*Signed: ‘Sherman’ in a cartouche at the back of the brooch

*Rhinestones: Hand prong-set navette and chaton Swarovski rhinestones

*Setting: Japanned (black) plating

*Brooch diameter: 1 - 7/8 inches

*Brooch pin: Straight pin with spring ring clasp that holds securely

*Special Designs: All of the navette rhinestones in this brooch are either black, glossy black or dark smoke coloured. It is domed, layered and topped with a lovely chaton floret. Interspersed among the navettes are arched lines of 4 black chatons with the largest chatons placed near the floret and the smaller ones at the edges of the brooch. The smoke coloured rhinestones are much darker than they appear in my photographs.

*Pre-owned: 50 – 60 years old – All rhinestones are present and undamaged. The japanned setting looks motley but that is the nature of this type of setting. This beautiful brooch is in excellent vintage condition with no evidence of wear.

Related Information

Sherman’s jewelry business was in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He manufactured high-end costume jewelry under the trademark “Jewels of Elegance” from 1947 until he retired in the early 1980s.

After World War II the economy in the United States and Canada was booming and he saw that women were particularly interested in luxury items after living in austerity throughout the war years. His business plan was to make the best costume jewelry with the very best materials available –Swarovski rhinestones that were individually hand prong-set in rhodium plated settings. His competitors at the time tended to use glues and plastics in order to produce high volumes of costume jewelry for the prosperous North American market. He did not. Instead, he chose to manufacture high quality jewelry “to last a lifetime”.

Sherman jewelry, then as now, is considered by people in the business to be the very finest costume jewelry in quality as well as in design.