1950s
Delizza & Elster's New York City Manufacturing Company opened its first showroom on 5th Avenue in 1947. The two men behind this magical line of women's costume jewelry recognized today as "Juliana" or "Juliana D&E" were William Delizza and Harold Elster. Soon after the opening of their 5th Avenue showroom William Delizza's two sons, Frank and Anthony, joined the company.
The Delizza & Elster Manufacturing company produced various women's costume jewelry, including sets, bracelets, brooches, chatelains, belts, buckles, earrings in all styles, tiaras, and even buttons. Delizza & Elster created and manufactured other in-house jewelry lines under Fifth Avenue Accessories, Fifth Avenue Boutique, Fifth Avenue Belts, Mystic Jewelry, and Greenwood Designs.
Juliana D&E Shades of Green Scroll-Work Necklace
circa the 1960s to circa the 1970s
Frank Delizza X Kenneth Jay Lane Orange Half Moon Plastics & Rhinestone Necklace, circa 1970
They also manufactured and sold jewelry to various high-end jewelry houses and department stores, with more than 700 customers in the US and overseas. Their client list included Bijou Turner, Weiss, Celebrity NY, Gloria, Accessocraft, Alice Caviness, Kenneth Jay Lane, Hobé, Avon, Alexis Kirk, Les Bernard, Sara Coventry, Oscar Charlin, Tara, and Kramer, plus many more.
Delizza & Elster produced women's costume jewelry with an open-line concept; anyone could purchase jewelry from their line. Boutique owners, Department stores, and other Companies could supply specifications to enhance or alter pieces accordingly, including logo plates and paper hang-tags.
The lavishly multi-dimensional women's costume jewelry that the Delizza & Elster Company produced and has become known for today did not have a signature. In 1967, the company named these unsigned beauties, "Juliana". Frank Delizza used black hang-tags and white earring cards with Juliana Originals or Juliana © to identify their jewelry through 1969.
The story goes the hang tags were expensive to produce, and women who bought the jewelry would most likely remove the tags, so Frank Delizza stopped including the hand-tags and earring cards after 1969. However, the name Juliana stuck with their clientele, and vintage collectors worldwide still lovingly call Delizza & Elster jewelry by the Juliana name.
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Juliana D&E "Birthday Cake" Bracelet & Earrings w/ Original Card circa 1967 to circa 1969
Rare Juliana D&E Aurora Borealis Chatelaine
first seen circa 1957
The Delizza and Elster manufacturing company initially produced the Juliana style, starting when they opened their doors in 1947. In 1957 the company introduced Aurora Borealis Rhinestone jewelry to its product lineup.
Today, the Aurora Borealis jewelry is among vintage collectors' highly sought-after pieces, along with the vintage Juliana jewelry that was produced from 1967 to 1969 and has its original hang tag or earring card intact.
In 1978 Frank DeLizza's daughter Judy joined the manufacturing company full-time. During that time, the father-daughter team created a women's costume jewelry line called Judy Judy Judy. Frank Delizza's daughter worked for Delizza and Elster Manufacturing until 1988 and was integral to the jewelry line design.
Judy Judy Judy Fish Necklace, Broach, & earrings
circa the 1980s
Rare Juliana D&E Mayan Aztec Necklace
circa the 1970s to circa the 1980s
Many of the Juliana D&E Jewelry collections of the last two decades were high-style designs inspired by themes. Some of the themed collections included
Asian/Oriental, Egyptian Revival, Ball & Chain pieces, fabulous ornate Belts, and the highly sought-after Moroccan Matrix collection done not only for Juliana D&E but for other manufacturers as well.
Over the years, Frank Delizza and his wife Joan reproduced some of the older Juliana D&E styles of jewelry that made the Delizza & Elster Manufacturing company famous while adding newer updated designs from the 1970s until the early 1990s when Frank Delizza closed the Delizza & Elster warehouse doors forever.