Miriam and Jack have owned, bred and exhibited Great Danes and have been active members of the Great Dane Club of America since the early 1970s. At that time, Miriam tried to find Great Dane jewelry that she thought accurately represented the breed and that she would be willing to wear. She couldn't, so she decided to make her own. She was already an accomplished painter and wanted to try sculpting. Her first few pieces of jewelry were offered for sale at a Great Dane show on October 7, 1977 in Kansas. Her work was so well received that she continued to create new designs and thereby expand an already successful line.
Some time later, a friend challenged Miriam by saying that she couldn't accurately sculpt a very small Bulldog in wax. She not only accepted the challenge, but also created an entire line of Bulldog jewelry, which was as enthusiastically received as the Great Dane jewelry. Because she was most familiar with the dogs in the Working Group, she decided to first concentrate on them and soon added Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, and Siberian Huskies to her rapidly growing line.
As Miriam became better known, still more new breeds were added, and she was able to display her jewelry at all-breed shows in addition to Nationals. In January 1987, Jack retired from the foreign patent operation of the General Electric Company in order to devote all of his time to Best of Breed Fine Jewelry. Miriam could now concentrate all of her talents in creating new designs.
At the start of the year 2006, Best of Breed Fine Jewelry owns more than 2,200 molds representing over 100 A.K.C. recognized breeds. More than 7,000 different designs can be made from these, thereby making Best of Breed Fine Jewelry the largest manufacturer of its kind. A jeweler, a polisher, and a stone setter are on staff so that the only work that is not done "in house" is engraving. Because we exercise complete control of the entire manufacturing process, the highest quality of workmanship is assured. All of our unique designs are original and our registered U.S. Trademark "Conforming to Breed Standards" says it all.
As you explore our Web site, please do not limit yourself to only your breed. If you see and like a particular style in a breed other than your own, Miriam can probably customize it to accommodate your favorite breed. Please do not hesitate to ask.