Bojar vintage costume jewelry
Bojar vintage costume jewelry
Originally from Lithuania, Leo Bojar came to New York from Poland with his wife and his son William in 1914. While working in New York as a book keeper for five clients, he met Benjamin Novgrad, a sales representative, who convinced Bojar to start a jewelry business with him in Providence. The Bojars moved to Douglas Avenue, Providence, and on September 19, 1919 the partners’ business started at 24 Conduit street. Initially, they produced gold rings to be sold to wholesalers.
However, in 1925 their partnership was dissolved and Novgrad went into partnership with Charle Rothman as Rothman and Novgrad. Bojar continued in business as Bojar Manufacturing Company, buying tools of bankrupt firms whenever he could. Leo Bojar’s son William, graduated from Brown University in 1933 and went into the family business. He continued to run Bojar Manufacturing company. Then, his son David joined the company in 1971. The company ceased to exist in 1986.
Traditionally, the company’s jewelers used 12 or 14 K gold, 925 sterling silver, cubic zirconia and a variety of semi-precious stones – jade, tiger’s Eye, bloodstone, carnelian, etc. The marking includes “Bojar”, and “sterling”, or “12K GF” (gold filled). Handcrafted with high craftsmanship and quality materials, Bojar-marked vintage jewelry is a collector’s item.