Finding a Costume Jewelry Bargain

You've heard it said before.... A bargain is only as good as the value you walk away with. So how do you know for sure if that "find" at an estate sale or thrift shop is really an over-looked treasure?

I can’t help with the “sure” part, but in addition to looking for pieces in tip top condition, looking for the not-so-little extras can tilt the odds in your favor.

1) Extra flourishes. Relatively few jewelry makers invest the extra labor and materials into adding unnecessary flourishes. Miriam Haskell pieces are an excellent example. Notice the backs of these earrings. How many people will ever see those dainty little leaves and flower petals? Only the one who really matters – the wearer. These earrings would be gorgeous without those extra details, but Miriam Haskell wanted more from her jewelry. A piece displaying this kind of extra care and attention, whether it is signed or unsigned, has a much better chance of growing in value over time than its plainer counterpart.

2) Prong-set rhinestones. Some very fine pieces from highly desirable designers contain glued-in rhinestones, so the lack of prong setting does not necessarily indicate a poorly made piece. But again, because of the extra manufacturing expense, this little detail generally indicates that it was made with extra care and attention. This unsigned set includes 140 hundred prong-set rhinestones.


3) Rhodium plating. Even if you never knew what it’s called, I’m sure you’ve seen rhodium. It’s that really shiny, whitish/silver metal coating on some of the best costume jewelry (and some fine jewelry, too, I might add). Rhodium is in the platinum family and, although plating uses a very, very small amount of it in each piece, it’s quite expensive – for the material itself and for the equipment and labor to produce these pieces. The rhodium plating on this Boucher piece will keep it looking like new through decades of wear.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Terri