The original Napier company was founded in 1875, but the Napier name was not used for jewelry until 1922. New Napier jewelry is still produced and can be found in most department stores. Today’s ordinary jewelry could be tomorrow’s collectibles, just as everyday vintage jewelry is in demand today.
Napier made a wide range of jewelry, intended for everyday wear. Traditional designs are a feature of Napier jewelry, usually seen in silver or gold tones.
Napier Sterling is highly collectible and of course not as easily found as gold and silver tone pieces. Christmas pins are highly collectible, and Napier’s Christmas tree pins are good choices. The Christmas tree pins were done in gold and silver tone, some with rhinestone and garland decorations.
During the 1950s, Napier produced a very popular line of chunky charm bracelets. Coins, oriental motifs, animals and figures are very collectible.
There are many Napier marks, including “Bliss” (1920), “Napier” on a cartouche (1920), “A” within a circle (1923), “by Napier” on a shield (1942), and “Napier Quality ( 1946). The most common is “Napier” in capital letters. As with most costume jewelry, the copyright mark © was added to the signature after 1955.
Napier produced a charming gray poodle pin from 1955 through the 1960s. Poodle pins were especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and many designers produced poodle jewelry.
Sarah Coventry costume jewelry has been sold at house parties since the 1970s. I remember my neighbors hosting jewelry parties that featured fashionable and affordable pieces. There was a wide range of styles and quality, with constant attention to detail. The elaborate rhinestone pieces were well made and there were many lower priced items as well.
For the collector, it’s a good idea to focus on complete sets of rhinestone jewelry, preferably in mint condition. The prices for Sarah Coventry’s jewelry are still quite low, considering the beauty and craftsmanship of the necklaces, brooches, and earrings. As more collectors discover these pieces, the prices should go up. Try to find signed Sarah Coventry sets in her original boxes for maximum investment value.
Some of the marks you will see on Sarah Coventry jewelry are “SarahCov”, all caps “Sarah”, “Coventry”, “saC’, SAC’ or “SC” All have the copyright symbol © as they were produced after the 1950s, when the symbol was applied to costume jewelry.
As always, make sure that any vintage piece you’re considering buying is in mint condition. And even if it’s not vintage, beautifully crafted contemporary jewelry from Napier and Sarah Coventry is always fun to wear.