Weiss, Kramer, and Sherman: The Rhinestone Specialists Collectors Can’t Stop Chasing

While Trifari and Coro dominated department store display cases, a different tier of costume jewelry maker was quietly building something more rarefied. Weiss, Kramer, and Sherman — three jeweler-owned boutique brands — produced rhinestone pieces for a customer who wanted costume prices with fine-jewelry sensibility. Decades later, their work commands serious collector attention and strong auction results.

Albert Weiss founded his New York company in 1942 after working for Coro. His pieces are immediately recognizable for their extraordinary stone quality — deep, saturated color in sapphire blue, emerald green, ruby red, and amethyst, alongside brilliant clear stones with exceptional cut. Weiss used a high proportion of specialty stones: AB (aurora borealis), vitrail, and other Swarovski innovations that create complex visual effects.

Kramer of New York, founded in 1943, produced jewelry for Dior’s American licensing program — a credential that placed Kramer in elite company. Kramer pieces are noted for their dramatic scale, deep goldtone settings, and a sophisticated restraint that aligns them with European haute couture sensibility. Sherman, a Canadian brand founded in 1947, is beloved for its use of Swarovski crystal in unusual colorways — ice blue, topaz, and smoky quartz combinations that feel decades ahead of their time.

For investors, all three brands represent genuine upside. They remain undervalued relative to their design quality, particularly compared to European counterparts. Weiss brooches in statement colorways, Kramer parures with original hang tags, and Sherman pieces in complete sets are the segments where collectors report the strongest appreciation.