When collectors think of Juliana, we usually picture sparkling rhinestones. But some of DeLizza & Elster's most imaginative pieces have something quite different at their center: plastic that was heated and formed into sculptural shapes.
Flowers, butterflies, leaves and abstract pendants show just how far D&E could move beyond traditional rhinestone jewelry. And thanks to Frank DeLizza's memoir, we know something about how these unusual components were made.
How Did D&E Make Those Shapes?
On page 112 of Memoirs of a Fashion Jewelry Manufacturer, Frank describes finding a plastics manufacturer named Angie Pisano through a relative. Pisano was already making plastic components for the garment, belt and shoe-buckle trades. D&E began using his capabilities to develop pieces for jewelry.
Frank explains that the plastic was softened in hot water, with shapes cut using a foot press. The pieces could then be finished and worked into jewelry. Discs, squares and triangles provided starting points for the sculptural forms; Frank also describes having a neck ring made from plastic rod.
He records ivory, black and tortoise as three basic colors offered by this supplier, describing the tortoise appearance as dark brown paint brushed over ivory. Those details document one part of D&E's production history; they do not limit all surviving heat-formed jewelry to those colors.
Three Necklaces, Three Very Different Looks
The cream Mod flower pendant, IIJJ#3421, uses broad, shaped plastic elements with gold-tone metal. It's dramatic without relying on a mass of rhinestones. This design is also pictured on page 13 of our book, Juliana Jewelry – The Last Generation.
Another cream flower, IIJJ#8628, makes the neckring itself part of the story. Instead of an ordinary chain, the flower is worn from a plastic neckring—a lovely example of how D&E incorporated the material into more than the pendant.
Now compare the pink-mauve half-moon pendant, IIJJ#8353. Here, the softly shaped plastic contrasts with a sparkling clear rhinestone chain and a silver-tone framework. It shows how D&E could combine the new material with the rhinestones collectors already loved.
These aren't three identical designs in different colors. They're different uses of a material that allowed D&E to experiment with shape, structure and the way a necklace sits against clothing.
Beyond Flowers: Butterflies, Owls and Novelty Designs
My earlier research also documented heat-formed components in butterflies, owls, leaves and other figurals, sometimes combined with cast metalwork, rhinestones or cabochons. The owl pendant-and-earrings set shown in the header is one example. Some shapes reappear across related designs, including butterfly wings made with different metal treatments.
Look at the broad, tortoise-look plastic wings of this butterfly necklace. Their sculptural shape gives the design much of its character, while the gold-tone metal outlines the wings.
Heat-formed plastic also appears in playful novelty designs. This bright blue anchor pendant shows how the material could be shaped into a completely different silhouette.
The wider range of surviving colors includes mauve, pink, cream, red, blue, lime green, yellow and orange, along with darker and tortoise-look examples. Those are recorded examples—not a claim that we know every color or variation D&E produced.
Recognizing a Material Isn't the Same as Identifying a Design
A heat-formed plastic component alone doesn't prove a piece was made by DeLizza & Elster. Other companies used shaped plastics, and a familiar component could appear in more than one manufacturer's jewelry.
Look at the complete design: the shape and placement of the plastic, the way it meets the metalwork, the settings and attachments, and the reverse construction. Compare those details with documented examples in the Is It Juliana Jewelry? database. Different colors can occur within a design, but the actual construction must support the identification.
What I find especially interesting is that Frank's account brings the factory process into focus. These pieces didn't simply begin as unusual-looking pendants. They grew out of D&E's willingness to experiment with different materials and work with the specialists who could turn an idea into a finished piece of jewelry.
Explore the designs up close: View available heat-formed Juliana jewelry and compare the shapes, colors and metalwork described here.
Read more in The Juliana Collector or browse Our Vintage Rose Jewelry.