Jewelry designer Herman Marcus immigrated to New York City from Germany in 1850, working for Tiffany & Co. and a number of other firms before eventually establishing Marcus & Co. in 1892. Herman Marcus continued to work with his sons until his death in 1899, at which time, his two sons, William and George, opened a Department for Silversmithing along with the usual jewelry wares. During the first decade of the 20th century, the firm offered a variety of Revivalist style jewelry. Each piece of Marcus & Co. jewelry is meticulously conceived with subtleties that are often not perceived at first, but become apparent on closer inspection. The firm achieved great success creating superb jewelry and bringing unique innovative techniques to the American market. Marcus & Co. was also one of the few firms in the United States to create jewelry featuring plique-á-jour enameling, a trend very popular in French Art Nouveau jewelry of the time.
