Established in 1918 by jewelry designers Clifford First and Joseph Bobley, CASTLECLIFF was established in the heart of NYC. Wartime in the 1940’s brought on a surge of creativity and scale, as designers embraced wood, plastics and unusual materials in response to material restrictions due to rationing. In the 1950’s, William Markle became lead designer at CASTLECLIFF, and his architecturally trained eye set a fanciful tone for the brand, drawing inspiration from a plethora of eras—most notably Gothic, Art Deco and the Renaissance era. The new decade brought unlimited access to materials, and his bold, sculptural and colorful jewelry was often adorned with multicolored rhinestones, glass gemstones and faux pearls, earning CASTLECLIFF's signature tagline, “The Talked About Jewelry.”