The Big 3 Coro, Avon, Sara Coventry
When I inherited my Grandmothers jewelry, it seemed like a never ending task figuring out what was in Grandma’s Jewelry. In the batch of Grandma’s Jewelry were names like Coro, Avon and Sara Coventry. There was even some fine jewelry, with real gemstones, and sterling silver and real gold.
I would have thought sorting through Grandma’s jewelry would have been as easy as 1,2,3, but it wasn’t. It took time and work.
First I had to decide what was Fine Jewelry and what was Costume Jewelry. Sometimes they look the same. ( Thats the idea of costume jewelry)
Grandmas Jewelry: What makes Jewelry Valuable
Then I had to figure out who all the names were and did the name make the jewelry valuable or was it an unknown name? Did the name even matter? If a bracelet didn’t have a name, did that make it less valuable? Were the necklaces more valuable with names? What about the rings that didn’t say anything? I had so many questions about jewelry that it was hard to know just where to begin.
Grandmas Jewelry: The Name
I started with the name and then realized jewelry was so much more than just a name. There were so many qualities that characterized a quality piece of jewelry besides the name.
The name is where I began. It’s just not where I ended. Studying jewelry was never ending. Studying jewelry was about the name, the gemstones, the crystals, the glass, the metals and so much more. My head was spinning. There was so much to learn about Grandmas Jewelry, and there were so many rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches to sort through. A lifetime of jewelry, that spanned decades.
And sorting through Grandmas Jewelry was more than sorting through the decades of Grandmas life, there was sorting through decades of her mothers life and even Grandmas Grandma’s life. Thats when I knew I had really antique jewelry because the jewelry was over 100 years old!
Yes, Grandmas Grandma’s Jewelry spanned back to the Edwardian era, and the brooches made in the 1800s were made different. They had a C Clasp and many crafted with real 14k Gold. That was the really good stuff found.
There was costume jewelry and there was more of that.
Avon and The Tag Line
I was familiar with the name Avon. It seemed everybody my age knew that name… and its famous tag line….”Ding Dong, Avon Calling” Todays youth might not remember the name Avon because it’s been 30 years since Avon was in business, and anybody under 30 wasn’t even alive when Avon went out of business.
Avon was probably the largest costume jewelry maker in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. They made a massive amount of jewelry and were a major contributor to women earning money in the workplace.
Sales women went door to door and the tag line “Ding Dong Avon calling” was born. Women put their own money in their own pockets, and Avon was a key employer of women working and earning money.
Avon Gold Necklace with Blue Glass
You might think that Avon jewelry isn’t worth much today and that it wouldn’t have much value, because so much of it was produced but the opposite is true. Avon jewelry might be the collectors dream jewelry today. It’s been 30 years since Avon made jewelry and its still affordable. There isn’t another jewelry manufacturer that built a brand like Avon.
Much of the Avon Jewelry today can be found between 10 and 30.00, and these were quality pieces of costume jewelry made in the USA. Some very rare pieces will cost a bit more, however Avon is still very reasonably priced.
These are some rare and very hard to find Avon pieces. Still quite affordable
Avon Rhinestone Dragon Brooch Pendant
Avon Rare Red Dragon Brooch with Swarovski Crystal
Avon Signed Rhinestone Peacock Brooch
Avon Rhinestone Multicolored Peacock Brooch
If I was a collector of old costume jewelry, Avon would be at the top of my list. This is very likely to appreciate significantly in the future and you can still buy it low.
Avon Watering Can and Flower Pot
Avon Gold Plated Flower Pot and Watering Can
I was fortunate, Grandma had several pieces of Avon Jewelry in her collection.
Avon contracted out with a few different jobbers who made jewelry specifically for Avon. One of the people who made jewelry for Avon was Elizabeth Taylor. Another was Jose Barrera. These are specialty items and will cost a little more if you can even find them. They are rare. I can’t believe I found this one in the original Avon Box!
Jose Barrera for Avon at Grandmas Jewelry
Coro Jewelry
Coro 12K GF Leaf Brooch with Blue Stones. Large
Then I found Coro Jewelry in Grandma’s Jewelry. I was new to the costume jewelry market and I didn’t know who Coro even was. I wondered if Coro was a secret boyfriend of Grandmas that I hadn’t ever heard of, but it turns out I was wrong. “It was just my imagination running away from me”.
Coro Jewelry was the largest costume jewelry manufacturer in the United States.
Coro jewelry dominated the jewelry market. Coro was located in Providence Rhode Island, and the itty bitty state of Rhode Island was the largest producer of costume jewelry in the world, and Coro Jewelry helped make Rhode Island Jewelry, world renowned.
Providence Rhode Island and Costume Jewelry
Coro produced costume jewelry for the mass market. The gemstones looked like real gemstones but they were glass. Coro jewelry gave the middle class an affordable way of buying jewelry that looked like a million bucks, without spending a million bucks. Only you and your jeweler would know that it was costume jewelry.
Coro jewelry began in Providence Rhode Island, and produced jewelry between 1901 and 1979.
Coro and The Signature Style
There were several signatures identifying Coro jewelry that will tell you when Coro Jewelry was produced, even if you don’t see a date. Usually, you won’t see a date but the signature script will tell you when the jewelry was made.
There is Coro in a box script, and Coro in a cursive script. (Yes, boys and girls, cursive really was once a form of writing, decades before the keyboard) Today, it’s a secret code that only old people know.
There was Coro Craft, and Vendome which was a high end line of Coro Jewelry produced. This line was more expensive than standard Coro Jewelry.
Coro and The Logo
You could tell the date Coro Jewelry was made, by the name used and the script and the logo too. Coro had a Winged Horse next to the words Coro Craft. That was a signature produced during a very short time during World War 11. Find a piece, any piece of jewelry with the winged horse, and “wah la”, your Coro Costume bracelet, necklace, brooch, or ring, just jumped in price.
And it wasn’t even made of gold! Not everything that glitters is gold.
There was more in Grandmas Jewelry than Coro and Avon Jewelry, she had Sara Coventry too.
Sara Coventry Jewelry
In 1949, Lyman Stuart the founder of Sara Coventry Jewelry, named the company after his granddaughter Sara. Sara Coventry introduced the idea of selling jewelry in the home through having a party in the home.
While Avon knocked on doors, Sara Coventry sold trays of jewelry to sales people( mostly women) who would invite friends and family over for refreshments, and sell the jewelry to them earning commissions for sales.
Sara Coventry sold upscale pieces of costume jewelry. The company didn’t design their own jewelry. They hired the companies in Rhode Island to produce the jewelry.
Sara Coventry had several signatures that can help you date Sara Coventry.
Sara Coventry Signatures
SC
Sarah Coventry
Sarah
Sara Coventry
Sara Coventry Gold Floral Brooch Opalite Gemstone
Sarah Coventry jewelry was bought and sold a few times and by the 1990s had gone out of business. Sara Coventry jewelry was hugely popular and is an excellent costume jewelry collectible. Its still affordable, but like Avon, it hasn’t been made in 30 years and is increasing in price as a collectible of vintage costume jewelry.
Grandmas Jewelry collection had so much more than Avon, Coro, and Sara Coventry Jewelry. It will take another blog post to tell you more.
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