BMJ Blog

Knocked Off and Mad as Hell

Posted on November 07, 2013 by Barbara Polinsky | 5 Comments

It’s so frustrating and disheartening when your work is knocked off. Designs are the lifeblood of a company and for another to take credit for your work is the equivalent of stealing. 

NY jewelry designer Wendy Brandes shared her experience earlier this year here when Top Shop “borrowed” her designs. I find myself in a similar situation, though on a smaller scale.  I recently became aware of jewelry designs that are identical and extremely similar to my own, being sold by Laura Preshong, a Boston jeweler. The owner bought jewelry from me as a regular customer back in 2010 and subsequently, I have found her name associated with jewelry I would have mistaken for my own. From internet press clippings it appears she has been selling my work since at least 2011.  To be absolutely certain to not falsely accuse, I purchased a brass twig bracelet from her online store and compared it to my own sample in sterling.  Holding the fake and feeling nauseous and angry, it was a snap to confirm that Laura Preshong made a mold of my work because every bud and line match exactly.  There is one notable difference that is consistent with making copies -her bracelet is a hair smaller.  When silicone molds are used to duplicate designs, each generation becomes slightly smaller because the molds shrink three to ten percent when curing.

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Posted in BMJNYC News, cease and desist, jeweler knocked off, jewelry copied, jewelry copyright, jewelry knock off, laura preshong copies, twig bangle copied