Harmony Ball Company, a Columbus, Ohio jewelry manufacturer established in the late 1980s, is offering its complete inventory of vintage jewelry-making components after officially closing its doors following more than 35 years in business.

This extraordinary lot represents decades of careful sourcing and includes one of the largest remaining collections of vintage cabochons acquired directly from some of America's legendary bead and jewelry component distributors.

A Rare Opportunity

Many vintage cabochons possess colors, finishes, manufacturing techniques, and designs that are no longer produced today. Their distinctive appearance and exceptional craftsmanship make them highly desirable for jewelry designers, mixed-media artists, fashion embellishment, and creative home décor projects.

A cabochon is a polished decorative component with a smooth domed face and flat or slightly rounded or pointed back. Traditionally bezel-set or glued into jewelry, cabochons are used in rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, brooches, cufflinks, tie tacks, hair accessories, mosaics, decorative objects, and countless other artistic applications.

Historic Provenance

Beginning in the early 1990s, Harmony Ball Company owners personally traveled to New York City's famous bead district and Providence, Rhode Island's historic jewelry district to hand-select inventory from some of the industry's most respected wholesalers.

The collection was purchased from companies including:

HS Import Co., Inc. – 48 West 37th Street, New York City (now closed)

John H. Paechter, Inc. – 366 Fifth Avenue, New York City (now closed)

Kittay & Blitz, Inc. (now M.L. Roberts) – 228 Webosset Street, Providence, Rhode Island (relocated)

During the twentieth century, the blocks surrounding West 37th Street in Manhattan were considered one of the premier wholesale bead and jewelry component districts in the United States. Likewise, Providence's jewelry district was among the largest costume jewelry manufacturing centers in the world, supplying manufacturers across the country.

Much of that industry has disappeared as manufacturing moved overseas, making inventories like this increasingly difficult to assemble today.

Many of the cabochons were also purchased directly from glass factories in Murano, Italy.

Inventory

Vintage Cabochons

Well over 200,000 vintage cabochons

Approximately 40,000+ purchased directly from Murano, Italy

Remaining inventory sourced from New York City and Providence importers

Manufactured primarily from the 1950s through the mid-1980s

Origins include:

Italy

Japan

Germany

Sizes range from 2 mm to 18 mm

More than 100 different styles and colors

Many remain in their original manufacturer’s packaging

Styles include

Faceted stones

Smooth domes

Pearls

Rhinestones

Iridescent finishes

Patterned cabochons

Floral motifs

Horoscope symbols

Countless specialty colors and decorative designs

Jewelry Components

Also included are substantial quantities of jewelry findings and partially assembled products:

30,000+ adjustable brass ring shanks

30,000+ decorative brass ring tops ready to be soldered to shanks and set with cabochons

3,000+ brushed nickel-plated brass cufflinks

Approximately 25,000 finished brushed nickel-plated rings in 15 different styles awaiting cabochon setting

Exceptional Value

In total, the lot includes:

More than 200,000 vintage cabochons

More than 50,000 rings and ring components

Over 3,000 cufflinks

At the asking price of $30,000, the material cost averages less than $0.60 per finished ring or cufflink pair, while also including an enormous inventory of additional vintage cabochons.

Harmony Ball Company's finished rings retailed for $10 each during the 1990s, illustrating the remarkable potential contained within this inventory.

Ideal For

This lot would be well suited for:

Jewelry manufacturers

Vintage jewelry designers

Jewelry supply companies

Resellers

Craft manufacturers

Mixed-media artists

Opportunities to acquire an inventory of this size, quality, and documented provenance from the historic New York and Providence jewelry districts as well as Murano, Italy are exceptionally rare.