Kafin: (pr: KAY fin) New York based company in operation from the 1950s to the 1960s. Produced both rinestone and metal jewelry of average to above average quality. Marked Kafin of New York or just Kafin in scropt signature form.
Kalo: Founded by Clara Barch Wells in Park Ridge, Illinois in 1900. Became the Chicago area's most prolific producer of handwrought silver jewelry. Operated in a communal setting true to the Arts and Crafts movement. Clara retired in 1940 and in 1959 gave the shop to four loyal employees who continued business. Ceased operations in 1970. High quality sterling jewelry sometimes enhanced with semi-precious stones. Very collectible and priced accordingly. Signed KALO.
Karu: Not clear whether the jewelry marked Karu, Karu Fifth Ave and Karu Arke Inc. was manufactured by Kaufman and Ruderman (comedian Andy Kaufman's family). Jewelry appears to have been manufactured from the 1940s to at the least the 1970s. Employs iridescent crystal beads and aurora borealis rhinestones set on goldtone metal. Karu signature first used in 1940, Karu Arke in the 1950s.
Kerr & Co: Originally known as Kerr and Thierry. Founded in New Jersey in 1855. Started by making tableware and gold and silver jewelry. Made Art Nouveau jewelry from 1892 to 1900. Hollow-backed jewelry stamped with imitation repousse work. Rare on the market and the prices reflect that. Marked with a fleur-de-lys.
Keyes: Canadian costume jewelry company in business from circa 1940s to circa 1990s. Keyes was a well known Belgian gem designer and jeweller who switched to costume jewelry because he loved the freedom to be more creative with design. Friend and contemporary of Sherman. His company was located in Montreal, Canada. Produced jewelry for M. Boucher. Jewelry is high quality with superior stones. Signed KEYES. Not very common on the market and priced accordingly.
Kirk & Son: Founded by Samuel Kirk in Baltimore, Maryland almost 200 years ago. Its name changed several times from Kirk & Smith to Samuel Kirk, to Samuel Kirk & Son before finally being incorporated as Kirk Stieff Corporation in 1979. Manufactured silver jewelry. Still in business.
Korda: Jewelry marked Korda is associated with the 1940 release of the movie "The Thief of Baghdad" produced by Alexander Korda. Some of the pieces are reflect the fantasy theme of the movie and others may be copies of the ornamental jewelry worn by the cast in the movie. High quality and extremely rare. Pieces are marked Thief of Baghdad. Prices will continue to rise.
Kramer: Kramer Jewelry Creations was founded in New York in 1943 by Louis Kramer and continued production until about 1980. Much of the jewelry produced in the 1940s and 1950s was designed by Louis Kramer himself. The jewelry features high-quality Austrian rhinestones. In the early 1950s, Kramer produced jewelry for Christian Dior. Marked Kramer or Kramer of New York. Very collectible, especially the more extravagant pieces and parures.
Krementz: Krementz and Co. was first established by a group of investors to produce fine jewelry but they became a leading manufacturer of collar buttons and cuff links. The also produced 10K and 14K gold jewelry set with pearls and precious stones in late Victorian and Art Nouveau styles. As the demand for collar buttons declined by the 1930s, the company expanded into the area of women's jewelry. Still in buiness today. Traditional and elegant designs using quality material and workmanship. Most pieces are marked Krementz - sometimes in unusual places such as pin stems. Other marks used since 1930 are a set of armor with the work "Heraldic" diagonally inside a shield, Ju-Kay since 1907, Snap-Bar on cufflinks since 1940 and a picture of a snap with bent ends since 1896.