The majority of people who see a vintage brooch branded “Coro” or “Trifari” put it away, thinking it is nothing but some cheap costume jewelry. And that’s a big mistake; signed pieces from these makers can sell for hundreds of dollars.
Truthfully, vintage costume jewelry brooches have an odd spot in the market. They’re affordable enough to actually buy, but rare enough that a certain piece can bring real money, like a sterling Coro Duette that sold for almost $690.
This guide walks you through what makes costume brooches valuable, how to tell if they’re genuine, and which specific designers and designs are collectible today.
What Makes a Vintage Costume Brooch Valuable? (5 Signs)
Not every old costume jewelry brooch is worth real money. The final value depends on a lot of things, from how well preserved the pieces are to who made them and when. When you know what factors to analyze, you can easily spot a $10 costume brooch from a $1,000 one.
Designer Signature (Signed vs Unsigned)
A signature is the single biggest value driver for valuable costume jewelry brooches. A signed Trifari, Eisenberg, or Miriam Haskell piece can sell for several times more than an identical unsigned version.
Collectors trust the mark because it confirms the maker and era. However, unmarked does not mean that the jewelry is of no value either. Unmarked Miriam Haskell from the twenties and thirties exists as well, as do Czech brooches before World War II, which were not signed either.
For such pieces, construction and hardware are your best clues to identify.
Era & Collector Demand
Dealers usually call jewelry vintage once it is at least 20 to 25 years old, and antique at 100 years or more. Costume brooches from certain periods tend to fetch more money owing to limited availability or sustained high demand.
Victorian-era brooches (1837-1901) are the rarest and most valuable, provided they’re in good condition. The geometric designs of Art Deco (1920s-1930s) attract collectors worldwide.
Figural brooches of the mid-century period (1940s – 1960s) are also hot commodities due to the interest in similar motifs such as Jelly Bellies, Christmas trees, and insect pins. Brooches from the retro period (1940s) with sterling silver bases are also popular and decently valued today.
Premium Materials
Material directly impacts what a costume brooch sells for. Sterling silver pieces (especially wartime Trifari and Eisenberg pieces from the 1940s) always top the value chart because base metals were rationed during WWII.
Carved Bakelite figurals also command premiums over plain ones. Quality stones drive separation, too. The Swarovski crystals outprice those molded plastic rhinestones.
Foil-backed glass beads, hand-cut Czech glass, and imitation baroque pearls add to the value of the jewelry when they are period-correct.
Rarity & Condition
Rarity is what separates a $50 brooch from a $500 one made by the same designer. Single-season production runs, low-quantity colorways, and discontinued figural designs all push prices up. Holiday-season pieces from short manufacturing windows are especially hard to find now.
Condition multiplies or kills value depending on which way it lands.
Mint plating, all original stones present and clear, no bent prongs, and a working original clasp can double a piece’s worth. Damaged plating, missing stones, or replaced findings also significantly reduce the value.
Provenance & Documentation
Paperwork can raise a brooch’s price more than you think. Original boxes, hangtags, and store receipts add a real premium to value, especially for pieces from Trifari, Haskell, Eisenberg, and Avon. Mint-in-box examples add the most premium.
Documented “book pieces” (designs published in reference guides like Julia C. Carroll’s Collecting Costume Jewelry books) are highly valuable because attribution becomes provable.
Photographic provenance from vintage ad clippings or magazine spreads also boosts the value.
Most Collectible Costume Brooch Designers and Their Marks
Knowing the designers is one of the most crucial steps in identifying valuable vintage costume brooches. The names below show up over and over in online sales at premium prices.
- Miriam Haskell – While Miriam Haskell opened her first New York shop in 1926 (some sources say 1924), the jewelry was actually designed by Frank Hess from 1926 to 1960. These include hand-wired baroque pearl look-alikes, Russian gilt filigree reverse settings, and bead-clustered designs. The jewelry is mostly unmarked before 1947. A horseshoe-shaped “Miriam Haskell” plaque appears from 1948, followed by the familiar oval plaque, according to Antique Trader.
- Trifari (Alfred Philippe Era) – Trifari’s finest creations came when Alfred Philippe was the company’s head designer (1930-1968). The Jelly Belly figurals, fruit salad, and crown pins from this time are the most sought-after. Markings include “KTF” (the earliest mark, used before the crown), “Trifari” with a crown above the T, and “Trifari Sterling” for wartime pieces.
- Eisenberg Original / Eisenberg Ice – Started in Chicago in 1914 as a clothing company, Eisenberg’s jewelry line took off in the mid-1930s. Pieces use giant Swarovski crystals on heavy pot metal or sterling. Marks include “Eisenberg Original” (mid-1930s–mid-1940s), “Eisenberg Sterling” (1943–1948), and “Eisenberg Ice”, a name the company used in its 1940s advertising but stamped on jewelry only much later.
- Coro & Corocraft – Corocraft was the higher-end line from Coro, often sterling during the war. Marks: “Coro Duette Pat. No. 1798867,” “Coro,” “Corocraft,” and “Coro Craft Sterling.” Coro’s Duette (a frame with two detachable clips) was patented in the U.S. in 1931 and introduced by Coro in the 1930s.
- Weiss – Albert Weiss founded his company in New York in 1942 after designing for Coro. Weiss became famous for floral and figural rhinestone brooches, especially Christmas trees. His tree pins helped turn the rhinestone Christmas tree brooch into a collecting category of its own. Marks: “Weiss,” “Weiss NY,” “Weissco,” and “Albert Weiss.”
- Monet – Founded in 1929 as Monocraft, Monet produced metal monogram pins for use in handbags. The company took the Monet name in 1937. Monet has produced more thick gold metalwork than rhinestones. Some 1930s clips and brooches are marked “Monét” with an accent; most later pieces read “MONET,” and a copyright symbol was added in 1955.
- Avon – Avon’s collectible brooches mostly come from designer collaborations starting in the 1970s. The most-hunted are “KJL for Avon” pieces by Kenneth Jay Lane (from the 1980s into the 2000s), plus collections by Elizabeth Taylor and José Maria Barrera. Marks: “Avon,” “K.J.L. for Avon,” and “Kenneth Lane for Avon.”
- Czech / Czechoslovakian Makers – Gablonz brooches, made in Gablonz (now Jablonec nad Nisou), Czech Republic, dominated the costume jewelry export during the 1920s and 1930s. They have ornate gilt-brass filigree and hand-set cabochon glass. These often show marks like “Czechoslovakia,” “Czecho-Slovakia,” or “Made in Czechoslovakia,” though many are unsigned.
14 Valuable Vintage Brooches: Costume Pieces and Antique Finds
Below are listed some specific vintage costume jewelry brooch designs and styles that collectors actively chase today, and tips to spot them.
1. Plique-à-jour Butterfly Brooch
Butterfly brooches were common from Art Nouveau (1890–1910) plique-à-jour enamel masterpieces to mid-century Trifari, Crown Trifari, Boucher, and Coro rhinestone versions.
Wing detail is the key value driver. Open metalwork, enamel inlay, or stones set en pavé all indicate superior quality pieces.
Antique plique à jour butterflies (where enamels fill open metal cages to form butterflies like stained glass) are the most expensive type and also very rare. Mid-century enamel butterflies from Boucher and Trifari are worth less.
- Estimated Value: $60–$1,800
- Production Year: 1890s–1970s
- Characteristics: Detailed wings, enamel or stones
- Quick Notes: Plique-à-jour examples are most valuable.
2. Antique Carved Jade Brooch
Old jade brooches have carvings made from nephrite or jadeite in light green, white, purple, or dark green colors, mounted in gilt silver or 14-karat gold. Flower designs, including floral heads, leaves, and stems, feature heavily in antique jade brooches; many were made during the Chinese export era (1900-1940).
Pay attention to the color of jadeite. Deep “Imperial” green jadeite is an expensive rarity compared to cheap celadon nephrite. Also, beware of imitation and dyed versions; genuine jade should feel heavy and cool.
- Estimated Value: $120–$1,500 (high value for gold examples; the pictured 14K brooch was listed at $1,580)
- Production Year: 1900–1940, mostly
- Value Factor: Imperial green, untreated natural jade
- Characteristics: Carved jade in gilt mount
- Quick Notes: Imperial green commands a big premium
3. Trifari Sterling “Jelly Belly” Figural Brooch
Trifari’s Jelly Bellies are among the most valuable costume brooches. These are figural pins (frogs, turtles, flies, fish, owls, poodles, etc) that feature a Lucite cabochon with a domed top used for the body of the pin.
The Jelly Bellies were invented by Alfred Philippe in the early 1940s, mostly made from sterling silver, gold vermeil, and rhinestones.
The value depends largely on the animal type. The fly is the most affordable starting point, while parrots and rare dogs such as poodles can bring $1,500 or more. Genuine Jelly Bellies are marked “Trifari Sterling” with a design patent number.
- Estimated Value: $400–$3,500+
- Production Year: Early 1940s
- Characteristics: Domed Lucite belly, sterling
- Value Factor: Rare animal type, intact Lucite
- Quick Notes: Match patent number to design
4. Antique Micro Mosaic Brooch (Italian Grand Tour)
Italian micro-mosaic brooches were mementos of the 19th-century Grand Tour of Italy, where each brooch was crafted by piecing together hundreds of very small pieces of glass to form a picture within its design.
The backs of the pieces are made out of black glass, copper, or gilt metal. The finer the tesserae, the more expensive the brooch.
So, the best examples feature tesserae with nearly invisible gaps between the individual fragments. Castellani-signed pieces from the Byzantine revival are top-tier finds.
- Estimated Value: $200–$2,000+
- Production Year: 1800–1900 mostly
- Characteristics: Tiny glass tesserae mosaic scene
- Value Factor: Fine tesserae, intact mosaic surface
- Quick Notes: Tesserae loss kills value fast.
5. Coro Duette Convertible Brooch
The Duette is one piece that splits into two, with a brooch frame holding twin removable dress clips.
The mechanism was patented in the U.S. in 1931 (patent 1,798,867, granted to the Paris inventor Gaston Candas), and Coro launched its Duettes in the 1930s under chief designer Adolph Katz.
Figural pairs and Art Deco geometric designs are common. Complete Duettes (frame plus both clips) bring serious money. Single clips show up far more often because frames got separated and lost over the decades.
Stamps to find: “Coro Duette Pat. No. 1798867.”
- Estimated Value: $150–$800
- Production Year: 1930s–1950s
- Value Factor: Complete frame plus both clips
- Characteristics: Splits into two dress clips
- Quick Notes: A missing frame cuts value sharply
6. Neiger Brothers Czech Glass Enamel Brooch
These designs demonstrate the skill of Gablonz’s craftsmanship through intricate gilt brass filigree backing fashioned in the shape of flowers, baskets, or garlands, set with cut glass stones in various jewel colors.
Most have an oversized cabochon stone that imitates amethyst, ruby, sapphire, or peridot, surrounded by smaller faceted stones.
The Neiger Brothers are the most documented Czech makers, and their pieces command premiums when attributed. Most Czech brooches go unmarked but can be recognized from the heavy filigree, multi-colored glass, and tight prongs.
The example shown here is an Egyptian Revival design, with an enameled winged scarab, a sphinx, pyramids, and palms around green glass stones; Egyptian Revival pieces are among the most collected Neiger designs.
- Estimated Value: $125–$800
- Production Year: 1918–1939
- Characteristics: Gilt filigree, jewel-tone glass
- Value Factor: Neiger attribution, original stones intact
- Quick Notes: Attribution to a renowned maker adds a premium.
7. Miriam Haskell Baroque Pearl Brooch
The baroque pearl brooches by Haskell include irregularly-sized imitation pearls wired onto gilt Russian filigree settings, which may be overlaid with seed pearls and rose mounts. The pin forms are usually bow-shaped, with pendants being among the more popular styles for collectors.
Pre-1947 pieces are unsigned but identifiable by the wire-wrapping technique and the soft yellow tone of the gilt metal. From 1948, look for a horseshoe-shaped plaque, and from about 1950, look for the oval cartouche stamp, “Miriam Haskell.”
- Estimated Value: $250–$750
- Production Year: 1926–1980s
- Characteristics: Faux baroque pearls on filigree
- Value Factor: Hand-wired construction, intact pearls, clear markings.
- Quick Notes: Pearl peel reduces value sharply.
8. Miriam Haskell Christmas Tree Brooch
Miriam Haskell trees feature the brand’s hand-wired construction with the seasonal Christmas tree motif. You’ll see gilt brass branches packed with emerald-green crystals, accented by ruby-red, round bezel-set cabochons that often dangle from small jump rings.
These trees mostly came out of the Robert Clark and Larry Vrba eras (1960s through 1970s). Signed Haskell trees command premiums because they’re noticeably heavier and more elaborate than most competitors.
- Estimated Value: $250–$700
- Production Year: 1960s–1980s
- Value Factor: Signed Haskell, dangling crystal construction
- Characteristics: Russian gilt branches, bezel cabochons
- Quick Notes: Dangling crystals shouldn’t be replaced
9. Elizabeth Taylor for Avon Brooch Pendant
The Elizabeth Taylor for Avon line ran from 1993 through 1997 and included a range of collections; some pieces, like the cross shown, could be worn as either a pendant or a brooch.
Design elements were based on Byzantine, Egyptian, and Renaissance styles that reflected her film characters and collectibles.
The cross pieces show gold-plated bases with poured glass cabochons in ruby and emerald tones, plus seed pearls arranged in column formations. Look for “Elizabeth Taylor” stamped on the back for authenticity.
- Estimated Value: $80–$350
- Production Year: 1993–1997
- Characteristics: Byzantine cross, glass, and pearl
- Value Factor: Signed pieces with poured-glass cabochons
- Quick Notes: Original box adds a premium.
10. Vintage Owl Figural Brooch
Owl brooches turn up across nearly every designer and era, but the most collectible come from Trifari (Jelly Belly), Boucher, Coro (the owl shown is a Coro Jelly Belly with a clear Lucite body), and unsigned Czech pieces. Big eyes (usually rhinestones, glass cabochons, or enamel) are the focal point, with rhinestone or pavé bodies.
Mid-century owls (1950s–60s) often have hinged moving heads or trembler springs that make the features wiggle. The 1960s and 1970s owl craze produced thousands of variations, so signed designer pieces consistently outperform unsigned ones at sale.
- Estimated Value: $40–$700
- Production Year: 1940s–1970s mostly
- Value Factor: Designer signature plus trembler heads
- Characteristics: Oversized eyes, figural body
- Quick Notes: Trembler heads add real value
11. Enamel Portrait Brooches
The enamel portrait brooches have miniature paintings of a woman or child or perhaps some bucolic scene surrounded by an elaborate gilt or silver filigree border. The Victorian or Edwardian era pieces are considered to be typical, while Limoges-style enamels are top-notch.
The antique brooches without portraits that rely on filigree will still employ fine wire and beadwork metal but will have designs like roses, stars, or geometric shapes. Filigree wire, which is finer and tighter, will fetch more money.
If you see a portrait carved in relief rather than painted, it can be a cameo.
- Estimated Value: $100–$700
- Production Year: 1880–1920 mostly
- Characteristics: Hand-painted enamel or wire filigree
- Value Factor: Hand-painted detail, no enamel cracks
- Quick Notes: Hairline cracks reduce value heavily
12. Eisenberg Ice Signed Rhinestone Brooch
The Eisenberg Ice brooch collection features giant clear Swarovski crystals mounted in silver metal in prongs. The brooches feature many different motifs, with flowers, star bursts, and bouquet arrangements the most common.
The company used the “Ice” name in its 1940s advertising, but pieces weren’t stamped “Eisenberg Ice” until much later.
Earlier Eisenberg Original pieces in pot metal often outvalue later Ice pieces. The biggest tell of a genuine Eisenberg is stone size and clarity. They really do look icy under direct light.
The signed piece shown is a forest green Eisenberg Ice Christmas tree, and vintage Christmas tree brooches from Eisenberg, Weiss, and Miriam Haskell are a collecting niche of their own.
- Estimated Value: $150–$400
- Production Year: Later pieces, including 1990s revival designs (Ice mark)
- Characteristics: Large, clear Swarovski crystals
- Value Factor: Early Original outvalues later Ice
- Quick Notes: Check stones for yellowing.
13. Marcel Boucher Dragonfly Brooch
Marcel Boucher learned jewelry-making in Cartier’s workshop in Paris, and his insect brooches reveal such influences. His dragonfly insects have wings made from pierced and open filigree decorated with rhinestones, segmented pearl tails, and small, round eyes.
From the middle 1940s, Boucher numbered his items, so an authentic back plate would have an inventory number with the “Marboux” mark or a signature “Boucher”.
The company became part of Davorn Industries in the early 1970s.
- Estimated Value: $100–$600
- Production Year: 1937–1971
- Characteristics: Pierced filigree wings, pearl body
- Value Factor: Numbered piece, intact pavé work
- Quick Notes: An inventory number supports authenticity.
14. Weiss Black Rhinestone Brooch
Weiss created striking brooches from “black diamond” rhinestones – the smoky gray Swarovski crystals that offer strong contrast with the silver-tone metal.
Some of the most sought-after are the floral motifs, starbursts, and sprays. Weiss also used Aurora Borealis stones, the rainbow-coated crystal Swarovski created with Christian Dior in 1956, according to the V&A.
The hallmark of Weiss pieces is usually found in a cartouche at the back with “Weiss” or “Albert Weiss.” Weiss was out of business by 1971, so their brooches are usually limited.
The Maltese cross shown has solid jet-black stones rather than smoky black diamond ones, and sold for $30.
- Estimated Value: $80–$350
- Production Year: 1942–1971
- Characteristics: Smoky-gray Swarovski rhinestones
- Value Factor: Short production run, fully signed
- Quick Notes: AB-coated stones add value
How to Identify and Date a Vintage Costume Brooch
Identifying a genuine vintage costume jewelry brooch takes more than reading the stamp. Many valuable pieces are unsigned, faked, or marked in ways that need decoding.
Use the following checks to tell an authentic piece from modern repros and fakes:
Read the Clasp First
The clasp of an old brooch is the fastest dating tool you have. The most common clasps you’ll see are:
- A simple C-clasp (with no guard) dates the jewelry to before 1900 or to the earliest years of the century.
- The trombone-type safety clasp (sliding mechanism used to retract the pin) is typically found between 1890 and 1950.
- A safety rollover clasp (pin slides under a guard) came into common use in the 1920s and 1930s and is typical of later pieces.
- A lever safety catch (a small lever that locks the pin) was already in use around 1900, so on its own it does not date a piece closely.
For the top value, the original clasp also has to actually still work. Replaced clasps can noticeably drop the value.
Check the Pin Length
On genuine antique brooches (pre-1910), the pin extends well past the brooch body, sometimes by half an inch or more. Victorian women pinned through thick fabric, so the longer pin was functional. Reproductions almost always have shorter, pin-flush pins.
This single detail can help you spot fakes. If a brooch is supposedly Victorian but the pin sits flush with the edge, it’s a red flag. The cost of recreating that long pin is something modern reproductions skip.
Examine the Stones
Foil-backed stones in closed settings are common on older pieces, but they are a clue to age, not proof of a date. Open-back settings were already in use by the 1940s and became more common later.
Also, a good seal is necessary for foil; dark or “dead” stones indicate moisture damage, which hurts the value.
Glass stones will always be more defined than their acrylic equivalents, especially Swarovski crystals. Lastly, prong-set or claw-set stones beat glued ones for both age and value. Glued stones on a “Victorian” piece are not genuine.
Decode the Maker’s Marks
Designers’ signatures changed with time, and thus indicate their age.
Trifari’s marks show this well: the earliest is “KTF” (for Trifari, Krussman and Fishel), then “Trifari” with a crown over the T from about 1937, “Trifari Sterling” during WWII, and the copyright mark “Trifari ©” after 1955.
Each mark modification narrows the date. However, you should never trust a mark alone. Always verify the construction and base findings, too.
Look at the Findings
The metal components – pin, hinge, clasp, and jump rings – indicate the quality of manufacture. The presence of soldered joints indicates good manufacturing; crimped or twisted findings imply low-quality manufacture.
The hinge type also dates the piece. Tube hinges go with Victorian work, while modern hinges have small bent-wire mechanisms.
Silver findings in a costume jewelry piece often point to WWII-period production (1942-1948), when base metals were rationed. Trifari Sterling and Eisenberg Sterling are both highly collectible. A “Sterling” or “925” stamp confirms the metal. Learn other purity marks in our guide to old jewelry hallmarks.
A vintage costume brooch can be worth far more than it looks, but only to someone who already knows the marks, findings, and construction details. Always start with the clasps, work through the materials, and learn designer marks to spot the real deal.
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