Diane Love: Trifari After Alfred Philippe

When Alfred Philippe retired from Trifari in 1967, after almost 30 years as its celebrated head designer, many wondered how Trifari would continue its impressive long-time record of fashion accomplishment. The concern was real. Philippe had been a remarkable and influential designer. Moreover, the state of fashion jewelry in the mid-1960s had people wondering if fashion jewelry would continue to be as dominant and marketable as it had been for so many years, especially during the 40-year Golden Age (1930s-1960s) when jewelry was a necessary fashion accessory. Would fashion jewelry go the way of the hand glove, once a necessity but now considered quaint?

After a period of internal and ongoing discussions, Trifari came out swinging, and, instead of fighting current fashion trends, the company introduced new lines and new designers. This decision proved to be a winning one, and this article highlights the contribution of Diane Love. Love was a young artist who not only jumpstarted Trifari’s reputation and sales, but also continues, to this day, to live a life devoted to art.

This article will explore not only Diane Love’s lifetime contributions to art, but also her designs for Trifari, the ever-increasing prices for her Diane Love Trifari (DLT) pieces, and a description of jewelry pieces that have been incorrectly attributed to her.

Love’s artistic contributions have continued throughout her life, a life engaged in artistic pursuits. She began her career as a young woman, with her precious jewelry designs offered by Bergdorf Goodman in 1969. Bergdorf’s had opened a jewelry rotunda when they expanded the store by including the building on 57th Street. She then spent two years with Trifari, moving on to open her eponymous shop on Madison Avenue. Soon after, she had a home furnishing boutique at Bloomingdale’s, designed decorative objects for Mikasa, and created a home fragrance collection for Celebrity. After closing her shop on Madison Avenue, she committed to working full-time as an artist, which she continues today. She has written two books, Flowers are Fabulous published in 1973 by MacMillan, and Yes/No Design: Discover Your Decorating Style with Taste-Revealing Exercises and Examples, published in 2000 by Rizzoli, about how to find your own taste and style. Both books can be found on Amazon and eBay (but in very short supply).

On her website, Ms. Love declares, “Art has been my lifelong companion. It lets me do whatever I want. It never says no. It gives me leave to explore any medium or material I fancy—nothing is off limits.” This approach has been evident throughout her life and was certainly evident during her time at Trifari.

When she joined Trifari, she had a very clear artistic vision. She worked closely with André Boeuf, the chief designer who succeeded Philippe in Trifari’s design studio. Trifari recognized her talent and had faith in her innovative ideas. Love’s work for Trifari remains ahead of its time and continues to appreciate in value.

During her two years with Trifari, she created more than 100 designs. Her jewelry is, without a doubt, a cut above and more so. Her replicas of antique artifacts have a timeless quality, conveying antiquity and modernity all at once. She was intent on making the pieces fit the wearer comfortably. Hold a DLT piece in your hand, and you feel its quality.

While at Trifari, her designs required the creation of new plating techniques and fine hand applications of enamel colors and stones. Both her Trifari designs and her precious jewelry designs for Bergdorf Goodman can be viewed on her website: https://dianelove.com/jewelry

Her Trifari jewelry was sold nationwide, and she made public appearances to launch the collection.

Her ensuing career, which continues to this day, is a remarkable example of the artistic creativity, staying power, and versatility of one influential woman. She was, and is, a trailblazer and a leading inspiration to many women who came just after her, including me.

My contact with Ms. Love began in January 2024. I was familiar with her website, and I saw a jewelry piece on eBay that was labelled “Diane Love” Trifari (DLT),” yet did not look like a “Diane Love.”  She graciously answered my question, and a few more.

I began to see other pieces I had questions about. I studied everything I could find, and with her permission, I gently contacted sellers when they misattributed an item as one of hers. To a person, everyone was very cordial and quickly corrected their listings. Many also expressed an interest in her work and asked me to convey their feelings of goodwill towards her.

It was very easy to learn about any new DLT offerings by using the GEM app. GEM has a search tool that crawls the internet daily, searches all the popular vintage websites (Etsy, eBay, Ruby Lane, Poshmark, and so many more), and then sends a morning email about what was found. This is very helpful for those wanting to have early access to specific items coming to market. You set up the search words, and GEM informs you when they appear. GEM was particularly important in my efforts, in allowing me to quickly note misattributed items, and then alert the sellers.

The two most frequently misattributed DLT pieces included:

Credit: https://www.ebay.com/str/mommylovesmichaela

Credit: https://www.ebay.com/str/mommylovesmichaela

These two jewelry pieces are lovely examples of Trifari but are NOT Diane Love designs.  They are correctly attributed, by Jennifer Schmid, in the above credited examples.

I quickly discovered two things: 1) Sellers innocently, yet inaccurately, described items as DLT because they had previously seen them inaccurately labeled that way, and 2) I found no fake or counterfeit DLTs. This last observation is important, since we’ve begun to see some counterfeit Trifari pieces. Copycats would be unable to fake a DLT because the sophisticated manufacturing required to copy a DLT is too complicated for a counterfeiter to overcome. Such a copy, if attempted, would likely be readily apparent.

In today’s market, any DLT piece is hotly sought after, and this trend has significantly grown over the last few years. I have analyzed the sale of DLT pieces over the last three years (the longest period for which we have accurate numbers), and the results demonstrate the renewed and growing popularity of her pieces. Realized prices are going up and up.

Not many sites provide full information on realized prices. The best information comes from eBay Research (formerly known as Terapeak), which provides the opportunity to review sales for the past three years. eBay has sufficient sales to determine the accuracy of any changes from year to year. Additionally, pictures or descriptions allow us to ensure the piece was truly a DLT and not a misattributed piece. Misrepresented pieces were removed from any analysis.   

Additionally, a smaller number of Love’s Trifari pieces have been sold at auction over the last few years, and the realized prices will also be mentioned here.

During 2022, 18 DLT pieces were sold on eBay. Prices ranged from $69 to $895, with an average selling price of $216. The top two sales were a Noh Face Bracelet at $895, and a Shekmet Collar Necklace for $540. The most frequently sold item was the Clasping Hands Clamper Bracelet, which saw four sales. This mirrors the sales of that item from its first appearance in the early ’70s when it was the best seller of her items. During 2022, the Clasping Hands bracelet could be had for an average of $185. In the current eBay market, the same piece is for sale at an average of $506. Yes, it is a climbing market!

Clasping Hands Bracelet, 1971 (most frequently sold piece). Credit: https://dianelove.com/jewelry

Something very big happened in 2023, when the average price of the 28 DLT items sold on eBay jumped to $539. The increase from $216 in 2022 to $539 in 2023 was a 150% increase—something almost unheard of in the costume jewelry market!

The highest selling items in 2023 were the 1971 Turtle Brooch for $1,200, the Sassanian Gold-Plated Necklace for $1,200, and the Egyptian Shekmet Collar Necklace at $1,000.

In the following year of 2024, the average price for her Trifari items increased again, and saw a 13% increase.  Thus, in two years, the average sold price nearly tripled, for an overall increase of 181%. Twenty-nine DLT pieces sold in 2024, ranging in price from $147 to $1,999.96, with an average of $608 per piece. It was another booming year for DLT!

The following images show the highest-priced sold items in 2024:

Luristan Double Bird Brooch, 1970: $900 (2024) Credit: eBay

Shekmet Collar, 1970: $1,999.96 (2024). Credit: eBay

Samurai Shakudo Watch Bracelet: $1,275 (2024). Credit: eBay

A mere two years earlier, the highest price for a sold DLT was $895, yet by 2024, sales saw seven items top that amount. These included the Shekmet Collar Necklace in its original DLT box, the Black Cross Emerald Cut Stones Collar Necklace, the Luristan Bronze Ibex Goat Collar Necklace, the Griffin Panther with Wings Brooch, the Luristan Double Head Bird Brooch, the Samurai Shakudo Watch, and the Bronze Brooch. Two of those very-popular Clasping Hands clamper bracelets sold in 2024, averaging $199 each.

Not many auction sites include realized prices, but this is beginning to change. Ripley Auctions, the premiere costume jewelry auction, and Rago Auctions include such figures, and these sites show the following realized prices for DLT items:

Bacchus Necklace: October 2024: $750 (Ripley)
Roman Griffin Necklace: January 15, 2024: $375 (Ripley)
Double Head Brooch: June 2022: $300 (Ripley)
Clasping Hands Bracelet: January 2020: $225 (Ripley)
Russian Icon Necklace: April 2020: $500 (Ripley)
Shekmet Collar Necklace: February 2022: $2048 (Rago)

The price for current, active DLTs for sale on eBay averages $1,135.34, much higher than last year’s average of $608!  Prices on 1stDibs are, as expected, higher. All the other vintage jewelry sites are comparable to eBay prices, with eBay running a bit higher than others. Of course, we know that sold prices are lower than the price of active items for sale, so we will monitor this situation to see if prices continue to climb higher. I will keep track and update information, in the comments here, at the end of each calendar year.

Prices for current items for sale reflect the upward trend, and include this fabulous DLT:

Bacchus Head Necklace Brooch: $2,600. Credit: https://www.ebay.com/str/newpagoda2014

It has intrigued me that so many of the DLT pieces, showcased on her website, have not appeared anywhere for sale. Trust me, I look carefully! These items will be highly sought after. I will be on the lookout for them (especially the Scottish pieces, which are in the permanent collection of The Museum of Arts and Design in NYC), and I encourage you to do the same.

Some of these are:

Scottish Collar, 1972. Credit: https://dianelove.com/jewelry

Crescent Moon Collar Necklace, 1971. Credit: https://dianelove.com/jewelry

Scottish Bracelet, 1972. Credit: https://dianelove.com/jewelry

Egyptian Stele Necklace, 1972. Credit: https://dianelove.com/jewelry

I want them! I want to see them! Don’t you?!

Diane Love’s art, and her love of art, continues to this day. Would it surprise you to know she is also a cabaret singer and wrote and performed, with her singing partner, a musical show entitled Love Online in May 2019? Yes, she did, and a clip of her cabaret can be found here: https://www.dianelove.com/actor

Her current endeavors almost entirely focus on making large format collages. Examples of these can be seen on her website and have been shown at numerous galleries.

Everything she has done, from her Trifari days in ’70 to ’72 and continuing to this day, tells us Diane Love has led a remarkably exciting and artistic life. Her art is “of a piece” and has underpinned her entire life.

While she has embraced roles as a wife and mother, her artistic endeavors resonate with a broad audience, especially for all of us Trifari fans! It is with the spirit of Valentine’s Day that we present this Valentine to Diane Love. She has lived a remarkable life, one to which many of us can only aspire, and she has lived it FULLY and well!

Thank you, Diane Love!

____________________________________

Diane Love continues to welcome inquiries about any of her work, including her groundbreaking work as a young designer at Trifari. The best way to reach her is through the inquiry form on her website: https://www.dianelove.com/pricing-other-inquiries

Diane Love Wearing the Shekmet Collar in 1971

Diane Love Today!