The Robert Mandle jewelry company was founded by Robert Mendel in 1956. It all started with his father Uria Mandle, an ethnic German who emigrated from Germany to America in the early 30s of the 20th century. It is not known, due to what circumstances Mendel Sr. left his native land and whether he had anything to do with jewelry before. Most likely he had, and, moreover, one should think, was well acquainted with the house (family) of the jeweler, also of German origin, David Lisner. David Lisner was born in Germany in 1846 and emigrated to America with his entire family in 1864. In 1904, David’s brothers founded the D. Lisner Co. in New York.
It was in this company that Robert’s father, Uri Mendel, initially began to engage in jewelry. Then Mendel Sr. worked for the famous jewelry firm Coro.
In 1938, Uri Mendel opened his own jewelry production – URO Creations, it was there that Robert studied with his father and thus became a hereditary jeweler.
The Second World War significantly hit, among other things, the jewelry business, and URO Creations could not be avoided.
In addition, Robert himself was drafted into the army in 1942, and returned only five years later. Demobilized from military service, Robert Mendel returned to his father’s company. Robert’s further future was largely determined by his meeting with Alfoe Verrechia, brother of Gene Verrechia, who was at that time the leading designer of the Coro jewelry company.
It was Alfoe Verrechia who developed for Robert the mandolin brooch design, which served as the beginning of the production of a line of brooches – musical instruments. Then, in 1956, Robert founded his firm Robert Mandle, which was quite successful until 1990. Robert retired in the 1990s and his business was taken over by Gem-Craft Corp., a costume jewelry company.
