Most Trifari jewelry is worth about $15-60 per piece as of late 2026. Trifari was one of the largest American costume jewelry makers for most of the 20th century, and the gold tone brooches, earrings, necklaces and bracelets marked with the crown that fill jewelry boxes from the 1950s to the 1980s sell in that range, often less. The pieces worth real money come from a narrower window: the 1930s and 1940s designs of Alfred Philippe, the firm's chief designer from 1930 to 1968. Sterling silver jelly belly animals from the 1940s, with their clear Lucite bellies, sell for about $300-800, rare ones more; sterling crown pins and large rhinestone fur clips bring about $100-500. The mark tells you which era you have, and the era sets the price.
Condition matters more than on many antiques, because buyers want a piece to wear. Missing or darkened stones, worn plating and a loose pin catch can cut the price of a good piece in half.
Quick answer
- Crown Trifari gold tone jewelry, 1950s to 1980s: about $15-60, sets more.
- Later Trifari from the 1970s onward, marked TM or without the crown: about $10-40.
- Sterling Trifari from the 1940s (crown pins, florals, fur clips): about $100-500.
- Alfred Philippe sterling jelly bellies: about $300-800, rare designs and colors $1,000+. Gold tone jelly bellies and later reissues: often $20-150.
How to identify and value Trifari jewelry, step by step
- Find the mark. Turn the piece over and look on the back, the clasp, the pin bar or an attached tag. Use a loupe. Trifari marks are small and often worn.
- Read the mark to find the era. KTF, for Karp, Trifari and Fishel, sometimes with a crown over the T, is the earliest common mark, used from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s. TRIFARI with a crown above the T was introduced in the late 1930s and stayed for decades. TRIFARI STERLING with the crown marks the war years, about 1942 to 1947, when base metals were restricted. Pat. Pend. or a design patent number appears on many 1940s and 1950s pieces. A copyright symbol after the name, ©, was added from about 1955. TRIFARI TM appears from the 1970s, and later pieces may say Trifari without the crown.
- Check for sterling. A STERLING mark on a 1940s piece is the first sign of the better era. Sterling Trifari was usually gold washed, a vermeil finish, so it can look like gold tone. Our guide to what 925 means covers silver marks generally.
- Identify jelly bellies. A jelly belly is a figural brooch or fur clip, usually an animal, bird, insect or sea creature, with a central clear Lucite cabochon for the body set in sterling. Trifari made them from about 1941 into the 1950s. Look for STERLING, the crown and often a design patent number.
- Recognize crown pins and fur clips. Royal crown brooches set with colored glass, often in sterling, were a 1940s Trifari specialty. Fur clips, with a two-prong hinged back rather than a pin, are typical of the 1930s and 1940s.
- Look for named lines. Trifari's Jewels of India, Moghul, Fabergé style eggs and later Trifari Alfred Philippe reissues are recognized by collectors. Some later lines were made under Monet and Liz Claiborne ownership after 1975.
- Check every stone and the plating. Rhinestones should be bright and complete. Darkened foil backs, missing stones, replaced stones that do not match and worn plating at high points all reduce value.
- Test the findings. The pin should close firmly in its catch, clip backs should spring, and earring clips should hold.
What Trifari jewelry sells for
Values are for pieces with all stones, original finish and working findings, as of late 2026.
| Trifari piece | Era | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Gold tone brooch, earrings or necklace, crown mark | 1950s to 1970s | $15-50 |
| Matching parure (necklace, bracelet, earrings) | 1950s to 1960s | $60-200 |
| Later Trifari, TM or no crown | 1970s onward | $10-40 |
| KTF rhinestone brooch or dress clip | 1930s | $75-300 |
| Rhinestone fur clip, large, Alfred Philippe design | 1930s to 1940s | $100-400 |
| Sterling floral brooch or fur clip | 1942 to 1947 | $100-350 |
| Sterling crown pin, colored stones | 1940s | $150-500 |
| Sterling jelly belly, common designs | 1941 to 1950s | $300-600 |
| Sterling jelly belly, rare designs or colors | 1941 to 1950s | $600-1,500+ |
| Gold tone jelly belly or later reissue | 1960s onward | $20-150 |
Sold results support the split. Sterling Alfred Philippe jelly bellies, such as an owl fur clip and a poodle pin, have sold for roughly $445-600 on eBay, and dealer markets report average sold prices for Alfred Philippe Trifari of roughly $400-600. Ordinary crown Trifari necklaces and brooches sold by the same collectors for about $12-25.
Condition and what changes the price
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| All stones bright, finish original, findings working | The baseline for the prices above |
| One small replaced or missing stone | Deduction of about 15-30 percent |
| Several missing or darkened stones | Deduction of about 40-70 percent |
| Worn plating or vermeil at high points | Deduction of about 20-40 percent |
| Cracked, yellowed or cloudy Lucite belly | Deduction of about 40-60 percent on a jelly belly |
| Broken pin, clip or catch | Deduction of about 20-50 percent |
| Original box or tag | Small premium |
| Complete set or parure | More than the pieces sold separately |
Mild darkening of sterling is expected and accepted. Heavy polishing that removes the gold wash from a sterling piece is not.
How you sell also changes the result. A single sterling jelly belly sells best on its own, photographed well, to collectors who search for it by name. Ordinary crown Trifari often sells better grouped by type, such as a lot of brooches or a lot of earrings, because buyers pay little for single common pieces and a lot saves on shipping. A jewelry box of mixed signed and unsigned costume jewelry usually brings more when the signed pieces are taken out and sold separately.
Common mistakes
- Treating every crown Trifari as rare. The crown mark was used for decades on millions of pieces. Most crown Trifari is a $15-50 item.
- Missing the sterling mark. Gold washed sterling looks like gold tone jewelry. Read the back before setting a low price.
- Confusing jelly belly style with jelly belly Trifari. Coro, Sterling Craft and unsigned makers also made Lucite belly figurals. They have their own value, usually lower.
- Buying reproduction jelly bellies. Unmarked and fake signed copies exist. Weight, the quality of the setting and the mark style help, and a specialist dealer settles it.
- Cleaning with water or dip. Water gets behind foiled rhinestones and dulls them. Use a dry soft brush and a barely damp cloth.
- Pricing from asking listings. Some jelly bellies are listed at $1,000-1,500 and never sell. Sold results are the honest guide.
How WorthPic reads Trifari photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From a clear close photo of the mark it reads KTF, the crown, STERLING, a patent number, the copyright symbol or TM, and uses them to place the piece in its era. From the front it reads the design, the stone colors, the setting and whether a piece is a jelly belly, crown pin, fur clip or a later gold tone design, and it compares the design to known Alfred Philippe work. It then gives an honest value range for what the photos show. What it cannot know from a photo is whether a stone has been replaced with a close match, whether a sterling piece has been replated, or whether a mark has been added to an unsigned piece, and it says so. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise for insurance.
What to photograph
- The front of the piece in daylight, filling the frame.
- The mark close up and readable, with the crown, STERLING or patent number visible.
- The back of the piece in full, showing the findings.
- The stones at an angle, to show sparkle and any darkened or missing stones.
- The Lucite belly close up on a jelly belly, to show clarity or cracking.
- Any box or tag.
When to get it looked at in person
Gold tone crown Trifari from the 1950s onward is a $15-60 item, and a sold-listing search with the design and mark noted is enough. Sterling jelly bellies, sterling crown pins, large KTF pieces and unusual Alfred Philippe designs deserve a specialist. A vintage costume jewelry dealer, a jewelry show or an auction house with costume jewelry sales will place them properly and spot replaced stones and reproductions. For a wider view of the market, our guides to costume jewelry and antique brooches cover other makers, and our Sarah Coventry guide covers the party plan jewelry often found alongside Trifari.