Collectors of vintage costume jewelry will find Sarah Coventry jewelry enchanting. The elegant vintage jewelry collection spans the late 1940s through the mid-1980s. Find out more about the appeal of Sarah Coventry and where to find the jewelry today, even though the company is no longer in business.
Sarah Coventry History
In 1949, the founder of Emmons Home Fashion, Charles H. Stuart, came up with the concept for the collection of jewelry that grew to be known as "Sarah Coventry." Named after Stuart's granddaughter, Sarah Coventry began selling jewelry for women and men through home fashion shows and parties starting in 1949. Sarah Coventry was sold exclusively at home parties and never sold in retail stores during the company's operation from 1949 to 1984.
Sarah Coventry Trademarks
Although the company did not design or manufacture the jewelry, Sarah Coventry was involved in determining which designs worked for the line. The vintage pieces show the history of the jewelry company. Each piece of jewelry has identifying marks, which varied over the years. Sarah Coventry jewelry bore the following identifying marks:
- "Coventry" - First use 1949
- "Sarah Coventry" - First use 1949
- "SC" - First use 1950
- "Sarah" - First use 1951
- "Sarah Cov" - First use 1953
Many of the identifying marks overlapped. For example, both "Sarah" and "SC" were commonly used throughout the years, even when other marks were introduced. There is some debate about whether jewelry marked with "SAC" is authentic since the mark seems to appear on jewelry from the mid-1950s and 1960s without a documented record of when the company used the marks.
The End of Sarah Coventry Jewelry
After declaring bankruptcy in the early 1980s, the jewelry producer was bought by a subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises. In 2003, Sarah Coventry, HPP, Inc. took over the production of the jewelry and made modern versions of many products. Sarah Coventry, HPP, Inc. sold jewelry exclusively at home parties from 2003 to 2008.
Sarah Coventry Vintage Jewelry Designs
The Sarah Coventry vintage jewelry is often of a higher quality than the modern pieces from the 2000s, so the vintage pieces tend to be sought after by collectors. Since vintage jewelry is no longer being manufactured, each piece is rare. Prices vary from cheap costume jewelry rates to valuable vintage costume jewelry rates.
Vintage Jewelry Styles
Sarah Coventry vintage jewelry styles include pendants, brooches, necklaces, rings, and bracelets, such as the following:
- Leading Lady crystal and rhinestone Art Deco-inspired bracelet
- Kathleen brooch with a faceted emerald and rhinestone in a starburst pattern
- Touch of Elegance necklace with a faceted olive stone and a gold-tone filigree cap
- Bittersweet brooch with orange teardrop cabochons on a gold-tone leaf
- Wisteria earrings with faceted Lucite teardrops in pink and amethyst
The vintage jewelry is commonly made with gold-plated or silver-tone metal and often features imitation gemstones and rhinestones. Sarah Coventry pieces have intricate detail and are considered quality costume jewelry.
Home Party Revival Jewelry
When Sarah Coventry, HP, Inc. started manufacturing modern fashion jewelry in 2003 under the Sarah Coventry name, it was once again available through home parties. The home party revival pleased many people who remembered the original home jewelry shows. However, it did create some confusion because many people were searching for the original vintage jewelry when they came across the modern collection.
Wondering how the modern collection compared to the original pieces? The jewelry was still well made, but it was quite a bit different from the vintage designs and followed current fashion trends for the years 2003 - 2008. There were still some traditional designs that resembled the Sarah Coventry look, but collectors were still most interested in the vintage jewelry. Despite Sarah Coventry, HPP, Inc.'s high hopes, the new jewelry line did not catch on with the same popularity as the original. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2009.
Finding Sarah Coventry Pieces
It can be hard to find jewelry by Sarah Coventry since the line is no longer made. It helps to check both antique stores and consignment/resale shops to look for Coventry vintage pieces. The Internet is the best place to find a large selection of Coventry jewelry available for purchase anywhere in the world. The following websites sell Sarah Coventry jewelry:
- Collector's Weekly: The site often has numerous vintage Coventry jewelry items for sale.
- Etsy: The Etsy site sells a large number of Coventry jewelry pieces.
- Ruby Lane: Ruby Lane generally has Sarah Coventry vintage jewelry in stock.
- Amazing Vintage Jewelry: Amazing Vintage Jewelry has a variety of Sarah Coventry sets.
Fans of vintage costume jewelry will be excited to add Coventry jewelry to their collections. These classic designs never go out of style.
Beautiful Vintage Jewelry
Collectors love vintage jewelry. And Sarah Coventry falls under the category of fun vintage jewelry with a long history. While you can't buy new Sarah Coventry jewelry on the market, you can buy used pieces through several different online buyers.
