Costume jewelry is not “fake” jewelry — it is a collecting field of its own, and the best pieces can outsell modest gold. Made of base metals, glass, rhinestones, and early plastics, its value has nothing to do with melt weight and everything to do with who made it, when, and how well it has survived. Here is what drives the price.
Part of our Vintage Jewelry Guide. This is a deep dive on one topic from our complete resource for collectors. Read the full Vintage & Costume Jewelry Guide →
The maker is everything
More than anything, a designer signature drives costume jewelry value. Names like Trifari, Coro, Miriam Haskell, Eisenberg, Schreiner, Weiss, and Boucher are actively collected, and a signed piece typically commands far more than an unsigned equivalent. Learn to find and read the signature — usually on the back, a clasp, or a small applied plaque.
Materials and craftsmanship
Within costume jewelry, quality varies enormously. Well-made pieces use high-quality rhinestones (often foil-backed for sparkle), hand-set stones, articulated construction, and durable plating. Bakelite and other early plastics are their own sought-after category. Heavier, intricate, clearly hand-finished pieces generally outvalue thin, glued-together ones.
Era and style
Period matters. Pieces from celebrated eras — Art Deco, the mid-century “golden age” of costume jewelry, and specific designer periods — carry premiums when they are representative and well-made. Style trends also move demand: certain looks, colors, and motifs are more collectible at any given time.
Condition
Condition is decisive for costume jewelry because it is often fragile. Missing or replaced rhinestones, worn or flaking plating, cloudy or “dead” stones, broken clasps, and repairs all cut value. Original, complete, sparkling pieces command the premium; learn to spot replaced stones (mismatched color or cut) and amateur repairs.
Signed vs. unsigned
Signed pieces win on value, but don’t ignore unsigned jewelry: some makers did not always sign, and high-quality unsigned pieces (sometimes attributable by construction to a known maker) can be excellent value and very collectible. Quality and design still count even without a signature.
Watch for fakes and “marriages”
As with any collectible carrying premiums, fakes exist — forged signatures and reproductions — along with “marriages,” where parts of different pieces are combined. Buy signed, valuable pieces from sellers who stand behind them, and learn what a genuine maker’s mark and construction look like.
Catalog what you have
Costume jewelry collections are large and detail-driven — maker, materials, era, and condition all matter and are easy to lose track of. Relicara keeps a per-piece record with photos and notes so the signatures and details that drive value stay documented. Not sure whether a piece is costume or fine to begin with? See is inherited jewelry real gold or costume.
