The makers behind the marks
Manufacturer History
Three American names behind many of the signed pieces we curate: where they started, what they made, and why the work has lasted.
Timeline
Three makers, overlapping lives.
19001920194019601980
1911Coro opens its Providence factory
1930sCoro introduces the Duette
1948Ledo name adopted
1950Kramer begins making pieces for Christian Dior
1951Ledo earns a Fashion Academy Gold Medal
The Diamond Look
Kramer
Founded1943, New York City, by Louis Kramer
MadeGilt metal, rhinestones, glass and enamel
Known forThe Diamond Look, and Christian Dior pieces from 1950
ClosedThe 1970s
Kramer Jewelry Creations was founded in New York City in 1943 by Louis Kramer, later joined by his brothers. The company made pieces out of gilt metal, rhinestones, glass, and enamel, and became a notable name in the costume jewelry industry through the postwar years.
By the early 1950s, Kramer was advertising under the slogan "The Diamond Look by Kramer" for its rhinestone jewelry. A second line, "The Golden Look," offered gold-plated pieces without stones — less popular with collectors today, but well made.
Kramer's best-known work came from its partnership with Christian Dior. Starting in 1950, the company made pieces for the fashion house under names like "Kramer for Christian Dior" and "Dior by Kramer." Kramer's jewelry was also reportedly worn by several well-known actresses of the era.
Kramer closed in the 1970s, but the jewelry has held up well over the decades. It's a good example of what we look for at Lombard & Day: well-made pieces that don't need to be new to be worth wearing.
Illustrative image · Kramer
Art Deco craftsmanship
Ledo
Founded1911, New York, by Ralph Polcini; renamed Ledo around 1948
MadeRhodium-plated metal, rhinestones, detailed brooches
Known forArt Deco-inspired design; Fashion Academy Gold Medal, 1951
Mark usedUntil the early 1960s, then the Polcini mark
Ledo was the jewelry mark of Ralph Polcini, an Italian-born goldsmith who founded his New York jewelry company in 1911 and renamed it Ledo around 1948.
Known for its Art Deco-inspired designs — rhodium-plated metal, sparkling rhinestones, and finely detailed brooches — Ledo built a reputation for high-quality craftsmanship, even earning a Fashion Academy Gold Medal in 1951.
The name was used until the early 1960s, when the company transitioned to the Polcini mark, making Ledo-signed pieces a treasured and relatively rare find for vintage collectors today.
Ledo pavé crystal earrings · from our collection
The largest in the world
Coro, Corocraft, Coro Pegasus
Founded1901, New York, by Emanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger
FactoryProvidence, Rhode Island, from 1911
Known forThe Duette, a double dress-clip brooch from the early 1930s
Related linesCorocraft and the higher-end Vendôme
Coro was founded in New York in 1901 by Emanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger. They outsourced manufacturing but then opened their own factory in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1911, which went on to become the largest costume jewelry facility in the world.
The company built its exceptional reputation by hiring talented in-house designers and producing jewelry across a wide range of price points. Coro not only survived the 1929 stock market crash but continued to thrive through the following decade.
Coro is especially famous for "the Duette" — a double dress-clip brooch introduced in the early 1930s that could be worn as one piece or separated into two.
The company produced jewelry under related lines including Corocraft and the higher-end Vendôme.
Today, original Coro pieces are widely collected and remain some of the most recognizable names in American costume jewelry history.
Illustrative image · Coro White 'n Hue
From the history to the jewelry box
Find a signed piece.
Every piece in the shop is checked for its maker, its marks and its condition before it is listed.