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When someone mentions vintage costume jewelry, probably what comes to mind for many of us are the fabulous rhinestone laden pieces of the 1950s.  One of the foremost names in this classic jewelry style was Kramer. Kramer Jewelry Louis Kramer founded Kramer Jewelry Creations, Inc. in 1943.  His two brothers Harry and Morris arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and ran the business aspects of the company allowing Louis to concentrate on jewelry design   At a time when many costume jewelry manufacturers were located in Providence, Rhode Island, the company made their home in New York City.   While they designed all of their pieces, frequently the actual manufacture was jobbed out to other companies such as Delizza & Elster. 1970s Openwork Ribbon Earrings The company was best known for their parures (sets) and demi parures of high-quality rhinestones, usually Austrian.  Other materials such as art glass were sometimes incorporated into the designs.  They also designed jewelry for other companies, most notably Dior in the 1950s and 60s and Geoffrey Beene in the 1970s. SHOP KRAMER JEWELRY 1950s Kramer Bib Necklace In addition to their classic pieces, another style they made famous was their fabulous floral brooches in rhinestones and/or enamel.  In the construction of the jewelry, the rhinestones were usually prong-set.  The backs of earlier pieces were either plated with gold or rhodium which is a shiny silver-colored metal.   Later pieces in the 60s and 70s had textured backs rather than smooth. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MadgesHatbox Vintage (@madgeshatboxvintage) Dating Jewelry There are several general rules for dating costume jewelry. Prior to 1955 jewelry makers were not able to use copyright law to protect their designs.  So any piece marked with a © is later than 1955. Sometimes jewelry companies placed design patents on their pieces …