Collecting Sarah Coventry Jewelry

I had heard about Sarah Coventry Jewelry but really didn’t think too much about it until we recently came across a large collection at an estate sale. The jewelry is attractive and stylish and I had to do some research so I could price it appropriately. One of the cool things about this collection is that it included several catalogs from the company from 1971 and 1972. One of the models on the cover was a young Lee Meriwether.

This collectible jewelry line was created in 1948 by Charles Stuart who named the company after his granddaughter. Stuart did things very differently than the other jewelry companies of the time period such as Coro and Trifari. He used free lance jewelry designers instead of in-house designers and contracted with other companies to actually produce the jewelry.

Instead of competing for space in department stores for his creations, he gave his jewelry to beauty pageant winners and television game shows as prizes. I seem to remember people winning Sarah Coventry Jewelry as part of the prizes on the Price is Right back in the 1970s. Stuart’s sales came from in-home parties and delivery similar to the marketing plans of Tupperware and Avon, which were very popular during the 1950s through the 1970s. Pieces from the 1960s and 1970s are especially desirable with today’s collectors.

Each design line had a name and usually featured a broach, necklace, bracelet and earrings and feature names like Acapulco or Remembrance. The rhinestone pieces usually bring higher prices than the others unless that line had a particularly short run. Some pieces were actually done in sterling and bring the highest prices. You can sometimes date the pieces by the way they are marked. The company was sold in 1984.

There are several places on the internet to learn more about Sara Coventry. I found that some were a little contradictory on times and names, so beware when doing research. Happy collecting!

HHJ News