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Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Profile picture for user CaveGal
By CaveGal, 13 June, 2009
Description

I'm told that it's probably made of cast iron. The seahorses shine like a new penny after polishing. I don't think it's been polished in over a decade. It is in very good shape. It may have a ding here or there, and I'm not sure if it's waterproof, but it is defiantly solid. I have heard from a few sources that the Jewel Company is out of Chicago, IL. and it's probably from the 1920's. We are looking to sell it. It is located in the Romeoville area of IL.

Category
Home Furnishings
Medium
Glass Bronz Marble
Distinguishing marks
Jewel Co Seahorse legs
Condition
Good
Size and dimensions of this item
floor to top of aquarium 51"tall 4ft long w/o base 50" with base 16" wide aquarium only 18" with base, 19" deep (inside) 20" outside, 1" white marble base
Weight
Very Heavy!
History
It's been in my family for around 40 years
eBay Auction Link
For Sale?
No
Photos
Profile picture for user kathyBeh

kathyBeh

15 years 11 months ago

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

This was made in Chicago in the 1920's.
This company was known for it's elaborate work in cast iron.

Also found this: "Bonhams & Butterfields' spring 2008 auction of 20th Century Decorative Arts, to be held in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 7, 2007, features a diverse group of master works spanning a century of design. Strong examples of Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern and works by Contemporary Studio artists come to the block.

Offerings include an unusual Art Deco wrought-iron, marble and glass Seahorse aquarium, 1920s, from the Jewel Aquarium Company (est. $5,000/7,000)."

No idea if yours is the exact same but you could contact them and find out.
Good luck, looks like you have a nice one there.

No votes yet
Profile picture for user CaveGal

CaveGal

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by kathyBeh

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Thank you kathyBeh! I found the artdaily website you are referring to. I'll have to try to contact them. I've seen pictures of other tanks that are described the same, but are much smaller. Thanks for all your help, and I'll keep plugging away at this.

No votes yet

Anonymous (not verified)

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by CaveGal

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

That's a very nice & distinctive fish tank you've got there , CaveGal .

-regularfella2

No votes yet
Profile picture for user CaveGal

CaveGal

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by Anonymous (not verified)

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

It's for sale. ;0)

No votes yet
Profile picture for user Lovejoy

Lovejoy

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by CaveGal

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Here's what I have in Lovejoy's dusty files ;~)

"The Jewel Aquarium Company was based in Chicago, IL and manufactured fancy tanks with seahorse legs and also very fancy hand hammered iron stands, they also made some custom models. The ends of the fancy tanks were cast iron coated with bronze and a patina. The most expensive had stylized dolphins or storks. They manufactured a few hexagon tanks with the seashell lights mounted on the glass supports. The expensive tanks had grey slate beds with inner white porcelain the glass fitting between the two. Some had center recirculators some did not. They also made a cheaper line of cast iron tanks with a Art Deco design. All of their tanks had a Jewel name tag attached to the lower frame or had the name Jewel cast into the tank frame on the cast iron tanks. They also made a cast tank called the Chicago Bungalow. They designed the old balanced aquarium room at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago that has since been dismantled to enlarge the gift shop, (****). They designed the Nautalis lamps that are still in the Shedd just inside the main doorway to the reef tank. They also made a stainless steel mounted on aluminum legs series.

In more modern times the company manufactured very nice aquariums and terrariums used in schools and college and university labs. I have a couple of the old aquarium stands, one of the dolphin tanks, a stainless steel 50 gallon, and a seahorse leg stand. There was a guy in Chicago who made about 6 reproductions of the hexagon tanks and he sold them through one of the aquarium magazines about 20-25 years ago. He collected the old Jewel fancy tanks. Jewel also made one tank in I believe the 1930s that looked kind of like a bath tub with the lighting in the sheet metal ends. The company was in business from the at least 1920s through the late 1940s or early 1950s for the fancy tanks and into the 1970-80s at least for the commercial tanks."

Lovejoy

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Profile picture for user CaveGal

CaveGal

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by Lovejoy

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Thanks Lovejoy, that's a lot of very interesting info. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and I've been to the Shedd lots of times. I'm going search for some old pix to see what I can find.

No votes yet

Anonymous (not verified)

15 years 9 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by CaveGal

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Did you sell your Jewel Aquarium? I have a very large collection of antique aquariums and am interested.
FYI: your tank is most likely bronze plated and the value is in the seahorse stand as your tank is one of the "planer" Jewel aquariums as they also made a small number of aquariums with dolphin or crane sides which bring the most money. The tank you spoke of at auction probably had the figural sides which is why it went for so much $$$. Your tanks value is $4-5,000.
Also, shame on the Shedd Aquarium for getting rid of their classic "Balanced Aquarium Room" in order to enlarge their gift shop. Post cards of this room are available on eBay from time to time. The Natalus Lamps at the Shedd were made by Tiffany by the way and not the Hans Jenson (Jewel) Aquarium Company.
Reply to my email please. Thanks, Gary
email: [email protected]

No votes yet

Anonymous (not verified)

15 years 2 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by Anonymous (not verified)

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

do you still have your aquarium.....am interest in [email protected]

No votes yet

Anonymous (not verified)

15 years 10 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by Lovejoy

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Lovejoy, Found your history on the Jewel Company very interesting. My husband just gave me a bungalow fish aquarium. Someone made a lid for it that resembles a roof. The roof is very modern looking and appears ridiculous when placed on the aquarium. Did these bungalows sell originally with roofs? Also, were stands made for these? Many thanks.

NLStrand

No votes yet
Profile picture for user CaveGal

CaveGal

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by kathyBeh

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

I dug a little deeper on your lead, kathyBeh, and I found the specs on the aquarium that sold at Bonhams & Butterfield's. It's 3'5" tall and less then 3' long. That's about half the size of mine. It ended up selling for $11,400! I'm in shock! I feel like I'm on Antique Roadshow! Thanks a bunch for the lead. I also got some contact info on the woman who sold it. We are going to call some auction houses in Chicago, tomorrow.
Thanks so much! You really helped to get the ball rolling on this.

No votes yet
Profile picture for user kathyBeh

kathyBeh

15 years 11 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by CaveGal

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Your welcome. Post a message when you sell or send me a private message cause I might not see a public one.

Happy for you !

No votes yet

tropicana

13 years 8 months ago

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

 jewel aquarium mfg went out-of-business in 1982.  the company was located in the 5000 block of west armitage ave (in chicago of course)

all their product of all types was of the highest quality manufacture and are definitely worth the effort to restore

however all the tanks they ever made had bottoms made of slate, not glass. since all jewel tanks now are at least 40 yrs old that can be a problem if you want the tank still to be leakproof, as the original factory sealing is likely dried out and as such not watertite.  the situation's made worse if you're faced with replacing a cracked side glass pane.  modern sealants simply are not successful against the surface porosity of slate, and the original factory caulk was a custom formula long since assigned to history.  slate was used then because you could drop accidently a large rock inside the tank and crack a glass bottom but never crack the slate one.

also i might point out such old aquarium tanks are freshwater only, as metal frame's unsuitable for saltwater use

No votes yet

Gator9101

10 years 4 months ago

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Hi CaveGal,

I have the exact same Jewel fish tank that you once had. Can you share with me how you went about selling the tank? Thank you.

No votes yet

Jolietjake

9 years ago

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Hey Cavegal,  did you ever sell it ?

I have been looking at antique fish tanks

Thx, Mike

No votes yet
Profile picture for user CaveGal

CaveGal

9 years ago

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

The tank is still for sale.  It is in Arazona.  There are no cracks and the bottom of the tank looks like marble to me.  I don't know if it will hold water, we've only used to house reptiles.  

 

No votes yet

W_Alex

7 years 12 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by CaveGal

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Hi

   I was wondering if you still have this aquarium and if you have some photos of it.  Thank you

No votes yet

comti83

6 years 10 months ago

In reply to Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium by CaveGal

Re: Jewel Co. Bronze and Marble Aquarium

Hello,

Does your tank is still for sale ?

How do you want knowing that a rebuild tank cost 9000 $ ?

Thank you

No votes yet
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