#Types #Avon #Costume #Jewelry #Overlook #WorthPoint
I’ll be honest with you: most of the time, I don’t bother with vintage Avon jewelry when I’m shopping secondhand. Don’t get me wrong, the jewelry has held up pretty well over time. But because these pieces were sold in huge quantities and many aren’t that remarkable, the values just aren’t high enough to bother with for the most part.
As I’ve said many times, there are exceptions with every type of jewelry, so researching the WorthPoint Price Guide can be helpful as you shop. To elaborate on that point, some Avon partnerships that blossomed with well-known designers, celebrities, and museums from the 1980s through the early 2000s offer some no-brainer buys when the price is right. Here are four examples of Avon costume jewelry that always warrant my consideration, no matter where I pick up accessories for resale.
Barrera for Avon
Jose and Maria Barrera were already established in the fashion jewelry world when they began to partner with Avon in 1989. Since most of their designs were sold in upscale stores like Neiman Marcus, having Avon lines available gave customers a more affordable chance to own stylish Barrera pieces. That said, Barrera designs sold at higher price points than run-of-the-mill Avon, but they were purchased often enough to be found fairly frequently by estate sale shoppers today.
Several of their Avon earring styles in timeless colors like lapis blue, turquoise, and coral are currently popular with collectors, but the Barreras also introduced necklaces, cuff bracelets, and several brooch designs to Avon catalog shoppers through 1996. And a word to the wise: Always include the designer name associated with these pieces when listing them. I’ve seen earrings listed simply as Avon sell in online auctions for $1 when they would have brought $35–40 more if they had been described as Barrera for Avon.
K.J.L. for Avon
Kenneth Jay Lane was a master at forming partnerships, making his K.J.L. brand a household name. When I had the good fortune to stop in and say hello to him in his New York showroom, he was on his way to QVC for an on-air appearance. Even before marketing his jewelry on television, he designed some eye-catching accessories for Avon, beginning in the 1980s. That collaboration lasted through the early 2000s. Some of these pieces are just marked K.J.L., but most have an oval cartouche reading K.J.L. for Avon. I personally owned a pair of K.J.L. for Avon lion doorknocker earrings back in the ’90s, and I wore the heck out of them.
Most K.J.L. for Avon designs are worth picking up, with just a few exceptions. I’ve found some sure sellers in pieces featuring big cats like leopards and panthers. Pieces featuring sea stars and seashells usually sell well, too. Also, look for those with ram’s heads adorning bangle bracelets and necklace clasps. Some smaller pins, such as an enameled dragonfly, appear more frequently than other K.J.L. for Avon designs and thus fall into the hard-to-sell category, so that’s worth keeping in mind.
Smithsonian Avon
I first took note of jewelry marked Smithsonian Avon when I ran across a fantastic necklace and earring set in an antique mall once upon a time. It had gorgeous stones and was beautifully made, so I decided to take a chance on it. When I got home, I discovered these pieces were replicas of jewelry originally owned by Marie Antoinette and held in the Smithsonian Institution’s jewelry collection. I also learned that Avon began to collaborate with the Smithsonian in 1996 to recreate several other pieces of jewelry based on objects housed in the museum.
When this jewelry was new, it came in a Smithsonian Institution box with a pamphlet describing it. Each design is intriguing in its own way. However, the Marie Antoinette pieces with clear stones usually sell for the most, followed by replicas of an enameled bracelet originally owned by Mary Todd Lincoln and convertible earrings with red stones that belonged to Queen Elizabeth I. Several other items in this collection are worth far less, but it’s worth looking them up as you’re perusing thrift store items to ensure you don’t overlook a treasure.
Elizabeth Taylor for Avon
I saved my favorite Avon jewelry for last. To illustrate, if you have my book Warman’s Costume Jewelry, you may have noticed that I included an Elizabeth Taylor for Avon “Eternal Flame” earring on the cover. I lusted for those earrings and several other Elizabeth Taylor for Avon styles made from 1993 to 1997, back when they were new. I worked with a woman who was an “Avon Lady” as her side gig, so I got to peruse the jewelry catalogs frequently.
However, I never took the bait and purchased the jewelry based on Taylor’s personal collection and film roles because it retailed for far more than other Avon Styles. For instance, the Shah Jehan necklace simulating the Taj Mahal diamond Taylor received from Richard Burton for her 40th birthday sold for $250 when it was first introduced to Avon customers in the ’90s. Other pieces sold for $50 and up, including those in the Egyptian Style Collection and her Elephant Walk designs. These beautifully crafted statement-makers were out of reach for newly married individuals focused on furnishing a first home like me.
Nevertheless, some people splurged on this jewelry, so you will run across these items from time to time, and they’re usually in wonderful condition. It can add to the value if they’re still enclosed in their original purple boxes or drawstring dust bags. I’ve been lucky to purchase several at prices I could afford in more recent years. Only a few pieces in this collection—marked Elizabeth Taylor Avon with a large script “E”—are worth less than $50. Several sell in the $100–200 range, if not more, so you definitely want to snatch up these pieces when you’re thrifting. Word of warning, though, you might be tempted to keep them!
Pamela Siegel is a freelance writer and author who has been educating collectors for more than two decades. In addition to three books on topics relating to antiques and collectibles, she frequently shares her expertise through online writing and articles for print-based publications. Pamela is also the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (CJCI) and the proprietor of Chic Antiques by Pamela.
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