Company History
As with many vintage jewelry companies, little information is currently available regarding Zentall jewelry history.
Robert Zentall and his wife Betty founded Robert Zentall Inc. in 1950s Mount Vernon, New York. United States Patent and Trademark Office records indicate the jewelry mark Zentall was first used in March 1952. Zentall applied for trademark protection in 1966 and was granted the trademark in 1967.
Robert Zentall Inc went out of business in 1984.
Interesting note: Betty Zentall was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1915 and is the sister of famous designer Etienne Aigner and photographer Lucien Aigner. She retired to Laguna Woods, California.
Collecting Zentall Jewelry
Zentall jewelry gained popularity after being featured in Vogue Magazine in 1954. The pieces were considered stylish and of good quality.
Zentall worked with an array of materials including stones, coral, glass, enamel, Lucite, silver, pewter and even gold. Pieces were mainly organic forms or figural designs. Many items are very textured, and some are considered brutalist.
It appears all pieces were marked Zentall in uppercase block letters.
Today, Zentall jewelry is very collectible and not as commonly found as other famous brands. Therefore, expect to pay a bit more than the well known vintage brands which have flooded the market.
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