My Juliana

Some of the creations of DeLizza & Elster are provided here for identification purposes or just sheer enjoyment. If you love glitz, you will love these pieces. While DeLizza & Elster only operated the Juliana company for about two years when all of their items were paper-tagged, the name Juliana has become so locked into the jewelry lover's psyche, that I am keeping the designation here. In 2000 I posted some of these pictures to the Jewel Collect group and several people had paper-tagged pieces "Tara" and "Gloria". Others then found pieces with the "Juliana" hangtag. In 2002, I noticed an eBay auction with Frank DeLizza's name and the name "Juliana" and got in touch with Kassi Mercy, who was selling some of Frank DeLizza's new creations. The rest was history. (The items shown here are not for sale.)

Click on picture to view larger picture.   Past Perfection Home

  
Click on picture to view larger picture. An example of another style of foldover clasp that DeLizza and Elster used with some of their five link bracelets. Not often seen but definitely seen on the pastel colored stippled cabochons parures.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Juliana Capri blue rivoli bracelet, dangling pin and earrings
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. "MEMOIRS OF A FASHION JEWELRY MANUFACTURER" - DeLizza and Elster Inc. "For years collectors wondered about the mysterious creator of the Juliana line - some of the most colorful and inventive costume jewelry to be found. Here Frank DeLizza, head of DeLizza and Elster Inc. tells the engaging tale of his family’s odyssey in America, their embrace of jewelry-making as their foothold in a new land and the many companies, besides Juliana, they created to sell their wares. Whether he is telling an amusing anecdote about the famous names in this glamorous world, giving us an insider’s view of designer decision-making, discussing the headaches of running a business, or describing the colorful characters in his extended Italian-American family, in the end it is Frank’s warm and generous spirit that leaves an inspiring and lasting impression." To purchase this book with its packed-full pages of highly interesting commentary, copies of designs and pages of colorful jewelry and drawings, cut and paste this link into your browser and you will go to Mr. DeLizza's web site with the information: http://www.jewelrybydelizza.com
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. A bevy of springtime beauties I call "D&ELicious". Only one is not a D&E. It is a Coro and is the pale yellow flower with a goldtone center that is somewhat overlaying the red flower in the middle row about three pins in from the right hand side. The Coro pin is not marked but I have the pin and earrings of an identical set and only the earrings are signed "Coro".
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. This is a wonderful example of NON-D&E/Juliana jewelry. It has a lot of the same attributes - large watermelon rhinestones, open-back settings, unusual stone combination, and glitz and sparkle. I showed this to Frank DeLizza when we first met and he confirmed that was NOT made by D&E, although he said it looked very similar to their jewelry. He said they did not use this style of foldover clasp endings (see last full-size image).
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Beautiful D&E / Juliana parure with green molded glass stones, set with tiny topaz rhinestones. A hard to find set!
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Very unusual DeLizza & Elster aka Juliana drippy bib and earrings with mother-of-pearl circles with crystals inside them and clear rhinestone chain and crystals.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Gorgeous D&E aka Juliana huge drippy bib, bracelet and earrings with 5/16" aurora borealis rhinestones, gold beads and crystals. Heavy and fabulous!
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. DeLizza & Elster pieces made for Alexis Kirk, including a ring.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Beautiful DE LIZZA & ELSTER aka JULIANA flower brooch of concave oval cabochons with a hematite-like finish, surrounded by thin navettes of the same finish, small black cabs and lots of grey rhinestones. There is a small flower "roundelle" that is riveted to the stem.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. D&E flowers with curved leaves. Note the rivets (called "eyelets") on the back of the brooch.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Clear rhinestone D&E aka Juliana flower pin.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Fabulous topaz and dark amber D&E aka Juliana flower pin.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. This is one of the most unusual JULIANA style sets I have ever seen. If I did not have the matching bracelet and necklace, I might not believe it is what we have come to know as De Lizza & Elster, aka Juliana. It has pink japanning as shown by the reverse of one earring in the picture. All pieces are set with bright and glittering pink, fuchsia and hot pink rhinestones and blue AB rhinestones for just a little accent. The brooch is 2" in diameter and the drop earrings are 2" long x 5/8" wide.
  
Click on picture to view larger picture. Huge 3" x 3" Maltese cross made by DELIZZA & ELSTER, the company that made the five link bracelet line that is mistakenly called "Juliana". This is the best example of a manufacturing attribute that I have named "puddling" or "figure 8 puddling", which are one and the same. I have never seen this on any jewelry but that made by DeLizza & Elster and I present it here as another identifier for D&E's unmarked jewelry. This brooch is almost entirely outlined by "figure 8 puddling". DeLizza and Elster contracted with a company to solder together the smaller chaton cups in two-part and three-part sections. Once they are added to the piece and the whole piece is plated, rather than the plating receding as it does with the larger cup sizes, it has the look of pooling or "puddling" flat to create little joined figure 8s. D and E used these because it saved them time and money when they did not have to do the work themselves. Please also note the brooch has the very recognizable clip-style bail used by D&E.
  
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