Every Piece Has a Story
A brooch that looks simple today may have been the height of fashion in its time. It may have been saved for, worn to church every Sunday, or tucked away and passed down. Knowing when and why a piece was made changes how you see it.
Costume jewelry came into its own in the middle of the 20th century. During World War II, metal was needed for the war effort, and jewelry makers had to make do. When the war ended, women were ready for glamour again, and every decade since has put its own stamp on what we wear.
A World War II poster asking Americans to turn in scrap metal, rubber, rags and paper. U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. National Archives (public domain)
Explore the Eras
Reading the Clues
Before you decide what a piece is, turn it over. Trifari added a little crown over the “T” in its mark in the late 1930s. In 1955, Trifari won a court case establishing that jewelry designs could be copyrighted, and many makers then began adding a © to their marks, so a © usually points to the mid-1950s or later. Original aurora borealis rhinestones also mean a piece was made after the mid-1950s.
Some names come with their own dates. A Ledo signature points to roughly the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Sarah Coventry was sold at home parties from 1949 until 1984, most Avon jewelry dates from 1971 on, and Elsa Peretti’s designs for Tiffany began in 1974.
A mark alone doesn’t always tell the whole story, though. Many companies made jewelry for decades and reused their molds and stamps for years. That’s why every Westco Finds piece is researched before it’s listed, and why our listings say so when a date or material can’t be confirmed.
Browse our Vintage and Designer collections, or see what just arrived in New Arrivals. Have a question about a piece in your own jewelry box? Contact us.
Curated Treasures • New Stories