The 5 best vintage costume jewelry earring brands to be on the lookout for

When I first set out to sell vintage costume jewelry, I gravitated towards brooches. I liked the singularity of brooches, and honestly, they’re still one of my main offerings as a vintage reseller. Eventually, however, all those days spent at my local thrift stores’ jewelry counters piqued my curiosity for vintage costume earrings. 

I’m a big fan of kitschy, one-of-a-kind earrings, which is why I love fashion earrings as opposed to fine jewelry earrings. Most of the time, I’d get my earrings from craft fairs, Etsy, or Ross, since dainty styles just aren’t my thing. I don’t know why earrings flew under my radar for resale, but they did for a long time, until I started noticing them next to brooches at my favorite thrift stores. 

I adore a vintage costume earring look—the gaudier, the better. I love a funky geometric 80s earring as much as I love a ‘50s cluster faux pearl one. As I looked at vintage earrings over and over again at the thrift store, I began building my knowledge on the most prominent and lucrative brands. 

And today, I want to share that knowledge with you. The following vintage earring brands are great not only for their resale value, but also for their style, craftsmanship, and quality. 

Trifari

 

 

If there’s one name in vintage costume jewelry you should know, it’s Trifari. While browsing an antique fair, I picked up a beautiful hand-poured glass butterfly pin from Trifari. It was really on a whim—I didn’t want to Google lens it. When I came home, I found out that it was actually worth hundreds of dollars. Let’s just say the lady who sold it to me was just trying to clear out her signed jewelry collection, and I got a great deal as a result of that. 

Trifari was founded by Gustavo Trifari, an Italian immigrant who came to New York during the early 20th century after training as a goldsmith. After years of collaborating with his uncle, he started to make pieces under the Trifari brand around 1923. Trifari’s gorgeous designs speak for themselves, but the company did enjoy publicity by the rich and famous. It created pieces for Broadway musicals like Roberta and even served First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. 

Trifari’s designs feature materials like gold-plated sterling silver, Lucite, and molded glass. The brand is commonly associated with its floral offerings, but you’ll also find geometric and abstract styles, too, with nods to neoclassical, Art Deco, and Asian influences. 

Lisner

Lisner started out as a brand that mainly distributed European costume jewelry, including styles by Elsa Schiaparelli. During WWII, accessing European goods became a challenge, so the company started designing and manufacturing styles in America, specifically in Providence, RI. 

When I think of Lisner, I think of, for some reason, Cate Blanchett in Carol. It’s classic elegance with a bit of panache. You could have something as simple as an understated but chic brown Lucite leaf earring or something as extravagant as a sparkly cluster floral earring made up of aurora borealis rhinestones. 

Reaching its peak around the ‘50s and ‘60s, Lisner stopped producing pieces by 1979. Still, its legacy lives on through the enthusiasm of vintage jewelry collectors. Many of the brand’s vintage styles have a classic mid-century vibe as opposed to more sleek modern silhouettes. You’ll see lots of floral, foliage, and starburst motifs. Lisner’s faux gems and pearls may not be as resilient as the ones on today’s pieces, but they are always beautifully arranged.

Monet

Originally known as Monocraft until 1937, Monet was established by Jay and Michael Chernow as a classic brand for working women. In the earring world, it was actually one of the first manufacturers to spearhead comfortable springless clips.  

Monet really is a bread-and-butter department store fashion jewelry brand—you’ll find it at places like Kohl’s and JCPenney. While it draws inspiration from nature, it’s really less ornate than something you’d find in the nature-inspired Art Nouveau style. Its final products are usually much simpler and less whimsical than the offerings from most of the brands listed here. 

What I’ve noticed is that the Monet style gradually becomes less intricate as you get into more modern pieces. This isn’t always a bad thing—the bead quality in contemporary Monet pieces are top-notch, less prone to peeling and breaking.

Personally, I really enjoy Monet pieces from the 80s and 90s. They have that signature timeless Monet look with a bit of a statement vibe. Think chunky gold square earrings or encased glass stone teardrop dangle sets. 

Boucher

Marcel Boucher was one of the OG “dupe” guys in vintage costume jewelry. Having apprenticed with Cartier in Paris, he came to New York City to work on fine jewelry until the 1929 market crash. During the Great Depression, Boucher forayed into the world of costume jewelry, a field where he could use affordable materials instead of precious stones and metals. He created his own business in 1937, his company kicking off substantially when Saks Fifth Avenue took a liking to his three-dimensional bird pins. 

Thanks to his background in fine jewelry, Boucher had a knack for creating costume jewelry that looked real. He leaned on intricate metal work, rhinestones in unique colors, and detailed cuts to give Boucher pieces a distinct and elevated look. 

Admittedly, Boucher earrings are not as eye-catching as their pin counterparts, but they are, nonetheless, striking. They have a very refined style, often coming in a brush gold tone color matched with ornate metal detailing. If you didn’t know a piece was by Boucher, you might think it was real. 

Hobé

William Hobé, the son of revered goldsmith Jacques Hobé, spearheaded the Hobé Cie jewelry line in New York City in 1927. Hobé thrived during the Golden Age of Hollywood, becoming a staple maker for theater and film productions throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s. Broadway bigwig Florence Ziegfeld actually requested Hobé to produce impressive but inexpensive pieces for his shows. You’d also often find actresses like Bette Davis promoting Hobé pieces ads during that time period. 

Today, most collectors are after Hobé’s flower pins, but its costume jewelry earring offerings are nothing to scoff at. You can find pieces made with high-quality vermeil and semi-precious stones. When I think of Hobé, I think intricate and eye-catching, with lots of shimmering AB rhinestones and patterns. It’s almost like Betsey Johnson, but with the gaudiness toned down. (No shade to Betsey at all — I love her stuff.)

I have a soft spot for vintage costume earrings because they feel like playing dress up. If you’re less than excited about today’s prevalence of minimal offerings, you can always give your accessory wardrobe a little razzle dazzle by checking out the vintage jewelry section at your favorite thrift store.