North Attleboro, Massachusetts, was an important player in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries of the American jewelry manufacturing industry. (Nearby Providence, Rhode Island was another locus of the trade.) Like we see in England, light manufacturing was often concentrated in industrial cities, a bit removed from the populated, urban hubs. The factory space in a Birmingham or North Attleboro was much less costly than in London or New York.
In 1873, Robert Fitz Simmons founded the RF Simmons Company—along with his two business partners, Joseph Lyman Sweet and Edgar L. Hixon. Each man contributed $2,500. The company's initial production comprised assorted gold-filled chains: necklaces, bracelets, watch chains and eyeglass chains. Within a decade-and-a-half, Simmons had 200 employees, a sales office in New York City, and selling agents in Berlin, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Sydney. Business was a success. Simmons branched into men's and costume jewelry, eventually closing 1952.
Rolled gold was originally invented in England in 1817. In this process, a thin layer of gold is bonded to a base layer (usually copper or brass) under heat and pressure (during which the layers are "rolled" together). The resultant sheet of mixed metals—gold on top, base metal on the bottom—could then be stamped and fashioned into jewelry. The surface appearance was that of solid gold, however, it was much more economical. More people could now afford "gold" jewelry. Rolled gold was more durable and long-lasting than the earlier gold-plating process.
The cufflinks, shown here, were stamped from a sheet of rolled gold. Then these "cutouts" were shaped (the edges rolled under) and fitted upon their backings. Any final treatments, in this case, light Aesthetic Movement etching, could be added, if desired. With proper protection and care, such rolled-gold items can be kept good looking and useful for many years. This pair is at least 125 years old, perhaps older! Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
More Golden Links tomorrow and in the days to come.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.