Rosenstein

Morning Glory Collects…

things we love to buy, wear and share…

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN Jewelry
1935-1975

Well designed and with obvious quality, Rosenstein jewelry pieces are elegantly
finished with great attention to detail. Nettie Rosenstein was a
multi-talented lady, making clothing and accessories as well as a wonderful
line of costume jewelry.
Rosenstein jewelry comes in every size, shape and color, with favorites being
the sterling vermeil pieces, Oriental motifs and portrait jewelry.

I ran across
a 1942 issue of "Time Magazine" and found, to my delight, a short feature about
NETTIE ROSENSTEIN, the fashion designer. I would enjoy sharing it with
you.

Known in the trade as "Miss
Rosie", Nettie Rosenstein designed clothing, accessories and jewelry. She
was born in Austria in 1890, migrated with her family in the 1890s, and
became an American fashion designer based in New York City. Rosenstein made
clothing privately starting in 1917 in her brownstone house.
By 1921 she had moved to a space in the East Fifties. She sold in
California’s I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Mrs. Blum’s in Chicago
and Nan Duskin’s in Philadelphia. Her dresses sold for $60-300 a piece
wholesale. By the 1940’s she was selling exclusively through Bonwit
Teller’s in Manhattan.

Pearl Harbor and World War II caused her business to decrease 50-90%,
especially in evening wear. Between that and the shortage of fabrics, she
was going out of business in 1942, according to this article, but she
returned to business a few years later. She discontinued the fashion part of
her business again in 1961, but her line of jewelry was kept alive by her
partner, Sol Klein until 1975 when he retired. Mrs. Rosenstein died in March
of 1980.

For more about Rosenstein jewelry and how it was designed, click
HERE.

To purchase NETTIE ROSENSTEIN jewelry please click
HERE.

ROSENSTEIN textured gold tone and rhinestones and aqua cabochons pin
of an oriental lady with carved face holding a flower in her hand, circa
1960, 2-1/3". This is the same piece seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s
Jewelry", 3rd Ed, page 204.
View
View
View #X9287

ROSENSTEIN textured
gold tone and rhinestones Siamese musician brooch with lovely facial
expression, 2". (Seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry, 3rd Ed, page
204.) View #X18322

ROSENSTEIN textured
gold tone and rhinestones fisherman brooch with bearded face. This is
the same piece seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s Jewelry", 3rd Ed,
page 204. View #X17299

ROSENSTEIN textured
gold tone and rhinestones Thai dancer brooch with shy face, 2-3/4". This
is the same piece seen in Christie Romero’s book, "Warman’s Jewelry",
3rd Ed, page 204.
View
#X17212

Rosenstein design pencil sketch for a bejeweled headdress brooch.

ROSENSTEIN textured gold tone and rhinestones Siamese dancer brooch
with shy face circa 1960, 2-3/4".
View #X21201.

ROSENSTEIN Asian
lady brooch with faux coral flowers and cabochons and clear rhinestones headdress,
circa 1960, 2-1/3" by 1-1/4". This is marked "Nettie Rosenstein" in an elongated oval
on the back. Included is the one-of-a-kind original hand drawn Rosenstein design
pencil sketch for a this brooch, what a treat to have.
View #X23986

Rosenstein design pencil sketch for a bejeweled headdress brooch,
shown at left.

ROSENSTEIN jester brooch with blue cabochons and faux pearls set in
gold tone, black enameled face, 2". View
#X22504

ROSENSTEIN elephant brooch
with jeweled carved head, circa 1960, 2-1/3".
View #X24138

ROSENSTEIN aqua and
red rhinestone elephant pendant on 22" thick gold tone twist chain,
circa 1960, 2-5/8".
View #X28152

ROSENSTEIN standing elephant
brooch with red, aqua and clear stones, circa 1960, 2".
ViewView #X24220

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN article in a "Time Magazine" issue from 1942. Known in
the trade as "Miss Rosie", she made clothing, accessories and jewelry. She
was born in Austria in 1890, migrated with her family to America in the 1890s, and
became an American fashion designer based in New York City.

Rosenstein made clothing privately starting in 1917 in her
brownstone house. By 1921 she had moved to a space in the East Fifties. She
sold in several stores, including California’s I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Mrs. Blum’s in
Chicago and Nan Duskin’s in Philadelphia. Her dresses sold for $60-$300
apiece wholesale. By the 1940’s she was selling exclusively through Bonwit
Teller’s in Manhattan.

Pearl Harbor and World War II caused her business to decrease 50-90%,
especially in evening wear. Between that and the shortage of fabrics, she
was going out of business in 1942 according to this article, but she
returned to business a few years later. She discontinued the fashion part of
her business again in 1961, but her line of jewelry was kept alive by her
partner, Sol Klein until 1975 when he retired. Mrs. Rosenstein died in March
of 1980

This article was a small feature in "Time Magazine" March 1942.

ROSENSTEIN brooches set in
gold tone metal, circa 1960.
View

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN trembler
pansy flower brooch and
earrings set with tiny aqua glass beads and clear rhinestones in a brushed
gold tone setting. The brooch and both earrings have two tiny springs
each, allowing the petals to tremble, and all 3 pieces are marked on the back
"Nettie Rosenstein". The brooch is 1-5/8" by 1-1/2" and the earrings are
each 1-1/8" by 1" clip backs. Circa 1960, all the pieces are in excellent
vintage condition.
View #X40154

ROSENSTEIN 1-3/4"
king and 2" queen pins with black carved possibly wooden heads and gold
tone bodies with rhinestone accents.
View #X23563

ROSENSTEIN
oriental man and woman pins with green glass faces, black enameling on
gold tone and clear rhinestone accents. Man is 1-1/3" and woman is
1-1/2".
View #X22914

ROSENSTEIN
brushed gold tone oriental lady figural 2.5" fur clip with green glass
face and cabochons and clear rhinestones.
View #X12157

ROSENSTEIN
gold plated sterling enamel and rhinestone frog pins and earrings set circa
1940s.
Set includes 2-1/3" pin, 2" pin, 1-1/4" pin and 1-1/4" earrings.
This can be seen in Brunialti’s "American
Costume Jewelry, Art & Industry" on page 45, where they say it was shown
in Fall 1944, part of a collection of animal brooches which were offered
in set of 3. A set with pieces similar to this can be seen in
the book "Bijoux" by Deanna Cera on page 230.
View
View #X23083

ROSENSTEIN
sterling enameled and rhinestones bracelet circa 1945.
View #X23719

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN sterling vermeil wrapped
heart fur clip with unusual pink rhinestones shot through with lavender,
circa 1940, 2-1/4" by 1-3/4". This "By Love Entwined" theme is done
using the most amazing pink unfoiled rhinestones that flash with blue and
lavender highlights almost like a dragon’s breath does. It is
marked on the back, "Nettie Rosenstein" and on the clip back, "sterling".
Circa 1940, it is in good vintage condition with only very slight wear to
the finish here and there and an all but invisible chip on one stone, and
the stones on the knot are grayed. View
View #X23599

ROSENSTEIN sterling fish fur clips, 2-5/8″ and 2″ with
1-1/4″ earrings.
ViewView #X24350

ROSENSTEIN sterling and enameled2-3/4″
flying fish fur clip with green rhinestone eyes.
View #X24351

ROSENSTEIN jester 3-1/4″ brooch and two matching 1-1/4″ scatter pins.
View #X24139

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN heraldic regal pendant with a crown and wreath circa 1965. Made of of
textured gold tone and a central glass pearl with clear rhinestone accents,
the pendant is 3" on a 21" long gold tone chain. Signed on the back "Nettie
Rosenstein" it is in excellent condition in every way.

View
View
View #X24850

ROSENSTEIN lion pendant on wide gold tone chain necklace, lion 2-1/3" and
chain 26". View #X31841

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN regal cross pendant with blue enamel and clear rhinestones
set in gold tone with clear rhinestones, circa 1965. The wide chain is 22"
long and the pendant 2-1/3". Signed on the back "Nettie Rosenstein" it is in
excellent condition. This is the very same piece seen in Christie Romero’s "Warman’s
Jewelry", 3rd Ed, page 205.

View

View #X9554

ROSENSTEIN
sterling vermeil heart pendant with gold tone artificial pearls, clear
rhinestones and a rose glass cabochon center, 2-1/8" heart and 17" chain, circa 1946 as documented by this
Harper’s Bazaar Magazine 1946
advertisement. High quality and well made as is most
Rosenstein.
View
View #X22136

ROSENSTEIN
Harper’s Bazaar 1946
Illustrating the heart pendant shown at left.

ROSENSTEIN yellow square
rhinestone 2-1/3" pendant on 24" gold tone chain. This chain is
probably a replacement.
View #X27643

ROSENSTEIN gold plated base metal with clear rhinestones apple trembler brooch,
2". View
#X28533

ROSENSTEIN gold tone and
clear rhinestone coin pendant and earrings, 15" by 5/8" chain, 1-1/3" coin, 1"
earrings. View
#X28161

ROSENSTEIN circle fur clip
with clear rhinestones, circa 1940, 2-1/4".
View #X61133

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN cross and crown brooch. View
#X19817

ROSENSTEIN pocket watch fur clip with clear rhinestones. View
#X66225

MAGAZINE advertisement for Nettie Rosenstein sword and pocket watch
brooches or clips.

ROSENSTEIN sterling vermeil and clear rhinestones flower brooch,
circa 1945, 3-1/8". View
#X25851

ROSENSTEIN
gold tone, clear rhinestones and artificial pearl 2" flower trembler
necklace, 15". View
#X25989

ROSENSTEIN sterling vermeil
shamrock pin with clear rhinestones, 2-5/8".
View #X25102

ROSENSTEIN hand
painted portrait brooch in gold tone with artificial pearls and clear
rhinestones, 2". The tiny portrait was hand painted on celluloid in
wonderful colors and detail, and the setting displays it perfectly. View
#X26513

ROSENSTEIN hand painted
portrait brooch set in ornate gold tone with clear rhinestones and
artificial pearls, 2-1/2" by 1-3/4", circa 1960. The lady in the
portrait wears wonderful jewelry and a powdered wig.
View #X11708

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN artificial
pearl and rhinestones set in gold tone earrings, 1" clip backs. These looks
wonderful with the Rosenstein portrait brooches with pearl surrounds. In
excellent condition, these are circa 1960.
View #X24342

ROSENSTEIN
hand painted portrait brooch in gold tone with artificial pearls and clear
rhinestones.
View #X22409

ROSENSTEIN elegant lady hand painted
portrait 2" pendant with clear rhinestones on 22" gold tone chain.
View #X28503

ROSENSTEIN sterling
vermeil and clear rhinestones brooch with delicate hand painted Degas-style ballerina
center,
1-5/8". The charming miniature painting is done on celluloid. View
#X22135

ROSENSTEIN portrait
enameled on metal set in gold tone with clear rhinestones brooch, 2-3/4".
View #X27683

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN portrait brooch with a hand painted child wearing a
lace edged cap surrounded by glass pearls and clear rhinestones and all set
in textured gold tone, marked "Nettie Rosenstein" on the back, circa 1960s,
2" by 1-1/3". This is in very good condition with only a few clear
rhinestones turning a bit gray. Included here just for fun is a jpg of a
group of these Rosenstein portrait pieces so you can see the wonderful
variety they made

HERE.

View #X38986

NETTIE ROSENSTEIN earrings with glass pearls set in matte gold tone
around a Romanesque bust profile, 1". They are beautifully made, and even
the textured back sides are lovely. The back of both clips is marked "Nettie
Rosenstein". These are clip back earrings in excellent condition.

View #X39410

ROSENSTEIN portrait brooch with signed hand painted portrait of a soldier,
set in textured gold tone with a clear rhinestone border, 2" by 1-1/3".

View

View #X37720

ROSENSTEIN
stars brooch and earrings with green aurora cabochon and clear
rhinestone accents.
ViewView
#X19418

ROSENSTEIN very
unusual sterling
sword fur clip with face, 3-1/2″.
View
View #X21892

ROSENSTEIN embossed gold tone brooch with Indian motif.
View #X19272

SIMILAR PORTRAIT BROOCHES by other
makers

HASKELL/VRBA this fabulous portrait pin was made for a Broadway play
by Larry Vrba when he was the designer for Miriam Haskell Jewelry. There was more
of this regal-looking jewelry made for the same
play, and I dream of finding other pieces.
View
View
#H10012

PORTRAIT JEWELRY by Nettie Rosenstein, Lawrence Vrba, Miriam Haskell and Florenza.

FLORENZA
portrait brooch/frame. It is interesting that this image is so similar to the
Rosenstein portrait brooch and the Haskell/Vrba brooch.
View
#X21469