REGENCY JEWELS LATE 1940s – 1972

In the late 1940s, Oscar Polowitz, owner of Regina Novelty Company, contracted with Raymond Albertieri to design and manufacture a line of high-quality jewelry. The new brand was named REGENCY JEWELS. Albertieri was responsible for the design, manufacture, and marketing of REGENCY JEWELS.

The Regina Novelty Company was sold in 1972 but continued under new ownership until 1978. In 1972, after the sale, the quality REGENCY jewelry was discontinued and replaced with lower quality, less expensive, imported jewelry.

In an interview published in Collecting Costume Jewelry 202 2nd Edition, David Hayes, nephew of Raymond Albertieri, provides some interesting information about REGENCY JEWELS.

• Albertieri made most of the molds used in the REGENCY designs; however, some of the molds were imported from Austria.
• As many as 30 women set the stones.
• Other than the connection with Austria, REGENCY JEWELS did not hire outside designers.
• The stones used in REGENCY designs were imported from Austria.

Carroll, pgs. 430, 431

Signatures:

Sets:

This beautiful and rare REGENCY set features tear-drop shaped sappharine glass stones. Sappharine stones change color from violet/brown to blue/brown depending on the lighting. They mimic the look of antique saphirtet glass originally made with melted gold. Sappharine glass jewelry, like this set, was made in the 1950s and 1960s.

In addition to the sappharine stones, this set includes light sapphire and topaz rhinestones set in fancy-prong settings. The color scheme for this set features brown, blue, and gold. On the color wheel brown is a dark shade of orange. Blue and orange are complementary colors, so the three colors work well together.

Brand Trait: Some higher-end REGENCY pins feature hook and eye construction. When unsigned, REGENCY designs with hook and eye construction are sometimes mistaken for Schreiner or Weiss.

Brand Trait: Not all REGENCY is signed and not all pieces, especially earrings, in a set are signed.

The monochromatic colors in this eye-catching REGENCY set include sapphire, light sapphire and blue aurora borealis. Molded glass leaves add interest and texture to the symmetrical design.

BRAND TRAIT: REGENCY used high-quality, prong-set Austrian rhinestones and art-glass stones.

Brand Trait: Some REGENCY designs have “worn” looking plating. This is not damage and it is not from wear. This style of plating was a trend at the time found on other brands including high-end Schreiner designs.

Produced in several colors, this distinctive design features round green stones. Collectors refer to them as “pearl” stones due to their luster. Clusters of Colorado topaz, aurum, and olivine stones add sparkle to the design.

Contrasting black plating enhances the sparkle of the vibrant light sapphire Austrian stones decorating the following set.

Although small in size, this REGENCY set is huge in quality. The brooch is a well-balanced asymmetrical design. It consists of a large light sapphire center stone. The center stone is framed by navette and tear-drop shaped stones perfectly placed to draw the “eye” around the oval stone.

Two six-stone flowers, suspended from metal stems, are folded-over the design. The visual weight of the large stones on the right-side balance with the weight of the fold-over flowers on the left. It is an exquisite design.

The earrings are as well-designed as the brooch. The design begins with the same size and color of tear-drop stone as in the brooch. A cluster of round stones and a fold-over flower element complete the look.

Designed for spring and summer, this REGENCY floral set includes rose and light rose rhinestones, white pearls, and yellow enamel leaves. It is a well-balanced asymmetrical design.

Texture is the most interesting design element in this set. Creamy white pearls contrast with the sharp faceted-glass stones. The enameled leaves provide a bright smooth background.

Brand Trait: Many REGENCY designs include stacked layers secured by a rivet.

The pin has gold plating, but the earrings have a combination of gold and silver plating. The pin is signed REGENCY. The earrings are unsigned.

Brand Trait: REGENCY is famous for beautiful butterfly pins.

The colors in this petite butterfly pin and earring set are an interesting combination of teal and sapphire faceted stones.

The wings of the butterfly are open giving a lightness to the design.

The pin is signed REGENCY JEWELS with the copyright symbol. The earrings are unsigned.

Brand Trait: The tear-drop shape of the earrings is a distinctive REGENCY butterfly earring design.

Pins:

This 2″ butterfly pin features golden topaz, black, and crystal aurora borealis stones.

Author’s Note: These two butterfly pins reflect my taste and are part of my collection. However, there are many, many colorful REGENCY butterfly pins in the collectible market.

Brand Trait: The following brooch is an iconic REGENCY design featuring large art-glass beads. REGENCY designs with these beads are sought after by collectors.

Author’s Note: Some Schreiner designs also use these beads so unsigned REGENCY has been mistaken for unsigned Schreiner or vice versa. This piece was a gift from my daughter, so it is priceless!

Brand Trait: The construction of many REGENCY designs begins with a circular base. Then design elements are “built” or layered by attaching them to the base.

This is a fully symmetrical design. All four sides of this cross design are identical.

Oval in shape, this REGENCY pin features a large art-glass center stone surrounded by aurora borealis and Colorado topaz stones. The center stone is a bi-color glass stone. It is olivine with topaz highlights.

REGENCY jewelry, even this small pin, has touches of quality. This pin features a cupcake setting for the art-glass center stone, dog-tooth prongs, scalloped prongs, and smooth gold plating.

Contrast is the overwhelming design element in this eye-catching black/white REGENCY pin. Like the REGENCY butterfly pins, this floral pin is constructed with shaped/bent wires filled with vibrant stones.

This design is constructed in layers that are riveted together. There is a center stone. Then a layer of three petals followed by another three-petal layer. The stacking of the petals in this way creates dimension so that the petals seem to wave or undulate.

Most brands produced rhinestone flower pins with or without a stem. This REGENCY double-bloom flower has a silver stem decorated with two monochromatic light-rose rhinestone flowers.

Brand Trait: Pins consisting of flowers without stems, is an iconic REGENCY design collectors love.

Rose rhinestones are plentiful in REGENCY designs and remain popular today with collectors. This pin has two rose and aurora borealis flowers without stems.

The same monochromatic rose colors are used in this V-shaped floral design with dangling elements.

This is a symmetrical design. It is interesting to the “eye” due to the vibrant colors, the carefully arranged shapes, and the movement created by the three dangling elements.

The vibrant snowflake-motif REGENCY pin below also has worn-looking plating. The monochromatic color scheme consists of blue aurora borealis and Indian sapphire stones.

Three layers are riveted together and attached to a round stabilization ring.

This lovely white REGENCY pin features white molded glass leaves, aurora borealis rhinestones, and white confetti stones.

Beads:

This REGENCY triple strand beaded necklace features six different blue glass beads.

Conclusion:

REGENCY jewelry is eye-catching, well-made, and an average wearable size. Signed sets, especially those with expensive art-glass stones and gold plating are a great choice for any collector.

Since REGENCY, WEISS, and SCHREINER share many construction and design traits, it is important for beginning collectors to look for signed jewelry or buy from a trusted expert.