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We are very pleased to offer you this magnificent Antique / Vintage Bling!!! An original 1945 Eisenberg Ice iconic gold plated Christmas tree brooch featuring red, green and clear Swarovski crystals. This signed piece of jewelry from the Retro era is a timeless piece with a yellow gold plated base, showcasing a beautiful design perfect for the holiday season. Made in the United States, this handcrafted brooch embodies the essence of beauty, nature, and art, making it a unique and captivating addition to any fashion collection.
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Now here’s some more information about the jewelry designers and company:
Eisenberg jewelry began as a line of high-end costume jewelry created by the Chicago-based clothing company Eisenberg & Sons, founded in 1914. The jewelry was initially made to complement the company's fashions but quickly became so popular it led to the creation of a standalone jewelry division in the 1940s. Known for luxurious, sparkling designs featuring high-quality rhinestones (especially from Swarovski) and crystals, the "Eisenberg Ice" line was introduced in the late 1940s. The company focused exclusively on jewelry after the mid-1950s and operated until its closing in the late 1970s.
History
1914: Eisenberg & Sons was founded in Chicago as a high-end clothing company.
1930s: The company began adding jewelry to its apparel lines.
1940: The jewelry manufacturing was spun off into its own division, Eisenberg Jewelry, Inc.. The "Eisenberg Ice" brand was coined to describe the diamond-like sparkle of the pieces, which featured high-quality crystals and rhinestones.
Mid-1950s: The company phased out its clothing line to focus solely on jewelry.
Late 1970s: The original company ceased operations.
1977: A new owner bought the company and operated it until the early 1990s.
1994: Eisenberg Ice Classics was introduced and continues today.
Key features
Materials: Early pieces were made of pot metal, but later pieces often featured Swarovski crystals, rhinestones, and glass beads.
Designs: Designs ranged from abstract and organic to recognizable figures like animals and ballerinas. Popular combinations included pink and purple, aqua, and ice blue stones.
Types of jewelry: The company produced a wide variety of pieces, including fur clips, dress clips, earrings, brooches, bracelets, and necklaces.
Markings: Markings changed over time. Early pieces might have a script "E" or "Eisenberg Original," while later pieces were marked with "Eisenberg" or "Eisenberg Ice". Some pieces from the 1950s and 1970s remained unmarked.
Collectibility
Eisenberg jewelry is highly sought-after by collectors for its quality and beauty.
Pieces from the company's original run are especially valuable.
During the 1945-1958 period, Eisenberg used high-quality gold-plated finishes on their costume jewelry, typically applied to a base metal using the standard electroplating method of the time. While specific proprietary formulas used by the company are not public knowledge, the general process involved using a base metal and covering it with a thin layer of gold for a luxurious appearance. *
Eisenberg Jewelry in the 1945-1958
Period
The period from 1945 to 1958 is a significant era for Eisenberg costume jewelry, marked by the use of the "Eisenberg" or "Eisenberg Ice" mark in block letters.
• Materials: Eisenberg was known for its superior craftsmanship, utilizing high-quality metals and brilliant Swarovski crystals imported from Austria and Czechoslovakia.
The "Ice" moniker came from the use of clear, sparkling rhinestones that resembled diamonds.
• Base Metals: After World War II metal restrictions were lifted, Eisenberg returned to using various metals for their settings. During the war years (1941-1945), they had used sterling silver (often marked "Eisenberg Sterling"). In the post-war period, pieces were made of high-quality metals, some of which were plated with rhodium (a non-tarnishing precious metal) or gold.
• Plating Quality: The gold plating from this era was generally a more substantial, longer-lasting finish than on some later costume jewelry, contributing to the rich, warm, and realistic look prized by collectors today.
The Gold Plating Method
Eisenberg, like most costume jewelry manufacturers, used the industrial process of electroplating to apply the gold finish. This method became widely used in the 19th century and remains the standard for applying a thin layer of one metal over another. ®
The general steps involved in the electroplating process include:
1. Preparation: The base metal object was thoroughly cleaned to remove any dirt or oils.
2. Base Coat (Optional but common): Often, a base layer of another metal, such as nickel or copper, was applied before the gold to ensure a better bond and a durable finish.
3. Electrodeposition: The piece of jewelry was submerged into an electrolyte bath, a solution containing dissolved gold ions.
4. Electrical Current: An electric current was passed through the solution. The jewelry acted as the cathode (negatively charged), attracting the positively charged gold ions to its surface.
5. Coating Thickness: The thickness of the gold layer was controlled by the concentration of gold in the solution and the time the piece remained in the bath.
6. Finishing: After plating, the piece was rinsed and dried thoroughly to prevent water spots or discoloration.
The result was a beautiful, durable gold-toned finish that allowed Eisenberg's brilliant rhinestone designs to shine, a quality that makes these vintage pieces highly collectible today.
Swarovski crystal:
Swarovski started making crystals in 1895 when Daniel
Swarovski founded the company in Wattens, Austria.
This followed his 1892 patent for an electric machine that
allowed for the precision cutting of crystal, which revolutionized the industry and enabled mass production.
• 1892: Daniel Swarovski patents an electric cutting machine, a key innovation that made mass production of precisely cut crystals possible.
• 1895: Swarovski founds the company in Wattens, Austria, and opens a factory there to begin crystal production. The location was ideal for utilizing hydroelectric power for the energy-intensive machinery.
• Early products: Initially, the company focused on optical products and lead crystal prisms. However, their high-quality crystals were soon found to be a more affordable alternative to diamonds for fashion and jewelry.
Key points about Swarovski crystals from 1945 to 1958:
• Introduction of the Aurora Borealis (AB)
Effect: The most significant development was the creation of the AB coating in 1956. This process involved applying a micro-thin layer of vaporized blue metal to the crystal's lower facets, which resulted in an iridescent, rainbow-like light refraction.
• Collaboration with Christian Dior: Manfred Swarovski, Daniel Swarovski's grandson, worked personally with Christian Dior to perfect the AB effect, which Dior used exclusively in his 1956 collection for a limited time. This marked a new era of close cooperation between the crystal company and the global fashion industry.
• Fashion Boom: The years following World War Il saw a significant boom in fashion and glamour. Swarovski crystals were highly sought after by popular designers, including Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Hollywood costume designers, and became synonymous with this era of glamour.
• High Precision and Clarity: Throughout this period, Swarovski continued to be known for the high precision of its cuts and exceptional clarity, a result of the patented electric cutting machine Daniel Swarovski developed in the late 19th century. The inclusion of lead in the crystal formula during this time was instrumental in achieving this high level of brilliance and light refraction.
• Brand Marking: For collectors, jewelry featuring Swarovski crystals from this specific era (1945-1958) that was produced by the US jewelry manufacturer Eisenberg was often marked with the phrase "Eisenberg Ice" in block letters.