SKAL Makers Mark
SKAL is not the mark for a Hubertus Von Skal. It is not used by 'designers' Phil or Ira Skalet although Phil Skalet was the president of Skalet Manufactuing Company Inc who is the mass manufacturer. First do a browser search for SKAL, go ahead really do it and see what results you get. Everyone is thinking that they have an item by a Modernist Bohemian designer Hubertus Von Skal because "SKAL 14k" is used in a browser search to see what that means. The search results pull up listings saying their ring is a signed Hubertus Von Skal or an Ira Skalet. Except there is a problem with that, Hubertus is a mid century German designer, which eliminates him from all jewelry marked 14k, 10k, 18k that's American manufactured. The other thing is no one bothered to look into the actual work of Hubertus to see his makers mark or his work (ie. his real work identified by galleries in Germany that hold his pieces) . If they did they would see Hubertus only does one of a kind artist/gallery works of art that are unsigned and in materials that are not common to commercially sold jewelry. This is a case of one person identifying the wrong maker and everyone without fact checking followed the lead.
The other name everyone is attaching to the SKAL mark Phil and Ira Skalet. Phil the owner and Ira the Vice President's names which are being used like they were the 'designer' or maker of the items themselves. When you have a vintage ring marked SKAL...you do not have Phil Skalet or an Ira Skalet designed item. You have a mass produced item that was manufactured in a factory by designers hired by the Skalet's who then sold in department chain stores. The owners who oversaw the business operation did not personally design or make any of their items in production.
SKAL is the registered trademark for Skalet Manufacturing Company Inc and RICHLINE GROUP, INC. The SKAL mark originated from the Skalet Manufacturing Company Inc of New York. All jewelry marked SKAL is manufactured by Skalet Manufacturing or later the Richline Group, Inc., whom is the USA’s foremost, Jewelry Manufacturer, Distributor and Marketer for HSN and QVC. Both companies were mass merchandiser's. Depending on when the item was made the SKAL mark was first used in 1940. It was registered in 1956 with the letters at a diagonal angle for Skalet Manufacturing Company Inc. By the late 1970s Skalet was acquired by the the Richline Group.
FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1940
74118609 - SKAL
(Owner) Skalet, Inc. Corporation NEW YORK, 104 West 29th Street, New York NY 10001
(Last Listed Owner) RICHLINE GROUP, INC. Corporation DELAWARE, 115 SOUTH MACQUESTEN PARKWAY, MOUNT VERNON NY 10550
So you see now that if you have an item sold to you made by designers Phil Skalet, Ira Skalet or Hubbertus Von Skal and it is marked SKAL than you in fact do NOT have a rare or a designer item. You have a mass produced and mass marketed item that was very likely sold through chain jewery stores, Home Shopping Network or QVC.
Below is an example of Hubertus' designs which are one of a kind, extremely modernist and always made with unusual non precious materials like this lucite ear. Definitely not mainstream. Here are some links to Von Skal’s real works of art https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/arti...http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O143650/i-go-i-come-brooch-brooch-von-skal-hubertus/
