How to Date Vintage Costume Jewelry

Dating costume jewelry is detective work. No single clue is conclusive, but together the details of construction, materials and marks usually point to an era.

1. Look at the clasp and pin

• C-clasps, a simple hook with no safety catch, and long pin stems that extend past the edge of a brooch are typical of Victorian and early pieces.
• Safety catches and roll-over clasps became common in the twentieth century.

2. Consider the materials

• Jet, gutta-percha and hair work point to the Victorian era.
• Celluloid was widely used from the late nineteenth century into the 1920s and 1930s, especially for combs.
• Bakelite jewelry flourished in the 1930s and 1940s.
• Lucite appears in the 1940s and 1950s.

3. Read the marks

"Sterling" on American costume jewelry is common in the early 1940s, when base metals were restricted during the war. A copyright symbol (©) beside a maker's name generally indicates a piece made after the mid-1950s, when jewelry designs became protected by copyright in the United States. Patent numbers, such as those on Marcel Boucher brooches, can also be traced to a date.

4. Study the stones

Aurora borealis stones, with their iridescent rainbow coating, were introduced in the mid-1950s and are a strong sign of a piece made after that date.

5. Style and wear

Design language, from Art Deco geometry to mid-century naturalism, and honest wear consistent with age complete the picture.

Every listing in our collection gives an approximate era. Read our authenticity and condition guide, browse vintage brooches or see the signed Marcel Boucher bird of paradise brooch.