Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mid-20th Century Central American Modernist Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1980s Italian Art Deco Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Sterling Silver
1960s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
20th Century Vintage Trifari Necklace
1960s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mixed Metal
20th Century Vintage Trifari Necklace
20th Century Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Vintage Trifari Necklace
20th Century Vintage Trifari Necklace
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mixed Metal
1980s Vintage Trifari Necklace
1970s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1940s American Artist Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mixed Metal
1960s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Artist Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1970s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century American Post-War Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
1970s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
1970s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1950s American Baroque Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1960s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mixed Metal
Mid-20th Century American Modernist Vintage Trifari Necklace
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
20th Century American Art Deco Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mid-20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1970s Vintage Trifari Necklace
1930s American Baroque Revival Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold, Yellow Gold, Gilt Metal
1940s American Victorian Vintage Trifari Necklace
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Crystal
1950s American Art Nouveau Vintage Trifari Necklace
Silver Plate
1950s American Art Nouveau Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
Late 20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1940s Vintage Trifari Necklace
1980s Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1950s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mid-20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mid-20th Century American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1960s Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1960s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gold Plate
1940s American Vintage Trifari Necklace
Gilt Metal
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
Mid-20th Century Arts and Crafts Vintage Trifari Necklace
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Trifari Necklace
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Vintage Trifari Necklace For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Vintage Trifari Necklace?
Trifari for sale on 1stDibs
Costume jewelry maker Trifari is widely loved for its fine craftsmanship and complex designs for necklaces, brooches and other jewelry and accessories.
The company was formed in New York during the early 1920s, when its partners Gustavo Trifari (who descended from a family of jewelers), Leo Krussman and Carl Fishel (business associates in hair-ornament manufacturing) recognized, as other designers during the Art Deco era such as Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel had, that fashion trends for affordable jewelry for everyday wear represented an opportunity (and that the popularity of shorter hairstyles didn’t bode well for their haircomb business).
Initially called Trifari, Krussman and Fishel Jewelry (T.K.F.), the trio eventually shortened their brand’s name, at the suggestion of an advertising professional, to Trifari in order to evoke the romance of Gustavo’s native Italy.
The hiring of French designer Alfred Philippe as head designer in 1930 was pivotal to Trifari’s success. A master craftsman who had worked with both Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, Philippe set about establishing the same high-quality standards of materials and craftsmanship in the design of fashion jewelry and trained other Trifari artisans to do the same. Settings were delicate; crystals were hand set; designs, which sometimes featured dazzling floral motifs or exquisite depictions of marine life, were sophisticated and elegant, having both the look and feel of fine jewelry. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower wore a Trifari parure of faux pearls to her husband’s presidential inauguration in 1953 and Trifari glass pearls to his inaugural ball in 1957.
Before retiring in 1968, Philippe created Trifari’s most recognizable designs. In the 1930s, when the company was custom-making accessories for the stars of Broadway musicals, it was the crown motif: These brooches became so often identified with the brand that a crown was eventually incorporated into the trademark. In the 1940s, the “Jelly Bellies” inspired affection as well as knockoffs; these were animals, birds and insects sporting a “belly” of clear Lucite. Clip-Mates were another favorite and a technical marvel — two dress clips that, joined together, created a brooch.
Find a wide range of vintage Trifari jewelry on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right necklaces for You
We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners.
Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers.
In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs.
For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone.
Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage necklaces designed by David Webb — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt.
On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.