Kramer of New York

Kramer of New York was an American jewelry company founded by Louis Kramer in 1943 and formerly located at 393 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The company operated during the postwar expansion of costume jewelry, producing decorative pieces designed to offer the visual effect of fine jewelry through the use of Austrian crystals, rhinestones, and other ornamental materials. Its work became associated with carefully finished, highly sparkling designs rather than with mass-market inexpensive accessories. The company marketed its products under several related marks, including Kramer of NY, Kramer of NY City, and the shorter Kramer name. It also produced jewelry for Christian Dior, with those pieces identified under the designation "Christian Dior by Kramer." This relationship connected the company to one of the most recognizable fashion houses of the period and helped reinforce its reputation within the better-quality costume-jewelry market. Kramer used a number of additional trademarks and collection names, including Amourelle, Perles De Lune, The Diamond Look, Dura-Gold, KJC, and The Golden Look. These marks reflected the company's efforts to distinguish different design concepts and finishes while maintaining a recognizable house identity. Its products are now encountered primarily through vintage jewelry dealers, auctions, collectors, and specialist reference sources rather than through an operating retail business. Kramer of New York ceased operations in 1980. Although the original company is defunct, its name remains respected among collectors of vintage costume jewelry. Surviving pieces are valued for their design, craftsmanship, materials, branding, and historical association with mid-century American jewelry production and with Christian Dior-branded collaborations. The company should therefore be understood as a historical jewelry maker and collectible vintage label, not as a currently operating international jewelry retailer.

Louis Kramer established Kramer of New York in 1943. The company was based at 393 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, placing it within one of New York City's prominent commercial and fashion districts. Its business centered on the manufacture and marketing of costume jewelry during a period when American consumers increasingly embraced jewelry designed to complement changing clothing styles and social occasions without the cost of precious-gem pieces. Kramer became known for producing visually elaborate jewelry using Austrian crystals and high-quality rhinestones. These materials allowed the company to create strong brilliance and color effects while supporting the wide range of shapes and settings associated with fashion jewelry. The company developed a reputation for producing some of the leading costume jewelry of its era, and surviving examples are now collected as representative pieces of mid-century American jewelry design. The business used several forms of its name in commerce, including Kramer of NY, Kramer of NY City, and Kramer. It also registered or used a group of distinctive marks and collection names, among them Amourelle, Perles De Lune, The Diamond Look, Dura-Gold, KJC, and The Golden Look. These names helped identify the company's designs and finishes and show that Kramer operated with a portfolio-style brand architecture rather than relying on only one label. One of the company's most significant commercial associations was its production of jewelry for Christian Dior. Those items were marked "Christian Dior by Kramer," linking Kramer's manufacturing and design capabilities with the branding of the French fashion house. The collaboration is particularly important to collectors because it places Kramer jewelry within the history of designer-branded costume jewelry and provides an additional basis for identifying authentic surviving pieces. Kramer of New York ceased operations in 1980. There is no indication in the supplied reference material of a continuing corporate business, current official website, public listing, or active successor operating under the original company. The label nevertheless continues to appear in the vintage market. Collectors and dealers value Kramer pieces for their workmanship, sparkling materials, recognizable marks, period styling, and association with Christian Dior. The company's historical significance consequently rests less on its present commercial activity than on its contribution to American costume jewelry and on the continued collectibility of its surviving products.

• 1980

  Operations ended

  [1]Kramer of New Yorken.wikipedia.org

  Kramer of New York ceased operations, ending its activity as an operating jewelry company.

• 1943

  Company founded

  [1]Kramer of New Yorken.wikipedia.org

  Louis Kramer founded Kramer of New York, a jewelry company based in Manhattan.

• Christian Dior production association

  [1]Kramer of New Yorken.wikipedia.org

  The company produced jewelry for Christian Dior under the designation "Christian Dior by Kramer."

A higher-quality mid-century American costume-jewelry maker emphasizing sparkle, Austrian crystals, rhinestones, decorative finishing, and fashion-house associations.

• Costume jewelry

  Kramer costume jewelry

  Kramer's principal output consisted of decorative costume jewelry made for the fashion market. Pieces were known for a pronounced sparkling appearance achieved with Austrian crystals and high-quality rhinestones. The surviving range is associated with mid-century styling and includes jewelry sold under Kramer of NY, Kramer of NY City, and Kramer marks.

• Designer fashion jewelry

  Christian Dior by Kramer

  This line covered jewelry made by Kramer for Christian Dior and marked with the phrase "Christian Dior by Kramer." The association connected Kramer's production with a major fashion-house name and is an important point of interest for collectors of vintage designer costume jewelry.

• Jewelry collections and trademarks

  Kramer trademark collections

  The company used additional marks and collection names including Amourelle, Perles De Lune, The Diamond Look, Dura-Gold, KJC, and The Golden Look. These names represented distinct branding or design identifiers within Kramer's broader costume-jewelry business.

1. 1Kramer of New Yorken.wikipedia.org