Léa Stein Jewelry
Recently, I fell down some kind of internet rabbit hole and stumbled across this adorable pin by Léa Stein. I had never heard of this designer before, but I found myself intrigued by her numerous pieces and decided to learn more about her. As it turns out, there isn’t much information available about Léa Stein, though she is known as a prolific designer of plastic pins and jewelry from the 1960s through the 1990s. I’ve seen these styles in the past and never thought twice about them, but Stein’s whimsical pieces drew me in immediately.
(Photographs of Stein’s pieces from inside the book.)
Born in France, Léa Stein and her chemist husband developed a way to layer thin sheets of cellulose acetate to make intricate designs. Her pins include tiny fashion accessories like hats, purses, and umbrellas, as well as a large collection of animals and figures of women, too. Stein is also known for her lovely bracelets with intricate layers of color. I find these especially interesting and I’m on the hunt for a few of my own. I also recently bid on a small purse pin via eBay and won the auction at a reasonable price.
I don’t really consider myself a collector these days, unless you count my endless supply of pillow covers, but I’m having fun learning more about this designer with quite a following in the world of vintage jewelry. It will be fun to own a few of her pieces and I hope to show them to you soon.
Do you collect anything?
