JEWELS OF LEGENDARY SPLENDOR
To coincide with the launch of our first ever vintage jewelry edit, I wanted to spotlight a few of my favorite designers! Fun Fact: Sjo Jewelry was born out of my love (and obsession with) vintage jewelry. I used to spend hours every weekend hunting for treasures at antique stores, flea markets and eBay, which is how I got into sourcing the vintage beads that I still use in my designs. On the blog today, I wanted to pay homage to one of my most beloved jewelers of all time. Read on for more!
I started collecting Hobé jewelry when I discovered one of their dazzling pieces at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in the mid-aughts. I was floored by the quality ~ the rhinestones so vibrant and shimmering, the metal settings weighty and substantial and the design absolutely beautiful. I was hooked!
Hobé et Cie was founded in Paris in 1887 by Jacques Hobé, a jeweler who wanted to create gorgeous pieces that were accessible not just to the wealthy. Trained as a master goldsmith, Hobé was fluent in fine jewelry techniques, but focused on using sterling silver rather than gold in his early designs. In 1920, Hobé’s son, William, moved to the United States, bringing the Hobé jewels along with him. William was hired to costume Flo Ziegfeld’s broadway productions in the 1920s and the demand for the jewelry took off from there! It is said that Flo is the person who coined the term “costume jewelry” in regard to Hobé’s pieces, but there is some debate about the veracity of that show biz lore.
Sold in high end department stores and worn by Hollywood starlets, their slogan in the 1930s and 40s read, “Jewels of Legendary Splendor.” Famous clients included Ava Gardner, Carole Lombard and Marilyn Monroe. The pieces from this time period remain the most sought-after, as they are seen to be the iconic Hobé style, using unfoiled stones set in intricately carved and shaped sterling silver. The company continued producing jewelry through the 1990s, evolving their designs with various trends throughout the decades.
Shop our available Hobé pieces here!