Judith Leiber jewelry is famous for its ability to provide a glamorous touch. Her collection often features extravagant items such as refined cluster earrings, cocktail crystal rings, enamel cuffed bracelets and elegant brooches.

Origins

A survivor of the Holocaust, Leiber fled to the United States where she was able to launch her fashion business. She is perhaps best known for her evening bags, which are so fabulous they are routinely worn by celebrities and the first ladies of numerous countries.  A native of Budapest, she learned at an early age how to assemble handbags within artisan guilds and sew uniforms for soldiers. This gave her the experience and discipline which she would later apply to the fashion sector.

During the Second World War, Judith, her sister Eva and mother remained in a Jewish designated building in Hungary until their father was able to get them the pass needed to flee. After arriving in the United States, Judith would marry Gus Leiber, a native of Brooklyn who served as a military sergeant at the time, and they married in 1946.

She got into the fashion business by the early 1960s, and after working for several employers, she made the decision to depart and start her own company. Despite only having a few employees at first, she would eventually increase her staff to 200 workers.  After being in business for six years, she was able to capture her first accolade, the Swarovski Great Designer award, as well as the Coty American Fashion Critics Award, which she received in 1973.

Design Characteristics

Judith Leiber jewels are manufactured with superb craftsmanship. This is particularly evident in her minaudières, which are small and highly decorative evening handbags created with metal that features crystal and rhinestones. They’ve been worn by the likes of singer Jennifer Lopez and actress Sarah Jessica Parker, along with Hillary Clinton, Mamie Eisenhower and Jacqueline Kennedy.

The whimsical and metallic shells are often bead encrusted to produce shapes like animals or fruit such as watermelon. Her collection also features thick necklaces made with gold. These pieces are so distinct from other jewelry designers that they’ve been featured in esteemed institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian and Victorian and Albert Museum of London.

In the world of high end jewelry, it is absolutely crucial to stand out from the crowd, and Judith Leiber does. For instance, not only are her minaudières often made using Swarovski crystals, but they also display interesting and humorous shapes, like teddy bears, vegetables, fruit and musical instruments. When combined with an evening gown, these hands bags will make a woman look breathtaking.

Features

This Judith Leiber brooch is a vintage piece that utilizes chrysanthemum design. It was crafted from fine gold which incorporates a reddish enamel and centralized faux pearled accent. Though it was previously owned, the owner took excellent care of it and as a result it shows very little wear. It has a diameter of 2 ¼ inches, a weight of 47.4 grams and comes with the original finish.