8 common vintage costume jewelry brooch brands to keep on your radar at the thrift store

The vintage costume brooch is a small luxury like lipstick, affordable and accessible even when it’s high end. It’s incredibly versatile as an accessory, since you can stick it on a collar, scarf, belt, or coat lapel—really anywhere if you let your imagination run wild. It can be a simple embellishment that ties an outfit together, or it can be a statement-making conversation starter. 

People have worn brooches since the Bronze Age, but “costume jewelry” is actually a 20th century term. Typically, it refers to pieces that aren’t meant to be as big or permanent an investment as fine jewelry. That said, vintage costume jewelry was actually very well crafted (even if not with precious stones and metals) and is highly sought after today. While we don’t see as many fashion houses and designers producing brooches right now, there were actually quite a few renowned brands in the mid-1900s.

I wanted to create a quick roundup of some of the most well-known costume brooch brands to help budding vintage brooch enthusiasts identify pieces when they head on out to their local antique markets and thrift stores. Here are popular bread-and-butter retro brooch brands to keep on your radar during your next secondhand shopping excursion. (You can also shop them on my vintage Etsy page!)

Jonette Jewelry

In the ‘30s, Abraham and Nathan Lisker named their Rhode Island-based jewelry company Jonette Jewelry after their parents, John and Etta Lisker. Jonette Jewelry brooches, which typically feature a prominent “JJ” stamp, are often fashioned from a pewter or gold-plated metal.

Jonette Jewelry made a great deal of cast metal novelty figural costume brooches with charming, kitschy details. I think the best word to describe the brand’s aesthetic is “folksy”—its brooch collection includes lots of horses, angels, and cats designed in a detailed and kitschy (dare I say grandmac0re-y) Mary Engelbreit-esque/Debbie Mumm-esque style. 

Monet

Yet another company with roots in Rhode Island, Monet, originally named the Monocraft Products Company, officially started creating jewelry in 1929 at the start of the Great Depression. Most of Monet’s pieces were designed with working women in mind. A staple at stores like Macy’s, Monet is a prominent name in fashion jewelry for good reason—it crafts high-quality, intricate pieces with detailed filigree work, delicate inlays, and textured metal designs. Fun fact: Monet actually created jewelry for YSL in the ‘80s. 

Monet is a tried-and-true department store brand. Monet’s vintage costume brooches have a timelessness to them, and they’re pieces that are perfect for more upscale or formal occasions. You can find many floral, fauna, and abstract styles made from high-quality materials like Austrian crystals.  

Avon

You probably know Avon for its kitschy glass perfume bottles. It’s true—Avon started out as the California Perfume Company in the late nineteenth century, but it expanded well beyond perfumes. Head into your typical thrift store and you can usually find plenty of cute housewares and costume jewelry by Avon. While Avon pieces don’t usually go for a whole lot, there are dedicated Avon collectors out there if you’re a vintage reseller who can find pieces for cheap. At the height of its popularity, Avon mainly served homemakers on a budget. 

I’m honestly always a little surprised at just how cheap Avon brooches go for, since they’re usually very well crafted. (The faux pearls on Avon pieces, however, may be prone to a bit of wear and peeling.) I would characterize the Avon look as sentimental—Avon’s style usually boils down to whimsical animals and dainty florals.  

Sarah Coventry

Sarah Coventry reigned costume jewelry in the mid-century era from the late ‘40s to the early ‘80s. Again, I’m pretty surprised at how little Sarah Coventry pieces go for. They’re very high-quality products, usually featuring big, elegant designs. Like Avon’s jewelry, they were designed to be modestly priced luxuries for postwar housewives looking to make some cash—there were often Sarah Coventry parties with product demos and hostess sets. (Yes, there is a bit of an MLM vibe going on here.)

Like costume jewelry from Monet, Sarah Coventry pieces flaunt timeless elegance. Often coming in a brushed metal texture, they frequently feature shapes of flowers and foliage. 

Gerry’s

When I started buying more vintage jewelry in lots and grab bags, I found tons of Gerry’s Christmas brooches. Founded by Geraldine Giles in the ‘50s, Gerry’s is best known for its holiday offerings. However, you’ll also be able to pick up more generic scarf and figural animal pins from Gerry’s, too. 

Gerry’s is for those who love a bit of kitschy flair that isn’t too kitschy. It certainly isn’t the most elevated brand on this list—its pieces are cute rather than upscale, playful rather than refined. 

AJC

AJC, or the American Jewelry Company, is a brand you’ll want to spring for when you intend to go all out on the kitsch factor. The pieces from the Pittsburgh-based company are notably quirky and eclectic. It’s bold, statement-making jewelry with a sense of humor—to me, it’s reminiscent of modern-day Betsey Johnson.

AJC carried a lot of special occasion brooches—think holidays, anniversaries, and fun gatherings. AJC stamps, as you can see here, are kind of hard to make out. You’ll probably want to do a quick Google lens search or whip out a jewelry loupe to confirm if a piece is by AJC. 

Coro

Coro pieces have a real vintage-y feel, featuring details like prong-set stones and intricately textured metal. And that’s because all Coro pieces are vintage. Coro, named after founders Emanuel Cohn and Carl Rosenberger, was once one of the biggest producers of costume jewelry in North America. In the early 20th century, it initially picked up designs by independent jewelry makers but eventually created its own factories with over 3,500 employees before it ceased production in 1979. Coro appealed to people of all income brackets, pricing pieces anywhere between 50 cents to hundreds of dollars. 

Given its storied past, you can expect all kinds of brooches from Coro. But from what I can glean, most of their vintage brooches depict flowers or animals, and the brooches usually have a worn look from vintage plating and older enamel work. I’ve yet to come across any of its coveted jelly belly pieces, so that’s something I look forward to when I go out brooch hunting! 

BSK

Named after owners Benny Steinberg, Slovitt, and Kaslo, BSK enjoyed a flash-in-the-pan moment in the mid-20th century, seizing the momentum of the costume jewelry boom in the ‘50s. Based in New York, it produced pieces between the ‘50s and ‘70s. Most of its products were stocked at department stores such as Woolworth. 

BSK’s vintage brooches are relatively understated. The company created lots of brushed gold tone brooches depicting flowers and leaves, sometimes with a faux pearl or two thrown into the mix. BSK brooches might not necessarily stand out, but they’re perfect for when you want something subtle yet elegant. 

Isn’t it so amazing that you can buy these little relics for $10 to $20 a pop? And even when spending power was great in the ’50s, these brooches were still cheap for their time. I think it just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a pretty penny to look fabulous. 

Thanks for reading, folks. Anyway, perhaps I’ll crank out a follow-up post on more luxury vintage brooch brands down the line, but that’s TBD!