

Today, vintage Crown Trifari is a sought-after treasure. Crown Trifari brooch pins are enhanced by brilliantly colored cabochons or dazzling clear rhinestones.Ĭrown Trifari jewelry became so popular that Trifari added a crown to its signature mark, sometime around 1937. His Crown Trifari brooches reigned from the late 1930s to the 1950s. Examples of Alfred Philippe CreationsĪlfred Philippe introduced many high-profile jewelry designs. Phillippe served as Trifari’s lead designer until 1968. The name “Trifari Alfred Philippe” was renowned for almost 40 years. Philippe familiarized other Trifari designers with fine jewelry design and fabrication methods.

He came to Trifari in 1930 after working for renowned fine jewelry firms Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.ĭuring Philippe’s tenure at these companies, he developed invisible stone settings and brought that high-end technique to Trifari. The driving force behind Trifari jewelry’s popularity, and the reason it’s collectible today, was lead designer Alfred Philippe. This novel metal helped place Trifari jewelry above other jewelry pieces at the time. This non-tarnishing metal was known as Trifanium. Gold-Tone TrifaniumĪfter World War II, Trifari created its own gold-tone alloy. Trifari’s designers used these techniques, as well as added embellishments such as imitation moonstone, faux pearls, paste gemstones, and rhinestones. Highly skilled designers frequently used sterling silver, or a gold-plated finish called vermeil, for hand-set jewelry frames. Other Trifari gold-tone and silver-tone pieces were designed to stand alone. Many distinctive pieces featured colored stones or enameled effects. Over the years, Trifari reworked a central group of jewelry designs. Many collectors agree that Trifari jewelry pieces, especially those from the 1930’s-1960, are far above competitors’ offerings. What Made Trifari Stand OutĬreating beautiful Trifari costume jewelry was no small feat, and Trifari was known for its rigorous quality control measures. The growing company was known as Trifari, Krussman and Fishel. After the uncle left the company, Trifari kept fabricating his costume jewelry under the Trifari brand.īy 1925, Gustavo Trifaro combined his brand with sales managers Leo Krussman and Carl Fishel. Soon after launching the Trifari costume jewelry line, Gustavo Trifari joined forces with his uncle and renamed the business Trifari and Trifari. Trifari came to the United States in the early 20th century and began making his beautiful Trifari jewelry in 1910. Gustavo Trifari, the company’s founder, came from a family of goldsmiths in Naples, Italy. Trifari costume jewelry has a long and colorful history.
Kaleidoscope necklace 1940 how to#
If you’re searching for vintage Trifari jewelry, learn about the history of the brand and how to identify these lovely jewelry designs at your next estate sale visit.

High-quality Trifari jewelry is always in demand, as its classic beauty never goes out of style. Estate sale shoppers enjoy browsing for vintage jewelry, and they often look for sparkly bangles with good value.
