The DCE Curtis brand has its roots in Curtis Jewelry Mfg Co., founded in 1936 and specializing in the creation of fine jewelry. Their assortment included silver and gold-plated accessories decorated with semi-precious stones and ivory: brooches, tie clips and elegant necklaces.
The fate of Curtis is inextricably linked with another Providence enterprise – Uncas Manufacturing Co., which the company became part of in 1936. Uncas Manufacturing Co. was headed by Vincent Sorrentino (1892-1976), an Italian immigrant who emigrated to the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century.
In the 1950s, the initials DCE – an abbreviation of Curtis Jewelry Mfg Co. – began to appear on products.
In addition to Curtis Jewelry Mfg Co., Uncas Manufacturing Co. was also included in the structure of Uncas Manufacturing Co. also included Curtman Co Inc, which had been in business since 1941. In 1996, Uncas Manufacturing Co. expanded its assets by acquiring Vargas MFG and its manufacturing building.
