Creed Vintage Jewelry – Charms and Rosaries
Pictured – Creed birth month angel charm for February
I’ve sold oodles of vintage Creed religious charms during the time I’ve been in business, and have always known the Creed line of charms was high quality and would sell easily and for a good price. Recently I’ve taken the time to research the brand and here’s what I’ve found. Most of the information I found on the Creed website, but some is from other sites and personal experience. Yes the company is still in business much to my surprise. It’s not a Creed family owned business anymore but they still sell wholesale jewelry, rosaries, and other Christian religious items.
Creed Jewelry was founded in 1946 by William Creed in Attleboro Massachusetts, one of the major hubs in early US jewelry manufacturing. In his early years Mr. Creed was a wholesale jewelry salesman in New England, specializing in Christian items and rosaries. As he traveled his route he often heard from customers that they wanted rosaries that were more ornate and made with better quality stones. He wasn’t successful in convincing his employer to expand their line so after a few years he started his own plant.
William Creed traveled to Austria and the Czech Republic where he convinced Swarovski and other fine glass and crystal companies to become his suppliers. His business flourished in the late 1940s and 1950s. His health, unfortunately, did not. As he spent less and less time at the helm, his son, Jack Creed took over.
Jack was better educated and was able to draw on his father’s experiences to expand the family business. He added Aurora Borealis sparkling crystals to the rosaries and developed the “loc-link” cap design for constructing beaded chains.
While the primary business centered around Catholic rosaries, the Creed company also made many high quality charms during the period. Generally they are a medallion or cross style and have a design on the front and either a religious design or inspirational message on the back. They also crafted many figural charms depicting saints. The charms are always marked Creed along with the metal type on the back. There are no “unmarked” Creed charms.
In 1989 the Creed Company was sold but still remained in business in Wrentham Massachusetts. In 2011 Creed was acquired by Christian Brands, located in Phoenix Arizona. The company currently makes all types of jewelry including rings, bracelets, pendants and chains in Christian themes. They also make a wide variety of Catholic rosaries.
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Category: All About Old Jewelry
About the Author (Author Profile)
Wanda Fitzgerald is a Florida native and an vintage charm collector who loves to share her adventures in an e-commerce jewelry business with anyone who is interested.Subscribe
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I am looking for the months of may and june for the creed silver birthday angels. My family has had the tradition that all girls born to the family get a birthday angel my mother started this 55 years ago she is gone now and I am the oldest so I need to keep the tradition going. Recently we found out that my youngest sister son and daughter in law are having a girl in either may or june I have been collecting these angels for 40 years but I don’t have these two months could you help me find them.
Thanks
Anita