Coro and Its Legacy in Costume Jewelry
In the world of costume jewelry, the question often arises: “Coro or Trifari?” These two brands are that iconic.
If you’re after quality, Trifari is the go-to; if you prefer trendy designs at affordable prices, Coro is your brand. Coro was a massive manufacturer with dozens of sub-brands—so much so that a thick specialized book could be written just about Coro alone. In fact, there are already books published that focus solely on Coro.
Here, we’ll briefly touch on the sub-brands but mainly focus on Coro’s core brands: “Coro” and “Corocraft.” It’s a bit of a long story, but we hope you’ll enjoy the journey.
Background and Key Figures in Coro's History
Before delving into Coro’s history, let’s take a brief look at Robert Mandle, one of the key figures behind the company.
Robert Mandle
Before diving into Coro, let’s briefly introduce Robert Mandle.
Robert Mandle
Robert Mandle was a jewelry brand that continued until the 1990s, when Coro co-founder Robert Rosenberger retired. Today, Gem-Craft—a company founded by Coro’s former head designer, Gene Verri—carries on the design spirit of Mandle.
The Mandle family immigrated from Germany to New York in the 1840s. Urie Mandle, a successful salesman, took over a jewelry distribution company called E. Cohn & Company, which later evolved into Cohn and Rosenberger—and eventually, Coro.
In the 1930s, when Coro founder Carl Rosenberger passed away and his son Gerald succeeded him, Urie left the company and founded the Urie Mandle Corporation in 1938. His son Robert joined, and they quickly achieved success, becoming the second largest in the industry after Coro. However, due to metal shortages during WWII, the company was dissolved, and Robert served in the military.
After the war, Robert joined his father’s newly established Urie F. Mandle Company, launching a line of sterling silver jewelry under the name “URO Creations.” The company grew and rebranded to R. Mandle in 1956.
Key supporters in this growth included Alfeo Verri (Gene Verri’s twin brother), who ran a jewelry factory in Rhode Island. Gene Verri himself also contributed designs.
R. Mandle produced a wide range of pieces—from Swarovski crystal jewelry to teen accessories—and in 1966, it received the Swarovski Design Award. It was also the first American costume jewelry manufacturer to expand into Europe.
Robert Mandle jewelry is rare and sells for a little more.
The Birth and Growth of Coro
Coro was a brand born from the merger of two companies: E. Cohn & Company and Cohn and Rosenberger, taking their initials for its name.
E. Cohn & Company
Established in 1902 by Emanuel Cohn in New York, the company expanded westward to Arizona with the help of Urie Mandle’s sales prowess. In 1903, Carl Rosenberger joined, and the company was renamed “Cohn and Rosenberger.”
In 1911, Emanuel left the company. His fate is uncertain—rumors include disappearance, death, or even perishing aboard the Titanic.
Carl & Gerald Rosenberger
Carl, born in Germany, emigrated to the U.S. at 14 and distinguished himself as a jeweler by age 16. He studied costume jewelry at Fischel and Nesseler before joining Cohn and Rosenberger and founding Coro in 1911. His business thrived, leading to the establishment of a large factory in Rhode Island and his active involvement in philanthropy.
In 1922, Carl’s son Gerald joined and expanded Coro’s reach into Europe. After Carl’s death in 1967, Gerald sold the company to Richton International. With changes in the industry, Coro closed in 1979, and Richton International filed for bankruptcy in 1980.
Key Figures Behind Coro
Adolph Katz
A name often seen on Coro pieces, Adolph Katz is frequently mistaken for a designer, though his role was design supervisor and selector.
Born in Germany in 1906, he moved to New York at 18 and joined Coro through an acquaintance of founder Carl Rosenberger. Starting in the shipping department, he rose to become design director. Though he didn’t design himself, his keen eye helped shape Coro’s design direction. He played a similar role to Frank Hess at Miriam Haskell.
Gene Verri
Gene Verri, head designer at Coro, created iconic pieces like the “Duette Series.” He’s not widely known because his design patents were filed under Adolph Katz’s name.
Born in 1904 to Italian jeweler parents, Gene and his twin brother Alfeo came to the U.S. and were separated from their family during WWI. Gene was raised by relatives and began studying art at 12, earning a scholarship to a design school in Rhode Island at 14.
In 1933, Royal Marcher discovered his talent just when Coro was seeking new designs. His work began to be produced. In 1948, with Coro’s permission, he founded his own brand “Craftsman” (later Gem-Craft) while continuing to contribute designs to Coro until 1965.
In 2000, the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry Club honored him with a tribute collection of nine reissued designs. Gene Verri passed away in 2012 at the age of 101.
Gem-Craft is stamped with Craft©
History
Coro was founded in 1903 as "Cohn and Rosenberger," and the company name was changed to "Coro" in 1911. After the disappearance of Cohn, the company moved its headquarters to the basement of 538 Broadway in New York, where sufficient manufacturing space was secured. In 1923, Coro went public and, in the same year, sent buyers to Japan. These buyers purchased components like pearls and beads, and after the war, they also brought finished jewelry along with their ideas back to the factory in Rhode Island.
In 1926, Coro established a new line called "Corogram Incorporated." This line specialized in monogrammed jewelry and accessories, which were in high demand, and continued to be popular until the monogram boom ended in 1932.
In 1929, despite the Wall Street crash, Coro boldly constructed a large factory in Rhode Island. This venture was successful, and by its peak, the company had grown into a major corporation with over 3,500 employees.
By this time, Coro’s jewelry was widely recognized across the United States, and in the 1930s, the company expanded its stores across the country. In 1933, it also established factories in the UK and Canada.
In 1943, the company changed its name to "Coro Inc."
By the 1950s, Coro had become the world’s largest manufacturer of costume jewelry.
Coro had over 100 sub-brands, catering to various market segments, design styles, and price ranges. From high-end lines like Vendome to affordable, cute designs aimed at teenagers, its range was diverse.
Design Ideas and Innovation
Coro operated its own jewelry school. At the time, working in the jewelry industry required highly specialized knowledge and skills. Companies like Trifari offered high salaries but demanded very high expertise. Additionally, attending a jewelry school often required a wealthy background, making it an inaccessible option for many young people.
To address this, Coro opened a tuition-free jewelry school, where students were also paid a small salary while learning the craft. This initiative created an environment where young designers with fresh ideas could flourish, and Coro actively incorporated their ideas into the company’s designs.
Coro's jewelry was highly popular, and despite owning one of the largest factories in the world, the supply sometimes couldn’t keep up with demand.
In 1954, a Coro salesman in Kansas discovered an accessory featuring a mustard seed in a local shop and brought it back to the office. This item became a huge hit, and the small brooch adorned with a ribbon sold over 1.5 million pieces.
A mustard seed brooch, a lucky motif, is set in lucite.
CoroCraft
In 1933, Coro set up a factory in Sussex, UK, to expand into Europe. However, the name "Coro" was problematic because it was confusingly similar to an existing European brand, "Ciro," leading to a lawsuit. Ultimately, the issue was resolved by using the brand name and marking it as "Corocraft."
Corocraft, marketed primarily in Europe, sold at a high-end price range of $10 to $50. The line featured jewelry made mostly of sterling silver, subtly plated with gold in a process known as "Vermeil."
The designs were led by Gene, who became the head designer for Corocraft under Alfred Katz. From 1933 to the 1970s, Corocraft became Coro’s most important line.
For quality control, the UK factory had the capacity to handle most of the production in-house, but the master molds for the jewelry, considered the masterpieces of the collection, were made and managed in the Rhode Island facility.
After Coro was sold in the 1970s, the factory was bought by Swarovski, but it never regained the vitality it once had.
To ensure quality control, although the British factory was capable of handling most of the manufacturing processes, the molds for the jewelry's masterpieces were created and managed in the Rhode Island factory in the United States.
After Coro was sold in the 1970s, the factory was acquired by Swarovski. However, it never regained the same vibrancy and significance it once had under Coro's ownership.
Vermeil Available in rose gold and yellow gold.
Signature Piece
Coro's famous collector's jewellery, Duette
Duette series. Two brooches can be combined into one. Made by Gene
He sold them between 1929 and 1946. He is best known for this camellia, but he also has a famous parrot brooch.
Since the 1950s, jewelry made with lucite has become common.