NEW YORK — For decades, Marcus & Co. has been one of those elusive names in American jewelry history: admired by connoisseurs, but shrouded in mystery. That’s changing, thanks to a groundbreaking new book — and a tightly curated exhibition at the Macklowe Gallery showcasing six rare Marcus & Co. masterpieces.
“Marcus had a truly artistic point of view,” said Ben Macklowe, who now runs the family gallery founded by his parents in the 1960s. “They belonged more in the company of René Lalique than in the company of straightforward jewelers like Black, Starr & Frost. Their vision set them apart in the U.S. jewelry world.”
From Mystery to Remarkable
When Macklowe’s parents began in the estate business, Marcus jewelry was already collectible — but little was known about the firm itself. Corporate records had vanished; the designers and clients remained obscure.
A breakthrough came 15 years ago when Janet Zapata, former Tiffany archivist, published tantalizing articles in the magazine Antiques. But with questions still haunting jewelry historians, two seasoned experts — Sheila Barron Smithie (Metropolitan Museum) and Beth Carver Wees (Curator Emerita of the Met’s American Wing) — took on the challenge.
Their research changed the narrative. “What they’ve done in their book is nothing short of remarkable,” Macklowe said. “For me, it’s the best bit of jewelry scholarship I’ve ever seen.”
All images courtesy of Macklowe Gallery
Archival Treasure Troves
The turning point came when a young Met researcher stumbled across an entry for Jacques & Marcus (a predecessor firm) in the Rauner Library at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire. Inside was a cache of original design books — exquisite watercolors for necklaces, rings, brooches, and more.
More discoveries followed at the Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida, which had inherited additional design books from Marcus descendants. Together, these finds allowed scholars to “reverse engineer” Marcus’s output — even down to how special-order pieces were marked, with which outside manufacturers were involved, and how business partnerships were structured.
Herman Marcus and His Legacy
Born in Germany, Herman Marcus apprenticed with Berlin’s jeweler Elimeyer before emigrating to New York. He worked at Tiffany & Co., partnered with Theodore B. Starr, and later with his sons George and William, established Marcus & Co. in the 1890s.
George Marcus, in particular, was renowned for sketching designs in watercolor directly in front of clients — a level of bespoke service that made Marcus jewelry deeply personal. Clients included the Rockefellers, the Goulds, and other American industrialist families.
All images courtesy of Macklowe Gallery
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Collection
Macklowe Gallery’s exhibition features six Marcus & Co. pieces drawn from a single private collection that had remained intact for decades.
“These are once-in-a-lifetime pieces,” Macklowe said. “I’ve owned dozens of Marcus jewels over the years, but at this level of quality — enamel, gems, creativity — to have several at once is extraordinary. I pinch myself every time I look at them.”
His determination stems from a lesson learned in 2012, when he narrowly lost the bidding on Marcus’s famed Morning Glory brooch at auction. “I was the underbidder at $310,000,” he recalled. “When another bidder took it at $320,000, I decided I wasn’t going to let something like that slip by again.”
All images courtesy of Macklowe Gallery
All images courtesy of Macklowe Gallery
Seeing Marcus in Context
Marcus & Co.: Three Generations of New York Jewelers (Smithie & Wees, 2025) situates Marcus alongside Tiffany, Cartier, Oscar Heyman, and other makers. It also sheds light on the hidden ecosystem of early 20th-century New York jewelry: firms like Durand & Co., who manufactured for the big retailers, and collaborations shaped by import taxes and international exhibitions.
“The genius of the scholarship is that it places Marcus in the wider story,” Macklowe said. “It’s not just about one firm — it’s about how American jewelry came of age.”
All images courtesy of Macklowe Gallery
Exhibition Details
Macklowe Gallery is thrilled to present “Marcus & Co: From The Vault,” an exhibition focusing on the work of one of the most masterful American Art Nouveau jewelry firms.
For the first time ever, Macklowe Gallery will exhibit a rare collection of museum-quality jewels by Marcus & Co., whose distinctive work was veiled for decades in romantic mystery, until the recent discovery of a cache of design archives that inspired intensive scholarship to bring their accomplishments to light.
The exhibition will focus on works of sensitively rendered naturalism, with highly three-dimensional jewels that capture the complexity, delicacy, and fragility of the natural world.
“Marcus & Co.: From the Vault” is open to the public, free of charge, and will be on view from September 19 through December 31, 2025, at Macklowe Gallery, 445 Park Avenue, NYC.
The Book
The exhibition coincides with the release of Marcus & Co.: Three Generations of New York Jewelers — the definitive volume on the American Art Nouveau masters. The book chronicles the firm’s history from its 1892 founding to its closure in 1942. It explores their significant role in creating Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelry for wealthy clients like the Rockefellers, highlighting the artistic and entrepreneurial achievements of three generations of the Marcus family.
It also places Marcus in the broader development of the New York jewelry industry, through historical events such as the Great Depression and World War II. The richly illustrated volume features jewels, period photographs, and archival design drawings.
A limited number of signed copies will be available exclusively through Macklowe Gallery before its wide release in November.
Tap here to go to Macklowe Gallery, New York for more exhibition information!
