Guide · 5 min read
Monet Jewelry: How to Identify, Date, and Value It
Short answer: Monet is an American costume jewelry brand that began as Monocraft in the late 1920s and first used the MONET name in 1937. You can date vintage Monet by its mark: Monocraft is earliest, then MONET, then © MONET from about the mid-1950s. Most pieces are gold-tone plated metal that sell for modest amounts, and new Monet is still sold today.
If you picture a polished gold-tone chain, a sleek bangle, or a pair of shiny button earrings worn with a blazer, there’s a good chance you’re picturing Monet. It made the kind of jewelry people actually wore every day, and it made it well, which is why so much of it still looks good decades later.
Who made Monet jewelry?
Monet started out as Monocraft, founded by the Chernow brothers in the late 1920s (most sources say 1927; some say 1929). The first products weren’t jewelry at all but monogram plaques for handbags. Jewelry followed in the 1930s, and the MONET trademark was first used in 1937, according to its trademark filings.
The company changed hands several times after that: General Mills bought it in 1968, Crystal Brands in 1985, and Liz Claiborne bought the Monet Group in 2000 (along with Trifari and Marvella, which the group also owned by then). In 2011 JCPenney bought the US rights to the Monet name, and new Monet is still sold there. So if you’re buying vintage, a Monet mark alone doesn’t make a piece old.
How do you date Monet jewelry?
| What you see | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Monocraft | The earliest pieces, before the Monet name |
| MONET without a © | 1937 on, most likely before the mid-1950s |
| A small metal tag reading Monet or Monet Jewelers near the clasp | An early way Monet marked necklaces and bracelets |
| © MONET | Generally about the mid-1950s or later |
| MONET2 or other modern variations | Later brand lines; check the style and wear |
These are collectors’ ranges, not company records, so use them alongside the style. On necklaces and bracelets the mark is usually on or near the clasp; on bangles, check the inside; on earrings, look at the back plate. Our vintage costume jewelry marks guide explains why the © is such a useful dating clue across makers.
Is Monet jewelry real gold?
Almost never. Monet is mostly about the metal, and most pieces are gold-tone plating over base metal (some silver-tone) with few or no stones: chains, bangles, knots, swirls, and button earrings, plus some enamel. From the 1970s and ’80s you’ll see a lot of chunky chains and stackable bangles. The plating was known for being thick, which is a big reason Monet holds up better than most costume jewelry. It’s still plating, though (more on that in our gold-filled vs plated vs solid gold guide). The exceptions are Monet’s sterling pieces and its Ciani line, launched in the late 1970s with some solid gold, and those are marked as such.
Is Monet jewelry worth anything?
Most Monet sells for modest amounts. Earrings are usually inexpensive, and the pieces that do better are bold necklaces, bracelets, and matching sets in excellent condition. The biggest thing that cuts value is worn plating, so look closely at the edges, the clasp, and anywhere that rubs against skin. We don’t quote prices here because we couldn’t verify enough recent completed sales, and you’ll see plenty of wildly inflated “valuations” online. Look up what the same design actually sold for; our guide to whether vintage costume jewelry is worth anything shows how.
Buying or selling Monet
Selling? Photograph the mark and the plating up close, and say clearly whether there’s any wear, since that’s the first thing buyers ask about. Shopping? Vintage Monet is one of the best ways to get a polished, grown-up look for not much money. Browse Monet on StillSparkly, and if your earrings are clip-ons, our clip-on earrings guide has tips for wearing them comfortably.
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Have some Monet?
Get a free estimate from a photo, or list it with a close-up of the mark and the plating.