You're digging through a dusty shoebox at a garage sale and see a flash of green. It looks like an emerald, but it’s set in a base metal that’s peeling. Most people toss it back. But if you’ve spent any time scouring pictures of costume jewelry worth money, you know that "peeling" might just be a specific type of japanned finish, and that "glass" might be a poured Gripoix stone worth thousands.
People think "costume" means cheap. It doesn't.
Back in the day, Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli flipped the script. They decided that jewelry wasn't just about flaunting your husband's bank account; it was about style. They used glass, resin, and faux pearls to create massive, chunky pieces that often cost more than "real" gold jewelry today. Honestly, finding a signed piece of 1940s Eisenberg is a bigger win for your wallet than finding a generic 10k gold wedding band.
The market is weird right now. It's volatile. One day everyone wants chunky 80s Dior, and the next, they're hunting for Victorian revival pieces from the 1950s. If you want to actually make money, you have to look past the sparkle and check the "bones" of the piece.
The Big Names: Why Branding Trumps Carat Weight
If you see a piece of jewelry that looks like a literal work of art—think massive dragons, intricate flowers, or weirdly realistic insects—check the back immediately. High-end costume jewelry isn't just about the materials. It's about the house that made it.
Take Miriam Haskell. She’s the queen of the hunt. Her pieces are famous for intricate beadwork and a specific type of filigree backing. But here’s the kicker: her early work wasn’t always signed. You have to recognize the "look." Look for tiny, hand-wired seed pearls and that distinct antique gold-tone finish. If you find a verified early Haskell, you’re looking at $500 to $3,000 depending on the complexity.
Trifari is another beast. You'll see tons of it at thrift stores. Most of it is "Trifari TM," which is modern and basically worthless for resale. But if you find a piece marked with a "crown" over the T (Crown Trifari), you’ve got something. The holy grail? The "Alfred Philippe" designs from the 1940s. He worked for Cartier and Van Cleef before moving to Trifari, and his "Starlight" or "Jelly Belly" pieces—which use polished Lucite for the bellies of animals—are legendary. A rare Jelly Belly bird can easily fetch $2,000 at a high-end auction.
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Then there's Coro. It’s everywhere. Most Coro is "junk" jewelry, but their "Coro Duettes" are genius. They are large brooches that clip onto a frame but can be separated into two individual clips. People collect these like crazy. Look for the "Pegasus" mark. It’s a tiny winged horse. If you see that, don't leave it behind.
Visual Cues: Spotting Quality in Pictures of Costume Jewelry Worth Money
Let's talk about what makes a piece "fine" costume jewelry versus "drugstore" junk. When you're scrolling through pictures of costume jewelry worth money online, your eyes should be trained to look for three specific things: construction, stones, and weight.
The Back of the Piece
Expensive jewelry is finished beautifully on the back. Cheap stuff has "potholes" or rough edges. Look for "honeycomb" patterns or smooth, polished surfaces. If a brooch has a "C-clasp" (no safety latch), it’s likely very old, possibly Victorian or early 20th century. While not always more valuable, age usually adds a premium if the condition is mint.
The Stones
In cheap jewelry, stones are glued in. Period. In high-end costume jewelry, stones are prong-set. You’ll see tiny metal claws holding the glass in place. Also, keep an eye out for "Aurora Borealis" (AB) coatings. Invented by Swarovski in 1955, this iridescent finish makes stones glow like the Northern Lights. Early AB pieces from Dior are highly sought after.
Poured Glass (Gripoix)
This is the big one. Instead of cutting glass like a diamond, the House of Gripoix (which worked for Chanel) melted glass and poured it into molds. The result is smooth, luminous, and looks almost organic. It doesn't look like "bling." It looks like liquid candy. If you see a necklace with what looks like "pâte de verre" or poured glass beads, stop. Research it. You might be holding a $5,000 Chanel treasure.
Materials That Surprise You: Bakelite and Beyond
Sometimes the "plastic" you’re looking at isn't plastic at all. It’s Bakelite.
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Bakelite was the world's first synthetic plastic, and it has a cult following. It’s heavy. It clunks when you tap two pieces together. And it smells like formaldehyde if you rub it until it gets warm. Collectors go nuts for "Carved" Bakelite or "End of Day" pieces (where different colors were mixed). A simple Bakelite bangle might be $40, but a carved "Philadelphia" style bracelet can sell for $2,000.
Check for the "Simichrome" test. A tiny dab of Simichrome polish on a cotton swab will turn yellow if the piece is authentic Bakelite. Don't do this on the front of the piece, obviously.
Another weirdly valuable material is Bog Oak. It’s fossilized wood from peat bogs, usually black and very lightweight. It was popular for "mourning jewelry" in the 1800s. It looks like charcoal, but it’s incredibly intricate.
Common Misconceptions: The "Gold" Trap
"It's marked 1/20 12k GF! I’m rich!"
Slow down. Gold Filled (GF) or Gold Rolled Plate (RGP) just means there is a thin layer of gold bonded to a base metal. It has a tiny bit of melt value, but usually, the value is in the design, not the gold content. Honestly, many collectors prefer "Goldette" or "Kramer" pieces that aren't gold-filled at all but have incredible Victorian-style designs over a generic gold-filled chain.
Also, "signed" doesn't always mean "valuable." There are plenty of signed pieces from the 1980s (like Avon) that were mass-produced in the millions. They’re pretty, but they aren't an investment. You want the designers who pushed boundaries.
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Schreiner is a great example. They often didn't sign their jewelry at all. You have to recognize their "inverted" stones—where the pointy side of the rhinestone faces up. It’s weird, it’s counter-intuitive, and it’s a hallmark of a piece that could be worth $800.
Where the Money Is Moving in 2026
The market has shifted toward "Statement Minimalism" and "Space Age" 60s/70s gear.
- Pierre Cardin: His geometric, architectural pieces are skyrocketing.
- Paco Rabanne: Anything made of metal links or "unwearable" materials.
- Kenneth Jay Lane: He made jewelry for Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn. His 60s animal-headed bracelets are consistently hitting high marks at auction.
The real money isn't in the stuff that looks like "fake diamonds." It's in the stuff that looks like art.
If you're looking at pictures of costume jewelry worth money and the piece looks like something a boring person would wear to a wedding, it’s probably not worth much. If it looks like something a bold, eccentric heiress would wear to a gallery opening in Paris in 1968, you’ve hit the jackpot.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Hunter
- Buy a Loupe: You can't see signatures or "flea bites" (tiny chips in glass) with the naked eye. A 10x jeweler’s loupe is your best friend.
- The Magnet Test: Most high-quality costume jewelry is made of brass or "pot metal." If a "gold" necklace sticks to a magnet, it’s steel-based and usually cheap. There are exceptions, but it's a good baseline.
- Check the Weight: High-end pieces have heft. They feel substantial. If it feels like it might float away, it's probably modern fast-fashion.
- Research the "Findings": The clasp, the pin-back, and the jump rings tell the story of age. Study how clasps evolved from the 1920s to the 1980s.
- Focus on Condition: "Verdigris" (that green crusty stuff) is the cancer of costume jewelry. Unless the piece is incredibly rare, pass on anything with significant metal rot or dead (blackened) stones.
- Use Google Lens Wisely: It’s a great starting point, but don't trust the prices you see on eBay "listings." Look at "Sold" items only. Anyone can ask $500 for a plastic brooch; only a few people actually get it.
Start by visiting local estate sales rather than thrift stores. Thrift stores have mostly been picked over by professionals, but estate sales often have "jewelry jars" or bags where a signed Dior brooch might be hiding under a pile of tangled Christmas necklaces. Trust your gut—if the craftsmanship looks too good to be "fake," it probably isn't.