Before Albert Weiss founded his costume jewelry company, he worked for two well-known jewelry companies: Marvella and Coro. Born and raised in New York, Weiss was a remarkably talented designer with an eye for classic design and appealing color schemes. Many experts credit Albert Weiss with triggering numerous trends, such as: Christmas tree brooches and other Christmas jewelry, the use of only light blue or only gray rhinestones, or blackening the metal setting to enhance the luminosity of the stones.