Who made Christian Dior's jewellery: the makers and their marks

Christian Dior did not make its own costume jewellery. From its first collections the house worked with specialist makers, and from 1948 it licensed them to make jewellery under the Dior name. Each had its own mark, so the mark on the back of a piece often tells you who made it and roughly when. As with any mark, the dates are approximate.

The first pieces

Maison Gripoix, the Paris glassmakers, made Dior's first jewellery, and Roger Scemama made pieces for the house in the 1940s. In the 1950s Francis Winter, who also worked for Balenciaga, Lanvin and Chanel, made jewellery for Dior. Most pieces by these French makers were not signed, so they are identified by their style and fittings rather than by a mark.

Kramer, New York, from 1948

Kramer of New York held the licence for Dior jewellery in America from 1948. Its pieces are marked Christian Dior by Kramer, Dior by Kramer or Kramer for Dior.

Mitchel Maer, London, 1952 to 1956

Mitchel Maer, an American maker based in London, produced Dior jewellery from 1952 until his company failed in 1956. His pieces for Dior usually carry an oval plaque reading Christian Dior by Mitchel Maer. When the remaining stock was sold off, Dior asked for its name to be removed, so some of his Dior pieces turn up with the plaque taken off or filed away.

Henkel & Grosse, Germany, from 1955

The longest partnership began in 1955, when the German jewellers Henkel & Grosse won the contract for Dior's costume jewellery. They went on to make it for decades, and their marks changed over time:

• 1950s and 1960s: an oval plaque reading Christian Dior, with © and the year the piece was made.
• Late 1960s to early 1970s: Chr. Dior with the year, usually with Germany or Made in Germany.
• A short time in the 1970s: a rectangular plaque with a hatched border.
• Late 1970s and 1980s: a small hanging tag reading Chr. Dior © Germany.

A dated plaque is the clearest clue there is: a plaque dated 1959 means the piece was made that year. Germany on a Dior piece is generally taken as the work of Henkel & Grosse.

From the 1990s: Chr. Dior and Dior

From the 1990s the date disappears, and marks usually read Chr. Dior or simply Dior. Some pieces from the late 1990s are marked Christian Dior Boutique, and some later pieces carry no mark at all, so a mark alone won't always date a piece.

Reading the mark on our pieces

Where a piece has a mark, the listing gives it. Our knot brooch with crystals and CD pendant on a crystal snake chain are marked Chr. Dior ©, and the crystal logo clip earrings are marked Dior ®.

A mark is only one part of the picture. It has to agree with the style, weight, finish and fittings of the piece, which is why every piece is checked by hand, for authenticity and condition, before it comes to you. Everything we have from the house is in vintage Christian Dior jewellery.