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Tonight I want to talk about a vintage designer who is fast becoming one of my favourites: Miriam Haskell. I say "becoming" because it's only been in the last while that I've noticed the very high prices people will pay for an authentic piece of Miriam Haskell and I wanted to find out why.
When I began watching Miriam Haskell jewelry being sold on eBay, I was stunned. Her pieces, especially her sets were fetching massive dollars. I couldn't understand why. For me, the jewelry often looked somewhat chunky and over the top but that's just me. I tend to wear "quiet" jewelry. So when I saw a piece like this cranberry necklace on the right go for $750 US in an ebay auction, I figured there's something I must be missing! I began to research this great dame of vintage jewelry and that's when I learned that every single piece of Miriam Haskell jewelry was individually made. Each bead was strung piece by piece. In her large bead sets, tiny "findings" separated each bead, which helped keep the beads from rubbing against each other and wearing away the finish.
Then there was the intricacy of the "dangles" so common in her pieces, like the one shown in the orange necklace on the left. The workmanship is phenomenal, with tiny seed pearls carefully and painstakingly placed between larger beads and accented by turquoise-colored flowers and all joined by a network of wiring that is so deftly intertwined and hidden, the necklace remains beautiful both front and back. What craftsmanship and attention to detail.It was on learning this and studying many more photos of Miriam Haskell jewelry that I began to appreciate why her jewelry, though not as rare today as say, a Schiaparelli, is so highly sought after. That coral orange necklace, by the way, recently sold for $537 on ebay. Yes, Miriam Haskell jewelry is worth more than gold to her collectors.
Since "discovering" Miriam Haskell, I've been fortunate enough to acquire a number of lovely pieces, mainly beads. Simple one-row beads don't cost as much as something like the set shown on the right. That one was one of my first "expensive" sets but it was so beautiful and so worth the investment. It embodies all the elements Haskell is known for and the fact that it's a 3-piece parure makes it even more valuable.
I have several "new" (old) Haskells I'll be uploading to my Ruby Lane shop in next few weeks as we get the photos done, but right now, you can get that amazing black & crystal bib or "cha cha" necklace shown at the top of this post for only $395 in my RUBY LANE SHOP. This one is truly a stunner. Click the link or either the photo at the top or the bottom to see more views and learn more about this necklace. It weighs a whopping 117.7 grams ... too heavy for a little person like me to wear but it's just gorgeous. I would never have said that some months back when I hadn't yet developed an appreciation for Miriam Haskell jewelry but we can all change our minds, can't we :))
