Miriam Haskell Jewelry

 In the history of fashion, there is little space devoted to designers who accessorized or augmented the much-ballyhooed fashions of the twentieth century.  In this instance, Miriam Haskell is a star who outshone many of the so called great designers of this time period.  The longevity and value of the brand as well as the designer’s name have outlasted those of many of her colleagues and show no sign of abating anytime soon. Ms. Gordon and Ms. Pamfiloff offer an interesting, if slightly manipulated, history of the designer and the long enduring history of her name and brand.  The authors explore the methods of construction, various materials, and the owners of the fabled jewelry company with great ease and offer what amounts to a comprehensive textbook on Miriam Haskell.  The accounting is largely factual and to some degree, an embellished version of the truth, but that’s acceptable when the star of the book is the product.  The photographs are well documented and highly detailed but lack a professionalism that is expected of other books in this genre. At any rate, the book is a worthwhile addition to the library of a vintage jewelry collector as well as anyone who might be interested in a rapidly disappearing art form.  In a time of mass production and mass everything, there is something very unique about a product that is totally constructed by hand.  Think of Miriam Haskell as an “Old Master” of the jewelry business. Reviewer Jeffrey Felner is a columnist in Woman 2 Woman Magazine: Fashion by the Rules, and continues a long and successful career in jewelry and fashion design and merchandising.