Last Updated: April 2026
TL;DR:
- Signed pieces from makers like Trifari, Haskell, or Weiss can sell for $50-$2,000+, while unsigned rhinestone pieces usually top out around $10-$40.
- A copyright symbol (©) stamped on the back means the piece was made after 1955 — a fast way to rule out anything older.
- Green verdigris residue is a bad sign for value, but it’s harmless copper oxidation you can clean off before selling.
Is my costume jewelry worth anything? That question brings thousands of people to their grandmother’s old jewelry box every year, and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on the maker, the materials, and the condition of the piece. Costume jewelry is built to be affordable and fashionable rather than precious, but that doesn’t mean every piece in your collection is worthless. Some vintage brooches and necklaces quietly sell for hundreds of dollars once someone knows what to look for. This guide walks through exactly how to check.
Is My Costume Jewelry Worth Anything?
Your costume jewelry can be worth anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand, depending on the maker and design. Signed pieces from recognized names like Trifari, Miriam Haskell, or Schreiner routinely sell for $50 to $2,000+, while generic unsigned rhinestone pieces from the same era often sell for under $20.
The tricky part is that value in costume jewelry has almost nothing to do with the metal or stones used. Unlike diamonds or gold, which are priced by weight and purity, costume pieces are priced by design, era, and who made them. A rhinestone brooch from the 1950s with a killer design and the right signature can outsell a piece with real semi-precious stones but no maker’s name. That’s counterintuitive if you’re used to thinking about jewelry in terms of raw material cost.
Vintage and antique costume jewelry is genuinely desirable on the secondhand and collector market right now. Dr. Lori, a well-known antiques appraiser, points out that design quality, maker, and condition drive resale price far more than the base materials do. Once you know what to look for, turning a drawer of old pieces into a few hundred dollars is realistic.
How Do I Know If My Old Costume Jewelry Is Valuable?
Figuring out whether you’re sitting on valuable costume jewelry takes a trained eye — but you don’t need to be a professional appraiser to do the first pass yourself. Here’s what actually moves the needle on value.
1. Look for a Hallmark or Signature
Before you do anything else, flip the piece over and check the back of the clasp, the post of an earring, or the inside of a ring or bracelet for a stamp. A signature is the single biggest value indicator in costume jewelry — a signed piece can be worth many times more than an unsigned twin with an identical design.
Common signatures worth money include Trifari (look for a crown above the “T”), Miriam Haskell, Weiss, Schreiner, Eisenberg, Coro, and Napier. According to Antique Jewelry University, hallmarks and maker’s marks are the fastest way to narrow down a piece’s origin and manufacturing period before you even look at the materials.
Names like AVON, Sarah Coventry, and generic department-store marks usually indicate mass-produced pieces from the 1970s-90s. These aren’t worthless, but they rarely break $20-$30 unless the design itself is unusual. If you want to understand what makes a piece “costume” versus “fine” to begin with, our costume jewelry vs. fine jewelry guide breaks down the distinction in plain terms.
2. Use the Copyright Symbol as a Dating Trick
Here’s a fact most sellers don’t know: jewelry designers couldn’t copyright their designs before 1955. That means if you see a © symbol stamped near the signature, the piece dates to 1955 or later. No © doesn’t automatically mean it’s older, but combined with the design style and construction, it’s a useful clue for narrowing down the decade.
Older pieces (1920s-1950s) tend to command higher prices among collectors, especially those set with hand-glued rhinestones or made with pot metal (a soft zinc-lead alloy common before WWII). If your piece has heft, cold to the touch feel, and slightly irregular stone settings, it’s likely pre-war.
What Does the Piece Have to Have to Be Valuable?
A piece doesn’t need real gold or diamonds to be valuable — design quality, a recognized signature, and good condition matter far more than material cost. Some of the highest-selling costume pieces at auction are made entirely from base metal and glass rhinestones.
The Penny Hoarder notes that sellers routinely find $50-$200 pieces sitting unnoticed in family jewelry boxes simply because nobody checked for a signature before tossing the piece in a donation bag. If you’re unsure where a specific piece falls, our guide on what to look for in vintage jewelry covers the construction details appraisers check first.
Check for Green Residue and Delaminating Finish
Flip the piece over again and look closely at the metal. If you see a chalky green residue or the plating starting to flake and lift, the value just dropped — this is a real red flag for buyers and dealers.
That green gunk is called verdigris. It forms when copper in the base metal reacts with moisture, skin oils, and air pollutants over time — basically, the copper is oxidizing. It looks alarming, but it’s harmless to touch and can usually be cleaned off with a soft cloth and a little care before you sell. Just don’t expect top dollar for a piece that needed cleanup first; buyers factor condition into their offer.
If the piece is plated rather than solid metal, wear patterns matter even more. Our breakdown of metals used in costume jewelry explains why some plated pieces hold up for decades while others flake within a year.
Inspect the Craftsmanship Details
Turn the piece over one more time and look at the back of the setting, the prongs, and any engraved detail. Crisp, clean lines and evenly-set stones signal a higher-quality manufacturing process — usually hand-finished or from a mid-century maker who cared about consistency. Sloppy, blurred, or uneven detailing usually means a cheaper, later mass-production run.
Weight is another tell. Fine jewelry has real heft because precious metals are dense; costume pieces feel noticeably lighter and sometimes hollow. That’s not a flaw — it’s just how base metal and pot metal work — but it’s a quick gut-check when you’re sorting a large collection fast.
Where Should I Get Costume Jewelry Appraised?
Start with a free or low-cost opinion from a vintage jewelry dealer, an antique mall specialist, or an online appraisal service before paying for a formal written appraisal. Save the paid, in-depth appraisal for pieces that already show strong signs of value — a clear signature, pre-1955 construction, or a design that matches known collector pieces.
InstAppraisal recommends photographing hallmarks clearly and researching completed sales (not just asking prices) for similar signed pieces before setting your own price. If you’re deciding whether to sell, repurpose, or repair pieces you’ve inherited, check our guide on what to do with old costume jewelry for more options beyond a straight sale.
The Bottom Line
Your costume jewelry doesn’t need gold or diamonds to be worth real money — it needs a signature, an interesting design, and decent condition. Check the back for a maker’s mark first, use the copyright symbol trick to narrow down the era, and don’t panic over green verdigris since it cleans off easily. Do your research on recent sold prices before you accept the first offer a buyer gives you, and always get a second opinion on anything that looks even slightly promising. For more identification tips, browse our useful tips category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unsigned costume jewelry have any value?
Yes, unsigned pieces can still have value if the design, construction, and era are strong enough. Collectors sometimes attribute unsigned pieces to specific makers based on construction style, so a lack of signature doesn’t automatically mean the piece is worthless — it just means the burden of proof is higher.
What costume jewelry brands are worth the most money?
Trifari, Miriam Haskell, Schreiner, Eisenberg, and vintage Chanel routinely sell in the $100-$2,000+ range depending on condition and design. Coro and Napier pieces are more common and usually sell lower, in the $20-$80 range, unless the design is rare.
How can I tell if costume jewelry is real vintage and not a reproduction?
Check construction details: vintage pieces often use prong-set or glue-set rhinestones with foiled backs, pot metal or brass bases, and irregular hand-finishing. Reproductions tend to be more uniform, lighter, and use modern glue-set crystals with machine-perfect symmetry.
Should I clean my costume jewelry before selling it?
A light cleaning to remove verdigris or dust is fine, but avoid harsh chemicals, ultrasonic cleaners, or anything abrasive since it can strip plating or loosen old glue settings. When in doubt, a soft dry cloth is safer than any liquid cleaner.
Is costume jewelry from the 1980s and 1990s worth collecting?
Some is — statement pieces from that era by known designers are gaining collector interest, but the bulk of mass-produced 80s-90s costume jewelry still sells for under $20. Look for bold, oversized designs and signed pieces from that specific period for the best resale value.
Where can I sell valuable costume jewelry?
Specialized vintage jewelry dealers, consignment shops, and auction houses that handle costume jewelry typically get better prices than general pawn shops or online marketplaces, especially for signed designer pieces. Getting a preliminary appraisal first helps you avoid underselling a piece to a buyer who knows more than you do.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.