Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l
is pleased to host
RESEARCHING COSTUME JEWELRY
originally created and published by Dotty Stringfield on IllusionJewels.com

Dress clips were popular from the late 1920’s through the 1950’s, with double prong (fur) clips being used as early as 1928 (Cartier by Judy Rudoe). Pairs of dress clips and fur clips were mounted in removable pinback frames to be worn together as a single brooch and were called “clip-pins”. Many companies and designers made their own versions, with some being patented and others not. A few were: Coro, Trifari, Polcini, Eisenberg, Haskell, Leo Glass, Calvaire, Fred Block, Mazer, Boucher, Reinad, Nettie Rosenstein, Hattie Carnegie, Deja, Reja, Staret, Vogue.

This dress clip gallery was assembled as an educational tool, not just a place for pretty pictures. Therefore, a number of the dress clips and fur clips have darkened or missing stones, or other damage. Some pictures are not the best quality, being pulled from our archives. Any un-attributed images are property of   Illusion Jewels Vintage Jewelry,  Treasures From Yesterday, or Mary Walden-Till. Thanks to Mary Walden-Till and Robin Deutsch for their valuable research. Most items are not for sale.

Some things to note:
*    Coro Duette was introduced in 1935, based on Candas patent (Brunialti).
*    The mark “Trifari” was used on all jewelry after Dec. 1937, so some early Clip-mates may only have the patent number (VFCJ article).
*    Not all pairs of dress clips and double-prong clips once had removeable pinback frames.
*    There were dress clips and double-prong clips made as singles.
*    Many pieces were unsigned and it is almost impossible to discover the manufacturer.
*    Fur clip style findings are used on heavier pieces of jewelry today (Robin Deutsch).
*    The findings most of us call “fur clips” were originally called double-pronged clips or pin clips

Coro Duettes

Click on pictures for larger image.

Coro Peacocks Duette Fur Clips 1946

Marked Sterling CoroCraft

Coro Lotus Duette

Unsigned

Coro Lotus 1/2 Duette

Unsigned Coro

Signed Coro Duette Courtesy Gayla Esch

Coro Triquette Courtesy ID: duplicated; Patti Matijevich

Signed CoroCraft Sterling and Coro Duette

Coro Love Birds Duette

Back

1941 Love Birds Ad Glamour magazine Courtesy Kevin Van Dyke

Coro Duette Courtesy Pam Kirch

Back

Coro Duette

Back

Coro Duette

Back

Courtesy ID: dmb1031.

Back

Deco style duette Courtesy Dinah Taylor

Marked: 1798867 Coro Duette

CoroCraft Sterling Fur Clip 1/2 of Duette

Marked Sterling CoroCraft with Pegasus

Coro Duette- unsigned Missing Pin Frame

Marked Pat. #116490, which is wrong. Correct # is d126490

Coro Lotus 1/2 Duette?

Unsigned

1/2 Duette

Birds Duette Courtesy Jan Gaughan

Marked: #1798867

Courtesy ID angeldaze

Marked: Coro, Pat. Pending

Coro Duette Courtesy justabunchofwildflowers

Coro Duette and Earrings Courtesy Norma

Courtesy ID angeldaze

Marked: Coro, Pat. Pending

Coro Triquette Bracelet Courtesy Bonnie

Trifari Clip-mates

Clipmates are marked “Clip-mates” inside the mechanism on the dressclip attached inside the bottom of the clip, and may also have a stone setters number. Clipmates made from 1936 to the end of 1937 would have the “KTF” mark. Those marked “Clipmates” and “Trifari” would be dated from December of 1937, when the company switched to the Trifari mark.
Click on pictures for larger image.

Clip-mate

Marked KTF, 153 Clip-mate

Clip-mate

Marked Clip-mate and a patent number

Fruit Salad Clip-mate

Marked Clip-mate Courtesy ID: jewel-nut

Clip-mate

Marked Clip-mate, TKF

Clip-mate

Marked Clip-mate, KTF, 52

Clip-mate single

Signed Clip-Mate Trifari, 47

Clip-mate

Marked Clip-mate and Trifari

Clip-mate Missing clipback

Marked Clip-mate, Trifari

Clip-mate Courtesy Robin Deutsch

Marked: Clip-mate, KTF, 49,32

Clip-mate Courtesy Robin Deutsch

Marked: Clip-mate, KTF Pat. 2050804

Clip-mate

Marked Trifari & Clip-mate Courtesy ID: jewel-nut

Clip-mate missing pin frame

Marked Clip-mate

Clip-mate — very Deco

Marked Clip-mate, KTF

Trifari Tie-ups Courtesy Susan at Eureka

Trifari Tie-ups Courtesy Rea Maurice

Back

Possibly British or European Double Clips — All purchased in the UK

Click on pictures for larger image.

German Marked 299, GESCH

Marked “Metal”

Clips are marked “CP”, 36 and 37

Pin frame is marked 36 and 37

British or European Courtesy ID: palacecrystal

Each piece 2 inches

British Double Clip Marked: Silver England

Courtesy The Duck Emporium

Marcasite Clips

Courtesy ID: floaty_cobweb

British Hallmarks TM&Co, 1956 mark shows dress clips were made in England well into the 1950’s

Courtesy ID: 4_what_its_worth

Unusual double clip Probably British

Courtesy ID: ladydocker

Beautiful double clip Probably made in Great Britian

Courtesy The Duck Emporium

Other Frame Clips 

Click on pictures for larger image.

Boucher Clip Necklace See Patent

Marked: 5525, Boucher on necklace 5528, Boucher on clip

Hollywood Clip necklace Large Clip & pair of earrings

Clip & necklace frame signed Hollywood

Courtesy Mrs. Mud

Mazer Double Clip Courtesy Cheri Van Hoover

Boucher designed mechanism while working for Mazer Marked US PAT. 2034129

Ora Originals Double Clip Unmarked Courtesy Cheri Van Hoover

Hangtag: Ora Originals A Product of Agnini & Singer

Courtesy ID: buzzz7-7

Deco Double Clip Brooch Courtesy Merry Kaufman

Marked Pat. 1801128 for mechanism by Waller 1931

Notice odd pin placement.

No markings

3 pieces marked Pat. Pend

Possibly Coro

Marked Made in USA Pat. 1852188 by E.A. Phinney for Fuller & Son

Bracelet with two dress clips

XCourtesy ID: annsdogsnmore

Bracelet with two dress clips Courtesy Gloria Barnhart

Bracelet with two dress clips

Doubles and Triples

Click on pictures for larger image.

Double Bird Pins Courtesy Linda Kent

Back

</a No markings

Harry Iskin Triette Courtesy Carolyn Davis

Earrings and pinback brooch

Mystery Interchangeable Clips

Click on pictures for larger image.

First 4 images Courtesty IDpenuk

Similar to pin frame on bird clips above

All pieces marked with either # 205???4 or Pat. Pend.

See similarities to bird clip above

This is not a Clip-mate, but has the Pat. 2050804 clearly marked on one of the combs

Pin Frame Top # may be 205???4 Bottom # 2066969(Farnham clasp for pins)

Copyright 1997 to present — www.costumejewelrycollectors.com — All Rights Reserved.
All RCJ publications and pages were created
by Dotty Stringfield with the assistance of research contributor Pat Seal
and other valued members of the costume jewelry collecting community.