Marianne Ostier
Ostier Inc. was founded by designer Marianne Ostier and her husband Oliver Ostier, a third generation court jeweler who came to America from his native Austria following the Anschluss of 1938. Both manufacturers and retailers, the Ostiers produced a number of jewels that were original in design and superbly crafted. Their shop was located at 5 East 57th Street in New York City.
A multi-faceted artist whose skills included painting and sculpture as well as jewelry design, Marianne Ostier was the author of Jewels and the Woman, a basic primer on the art of wearing jewelry. She was responsible for many innovations and was the recipient of the Diamond U.S.A. Award and the Diamond International Award for design excellence. Following the death of her husband in 1969, Ostier retired from the business on the grounds that the numerous administrative duties she would have to assume could not be meet without artistic compromise. The entire stock of Ostier, was subsequently sold by Parke-Bernet Galleries in New York in November of 1969.
Information courtesy of Sotheby’s, September 2008.