History
Lester (Les) Joy and Bernard Shapiro officially founded Les Bernard Inc on December 6, 1963 in New York. Their principal location was on the famous and exclusive Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Bernard Shapiro was the son of Harold Shapiro who founded Vogue Jewelry in 1936. Joy was the main designer.
Les Bernard designed high-end pieces using genuine crystals, stones, marcasite, silver, and other precious metal alloys. The company has two trademarks on file; although both are expired as of the 1990s. The first trademark was called Diamond Point, which the company filed in 1968. Diamond Point was a texture technique used in the design of their pins, rings, earrings, and bracelets. The second trademark the company filed was called Rare Species and was filed in 1976. Rare Species involved their actual metal work.
Les Bernard created jewelry for the famous American soap opera Dynasty. The company also designed jewelry for other designers such as James Galanos and Ugo Correani. Additionally, the brand influenced famous fashion houses such as Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent. Their jewelry was relatively small and tasteful with an air of elegance.
The company discontinued their jewelry in 1996 and officially dissolved on May 3, 2000.
Collecting Les Bernard
Les Bernard jewelry is generally affordable. The brand has a relatively small collector base when compared to other vintage jewelry brands such as Trifari and Monet.
Most pieces are generally selling for well under $100 despite the high quality and design associated with this designer. The most basic jewelry pieces are generally selling between $10 and $20. As popularity and awareness of the brand increases, so will the value of these exquisite designs.
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