The Juliana Collector
Welcome to The Juliana Collector, a growing educational library devoted to Juliana jewelry and the work of DeLizza & Elster.
Here you can learn how to identify authentic Juliana, explore the materials and design families used by DeLizza & Elster, read Frank DeLizza’s own words and records, and discover the many designers and companies for whom D&E manufactured jewelry.
The goal is not simply to show beautiful jewelry, but to help collectors understand how it was made, how it changed over time, and how we know what we know.
Choose an area below to begin exploring.
Learn the construction clues and small details collectors use when evaluating DeLizza & Elster jewelry.
Explore figure-8s, square wire, rivets, cast channels, bracelet construction, stone settings, restoration questions, comparison studies and Collector Challenges designed to sharpen your eye.
Explore Juliana Identification →
DeLizza & Elster created far more than the classic rhinestone jewelry most collectors first associate with Juliana.
Explore figurals, unusual stones, enamels, plastics, chains, beads, design motifs, later jewelry and the many different forms D&E jewelry took as fashions changed.
Over the years, collector lore can sometimes become separated from the original history.
In What Frank Actually Said, we go back to Frank DeLizza’s own memoirs, records, advertisements and explanations to look at what the primary sources actually tell us about DeLizza & Elster.
Topics include production history, the Juliana name, customers, manufacturing practices and other questions collectors have debated for years.
DeLizza & Elster manufactured jewelry for a number of other companies and designers.
In D&E Behind the Name, we explore those relationships through documented jewelry, Frank DeLizza’s records and surviving examples.
These stories help reveal just how broad the DeLizza & Elster story really was — and why authentic D&E jewelry can sometimes be found behind another designer’s name.
Can I Tempt You? Takes a closer look at some of the more unusual, distinctive and memorable pieces of Juliana jewelry.
Rather than focusing only on identification, these features explore the design, history, details and stories that make certain pieces especially interesting to collectors.
Sometimes it is the rarity. Sometimes it is the construction, the provenance, the design or simply the sheer drama of the piece. These are the jewels that deserve a little extra attention — and might just tempt you along the way.
About The Juliana Collector
The Juliana Collector is part of the continuing research behind the Is It Juliana Jewelry? (IIJJ) database and the books and educational work devoted to DeLizza & Elster jewelry.
The articles and reference pages here draw on documented jewelry, original research, Frank DeLizza’s writings and records, and decades of hands-on study.