Selini Figural Blackamoor Jewelry Set | Dramatic 1950s Design

About Selro / Selini

Selro rose to prominence as a New York costume jewelry manufacturer in the postwar years, operating primarily from the late 1940s through the 1960s. Paul Selenger, an Odessa-born Russian immigrant, founded the company after arriving in the United States as a young man and later becoming a U.S. citizen. Before establishing Selro, Selenger gained industry experience at H. Pomerantz & Co. in New York.

Selenger created the name Selro by combining elements of his surname with his mother Rose’s first name. Family members participated in the business, including Selenger’s sister Fanny. Family recollections describe a Manhattan workshop active during the 1950s and early 1960s, where model makers and bench workers produced many of the company’s designs.

Selini and Related Lines

Although Selro Corp. was the primary company name, Selenger also produced jewelry under the Selini name, sometimes simultaneously. Pieces appear with either mark—and in rare cases, both—leading collectors to recognize Selro and Selini as closely linked lines from the same operation. Collectors also occasionally associate the lesser-known mark Selan with the firm.

Design and Production

Selro–Selini jewelry stands out for its bold visual language, especially expressive figural motifs, carved resin elements, and richly ornamented settings. Selenger designed many of the firm’s signature pieces himself. Wholesalers distributed the jewelry to department stores across the United States, and Selenger also worked within the industry as a jobber, coordinating or representing production for other costume jewelry houses, including Florenza and Capri.

Later Years and Legacy

By the late 1960s, Selro closed its Manhattan operations. Outside manufacturers, including Expansion Ltd., handled some later production before the line faded by the mid-1970s. Today, collectors prize Selro and Selini jewelry—especially signed figural designs—for their sculptural quality, theatrical scale, and unmistakable mid-century presence.