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RESEARCHING COSTUME JEWELRY
originally created and published by Dotty Stringfield on IllusionJewels.com

Jewelry History – Jewelry Research – Jewelry Marks – Jewelry Signatures – Jewelry Articles – Jewelry Galleries

COSTUME JEWELRY MARKS – T*

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T

TABBY — Claire Baxter Marcus, NY, NY

• Mark:   TABBY first used June, 1940, on jewelry and jewelry fasteners.
• This finding was used to slide onto a zipper pull on a zip-up jacket or sweater.     Photo courtesy Cheri Van Hoover.

TAKAHASHI BIRDS — early 1940’s into 1980’s

• Mark:   K.T.     Courtesy Cathy Gordon
• Some made before 1970 are marked K.T.; marked K&Y and date after 1970; some only dated and some unmarked.
• Copies were made in 1970’s, but pins were attached with screws, rather than the push-pins used on the originals.
• Made by Yoneguma and Kiyoka Takahashi beginning in the early 1940’s while they were confined in Poston Camp, AZ, after Pearl Harbor was bombed.
• Information provided by Cathy Gordon.

TAMMEY JEWELS – Indianapolis, Indiana – 1961 until at least 1986

Mark:
•   Photo courtesy ID: justabunchawildflowers
• Founded by Jean Barnes, who sold the company in 1986.
• Some jewelry for Tammey’s Jewels was made by Hollycraft.

TANCER & TWO –est. 1971

• Mark:   Tancer II  
• Mark:   T & II
• Est. in 1971 by Michael Tancer who had been with Coro until 1969.
• Partners are sisters Lynne Gordon & Marge Borofsky, founders of Mylu Designs Co. Also worked for Coro, heading the Mylu division until 1970.
• Info from Rainwater.
• Have an ad from 1976.

TARA FIFTH AVENUE — c. 1960’s — NYC, then moved to CA

• Mark:   “Tara” paper hang tag
• Mark:   TARA        Photo courtesy ID: justabunchawildflowers
• Mark:   Paper hangtag     Courtesy Dottie Sheffield, ID: jim-n-dottie
• Mark:     CourtesyDottie Sheffield, ID: jim-n-dottie
• Mark:     Courtesy Dottie Sheffield, ID: jim-n-dottie
• Mark:     Courtesy Dottie Sheffield, ID: jim-n-dottie
• Mark:      Photo courtesy Cyndy Threadgill.
• Mark:   Tara Fifth Avenue found on card, not on the earrings.         Frank DeLizza has confirmed that they weren’t made by DeLizz & Elster.
• Some jewelry in the Juliana style was manufactured by DeLizza & Elster for Tara.
• Was located in NYC, then moved to Garden Grove, CA, around 1965.
• Other companies besides D&E made some Tara jewelry, and Tara may have manufactured some of their own after the move to California.
• Daniel O’Farrell was President and Fred Lebwohl was chief of design and development.
• Info courtesy Dottie Sheffield, ID: jim-n-dottie
• View a Tara Fifth Avenue catalog from a 1965 sales kit.

TARA — Tara Jewellery Co. — Dublin, Ireland

• Mark:   Tara    Courtesy Rachel Cooper

TARA — TARA JEWELS CO. CALIF. –currently in business (Jan. ’04)

• Mark:   Tara

TARA — Tara Co., Div. Sperry Mfg. Co., 52 Salem St., Providence, Rhode Island

• Mark:   Tara   
• Original box marked “Tara Craftsmen Jewelers, For Everlasting Finish”.
   
• Enclosure:  
• Images courtesy Shanti Forte

TARA

• Mark:   Still another Tara mark, but in script      Courtesy ID: Vactoria.

TAYLOR MAID — MARTIN A. TAYLOR CO., Philadelphia, PA

• Taylord & Co. — Newark, NJ — c 1940?
• Mark:   TAYLORD with “Sterling” above and “1/20 18KT” below      Courtesy Ann Robinson ID: 9am.
• Mark:   Taylord Sterling      Courtesy Mary Walden-Till.

TCHECHOSLOVAKIA — See CZECHOSLOVAKIA
TCZECHOSLOVAKIA — See CZECHOSLOVAKIA
TECLA — M. TECLA & Co., NY, NY — assignor to the Tecla Corp.

• Mark:   Tecla first used for jewelry in 1906.
• Have an ads from 1916 and 1919.

TEEN KRAFT — See MARATHON
TEEN-O-GRAMS — See CORO
TEENETTE — See FORSTNER–FORSTNER CHAIN CORP
TEMPT ME — See CORO
TENNESMED, RUNE, Sweden

• Mark:
    Photo courtesy eclecticgramma.

TENORIO, RODERICK

Mark: “RMT” above what appears to be a rope loop with two hatch marks across it.   Photo courtesy Relios   

• Dates: Graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1981,
• Founded: Roderick Tenorio
• Location: Santo Domingo, NM
• Notes: Contemporary Native American jewelry artist; jewelry incorporates Sterling silver, 14k gold and gemstones.
• Notes: His jewelry is manufactured by Relios in Albuquerque, NM, whose mark is an “R” above a quarter moon.

THE ADJUSTABLE — See GEM-CRAFT
THE ANGEL OF LOVE — See CORO
THE AVENUE — See CORO
THE BEAUTIFUL ENDURES — See CRYSTAL BRANDS
THE DIAMOND LOOK (script) — See KRAMER
THE DOLLY MADISON BRACELET — See NAPIER
THE FASHIONCRAFT JEWELRY CO., New York, New York — 1942–1979

• Mark:   Original by Robert — 1942 -1979    Photo courtesy Linda Lange.
• Mark: Fashioncraft   
• Mark: Fashioncraft Robert — early 1940’s
• Mark: Pinless Pin — 1945
• Mark: Robert — especially on earrings     Photo courtesy Jennifer Lynn’s Timeless Jewelry.
• Fashioncraft was founded by designer Robert Levy, David Jaffe and Irving Landsman.
• The name was changed to Robert Originals Inc. (about 1960 — Rezazadeh).
• Robert Levy retired in 1975 and Ellen Jaffe (David’s daughter) joined the company.
• 1979 the name was changed to Ellen Designs for Robert Originals.
• 1984 it became Ellen Designs.

THE GOLDEN LOOK (script) – See KRAMER
THE SHOW MUST GO ON! – See MANDEL, DAVID

Added 5/19/21 by Pamela Wiggins Siegel

THE SULTON CO., Honolulu – 1924 to present

• Mark:   “S” within a crown shape     Courtesy KayeJaye

THE REAL LOOK — See DE NICOLA
THEDA — IDEAL MFG. CO., Providence, RI

• Mark:   Theda — since May 1921

THIERRY MUGLER — See MAZER
THEODOR FAHRNER — See FAHRNER, THEADOR
THEODORE W. FOSTER & BRO. CO., Providence, Rhode Island — 1873 to at least 1951

• Mark:   F&B     Courtesy eclecticgramma
• Founded in 1873 under name White and Foster.
• Became Foster & Bailey in 1878.
• Became Theodore W. Foster & Bro. Co. in 1898

THOMAS LONG CO. — See LONG’S
THOROBREDS — See CORO
TIARA MISU, New York– contemporary company

• Mark:   Tiara Misu — 1998
• Known for making hair combs and ornaments.

TIEMPO DE FIESTA — See ELZAC
TICKLED PINK (script) — See CORO
TINY JEWELS — See W & H JEWELRY
TOFA JEWELRY INCORPORATED, Cliffside, NJ — contemporary

• Mark:        Courtesy RCJ

TOKEN OF LOVE — See FORSTNER–FORSTNER CHAIN CORP
TONE VIGELAND — See VIGELAND, TONE
TOP — See WEISS
TORINO CREATIONS, INC., Cranston RI — still in business as of June, 2003

• Mark:   ©Torino
    Photo courtesy eclecticgramma
• Mark:   ©Torino
    Photo courtesy eclecticgramma
• Paul Voccio, President

TORTOLANI — 1950 TO 1976 – back in business as of 2002

• Mark:   Tortolani    Photo courtesy eclecticgramma
• Older pieces also have the copyright mark in front of “Tortolani” in the signature.  
• Mark:   Corina with a copyright mark.
• Mark:   Tortolani with copyright below is the re-issue mark.
• Mark:   Tortolani Crislu – 1970’s     Photo courtesy Lilly Vittetow.
• Francisco Tortolani founded Mastercraft Jewelry Co. in Providence, Rhode Island.
• After World War II he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he founded Tortolani Jewelry.
• Tortolani made jewelry from 1950–1976.
• When Frank closed his factory, his son Donald Tortolani continued to make promotional products.
• At age 70, Frank returned to create a new line he named Corina.
• Frank passed away at the age of 90 in 1997.
• Don Sr., Don Jr. and granddaughter Robin continued the Tortolani company.

TOWLE

• Mark:   Seen on Sterling pendants  
• Mark:   Towle      Courtesy ID: eclecticgramma.

TRAVELOUGE — See CORO
TRAYNOR, MARK — See JOSEPH MEYER
TREZA — See JOSEPH MEYER
TRI-SLIDE — See ANSON
TRIAD — a Canadian jewelry company

• Mark:   TRIAD     Photo courtesy Luda Tovey

TRIANON — See NAPIER
TRIFARI — 1918 to present

• Mark:   TK in a circle     Courtesy Dianne Lavenburg (from 1922 TradeMarks of the Jewelry and Kindred Trades — Jewelers’ Circular)
• Mark:   KTF 1935     Photo courtesy Erik Yang
• Mark:   Clipmate — Trifari patented their clipmate holder. They are often seen with just the patent date.
• Mark:   Trifari –elongated–used since Dec. 1937.
• Mark:   Trifari printed in tall, slim version, crown silhouette above the “T” — 1930’s–1940’s .
• Mark:   COPR. Trifari Pat. Pend. — 1948     Photo Rita Perloff; Info Robin Deutsch
• Mark:   Trifari Copr. 1948     Photo Mary Ann Docktor-Smith; Info Robin Deutsch
• Mark:   Trifari printed without elongated letters & different crown. This was the most important logo 1940’s–1950’s.     Photo courtesy ID: jewel-nut.
• Found on double prong dressclip with patent date of Feb. 1940.     Courtesy Tammy (alleycat9).
• Mark:   Trifari 1940’s  
• Mark:   Clip-mates     Photo courtesy a friend.
• Mark:   Clip-Mates, Trifari with crown over the “T” 1940-1955      Photos courtesy a friend
• Mark:   Trifari Pat. Pend — 1940’s        Courtesy RCJ
• Sterling was used from 1942-1947 and often had a vermeil coating.     Photo courtesy Erik Yang
• Mark:   Copyright by Trifari 1959     Courtesy ID aquadrops
• Hang tag first used in 1954; changes made to tag design over the years.  
• Mark:   Another Trifari mark   
• Mark:   “Made in France for Trifari”     Photo courtesy Terri Marnell.  
• 1951 newspaper ad featured twisted rope chain jewelry “Made in France for Jewels by Trifari.”  Courtesy Robin Deutsch
• Mark:   TRIFARI  
• Mark:   With copyright, after 1955          Photo courtesy Ann Robinson – ID: 9am
• Mark:   Trifari with solid crown & copyright mark
• Mark:   Johnathan Bailey 1970’s — large tag (front & back) found with brooch        Photos courtesy Jenny Wren.
• Mark:   Kunio Matsumoto for Trifari—late 1970’s     Photo courtesy Bonnie Rasche.     Photo courtesy ID: justabunchawildflowers
• Mark:   Trifari in cursive font, enclosed in a circle — 1970’s & 1980’s.
• Mark:   Trifari in cursive font at a slant, with the copyright mark.  
• Mark:   Trifari in Circle which contains the copyright mark –1980’s.
• Mark:   Marcella Saltz for Trifari 1980’s-1990’s     Photo courtesy Bonnie Rasche.
• Mark:   Trifari on Rectangle with copyright mark on hang tags; no marks on jewelry.
• Mark:   TRIFARI tm on raised platform – 1980’s & on HSN jewelry — current     Photo courtesy Lilly Vittetow.
• Mark:   Aldo Cipullo Trifari     Courtesy Gloria Barnhart
• Mark:   Trifari with “S”, “M” or “L” to the side –used to show size bangle bracelets in the 1980’s — info courtesy of Anne Morrissey
• Gustavo Trifari and Leo Krussman went into business in 1918. Carl Fishel joined Trifari & Krussman and they incorporated in 1925.
• Trifari advertised that they marked all their jewelry, however, a few select pieces (during the transition from TKF to Trifari) dating to the 1930s have been found and verified as Trifari designs. All Trifari jewelry appears to have been marked after that time.
• According to Jim Katz, the first instance of Trifari necklace using a J hook on necklace closures is July 21, 1947.
• Purchased by Hallmark in 1975.
• Purchased by Crystal Brands Jewelry Corp. in 1988.
• Purchased by Chase Capital Partners, Lattice Holding, a division of the Monet Group in 1994.
• In 1996 Trifari re-issued some of their older pieces and added the date to the signature.
• Monet Group, including Trifari and Marvella, bought by Liz Claiborne and production moved out of the United States in July, 2000.
• Trifanium was a special alloyed casting metal Trifari used to make their cast pieces, which were then polished and plated.
• See “Copyright” on the “C” page for more information.
• Some info from VFCJ Magazine, Vol. 9, #2 Spring 1999; Marcia Brown; Cherri Simonds.

Some of Trifari’s Lines:

• Line:   Jewels by Trifari – crown over “T”-1920.   Photo courtesy Lyn Peightal;  Hang Tag photos – Tracie Houk
• Line:   Trifari Le Touquet — for sports jewelry — used since 1929
• Line:   Parquet — beach jewelry — April 1929
• Line:   Gainsborough — 1932 (different form used in 1959)
• Line:    Jewels by Trifari – hangtag– 1950’s   Courtesy Lani Peterson.
• Line:   Orientique by Trifari — 1950     Courtesy RCJ
• Line:   Tie-Ups Aug. 1957      Photo courtesy Susan at Eureka.
• Line:   Triege by Trifari Sept. 1958
• Line:   Gainsborough –1959 (different form used in 1932)    Courtesy RCJ
• Line:   Etoile by Trifari –1961     Courtesy RCJ
• Line:   Twin-Clasp 1954
• Line:   Marvellora – 1964; first owned by Marvella; last owned by Trifari.
• Line:   Nautique — 1965
• Line:   Astro-Gems — 1969
• Line:   Satique — 1979
• Line:   Triege — 1979
• Line:   White Blush — 1983
• Line:   Charade — 1985
• Line:   Hot shots — 1986
• Line:   Me-To-You Gift Collection by Trifari — 1981    Courtesy RCJ
• Line:   Trifari Connections – 1990 (owner Crystal Brands)

Some of Trifari’s Designers:

• Alfred Spaney – 1930s and 1940s
• David Mir – 1930s and 1940s
• Norman Bel Geddes – c. 1940
• Joseph Wuyts – c. 1940
• Alfred Philippe – 1930 to retirement in 1968
• Benedetto Panetta – pre-1945
• Jean Paris – 1950s and ’60s
• Lucius Passavanti – 1950s and ’60s
• Andre Boeut – 1960s and ’70s
• Johnathan Bailey – 1970s
• Aldo Cipullo – 1970s
• Diane Love – 1970s
• Marsha Breslow for Trifari – 1970s
• Kenneth J. Lane for Trifari – 1977
• Kunio Matsumoto for Trifari – late 1970s
• Marcella Saltz for Trifari – 1980’s-1990’s

TRIGERE, PAULINE — c. Sept. 1960

• Mark:   Trigere  
• Died 2/13/02 at age 93; designed fashions from the 1940’s until after 2000.

TRIO TRICKS — See CORO
TRU ART JEWELRY CO., INC., Providence, RI — c. ? to at least 1964

• Mark:   Tru Art
• Mark:   Tru Art Sterling     Courtesy Pat Seal
• Many Tru Art pieces look like 1940’s styles, so they may have been in business during that time.
• Found where the company took out a loan in 1964.
• Address in 1964: 50 Aleppo St., Providence, Rhode Island.

TRUEART — See HINGECO VANITIES, INC.
TRUSTYLE — See FORSTNER–FORSTNER CHAIN CORP
TULLA BOOTH — See BOOTH, TULLA
TURTLES ON PARADE — See UNCAS
TWIN-CLASP — See TRIFARI
TWEEN-AGE JEWELRY — See WERTHEIMER
TWIN TONES — See CORO
TWO SISTERS JEWELRY CO. — contemporary

Founded by sisters Leah and Lauren Medici; jewelry appears to be made in China.

TYTON — See R.F. SIMMONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PAT SEAL: research files
DOTTY STRINGFIELD: research files
BOBYE SYVERSON: research files.
A TRIBUTE TO AMERICA by Carla and Roberto Brunialti
AMERICAN COSTUME JEWELRY by Carla and Roberto Brunialti
AMERICAN JEWELRY MANUFACTURERS by Dorothy T. Rainwater
COLLECTIBLE COSTUME JEWELRY by Cherri Simonds
COLLECTING COSTUME JEWELRY 101 By Julia Carroll
COLLECTING COSTUME JEWELRY 202 By Julia Carroll
COLLECTING RHINESTONE COLORED JEWELRY by Maryanne Dolan
COPPER ART JEWELRY by Burkholz and Kaplan
COSTUME JEWELRY A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK AND GUIDE by Fred Rezazadeh
COSTUME JEWELRY (2nd Ed.) by Harrice Simons Miller
EUROPEAN DESIGNER JEWELRY by Ginger Moro
INSIDE THE JEWELRY BOX By Ann Pitman
LUCILLE TEMPESTA: owner-publisher of the Vintage Fashion & Costume Jewelry Magazine
MASTERPIECES OF COSTUME JEWELRY by Ball and Torem
MID-CENTURY PLASTIC JEWELRY By Susan Klein
MIRIAM HASKELL JEWELRY by Cathy Gordon and Sheila Pamfiloff
OLD JEWELRY by Jeanenne Bell
WARMAN’S JEWELRY 2nd Ed. by Christie Romero
WARMAN’S JEWELRY 3rd Ed. by Christie Romero

*DISCLAIMER: As in the past, we make every effort to ensure all information contained in the RCJ pages is accurate. However, errors can occur. Neither the prior owner of RCJ, CJCI or its representatives are responsible for your use of these resources.

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by Dotty Stringfield with the assistance of research contributor Pat Seal
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