Manufacturer History

Kramer

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.

Ledo

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.

Coro, Corocraft, Coro Pegasus

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.