Costume Jewelry maker
Trifari marks
Gustavo Trifari, a Naples-born jeweler, started in New York and went into business with Leo Krussman in 1918; Carl Fishel joined and the firm incorporated in 1925 as Trifari, Krussman & Fishel.
- Active
- 1918–2000s
- Based in
- New York, New York, United States
- Marks listed
- 11
- Typical pieces
- brooches, dress clips, necklaces, bangle bracelets
The marks, by date
Each mark’s wording is written out as a transcription: the words and line breaks, not a picture of the mark. Where a source describes a mark instead of quoting it, the description is shown in italics.
Where: back of piece
RCJ lists 'TK in a circle' from 1922; DeMarc gives 1918–1925 (pre-Fishel era).
Where: back of piece
Also seen as TKF. Stands for Krussman, Trifari and Fishel; dating varies by source (see uncertain).
Where: back of brooch or clip
Where: back of piece
RCJ: elongated Trifari mark used since Dec. 1937.
Where: back of brooch / on clasp
Tall, slim lettering with crown silhouette above the T, 1930s–1940s per RCJ; a version with different crown and without elongated letters 1940s–1950s.
Where: back of piece
Where: back of brooch
Wartime sterling silver pieces.
Where: back of piece
Copyright symbol added once jewelry designs could be copyrighted rather than patented.
Where: hang tag
RCJ: hang tag first used in 1954.
Where: back of piece
Crown dropped; script lettering, sometimes in an oval per Gadelles.
Where: on raised plaque or cartouche
RCJ: TRIFARI tm on raised platform, 1980s and on HSN jewelry; DeMarc: raised rectangular cartouche, late 1980s–1999; also on 1996 reissues.
History
Alfred Philippe, formerly of Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, was head designer from 1930 until he retired in 1968. Hallmark bought the company in 1975, Crystal Brands in 1988, and it became part of the Monet Group in 1994. Liz Claiborne acquired the Monet Group, Trifari included, in July 2000 and production moved out of the United States.
Dating clues
- A copyright symbol with the crown mark indicates c. 1955 or later.
- Pieces marked Sterling date mainly to the war years, 1942–1947.
- Hang tags were first used in 1954.
- Script Trifari without the crown points to the 1970s–1980s; Trifari with ™ points to the late 1980s onward.
- The plain crown Trifari mark ran from 1936 into the mid-1960s, so date by construction as well as mark.
Look-alikes and reproductions
- Late 1980s–1990s reissues of older styles (1996) carry the Trifari ™ mark, not the vintage crown mark.
Other names on the marks
Trifari, Krussman & Fishel; Trifari and Trifari; KTF
Where sources disagree: KTF dating disagrees: search-result summaries of collector guides give mid-1920s to c. 1930, Gadelles says 1920s–1930s, RCJ lists KTF with 1935 as transitional, and DeMarc gives 1935–1939. Founding is given as 1918 (Trifari & Krussman partnership, RCJ) but some sources date Gustavo Trifari's first firm, Trifari and Trifari, to 1910. TK start date is 1918 (DeMarc) vs 1922 (RCJ). New York location comes from search-result text rather than the RCJ entry.
Sources
- Researching Costume Jewelry History, Companies and Signatures – T (Costume Jewelry Collectors Int'l)
- Trifari Makers Marks and Trifari Trademarks - DeMarc Treasures
- How to Identify Trifari Jewellery - Gadelles Vintage
- Trifari Vintage Jewelry Identification and Research - My Classic Jewelry (search result)
Marks help identify a maker and a date range, but they can’t prove a piece is genuine. Reproductions and later reissues can carry old marks. This entry isn’t an appraisal.