How to Identify Miriam Haskell Jewelry

Few names in costume jewelry carry the romance of Miriam Haskell. From her first New York shop in the 1920s, Haskell built a house whose pieces were assembled by hand, bead by bead, and that craftsmanship is still the surest way to recognize her work today.

Look at the back first

Turn a Haskell brooch or necklace over. Classic pieces are built on a stamped, pierced filigree plate, with every pearl, bead and rose montée wired on by hand rather than glued into a setting. Neat, tight wiring and a layered, sculptural front are typical. A piece that is simply glued into cast metal is unlikely to be Haskell.

The materials

• Baroque glass pearls with a warm, slightly irregular surface, often in creamy or champagne tones.
• Tiny seed beads and seed pearls clustered around larger beads to build texture.
• Antiqued gilt metal, a soft, brushed gold finish rather than bright yellow plating.
• Rose montées: small crystal stones in flat-backed metal cups, wired into place.

Signed and unsigned

Haskell's early work was not signed. Signatures, usually an oval or horseshoe-shaped plaque reading "Miriam Haskell", appear on later pieces, so a lack of signature does not rule out an early Haskell. For unsigned pieces, construction, materials and design are the evidence, and an experienced eye matters. Each listing in our collection states whether a piece is signed.

Condition notes

Because Haskell pieces are wired, check for loose or missing beads and for wear to the pearl coating. Small losses are common in pieces that have been worn and loved, and we note them in each description. See our authenticity and condition guide for how we describe pieces.

Explore Haskell in the collection

Browse our Miriam Haskell collection, including the rare opera pearl necklace, the multi-strand beaded necklace and fan-shaped diamanté earrings. Looking for a particular piece? Contact us.