Guide · 5 min read
Vintage Avon Jewelry: How to Identify, Date, and Value It
Short answer: vintage Avon jewelry is costume jewelry that Avon sold through its representatives and brochures, mostly from 1971 on (some pieces date from the 1960s). It’s usually marked AVON. Most of it sells for modest amounts, and the designer lines (Kenneth Jay Lane for Avon, Elizabeth Taylor for Avon, and Barrera for Avon) are the most collected.
Somebody in your family probably bought jewelry from the Avon lady. Avon sold costume jewelry door to door for decades, and by its own account it was the biggest costume jewelry seller in the US by the mid-1970s. So there’s a lot of it around. Most of it is affordable and wearable. A few lines are genuinely collected, and telling them apart is easier than you’d think.
When did Avon start selling jewelry?
Avon was a beauty company long before it sold jewelry. Avon dates its jewelry business to 1971, though collectors also find Avon pieces from the 1960s, so treat 1971 as when the line really got going. Everything was sold through Avon representatives using seasonal brochures, which turns out to matter a lot for dating (more on that below).
Avon still sells jewelry, so a piece marked AVON could be from 1975 or from last year. The mark tells you who made it; the style, the box, and the brochure tell you when.
How is Avon jewelry marked?
Most Avon jewelry is marked AVON in block capitals, sometimes with a ©. Look on the back of the clasp, the back plate of an earring, or the back of a pin. Avon’s sterling pieces are generally marked 925; “SP” means silver plated. Collector sites disagree about when the © first appeared, so we wouldn’t date a piece by it alone.
How do you date Avon jewelry?
The best way to date Avon jewelry is the brochure. Avon gave its pieces official names and sold them in specific campaigns, and collectors’ references are built from those brochures. Sandra Sturdivant’s Identifying Avon Jewelry (Schiffer, 2008) is the standard one, with thousands of pieces identified by name and year. If you can match your piece to a brochure, you have its name and its date, which is exactly what a buyer wants to see in a listing.
Which Avon jewelry is collectible?
The designer lines are the Avon pieces collectors actually hunt for, and they’re marked with both names, so they’re easy to spot.
Kenneth Jay Lane for Avon came out in the 1980s (an Avon box for one of his pieces is dated 1987) and is usually marked “KJL for Avon.” Lane was already famous for bold costume jewelry, and the Avon pieces have that same look at a friendlier price. Elizabeth Taylor for Avon ran from 1993 to 1997, according to Antique Trader, and included replicas inspired by pieces from her own famous collection. These are signed “Elizabeth Taylor for Avon.” You’ll also find Barrera for Avon, by the designer José Maria Barrera, from the 1980s and ’90s.
Outside the designer lines, collectors like Avon’s little novelty pins that held solid perfume (Avon called them Pin Pals, and most date from the 1970s), plus holiday pins and anything still in its original box.
Is vintage Avon jewelry worth anything?
Usually not much, and that’s fine. Everyday Avon earrings, pins, and necklaces sell for modest amounts and often go in lots. The designer pieces bring more, especially Elizabeth Taylor for Avon, and an original box helps any piece. We couldn’t verify enough recent completed sales to quote specific prices, so look up the exact piece by its name and check what it actually sold for (sold listings, not asking prices). Our guide to whether vintage costume jewelry is worth anything walks through how.
Buying or selling Avon
If you’re selling, put the official name in the title if you can find it, photograph the mark, and include the box. A lot of vintage Avon earrings are clip-ons, so our clip-on earrings guide is worth a look too. If you’re shopping, Avon is one of the easiest ways to get real vintage style for very little. Browse Avon on StillSparkly and see what your mom (or grandmother) was wearing.
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Related guides
Vintage Costume Jewelry Marks: A Guide to Designer Signatures
A name on the back of a brooch tells you who made it. How that name is written, and what’s stamped next to it, often tells you when.
Is My Vintage Costume Jewelry Worth Anything?
Usually a little, sometimes a lot. The value is in the maker, the design, the construction, and the condition, and you can check all four at the kitchen table.
Vintage Clip-On Earrings: How to Buy, Wear, and Convert Them
Vintage clip-ons are everywhere, often cheap, and frequently gorgeous. Here’s how to pick a good pair and wear them for more than an hour.
Got a drawer of Avon?
Get a free estimate from a photo, or list it with a close-up of the mark. Original boxes help, so include them.