When one thinks of manufacturing in the Valley, the industry most likely to come to mind is aerospace. While that industry has no doubt flourished in this area, the Valley has also become a hub for jewelry manufacturers over the years. Some of the estimated few dozen jewelry manufacturers in the Valley,a large number situated in Glendale and Burbank,have been a force here longer than others. A case in point is Joseff Precision Metal Products in Burbank. With goods featured in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, not to mention the runways of Paris and Milan, the company launched in 1921. “We manufacture costume jewelry to sell and to rent to the studios,” general manager Tina Joseff explained. “Since the beginning, that’s what we started doing. Mostly, we’re a boutique type shop. Most of our pieces are reproductions from pieces that have been used in the movies.” Tina Joseff’s father-in-law, the late Eugene Joseff, was inspired to start the business when he complained to industry insiders about repeatedly seeing movie stars wearing contemporary jewelry in period films. They told him, “See if you can do any better,” according to Tina Joseff. By all appearances, Eugene Joseff did. In the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, he emerged as one of the top Hollywood jewelry designers, earning him the moniker “jeweler to the stars.” Joseff manufactured the gold and silver cigar box Clark Gable used in “Gone with the Wind,” the pearl-and-aquamarine-jeweled necklace worn by Bette Davis in “Elizabeth & Essex” and a belt Elizabeth Taylor wore in “Cleopatra.” Jewelry featured in the films “The Ten Commandments” and “The King and I” was also provided by Joseff. More recently, they provided the jewelry featured in the cave scenes of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Because the company, which settled in Burbank in 1940, has a historic following, it does not engage in advertising. “Generally, we do word of mouth,” Tina Joseff said. Thus far, the business seems to be largely unaffected by the writers strike. Asked what impact the dispute has had on the company, Tina Joseff answered, “That’s hard to say. Perhaps (it has been) a little bit. If they aren’t producing anything, no one’s renting anything.” Even if the strike continues, Joseff has another industry to fall back on: aerospace. That’s right. The company has adopted the slogan “from jewelry to jets.” While the company still manufactures jewelry and produces a small line of costume jewelry, it has long manufactured aerospace parts. The origins of Joseff’s foray into this industry date back to 1941, when the company began making castings for radar, guided missiles, computers and electro-mechanical systems for various aerospace products. Ties to Hollywood Like Joseff, American Metal Arts in Canoga Park is a jewelry manufacturer with ties to Hollywood that has also branched out to other industries. When the company started in 1985, however, jewelry manufacturing was its sole focus, particularly of miniature jewelry pins. Much of the jewelry American Metal Arts produces is used for promotional purposes for company logos, pendants, medallions and the like according to founder Michael De Medina. The company has also made reproductions for movies and television. De Medina’s background as a sculptor led him to manufacture customized pieces as well. “I even made customized jewelry for the movie and television industry,” he said. The highlight came in the 1990s, when De Medina was asked to make a pair of sterling silver shoes for Michael Jackson. “It took quite a while,” he recalled. “We worked for his people, his costume designers.” Medina has put his sculpting ability to direct use by manufacturing customized bronze sculptures for clients such as 21st Century Insurance. His work can now be seen in the Warner Center Marriott lobby in Woodland Hills. In addition to sculpting, De Medina has spent the past ten years or so branching out into the awards arena by manufacturing customized trophies. He said that making this move was a must, as countries such as China, Thailand and India have provided stiff competition in the jewelry manufacturing field. “The international market is a killer,” he said. While companies working with foreign manufacturers usually have to purchase large orders, De Medina stays afloat by being available to make small orders. He makes a point to collaborate with clients throughout the entire manufacturing process. “We work together with the client, so it’s very intimate. It’s not at a distance,” he said. Despite persistent competition from abroad, De Medina has no plans to abandon the jewelry manufacturing aspect of his business. At the end of this year, he even plans to launch a Christian jewelry line called Heavenly Jewelry. China Competition Felice Jacobson, owner of FM Designs Inc. in North Hollywood, can relate to De Medina’s struggles to survive as a jewelry manufacturer in the face of intense competition from overseas. “China is my biggest competitor,” Jacobson said. Jacobson has been in business with her husband, Abel Rojas, for 16 years. She has manufactured jewelry for fashion retailers Wet Seal and Paul Frank, as well as for the fashion end of the surfing industry. FM Designs also manufactures wallets and key chains. While China may be her biggest competitor, Jacobson believes her company has an edge. That’s because, like American Metal Arts, FM Designs, does small orders. “And China doesn’t do it,” she said. “It’s to our advantage to do the lower quantity orders.” Jacobson also believes that clients benefit as well. “It’s a definite advantage for our customers. It’s cheaper for them,” she said. Moreover, “They have a hands-on say about what they’re designing and what the finished product is going to be.”
