Born in Texas in 1900, Paul Flato would rise from obscurity to become the original “Jeweler to the Stars.” His work garnered praise for decades for its unique whimsy, sense of humor and fine quality. Though Flato’s career ended marked by legal troubles, and scandal, the designer’s prominence in the 1930’s and 1940’s has remained legendary.

Patronized by the elite of Hollywood’s gilded age, Flato was well-known for designing over-the-top extravagances featuring bold use of gemstones, and innovative styles. The most famed of such pieces is the aquamarine and ruby belt necklace created for Linda Porter, the wife of beloved American songwriter, Cole Porter.

Flato was also one of the first jeweler’s to create highly personalized pieces for his clientele, including sign language brooches for Katherine Hepburn. These personalized pieces were infused with his signature brand of wit and whimsy. Flato’s work was not confined merely to the ornamental, however, he produced fine gold lighters, cigarette cases and compacts, including a patriotic compact line featuring diamond-studded stars with another famed designer, Fulco di Verdura. His pieces were also used in films as well, where they adorned Katherine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, among others.

The cachet of the Flato brand was somewhat diminished by the legal dramas which plagued his later life, yet his pieces are still renowned in the world of estate jewelry. Flato’s fine estate jewelry items hold a special attraction to collectors as vivid reminders of Old Hollywood glamour at its finest.