Lea Stein

Lea Stein began making jewelry in the 1960s in Paris, France. She is known for her whimsical figural designs and very imaginative construction. Each design is made of cut out shapes of laminated cellulose acetate sheets. The image is broken down into geometric elements enforced by using different colors and patterns. The cut outs are then layered in order to create the final image. Her designs have a strong Art Deco influence, which might cause some to incorrectly describe them as such.

Lea Stein was born in Paris, France. Little is known about her childhood. In the 1950s she married Fernand Steinberg who invented a process for layering Celluloid into paper thin sheets. The sheets would be layered and almost any material could be included in the final process. You will see Mother of Pearl, straw and glitter flakes, for example.

Each style was a labor of love and it could take up to 6 months for the prototype to be created. That prototype once approved, became the template by which the small production line was manufactured. Each prototype was hand carved and hand engraved.

In the 1970s, Lea Stein purchased the rights to the French TV series "L'ile aux Enfants", which translates to "Children's Island". She created a small collection of pins based on the characters that was produced for one year only, in 1975. These are very scarce and highly collectible.

The company closed around 1980, but re-opened in the late 1991 and is still in business to this date. Most if not all of her jewelry is marked "Lea Stein, Paris" and brooches use a very distinctive v shaped clasp, where you will find the signature.  The attachment method defines the age. The earlier brooches (the vintage ones, ca. 1969 to 1981) were attached by heat. The newer versions are riveted.

All the offerings on these pages are vintage jewelry from the 80s or older, unless clearly noted.