RE Juveel (OÜ Juveel) is an Estonian company with interesting history in the jewellery industry, traditions and years of experience. It is the only producer of silver tableware in the Baltic countries and the largest producer of gold and silver jewellery in Estonia.
It was founded in 1923 as VMT Roman Tavast and produced metal badges. In 1941, the founder Roman Tavast was arrested by the Soviet government and the company was nationalised and renamed Metallmärk; during the German occupation of the country, it briefly reverted to the old name, then was Metallmärk again after the war.
There were many changes of name:
1944 - 27.12.1950 Väärismetallasjade Tehas Metallmärk
28.12.1950 - 10.02.1959 Tallinna Juveelivabrik (Tallinn Jewellery Factory)
11.02.1959 - 01.01.1979 Tallinna Juveelitehas
02.01.1979 - 23.10.1980 Tallinna Teadusaparaatide Katsetehas Delta
24.10.1980 - 31.01.1989 Tallinna Eksperimentaalne Juveelitehas
01.02.1989 - 31.03.1991 Tootmiskoondis Juveel
01.04.1991 - 09.10.1994 Riigiettevõte Juveel
10.10.1994 - 22.12.1994 OÜ Juveliir
22.12.1994 - present OÜ Juveel
The company made some of the new Estonian Krooni coinage in the 1990-ies. There is controversy about a tiny letter M which can be found on some of these coins (specifically, the 50 senti of 1992 and 2006, the 1 kroon of 1992, 1993, 1995 and the 5 krooni of 1993 of 1994). The letter is above the right (upper) paw of the lower lion in the Coat of Arms of Estonia. It is not a mint mark, and officially Juveel never had a mint mark for coins (it has markings on its other production). The general opinion seems to be that the letter M is a privy mark of Rein Mikli, who was director of the company at the time. | 