Stuart Nye vintage costume jewelry

09.08.2020

44 1 minute read

Stuart Nye vintage costume jewelry
The history of Stuart Nye handmade (forged) jewelry began in the North Carolina mountains in 1933, during the Great depression. The beautiful nature of his native mountainous region inspired him to create original jewelry. He had no experience, bought used jewelry tools and started. He used pieces of copper during World War II, due to the lack of metal, and brass in the 70s when the price of sterling rose sharply.
Always inspired by nature, his jewelry is part of the American modernist tradition. His “Dogwood”, “Willow Leaf”, “Calla Lilia”, “Pine Cone” and other lesser known collections are in high demand, collected and worn all over the world. Undoubtedly, this is a vivid evidence of the relevance of the iconic style that he created over 80 years ago. And this work has been going on for the 87th year of continuous production.

Sterling silver dogwood brooch pin of sterling silver — Dogwood brooch pin of sterling silver

Located in Asheville North Carolina, Stuart Nye silver shop employs talented craftsmen with a rich heritage. When Stuart retired, he sold his studio to one of his elite department buyers.
Although he passed away in 1962, unique pieces of jewelry are still being created in a limited edition, by hand, based on his sketches in the same place. Traditionally, all pieces have marking “NYE” inside a shamrock.