Researching Costume Jewelry History, Companies and Signatures – “K”

Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l
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Researching Costume Jewelry

 originally published by Dotty Stringfield on IllusionJewels.com

 

Jewelry History – Jewelry Research – Jewelry Marks – Jewelry Signatures – Jewelry Articles – Jewelry Galleries

 

COSTUME JEWELRY MARKS – K*

 

Information and images contained in Researching Costume Jewelry (RCJ) were created by Illusion Jewels and are currently maintained and updated by Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI). Written permission by CJCI is needed to use any information obtained from RCJ in any other publication whether written or electronic.

 

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K

KB — See BEGAY, KENNETH

 

KJL — See LANE, KENNETH J.

 

KL — See KARL LAGERFELD

 

K.L. — See CHARLES ROTHMAN CO.

 

KP — See KNOLL & PREGIZER

 

K.T. — See TAKAHASHI

 

K & T —Providence, RI

• Mark:   K & T
• Used on cards: Pins with Personality c. 1997
• Used on cards: Barrettes with Personality c. 1997

 

KABANA — Albuquerque, NM — 1975 until present

• Mark:   Kabana Sterling     Courtesy justabunchawildflowers
• Founded by Stavros Eleftheriou.

 

KAFIN — New York — July 6, 1946 to December 16, 1963.

• Mark:  Kafin New York     Photo courtesy Cindy Amirkhan.       Photo courtesy Lilly Vittetow
• Mark:   Kafin in script

 

KAHN, NATALIE — c. 1954

• Bead jewelry, shell jewelry, tailored metal with rhinestones.

 

KAI-YIN LO

• Mark:   KYLO 925     Photo courtesy Erik Yang.
• Contemporary Hong Kong/Manhattan jewelry designer.

 

KALINGER PARIS

•   Mark:   Kalinger © Paris   Photo courtesy Lilly Vittetow
• Dates: 1986
• Owner: Catherine Martinez
• Location: France

 

KALMOUR

• Have ad from 1941

 

KANDELL & MARCUS

• Mark:   Kandell & Marcus N.Y.     Photo courtesy Rosie Dyer.

 

KANTOR NOVELTY —  NY,NY — c. 1942 – ?

• Mark:   Kantor Novelty     Courtesy Mary Ann Docktor-Smith
• Mark:   Jewelplast 1942

 

KAPLAN, MORRIS AND SONS, CO.  — NY

• Mark:   Marquette Creations first used 1926, reg. 1947.      Registration reads: ” (Diamonds and precious and
  semi-precious stones; finger rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and chokers, all made of or designed to simulate precious or semi-precious metal). Courtesy Plenty O’[email protected]

 

KARAN, DONNA — NY — See DONNA KARAN

 

KAREN LYNNE — See CHARLES ROTHMAN CO.

 

KAREN LYNNE — Care Creek, AZ

• Contemporary artist
• Mark:   KL   

 

KARL LAGERFELD

• Mark:   KL in script   Photo courtesy Erik Yang.

 

KARST— German — early 1900s

• Mark:   Karst 800     Courtesy Cathy Gordon

 

KARU — KAUFMAN & RUDERMAN, INC.  — NY, NY — c. 1940s-to 1970s?

• Mark:   Karu first used in 1940
• Mark:   On necklace “Karu Arke, made in W. Germany” foil tag; hook marked “W. Germany”; paper tag “The Anderson Newcomb Co.”
    Courtesy Pauline Lytle ID: spwalker10.
• Mark:   Karu Arke   
• Mark:   Karu Arke Inc.     Courtesy Dad’s Pottery
• Mark:   Karu Fifth Avenue      Photo courtesy Laura Libio.
• Mark:   Karu Sterling     Courtesy Carolyn Newhouse

 

KATE HINES — See HINES, KATE

 

KATERINA MUSETTI DESIGNS — since 1990s

• Contemporary designer
• Mark:   Katerina Musetti Designs     Courtesy Katerina Musetti

 

KAYE DENNING — See DENNING

 

KAYWIN NOVELTY CO.  — c. 1933

• Mark:        Photo courtesy Pam Wiggins.
• Founded by Daniel Kasoff and Weiner before Kasoff started Florenza on his own. — Info courtesy Jan Gaughan.

 

KENNETH J. LANE — See LANE, KENNETH

 

KERR, RICHARD — Dallas, TX — c. 1980

• Mark:   Richard Kerr  

 

KETCHAM & MCDOUGALL, INC.  — New Jersey — c. 1875 to at least 2003

• Mark:   Ketcham McDougall East Orange, NJ    Photo courtesy Joan Sween.
• Notes: Original company founded in 1832 by John Roshore. It became Ketcham & McDougall around 1875.
• Known for thimbles, eyeglasses holders and fine jewelry.

 

KEYES — 1962- to at least 1999

• Mark:   Keyes   Photo courtesy Lee Caplan.
• Canadian company.

 

KEYNOTE OF FASHION — See UNCAS

 

KIDD, DAVID — c. July 1965

 

Kiddie Kraft — See MARATHON

 

KIM — 1956

• Mark:   Kim — first used 1956, registered 1979     (RCJ)
• Owner of mark: Kim Craftsmen, Ltd., NY, NY

 

KIRK, ALEXIS — c. 1970s

• Mark:   Alexis Jewels hangtag     Courtesy Julie Levine
• Contemporary designer who started in the 1970’s (per Frank DeLizza).

 

KIRK’S FOLLY 1979-present

• Mark:   Kirk’s Folly     Photo courtesy Debbie Robinson.

 

KIRSCHMAN, LEWIS — LEWIS KIRSCHMAN CO. INC.  — c. 1947

• Mark:   Old Crest Sterling     Courtesy Lilly Vittetow
• Ad from 1947 says that the jewelry is bench made

 

KISTNER,  F. N. — Chicago — 1905 – 2006

• Mark:     
• Maker of fraternal jewelry.

 

KJ — See KOLLMAR & JOURDAN

 

KJAG — See KOLLMAR & JOURDAN

 

K. J. L. — See LANE, KENNETH J.

 

KLEIN, ANNE

• Mark:   Tagged Accessocraft and Klein, as they did a line together.     Photo courtesy Lilly Vittetow.
• Mark:   Anne Klein     Photo courtesy of Gail Gupton
• Mark:   AK        Courtesy RCJ
• Mark:     Courtesy Claudia Harris
• Mark:   Anne Klein for Carnegie — 1978

 

KLIK PROMOTIONS, INC.  — NY — c.1950

• Mark:   Double-Ette — used on box containing purse/glove holder. 
• Mark:   Klik – EtteS — first used 1952.

 

KLITZNER INDUSTRIES, INC. — Providence, RI — c.1910 to present (4/07)

• Mark:   Cloisart — 1973, renewed 1995, now dead    Courtesy RCJ
• Mark:   Cloisart     Courtesy Raefield Designs
• Mark:   HPM — 1982, live — used mainly on non-jewelry items     Courtesy RCJ
• Mark:   Celebrating The Millennium 2000 Two Thousand Years — 1997, cancelled 2006     Courtesy RCJ
• Founded by Harry Klitzner.

 

KNOLL AND PREGIZER — Pforzheim, Germany — 1887 – 1975

• Mark:   Sterling Germany KP  
• Mark:   935 KP   
• Mark:   Germany Sterling 935 KP
• Mark:   An enlargement of the “KP”   
• Mark:   Sterling Silver Birks KP      Birks – high end jewelry store in Canada who evidently had Knoll & Pregizer make jewelry for
• them.
• Mark:   KAPE — registered in 1938 & used on watches
• Mark:   Lotos — mark used on watches
• Notes: Robin discovered a 1975 patent for a watch crystal registered by the company.
• Thanks to Robin Deutsch for the years of research that solved the “KP” mystery. All information and images are from Robin.
• Read Robin’s article on Knoll & Pregizer
• See pictures of Robin’s wonderful collection of Knoll & Pregizer jewelry, with more pictures of marks.

 

KOLLMAR & JOURDAN — Pforzheim, Germany

• Founded in 1885; Factory destroyed during WWII; rebuilt & in business until 1977.
• Mark:   KJAG        Photo courtesy Laura Libio.
• Mark:   Rolled Gold, KJ with arrow through it, Germany     Courtesy Emily Stone
• Mark:   KJ with an arrow through it.

 

KORDA

• Mark:   Thief of Bagdad Korda  
• Notes: This jewelry was mfg. by the Rice-Weiner Co. (see Rice-Weiner).
• The story about Korda giving these pieces of jewelry to the cast of “The Thief of Bagdad” after the movie was made is just a lovely myth, and not fact.
• Mark:   Â© Alexander Korda
• Jewelry was also made based on “The Jungle Book” movie, marked © Alexander Korda. Korda was the director of the movie, but had nothing to do with the jewelry.

 

KRAMER — KRAMER JEWELRY CREATIONS — NY, Ny 1943 — c.1980

 

• Mark:   Kramer first used 1943       Photo courtesy Simply Sharon.
• Mark:   The Diamond Look (script) 1948
• Mark:   Kramer Pat. Pend.     Photo courtesy Jennifer from Jennifer Lynn’s Timeless Jewelry.
• With copyright mark, after 1955      Photo courtesy Bonnie Lynn Kirby.
• Mark:   Kramer Sterling     Photo courtesy Sheila Winters.
• Mark:   Kramer, Made In Austria       Two marks found on same brooch by Pat Seal.
• Mark:   “K” inside a teardrop-shaped metal hangtag. – seen in a 1961 ad.
• Mark:   The Diamond Look (block print)      Photo courtesy Carol Ann O’Leary.
• Mark:   Kramer of New York     Photo courtesy Jenny Wren.
• Mark:   Kramer New York      Photo courtesy Plenty O’[email protected]
• Mark:   Kramer of NY (found on pearls)   Photo courtesy eclecticgramma.
• Mark:   Christian Dior by Kramer     Photo courtesy Jennifer from Jennifer Lynn’s Timeless Jewelry.
• Mark:   The Golden Look (script) 1954      Courtesy Plenty O’Jewels.
• Mark:   Perles de Lune — used on Kramer Pearl Jewelry from Sept. 1962
• Mark:   Amourelle — by Frank Hess for Kramer — since 1963 — heart shaped plaque.    Photo courtesy Cathy Gordon .
• Mark:   Amourelle — by Frank Hess for Kramer  Photo & info courtesy Cathy Gordon.
• Founded by Louis Kramer in 1943
• Thanks to Plenty O’Jewels for some of the above information.

 

KREISLER MFG. CORP. — 1913-at least 1977

• Mark:   Kreisler  
• Mark:   Gold-Klad — 1921
• Notes: The Stern-Kreisler Jewelry Company founded in 1914 in NYC by Jacques Kreisler & Marcus Stern made fine jewelry.
• 1928 Tobias Stern (son of founder) and Jacques Kreisler form Kreisler Manufacturing Coporation.
• 1932 the Jacques Kreisler Manufacturing Corp. closes its doors.
• 1933 Tobias Stern and Jacques Kreisler restart the business of manufacturing watchbands.
• 1948 Kreisler expands its product line to include men’s and women’s jewelry
• 1952 The men’s and ladies jewelry line is discontinued.
• Not sure when they again started making jewelry.
• 1975 The jewelry division moves to St. Petersburg, FL.
• 1979 Kreisler closes its jewelry division .
• 1980 company moves into its current corporate offices in St. Petersburg, FL.
• Have ads from 1946 & 1947.

 

KREMALOY — See KREMENTZ

 

KREMENTZ —  1866-1997

• Mark:   Heraldic (on a shield) 1930
• Mark:   Krementz 1884
• Mark:    Krementz    Photo courtesy Jo-Ann Sturko.
• Mark:   Krementz USA   
• Mark:   Bottom looks like a man’s handle-bar mustache and top looks a little like an umbrella or like an anchor     Photo courtesy Sam & Yvonne Mitchell.
• Mark:   Nu-Kay 1907
• Mark:   Snap-Bar 1940
• Mark:   Diana     Photo courtesy Sam & Yvonne Mitchell.
• Mark:   Kremaloy
• Mark:   Krementz Plate   
• Mark:   Krementz Made in USA     Courtesy Sam & Yvonne Mitchell
• Mark:   Krementz Plate (on early 1900’s MOP cufflinks)     Photo courtesy Plenty O’Jewels
• Mark:   Krementz (script)–now being used
• Notes: In 2000, Richard Krementz said the firm had also sold under the names: Shiman, McTeigue, and Jones & Woodland.
• Until 1878 the firm’s sales were confined to the jobbing trade.
• In 1997 they sold “Krementz” to Colibri and some of their other lines were sold to other companies.
• Today, the Krementz family still manufactures 18k and platinum jewelry with exotic colored gemstones in Newark under the name Richard Krementz Gemstones.
  
• See a Krementz timeline

 

KTF — See TRIFARI

 

KUFF LOOP — See ANSON

 

KUM-A-PART — See SWANK, INC.

 

KUM-A-PART KUFF BUTTON — See SWANK, INC.

 

KUM-A-PART THE BUCKLE THAT SNAPS — See SWANK, INC.

 

KUNIO MATSUMOTO — See TRIFARI

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

PAT SEAL: research files
DOTTY STRINGFIELD: research files
BOBYE SYVERSON: research files.
A TRIBUTE TO AMERICA by Carla and Roberto Brunialti
AMERICAN COSTUME JEWELRY by Carla and Roberto Brunialti
AMERICAN JEWELRY MANUFACTURERS by Dorothy T. Rainwater
COLLECTIBLE COSTUME JEWELRY by Cherri Simonds
COLLECTING COSTUME JEWELRY 101 By Julia Carroll
COLLECTING COSTUME JEWELRY 202 By Julia Carroll
COLLECTING RHINESTONE COLORED JEWELRY by Maryanne Dolan
COPPER ART JEWELRY by Burkholz and Kaplan
COSTUME JEWELRY A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK AND GUIDE by Fred Rezazadeh
COSTUME JEWELRY (2nd Ed.) by Harrice Simons Miller
EUROPEAN DESIGNER JEWELRY by Ginger Moro
INSIDE THE JEWELRY BOX By Ann Pitman
LUCILLE TEMPESTA: owner-publisher of the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry Magazine
MASTERPIECES OF COSTUME JEWELRY by Ball and Torem
MID-CENTURY PLASTIC JEWELRY By Susan Klein
MIRIAM HASKELL JEWELRY by Cathy Gordon and Sheila Pamfiloff
OLD JEWELRY by Jeanenne Bell
WARMAN’S JEWELRY 2nd Ed. by Christie Romero
WARMAN’S JEWELRY 3rd Ed. by Christie Romero

*DISCLAIMER: As in the past, we make every effort to ensure all information contained in the RCJ pages is accurate. However, errors can occur. Neither the prior owner of RCJ, CJCI or its representatives are responsible for your use of these resources.

 

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All Rights Reserved.
All RCJ publications and pages were created by
by Dotty Stringfield with the assistance of research contributor Pat Seal

and other valued members of the costume jewelry collecting community.