author
Marianne Ostier
1902–1976
Trained as a painter and sculptor before becoming a celebrated jewelry designer, this Austrian-born artist brought a sculptor’s eye to modern adornment. Her award-winning work helped define a bold, elegant style in mid-century America.
1 Audiobook
Jewels and the woman: The romance, magic and art of feminine adornment
by Marianne Ostier
About the author
Born in Austria in 1902, she studied at the Vienna Academy of Arts and Crafts and worked as a painter and sculptor before turning her talents to jewelry design. After the rise of Nazism, she and her husband, Oliver Ostier, left Austria and built a new life in the United States, where they founded Ostier, Inc. in New York.
As the creative force behind the firm, she became known for modern, sculptural pieces that treated jewelry as wearable art. Her designs earned major recognition in American diamond-design competitions, and she was widely admired for combining technical skill with a strong artistic point of view.
She also wrote Jewels and the Woman (1958), a book that reflects her deep interest in the history, symbolism, and personal meaning of adornment. She died in 1976, but her work is still remembered for its originality, elegance, and confident modern spirit.