This sinewy Seahorse is by Ciner from the 1960s and a fine example of their craftsmanship. As well as being a brooch it can also be worn as a pendant, there is a hook at the top.  When I bought it it came with a long chain and its original ticket/tag detailing its style number.

In 1892 Emanuel Ciner opened his fine jewellery business in New York.  When the Depression hit America in 1929 Emanuel and his two sons Irwin and Charles made the switch to costume jewellery.  It was a sound business move and the company never looked back.  Ciner introduced a number of innovations to production and at one point Irwin enlisted the help of their family dentist to perfect smooth inlays.  During World War II when there were shortages of raw materials the company nearly went bankrupt until the family offered the US military its unique moulding technology for use in munitions.  This kept them afloat till the end of the war.  During the 1950s when costume jewellery was extremely popular on both sides of the Atlantic Ciner was favoured by many Hollywood stars.

Perhaps the most remarkable fact about Ciner is that after 125 years it is still a family owned business, the only costume jewellery company left in New York that designs, manufactures and produces each piece by hand at a single site.

Boxes of wooden drawers contain the 125 years of Ciner design cards