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1. Vintage Hattie Carnegie necklace of iridescent cut crystals and gilt mesh with 3. Hattie Carnegie Haute Couture Egyptian Revival
matching ear clips selling for $685 on eBay Lapis Blue & Turquoise Glass Beads Necklace is 29"
long and the center drop is 4 1/8" long, ca. 1950s.
2. This vintage Toucan tropical bird brooch was first designed by Kenneth Lane Currently selling at Etsy.com for $495.
for Hattie Carnegie before he went off on his own, ca. 1960s. Selling for $77 at
rubylane.com 4. This famous 1950s brooch by Hattie Carnegie
features a coral color resin elephant figure with green,
clear, and purple rhinestone accents in a gold-tone
Carnegie Jewelry setting. Although unmarked, it is an acknowledged
3. Carnegie design. Sold for $225 at 1stdibs.com
The Carnegie look embodied total perfection, and accessories
were as much a part of the “look” as the clothing, especially the jewelry.
In 1939, Carnegie added a jewelry line to go with her clothing designs. were sold in the late 1970s as Valentino for Hattie Carnegie, Yves St.
Like Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, Carnegie flourished in the Laurent for Carnegie, and Anne Klein for Carnegie.
“cocktail jewelry” movement (1935-1960), where pieces like brooches
and demi-parures of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings put the finishing Legacy
touches on outfits. Rather than trying to copy fine jewelry, Carnegie’s
early pieces are often creative and quirky such as a cupid figure riding a
balloon swing or handsome unicorn brooches made in several variations. Carnegie’s fashion empire continued on for another decade after her
Over the years, Carnegie worked with a wide array of talented death with the help of two of her brothers who had worked closely with
designers and manufacturers on her jewelry line under the Carnegie her over the years but the strength of Carnegie’s personal dynamism
name but launched her jewelry business with Fallon & Kappel, a famed and leadership was so closely identified with the company that it was
manufacturer who also supplied Eisenberg with jewelry. Today, these difficult for it to continue successfully without her. On November 26,
early pieces made by Fallon & Kappel are considered by collectors to be 1964, The New York Times ran an article that “Hattie Carnegie, the
the most important and valuable of Carnegie jewelry. specialty shop at 42 East 49th Street … will go out of business next
As the decade wore on and her jewelry business expanded, Carnegie year.” According to the article, reports of the imminent demise of the
Company expanded its stable of jewelry designers and manufacturers to wholesale apparel and accessories divisions of the corporation founded
include Kenneth Jay Lane, Norman Norell, and Nadine Effront, a by the creator of “the little Carnegie suit” had been circulating in the
French sculptor and onetime student of George Braques. As a result, fashion industry in recent months but a statement issued by Edward
her jewelry over the decade reflects different styles; however, flowers, Isaacs, chairman of the board of Hattie Carnegie, emphasized that it
fruits, and leaves are constantly repeating motifs. was the store that was being closed, not the company, to enable the
Carnegie jewelry is known for its use of such wonderful elements as expansion of the wholesale operations.
glass cabochons, pressed glass leaves, beaded flowers, rock crystal, and After the Custom Salon closed in 1965, the company continued to
artificial pearls, and for incorporating specific themes into its jewelry produce jewelry, hats, and accessories until 1976, when the business
lines. One of Carnegie’s more popular jewelry collections is closed for good.
the Oriental line, inspired by Far Eastern and Indian motifs. The Carnegie’s designs were described in Who’s Who in Fashion 1988 as
collection includes elaborate metal human figures with “youthful and sophisticated, never faddy or extreme. She was
features made with tiny rhinestones and faux pearls, as well noted for suits with nipped waists and rounded hips,
as things like a figural elephant carrying a especially becoming on smaller women, embroidered,
howdah and a snuff-bottle pendant. Inspired by the beaded evening suits, at-home pajamas, long wool
African art that influenced Paris fashion in the dinner dresses, and theater suits. Beautiful fabrics
1930s, Carnegie also created a line of and excellent workmanship were hallmarks,
animal-shaped brooches made of Lucite in bold anything but the best was abhorrent to her.”
colors like red-orange, emerald green, ivory, and Carnegie’s outstanding work was recognized by
turquoise blue, and were trimmed with two awards given during her lifetime: the
rhinestones, colored beads, and gilt metal. In Neimann-Marcus Award in 1939 and the Coty
addition to themed collections, she made many American Fashion Critics’ Award for “consistent
beautiful, more traditionally styled jewelry pieces contribution to American elegance” in 1948. Yet, one
featuring beautiful rhinestones. of Carnegie’s most important legacies to American fashion
Carnegie costume jewelry was made from the was the designers that came out of her workrooms, a sort
1940s to the 1970s; however, jewelry designed before of fashion incubator for emerging talent. Carnegie was
she died in 1956, while under her personal guidance, is Hattie Carnegie’s elegant evening known to have an amazing ability to recognize
considered rare and therefore is most valued by collec- cap with biased silk organza. design talent. Although she never gave these
tors. These early pieces can be identified by an “HC” Horsehair cap is 7” in diameter designers credit for their work, they credit her with
mark. Some of the last pieces including the Carnegie with 10” tendrils made in the 1950s. the future career opportunities that came from
name were sold in the to include the Carnegie name Selling on 1stDibs for $475. working under her label.

26 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles