Sarah Coventry
Sarah Coventry 1976 "Outer Space" pendant | |
| Industry | Costume jewelry |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder | Lyman K. Stuart |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
Sarah Coventry was an American costume jewelry brand[1] based in Newark, New York.[2] The company was named after the granddaughter of Lyman K. Stuart, the founder.
Established in 1949, the sales force was at first all male. Thousands of women and some men were recruited to sell jewelry at Sarah Coventry home jewelry parties.[3] It was recognized as the largest direct selling jewelry company in the world during the sixties and early seventies.[4]
Production
The company did not manufacture their own jewelry. Instead, they sketched out designs and then used other manufacturers to produce it. S&M Enameling Company, based in Providence, Rhode Island, produced jewelry foe Sarah Coventry for 20 years.[2] Most of the production happened in the state of Rhode Island.[5]
From 1948-1985, Sarah Coventry used a space built by Reed Manufacturing in Newark, New York for jewelry production. In 2024, the factory was named on the New York Register of Historic Places.[1]
Jewelry pieces were made with a variety of materials: gold-colored metal, rhodium, plastic, rhinestones, and gemstones.[6]
Bankruptcy
In 1981, Sarah Coventry filed for bankruptcy.[2]
The trademarked name passed through several hands. In the mid-1980s a subsidiary of Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (the publishers of Playboy magazine) owned the company, as it was planning on diversifying into a brand management company. It later sold the company in the 1990s.
Sarah Coventry jewelry was re-opened years later by new owners and was distributed by representatives via catalogs, the internet, home shopping networks, and other means. By 2009, the name Sarah Coventry was no longer in business.[3]
Marks
Some marks seen on vintage jewelry include:
- "SC"
- "Sarah Cov."
- "Sarah"
- "SaC"
- "Coventry"
There is usually, but not always, a copyright symbol accompanying the mark.
Gallery
-
1959 "Sultana" necklace
-
1961 "Chantilly Lace" necklace
-
1970 "Wood Nymph" bracelet
-
1958 "Moonlight Serenade" necklace
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1962 "Lotus Blossom" brooch
-
1976 "The Big Apple" pendant
References
- ^ a b [email protected], STEVE BUCHIERE (2024-11-04). "Newark building honored for its history". Finger Lakes Times. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ a b c Writer, Paul Davis Journal Staff. "Jewelry District: Ghost of its former self". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
- ^ a b Bridgeford-Smith, Jan (2009). "All That Glittered: The Rise and Fall of Sarah Coventry Inc". Life in the Finger Lakes (Summer). Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ Sturdivant, Sandra (2012). Identifying Sarah Coventry Jewelry, 1949-2009. Schiffer Pub. ISBN 978-0-7643-4214-1.
- ^ Miller, Judith (2010). Miller's Costume Jewelry. Great Britain: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-84533-563-2.
- ^ "Sarah Coventry® Jewelry". Schifferbooks. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
Further reading
- Oshel, Kay (2003). Sarah Coventry jewelry. A Schiffer book for collectors. Schiffer Pub. ISBN 978-0-7643-1704-0.
- Robinson, Deborah A. (2006). Emmons & Sarah Coventry: Jewelry Fashion Show. Schiffer Pub. ISBN 978-0-7643-2145-0.
- Sturdivant, Sandra (2012). Identifying Sarah Coventry Jewelry, 1949-2009. Schiffer Pub. ISBN 978-0-7643-4214-1.