All Things Coro, Corocraft & Vendome
If you love Coro Jewelry like I do you should find this page to be a valuable research tool!
The only information that is populated on this page is a few of the Coro, Corocraft and Vendome advertisements and trademarks that can be reached by the blue button. I will be adding all the information to this page after I finish Trifari!
Coro Designers (more designers and specifics coming soon)
Gastov Candas - I believe the first separable clip to be patented Filed May 31, 1930.
Oscar Placco - First patent I see of his is 1932. He devised mostly separable and multi-purpose brooches.
Adolf Katz - 1930's - First patent I see of his is 1933
Royal Marcher - 1930's - First patent I see of his is 1935
Ralph Bangs - 1936 - 1938 mostly monogram patents and a jewel setting tool for Coro - freelancer
Gastov Candas - I believe the first separable clip to be patented Filed May 31, 1930.
Oscar Placco - First patent I see of his is 1932. He devised mostly separable and multi-purpose brooches.
Adolf Katz - 1930's - First patent I see of his is 1933
Royal Marcher - 1930's - First patent I see of his is 1935
Ralph Bangs - 1936 - 1938 mostly monogram patents and a jewel setting tool for Coro - freelancer
Important Dates / Valuable Research Information
When you are trying to pinpoint the date for your piece of Coro, Corocraft or Vendome jewelry, it is important to know some key facts. I have gathered a list of them here. A lot of them apply to other costume jewelry manufacturers of the time too!
For Coro, Corocraft or Vendome makers marks and trademarks, please refer to the blue buttons above.
You will also find many hyperlinks below (in blue) for examples and extra information.
1919 In July of this year the first "Coro" mark was used under the ownership of Cohn & Rosenberger, Inc. In the trademark information it was listed as used on "Chain and Bead Necklaces, Imitation Pearls, Slipper and Belt Buckles, Collar and Cuff Buttons, Shirt-Studs, Bar-Pins, Brooches, Hatpins, Watchchains, Watch-Charms, Finger-Rings, Bracelets, Hair Ornaments, Beads for Necklaces, Vanity-Cases, and Lavallieres, which Articles Are Made of, Plated with, or Mounted in Precious Metal-i.e., Sheffield Silver, Sterling Silver, and Gold-Plate on Brass Foundation."
1932
1936
1937
1938
1939
1943 On June 24, 1943 company changed their name from Cohn & Rosenberger, Inc to Coro, Inc. (the "Co" from Cohn and the "ro" from Rosenberger.)
There are only this year. I believe there were not as many this year because of the limitations on materials due to the war restrictions. Most of what they did make would have been sterling silver with very few rhinestones compared to previous years. Some of these pieces would be "vermeil" which means that they are plated with a gold of at least 10 karat. They also started using clear acrylic (possibly Plexiglass or Lucite - both these companies started business in the early 1930's) as the main parts of the jewelry and these became popular as the "jelly bellies". It is said that they shaped unusable (broken or cracked) windshield material from the WW II airplanes. There are people that claim "jelly belly" in many different colors but the true "jelly bellies" are always clear. The jelly belly pieces are some of the most collectible jewelry!
1945 In June of this year the popular Coro Pegasus mark was first used!
1948 With the wartime materials restrictions completely lifted now the use of sterling silver is replaced with the use of a rhodium plating finish. It was available before this time but not widely used yet because the process along with the metal was too expensive (rhodium is the most expensive metal available - even more expensive than gold!). After the war a new process was developed that would put a thinner coating on the base metal thus making it more reasonable for use with high quality costume jewelry. The rhodium plating was a very shiny silvery-white color that didn't tarnish - it helped the jewelry look beautiful much longer!
1951 This is the year jewelry started transitioning from fold over clasps to extension chains and 'J' hooks on most all of their necklaces. Previous to this date, their "collar necklaces" were generally really short ranging from about 13 1/2 inches to 15 1/2 inches long. After this date you will still find a few without the extension chain (especially in 1952 while they are using up their remaining supplies) but not very many were designed that way any more.
1954 started to copyright some of their designs this year. You can see this by the notations in small print at the bottom of the advertisement stating that the designs are either patent pending, patent granted or copyrighted.
1955 Coro's last design patents were this year. The last one was patent . After this most costume jewelry companies, started copyrighting their jewelry designs. While companies could actually protect their designs with copyrights as early as 1947, most jewelry companies did not (except possibly Coro). It wasn't until Charel Jewelry Company copied some of Trifari's designs and Trifari took them to court and won (in 1955) that companies felt like their designs would actually be protected under the copyright law. It was then that most costume jewelry companies began using the copyright process because it was cheaper, easier and quicker to obtain than a patent.
This was also the year that the Swarovski Company perfected the aurora borealis coating for their crystals. This coating had a beautiful rainbow colored effect similar to the aurora borealis lights in the Northern Skies - hence the name! If you have a piece of jewelry with this coating it probably wasn't made before 1955.
1957 This type of brushing or texturing was more cost effective than the previous method of hand polishing the pieces to a shiny finish.
For Coro, Corocraft or Vendome makers marks and trademarks, please refer to the blue buttons above.
You will also find many hyperlinks below (in blue) for examples and extra information.
1919 In July of this year the first "Coro" mark was used under the ownership of Cohn & Rosenberger, Inc. In the trademark information it was listed as used on "Chain and Bead Necklaces, Imitation Pearls, Slipper and Belt Buckles, Collar and Cuff Buttons, Shirt-Studs, Bar-Pins, Brooches, Hatpins, Watchchains, Watch-Charms, Finger-Rings, Bracelets, Hair Ornaments, Beads for Necklaces, Vanity-Cases, and Lavallieres, which Articles Are Made of, Plated with, or Mounted in Precious Metal-i.e., Sheffield Silver, Sterling Silver, and Gold-Plate on Brass Foundation."
1932
1936
1937
1938
1939
1943 On June 24, 1943 company changed their name from Cohn & Rosenberger, Inc to Coro, Inc. (the "Co" from Cohn and the "ro" from Rosenberger.)
There are only this year. I believe there were not as many this year because of the limitations on materials due to the war restrictions. Most of what they did make would have been sterling silver with very few rhinestones compared to previous years. Some of these pieces would be "vermeil" which means that they are plated with a gold of at least 10 karat. They also started using clear acrylic (possibly Plexiglass or Lucite - both these companies started business in the early 1930's) as the main parts of the jewelry and these became popular as the "jelly bellies". It is said that they shaped unusable (broken or cracked) windshield material from the WW II airplanes. There are people that claim "jelly belly" in many different colors but the true "jelly bellies" are always clear. The jelly belly pieces are some of the most collectible jewelry!
1945 In June of this year the popular Coro Pegasus mark was first used!
1948 With the wartime materials restrictions completely lifted now the use of sterling silver is replaced with the use of a rhodium plating finish. It was available before this time but not widely used yet because the process along with the metal was too expensive (rhodium is the most expensive metal available - even more expensive than gold!). After the war a new process was developed that would put a thinner coating on the base metal thus making it more reasonable for use with high quality costume jewelry. The rhodium plating was a very shiny silvery-white color that didn't tarnish - it helped the jewelry look beautiful much longer!
1951 This is the year jewelry started transitioning from fold over clasps to extension chains and 'J' hooks on most all of their necklaces. Previous to this date, their "collar necklaces" were generally really short ranging from about 13 1/2 inches to 15 1/2 inches long. After this date you will still find a few without the extension chain (especially in 1952 while they are using up their remaining supplies) but not very many were designed that way any more.
1954 started to copyright some of their designs this year. You can see this by the notations in small print at the bottom of the advertisement stating that the designs are either patent pending, patent granted or copyrighted.
1955 Coro's last design patents were this year. The last one was patent . After this most costume jewelry companies, started copyrighting their jewelry designs. While companies could actually protect their designs with copyrights as early as 1947, most jewelry companies did not (except possibly Coro). It wasn't until Charel Jewelry Company copied some of Trifari's designs and Trifari took them to court and won (in 1955) that companies felt like their designs would actually be protected under the copyright law. It was then that most costume jewelry companies began using the copyright process because it was cheaper, easier and quicker to obtain than a patent.
This was also the year that the Swarovski Company perfected the aurora borealis coating for their crystals. This coating had a beautiful rainbow colored effect similar to the aurora borealis lights in the Northern Skies - hence the name! If you have a piece of jewelry with this coating it probably wasn't made before 1955.
1957 This type of brushing or texturing was more cost effective than the previous method of hand polishing the pieces to a shiny finish.
Different Earring Clips used throughout the years. These are actually Trifari so far.
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Clip on the back of a 1948 Trifari earring patent #151,533
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Clip on the back of a 1948 Trifari earring patent #150,445
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Clip on the back of a 1949 Trifari "Snowflake" earring patent matching brooch patent was #155,214. From the design it actually looks like it was made closer to 1950.
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Clip on the back of a 1950 Trifari "Lucky Clover" earring patent #160,336 the "PAT PEND" is actually on the underside of the clip.
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Underside of the clip.
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Clip on the back of a 1951 Trifari "Dogwood" earring
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Clip on the back of a 1951 Trifari "Gem of India" earring patent #164,728
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Clip back for a 1952 Trifari earring.
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This is also a clip back for 1952 Trifari "Spring Fantasy" earring. The patent that was eventually granted for these earrings was patent # 165,542.
As you can see by these last 4 photos, Trifari, like many costume jewelry manufacturers, overlaps jewelry findings while they use up their supplies. |
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Clip back for 1952 Trifari "Promenade" earring. This looks like the year they started using this type of clip. Notice the words "DESIGN PAT PEND" on the tops of the clips.
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Clip back for Trifari 1953 "Comet" earring. The patent for this one was patent #170,212.
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Clip back for 1954 Trifari "Minuet" earring. The patent that was eventually granted for these earrings was patent # 172,175.
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Clip back for the 1955 Trifari "Elude" It has the crown over the "T" but no copyright symbol.
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