27 Costume Jewelry Pieces Buyers Compete Over Online

The costume jewelry that once cost a few dollars at a department store counter now sets off bidding wars that run into the hundreds, sometimes thousands. Auction watchers refresh their screens in the final seconds because a single signed clasp or a patented clip mechanism can separate a $20 trinket from a genuinely coveted piece.

What follows is a field guide to the makers and lines that reliably draw a crowd, with the marks to look for, the eras that matter, and honest value ranges. Every price here swings hard on condition, because a missing stone or worn plating can cut a piece’s worth in half.

Trifari Jelly Belly Animals

Trifari’s “Jelly Belly” figurals, designed by Alfred Philippe in the late 1930s and 1940s, use a clear Lucite cabochon as the body of a poodle, fish, or the famous spouting whale. The surprising part is that the material was reportedly repurposed from clear plastic developed for aircraft canopies during the era. Look for the crown-over-T mark, which Trifari adopted around 1937, plus “Trifari” with the encircled R after 1955.

Common Jelly Bellies run $150 to $600, while the rarer rooster or elephant can reach four figures at auction. Crazing or clouding of the Lucite, or any stone loss around the setting, pulls the value down sharply.

Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl Brooches

Miriam Haskell built her reputation on hand-wired glass baroque pearls from Gablonz, layered over intricate filigree backplates rather than glued flat. Her design chief Frank Hess wired each element individually, which is why a genuine Haskell piece flexes slightly and never looks stamped. Early pieces before the 1940s were unsigned, so collectors learn to read the construction; the horseshoe-shaped “Miriam Haskell” plaque came later.

Signed brooches typically bring $150 to $500, with elaborate multi-strand designs climbing higher. Yellowed or flaking pearl coating and broken wire loops are the usual value killers.

Eisenberg Original Rhinestone Clips

Eisenberg began as a dress company and pinned rhinestone clips to its garments, until customers began stealing the jewelry off the clothes and the firm sold the pieces separately. The “Eisenberg Original” script mark, used roughly from 1935 into the mid-1940s, signals the heavy, high-quality Austrian crystal era collectors chase.

These clips are notably weighty and use large, clean-cut stones set in sterling during the war years. Signed Originals commonly run $200 to $700, and exceptional fur clips exceed that. Because the stones are foiled, any moisture damage that darkens them behind the setting drops the price hard.

Coro Duette Convertible Clips

The Coro Duette is a patented frame, its mechanism registered in 1931, that holds two matching dress clips which snap together to form a single brooch or separate to pin on collars and lapels. Adolph Katz designed many of the enameled bird and flower Duettes that collectors prize most.

The frame is stamped “Coro Duette” with the patent number, and the individual clips carry their own marks.

Enameled examples generally sell for $75 to $400, with the quivering trembler designs and the Rock Fish reaching more. A sprung or non-locking mechanism, chipped enamel, or a mismatched frame all cut the figure.

Weiss Aurora Borealis Rhinestone Brooches

Albert Weiss, who left Coro to launch his own firm in 1942, became known for exceptionally bright rhinestones and dense aurora borealis coatings introduced in the 1950s. His “black diamond” smoky stones and Christmas tree pins remain hunted items. Pieces are marked “Weiss,” “Albert Weiss,” or “AW Co.” Standard rhinestone brooches sell for $40 to $150, while the coveted figural trees and japanned florals run $100 to $300.

Since the coating and the foil backing are fragile, cloudy or dead-looking stones from moisture exposure noticeably reduce value.

Juliana DeLizza & Elster Five-Link Bracelets

Juliana pieces were made by DeLizza & Elster from roughly 1967 to 1969 and were never actually signed “Juliana” beyond a hang tag, so identification relies on construction clues. The tell-tale features are five-link bracelet backs, puddling of open-back stones, and distinctive figure-eight and S-shaped connectors.

Because the paper tags rarely survived, a huge share of the market rests on collector consensus rather than a stamped mark, which is itself contested among specialists. Confirmed bracelets and parures bring $100 to $500, with rhinestone-and-cabochon demi-parures at the top.

Missing stones and mismatched replacements devalue quickly given the specific vintage stones involved.

Schiaparelli Watermelon Stone Jewelry

Elsa Schiaparelli’s American licensed line, produced into the 1950s, is famous for unusual art-glass stones, including the two-tone “watermelon” cabochons and lava rock textures no competitor matched. The surprising detail is that the designer’s earlier Paris work leaned surrealist, and the later commercial line carried that taste for the strange into rhinestone brooches.

Look for the “Schiaparelli” script signature. Signed brooches and sets typically run $150 to $600, and the iridescent watermelon and molded-glass pieces climb higher. Chipped art glass, which cannot be replaced with modern stock, causes steep drops.

Bakelite Carved Bangles

Bakelite, an early phenolic plastic patented in 1909, was carved into chunky bangles during the 1930s that now command far more than their original dime-store cost. Deeply carved and reverse-carved bangles, plus rare colors like transparent “apple juice” and true red, drive the competition.

Collectors test suspected Bakelite with a hot-water rub that releases a faint formaldehyde odor, a quirk that separates it from later plastics. Plain bangles run $40 to $150, deeply carved ones $150 to $500, and the rare polka-dot and laminated examples much more.

Cracks, called crazing, and repairs sharply reduce worth.

Sherman Rhinestone Necklaces

Gustave Sherman ran a Montreal workshop from the late 1940s into the late 1970s and insisted on top-grade Swarovski crystal, which is why Canadian collectors treat his name almost reverently. Sherman refused to release anything with a flaw, and the story goes that seconds were destroyed rather than sold. Most pieces carry a “Sherman” signature, though a portion left the shop unsigned.

Signed rhinestone sets typically bring $80 to $400, with the rarer colors like red and topaz reaching more. Any dead or replaced stone stands out against Sherman’s uniform brilliance and lowers the price.

Stanley Hagler N.Y.C. Beaded Florals

Stanley Hagler produced lavishly hand-wired floral pieces from the 1950s onward, building up seed beads and Gablonz glass on a distinctive Russian gold-tone filigree base. Each element was wired by hand, so a genuine Hagler is a small piece of engineering rather than a casting.

The mark evolved from “Stanley Hagler” to “Stanley Hagler N.Y.C.,” with later pieces by Ian St. Gielar and Mark Mercy sometimes causing attribution disputes among collectors.

Signed brooches commonly run $100 to $400, with elaborate parures higher. Missing beads and broken wires are difficult to restore and cut value.

Schreiner New York Inverted Stones

Schreiner of New York, active from the 1950s into the 1970s, is instantly recognizable for setting rhinestones upside down with the point facing outward, a technique collectors call keystoning. The company also used hook-and-eye construction so pieces could be taken apart, and its “ruffle” pins with tiered petals are especially sought. Look for the “Schreiner New York” oval plaque, though many pieces went to fashion houses unsigned. Signed brooches bring $150 to $600, with the large ruffle and dome designs at the top.

Because the inverted stones are prong-set individually, stone loss is both common and costly.

Marcel Boucher Phrygian Cap Brooches

Marcel Boucher trained at Cartier before launching his own firm in 1937, and his early enameled bird and flower brooches show that fine-jewelry pedigree in their naturalistic detail. His hummingbird and bird-of-paradise pins are the ones bidders chase. Early pieces carry a Phrygian cap mark, later ones “Boucher” or “MB” with a design number.

Signed brooches typically run $100 to $450, with the enameled figurals and articulated designs reaching more. Enamel chips and missing pavé stones from the delicate settings drop the figure notably.

Hobé Filigree Parures

Hobé, a firm whose roots trace to a French family of jewelers, marketed itself with the slogan “Jewels of Legendary Splendor” and produced intricate filigree work far finer than most costume competitors. The surprising angle is that the company supplied jewelry to Hollywood films, lending its name a screen glamour. Marks include “Hobé” in various forms across decades, which helps date pieces.

Signed filigree sets bring $80 to $350, with early sterling and multi-stone parures higher. Bent filigree and missing stones, hard to source for the antique designs, reduce value.

Kramer of New York Rhinestone Sets

Kramer, founded in 1943, produced dense, high-quality rhinestone jewelry and also made pieces for Christian Dior under license, which is part of why signed Kramer draws attention. The firm’s “diamond look” sets used clear stones so well cut they mimic fine jewelry from across a room. Marks include “Kramer,” “Kramer of New York,” and “Kramer N.Y.”

Signed rhinestone parures typically run $60 to $250, with the Dior-marked and aurora borealis pieces higher. Foil-back deterioration behind the stones dulls the effect and lowers worth.

Hattie Carnegie Figural Brooches

Hattie Carnegie, a fashion designer who never learned to sew but built an empire on taste, licensed a costume jewelry line famous for whimsical figural brooches, including Asian-inspired faces and animal designs. The playful “fruit salad” and enameled figures are the standouts. Look for the “Hattie Carnegie” mark or the script signature.

Signed figurals commonly bring $80 to $400, with the enameled Asian-face and articulated pieces reaching more. Enamel loss and missing molded-glass stones cut into value.

Kenneth Jay Lane Statement Pieces

Kenneth Jay Lane began designing in the 1960s and dressed figures from Jackie Kennedy to Elizabeth Taylor, making his bold faux pieces a status marker in their own right. His enameled animal bracelets and oversized cocktail rings still turn heads at auction.

Marks include “K.J.L.,” “Kenneth Lane,” and “Kenneth Jay Lane” across his long career. Signed pieces typically run $50 to $300, with early K.J.L.-marked and celebrity-associated designs higher. Enamel chips and worn gold-tone plating pull the price down.

Joseff of Hollywood Russian Gold

Joseff of Hollywood supplied jewelry to hundreds of films, then sold retail versions to the public finished in a matte “Russian gold” plating that cut camera glare on set. The detail collectors love is that a piece may share a design with one worn on screen by a studio-era star. Look for the “Joseff Hollywood” or “Joseff” block or script marks.

Signed pieces bring $100 to $500, with documented screen-related designs and sunburst motifs higher. Because the matte plating wears to shiny brass at high points, plating loss significantly reduces value.

Napier Cleopatra and Figural Jewelry

Napier, one of America’s oldest jewelry firms with roots in the 19th century, is prized for its mid-century figural and Egyptian-revival pieces, including the collar-style Cleopatra designs. The surprising fact is the company’s long lifespan, which means the same name spans Art Deco through the 1990s.

Marks include “Napier” in several styles that aid dating. Signed figural and revival pieces typically run $50 to $250, with the enameled and Egyptian-motif designs higher. Worn plating and missing enamel or stones lower the figure.

Lisner Leaf and Thermoset Brooches

Lisner produced affordable but well-designed jewelry from the 1930s onward, best known for molded thermoset “lucite” leaves and iridescent stones in coordinated sets. The maple-leaf brooches in fall colors are a reliable draw. Look for the “Lisner” script mark, sometimes with a stylized “L.” Signed sets commonly bring $40 to $150, with the color-shifting thermoset and figural pieces reaching more.

Chipped or discolored thermoset stones, which cannot be matched, reduce value.

Har Enameled Dragon Jewelry

Har, made by the Hargo company in the 1950s and 1960s, is legendary among collectors for a single line: elaborately enameled dragon brooches, bracelets, and rings with textured heads and rhinestone accents. The dragon sets are so sought that reproductions circulate, which makes verified originals a competitive target.

Look for the “HAR” mark. Genuine dragon pieces run $150 to $600, with full parures reaching well over that. Enamel loss on the raised heads and missing stones cut value steeply given the line’s demand.

Florenza Victorian-Revival Pieces

Florenza, produced by Dan Kasoff from the 1950s into the early 1980s, specialized in antiqued gold-tone Victorian-revival designs with cameos, faux pearls, and jeweled boxes. The company also made trinket boxes and compacts that carry the same collector interest as its brooches.

Look for the “Florenza” oval mark. Signed jewelry typically brings $40 to $175, with the figural pieces and enameled boxes higher. Worn antique-gold finish and missing cabochons lower the price.

Regency Japanned Rhinestone Brooches

Regency, a mark used by the Regina company in the 1950s and 1960s, is known for richly colored rhinestone brooches on black-japanned settings, especially bee, butterfly, and Christmas tree figurals. The dark japanning makes the aurora borealis and smoky stones read as unusually deep. Look for the “Regency” mark, though some pieces went out unsigned.

Signed figurals commonly run $50 to $200, with the insect and tree designs reaching more. Because japanning chips to reveal bright metal, finish loss and stone loss both reduce value.

Jomaz Faux-Fine Jewelry

Jomaz, the upscale line from Joseph Mazer’s firm, produced convincing imitations of fine jewelry with high-quality rhinestones and enamel, aimed at a customer who wanted the look of platinum and diamonds. The animal brooches with cabochon accents show the line’s ambition. Marks include “Jomaz” and “Joseph Mazer.”

Signed pieces typically run $60 to $300, with the enameled figurals and faux-gemstone designs higher. Enamel chips and any foil-back damage behind the stones cut the figure.

Selro and Selini Asian Princess Sets

Selro, and its related Selini mark, produced bold 1950s and 1960s jewelry, most famously the “Asian Princess” and devil-face pieces with molded plastic faces set among rhinestones. The theatrical, oversized designs are unlike anything else on the market, which drives the competition.

Many pieces are unsigned, so collectors rely on the recognizable face cabochons for attribution, and that reliance is itself a point of debate among specialists. Confirmed Asian Princess sets bring $150 to $600, with full parures higher.

Cracked face cabochons, which are irreplaceable, sharply reduce value.

Hollycraft Dated Rhinestone Sets

Hollycraft, made by the Hollywood Jewelry Manufacturing Company, did something unusually helpful for collectors: it dated many pieces from the 1950s with a small copyright year beside the mark. The pastel and multicolor rhinestone sets in soft antiqued settings are the signature look.

Look for “Hollycraft Corp.” with a two-digit year. Signed dated sets typically run $50 to $225, with the multicolor pastel parures higher.

Missing stones in the specific vintage colors, hard to match, lower the value.

Ciner Sterling and Enamel Jewelry

Ciner, founded in 1892 as a fine jeweler, moved into high-end costume jewelry and has remained family-run, which makes its older signed pieces a mark of quality among collectors. The firm’s enameled animal brooches and Byzantine-style pieces use richer materials than most costume competitors. Look for the “Ciner” mark.

Signed pieces typically bring $70 to $350, with the enameled figurals and early sterling designs higher. Enamel loss and worn plating reduce the figure.

Original by Robert Beaded Brooches

Robert, marked “Original by Robert” and later “Robert,” came from the Fashioncraft firm and is known for hand-wired beaded and enameled florals in the Haskell tradition but with its own bright palette. The layered glass-bead brooches show the labor-intensive wiring that separates them from glued costume pieces.

Look for the “Original by Robert” oval plaque. Signed brooches typically run $60 to $250, with the elaborate beaded florals and enameled figurals higher. Missing beads and broken wiring, both hard to restore, cut the value.

Why a Stamped Clasp Beats a Pretty Face

The lesson running through every one of these entries is that bidders are not really paying for sparkle. They are paying for evidence, a crown-over-T stamp, a keystoned stone, a five-link back, a dated copyright, because those details tie a piece to a maker whose work has held its reputation for decades.

The moment attribution rests on collector consensus rather than a mark, as it does with Juliana and Selro, the debate itself becomes part of the appeal and the risk.

Condition remains the great equalizer. A signed brooch with clouded foil, chipped enamel, or a replaced stone can trade for a fraction of a pristine twin, which is why the fiercest online competition erupts around the rare piece that somehow survived intact.

Learn the marks, inspect the stones, and the difference between a dime-store castoff and a genuine prize stops being a mystery.

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