COMMON STYLES, COLORS & CHARACTERISTICS
of
SHERMAN JEWELRY

Manufactured in Canada from 1947 to 1981, Sherman is considered by many to be Canada's premier jewelry designer. This guide is designed to help you appreciate, identify and share the superb artistry of Gustave Sherman's jewelry.  If you have information or photos you would like to share on this page, please let me know!

- Only first quality Swarovski stones and crystal beads are found in Sherman jewelry.  Stones and crystals with Aurora Borealis coatings were very popular!
- Navettes and long marquise cut stones seemed to be a favorite stone shape ~ very seldom will you see a piece without navettes and/or marquise cut stones somewhere in the design.
- Round stones included both brilliant cut and chatons. Baguettes were used, but not as commonly as other stone shapes.
- Unfoiled stones in open settings are rare but not totally unheard of. Unfaceted cabochons (like those in the pink "footed" brooch below) are also quite rare.

- I don't believe I've ever seen Sherman jewelry with glued-in stones; all are prong-set. The blue star flower above is an example of Tiffany/ French prongs used occasionally in Sherman jewelry.
- Apparently Swarovski would produce custom stones for Sherman, including some that are "reverse foiled".  I'm not certain what this process involved, but the end result was a much sparklier stone with a prism-like appearance and multiple color flashes.  More on Reverse Foiled Stones

Sherman earrings are often right and left facing, and most are clipbacks (3 of  Sherman's clip findings are shown below).  The first one (with the scalloped edge & 3 holes) is the most common one (Pat #156452).   The middle one is usually found on longer, dangly (articulated) earring styles, and the third one sometimes found on beaded earrings. Note the various marks (block & script).  There may well be other types of earring findings too.

...from Terry Delany, author of an as-yet-unpublished book on Sherman Jewelry):
"I have just found that Continental (in their top line that copied Sherman) used the same earring backs so I am now rethinking a lot of the unsigned Sherman. It may well have been Continental....."

Sherman signature on the side of a different style clipback finding (above).  Wonder how many of these I've missed!?

Bracelets are usually equipped with safety chains and "hidden" clasps, and the signature is usually stamped on the bottom of the clasp (but not always).  Note the attention to detail on the top bracelet clasp -- the diagonal AB stones are "split" on either side of the clasp so as not to break the "ribbon" effect.

Most but not all Sherman necklaces are equipped with rhinestone & chain extenders such as those shown below.  Signature plates are sometimes under the last navette ... so if the 'dangle' is missing, your necklace will very likely be 'unsigned'.

Necklaces were generally quite short - often between 13-1/2" and 17" in length.  They usually had small ridged hooks, although longer non-adjustable necklaces often fastened with 'hidden clasps' like the bracelets above.

Also note the multi-pronged stone cup in the rhinestone chain; some stones were set this way.

A Note on "Other Clasps" (bracelet & necklace)
Apparently Sherman, for a very short time,  used a "cheaper clasp" similar to the one pictured below.  According to Terry Delany, most of the ones she has seen like this were signed.   The one in the photo is not.   Perhaps this clasp was used by Sherman on the pieces he made for Eaton's and Birks - ??  Maybe it is simply a 'generic clasp' available to and used by other makers as well - ??  Perhaps we will never know.

Findings on Sherman beaded jewelry are fairly distinctive, which is good, because much of this style jewelry is unsigned.  Necklace connectors usually have rhinestones, sometimes in a flower motif (these are the only instances where I have seen glued-in stones).

Memory wire bracelets almost always have ornate spacer bars like the one in my photo.  Beaded 'waterfall' brooches were a popular Sherman design and all that I've seen are hand-wired onto the same filigree.  I've also seen a couple pieces of crystal "disk" jewelry, like the red demi parure below.  Crystals were always Swarovski, and almost always with an AB or mirror finish.

C) Plating

The plating on most Sherman jewelry is quite heavy and highly polished.  Rhodium plating is the most common, although japanned metal and gold-plated settings were also used.  The metal on most of the rhodium-plated pieces I've seen has been in virtually "new" condition, whereas japanned and gold plated settings tend to show their age a bit more.