Coreen Simpson vintage jewelry
Coreen Simpson vintage jewelry
The history of Coreen Simpson jewelry began in 1989, when she first created her signature jewelry piece, The Black Cameo®. Five years later, she founded her company Black Cameo Inc. for the production of jewelry inspired by African-American theme.
Black Cameo Inc., registered at 3741-A Victory blvd., Staten Island, New York, and incorporated in September 1994, ceased to exist in 1998. Due to the company’s short lifespan and limited production, Coreen Simpson jewelry is extremely rare in the vintage jewelry market.
Born February 18, 1942 in Brooklyn, Coreen Simpson is a well-known photographer, designer and jeweler. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design. She began her career as a photographer and editor for Unique New York magazine in 1980. At the end of 1980s, a freelance photographer, Simpson became interested in jewelry design.
It was black cameo, that brought her success as a jewelry designer, and inspired her most of all. Following the ancient traditions of cameos, Coreen added her unique vision on the beauty of black women creating the “Regal Beauty” Collection (1993). Noteworthy, in 1993 the designer created jewelry for renowned company “Avon”.
As a result, among her clients were such celebrities as Ruby Dee, Oprah Winfrey, Celia Cruz, Kathleen Battle, Nancy Wilson, and Mrs. Denzel Washington.