance the beautiful backs and montee rhinestone on the faux pearl is reminiscent of Haskell but these don't look Haskell-ish otherwise.  The beautiful backs and use of dragons is reminiscent of Neiger Brothers, but none of their dragons I've found resemble these, and I don't think they ever used faux pearls.  The dragons look nearly identical to the gold-colored ones on a Schiaparelli green glass bracelet (google if curious), but nothing else about these earrings are Schiaparelli-like.  

I honestly haven't thought 'Schreiner' from the start, but at this point I'm running out of ideas/options, so I figure why not post here, maybe someone will know something that I and others don't.  

[beekeeper_42]

No these are not ours.  Sorry!

[beekeeper_42]

No neither are ours.  I would say Austrian. with the pin hinge soldered on a 90 degree angle

[the_dstone_collection1]

Ok thanks. 🙂 

not to sound thick, but I’m not sure I understand what you’re referring to when you refer to the pin hinge soldered at a 90° angle? I compared these two branches to ones that I know are signed by Schreiner and I can’t see the difference. Am I missing something?