Guide · 6 min read
Napier Jewelry: How to Identify and Date It
Napier made jewelry in Meriden, Connecticut, for most of the 20th century, and the way the name is stamped tells you roughly when your piece was made. Most Napier is plated costume jewelry that sells at everyday prices; its 1950s and 1960s charm bracelets and designs with strong period style are what buyers look for.
A short history
The company began as E.A. Bliss, a jewelry maker founded in the late 1870s. You’ll often read that Napier dates to 1875 and a firm called Whitney & Rice, but the researcher behind the definitive Napier book argues that the company itself advertised 1878 for decades, before an anniversary campaign changed the date, and that there’s no record of the Whitney & Rice story.
The firm moved to Meriden in 1890, became Napier-Bliss in 1920, and The Napier Company in 1922. Under design head Frederick Rettenmeyer it produced a huge range of costume jewelry, including more than a hundred themed charm bracelets in the 1950s and 1960s. The Meriden factory closed in 1999. The name went on to Jones Apparel Group and its successors, which have licensed it for newer jewelry, so modern Napier exists too.
How to read the marks
| What you see | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Bliss marks | Before the Napier name; the company traded as Bliss until 1920–22 |
| Napier in a cartouche (a small frame) | An early Napier mark, from around the early 1920s |
| NAPIER in block capitals | 1922 or later. The trademark record gives June 1922 as first use, and the block mark stayed in use for decades, so on its own it’s a weak date clue. |
| NAPIER © | Generally the mid-1950s or later, when costume makers began adding ©. Not every later piece has it. |
| Napier in script, in an oval | 1965 or later (the trademark record’s first-use date) |
| Napier Sterling | Napier’s smaller sterling production, mainly the 1940s to early 1950s |
Sources disagree on some transitions (one claims the script mark replaced block letters only in the late 1980s), which is why style and construction should always back up the mark. Our vintage costume jewelry marks guide covers the general dating rules.
Napier charm bracelets
Napier is especially known for themed charm bracelets from the 1950s and 1960s: lanterns, fruit, Asian-inspired motifs, and many more. The 1955 “Tropicana” designs, with stylized fruit in pearly Lucite, were among its best sellers. A complete themed bracelet in good condition, with every charm present and the plating intact, is what buyers look for. See how to identify and date vintage charm bracelets for what else to check.
What Napier is worth
Most Napier is plated costume jewelry made in large numbers, so everyday pieces sell at everyday prices; one regional auction lot of mixed costume jewelry that included a newer Napier pin sold for $10 in 2024. We couldn’t find verified completed sales for the standout pieces, so we won’t guess. Price yours the reliable way: find completed sales of the same design (the eBay Sold Items filter is a good start), match the condition, and ignore asking prices. Our guide to whether vintage costume jewelry is worth anything explains how.
Value rises with:
- Complete themed charm bracelets and matching sets.
- Napier Sterling pieces (confirm the mark).
- Strong period designs in excellent condition.
- No worn plating, cracked Lucite, missing charms, or broken clasps.
Buying or selling Napier
If you’re selling, photograph the mark close up and state it exactly as it reads (“NAPIER ©”), rather than guessing a decade. If you’re shopping, browse Napier on StillSparkly or the wider bracelet collection.
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.
Vintage Charm Bracelets: How to Identify and Date Them
A charm bracelet is a dozen small objects with a dozen small stamps. Read the metal first, then the marks, then the charms, and the date usually falls out.
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.
Have a Napier piece?
Get a free estimate from a photo, or list it with a close-up of the mark.