Napier Jewelry

Napier is the oldest name in our cabinet. The firm traces its roots to Whitney and Rice, founded in Attleboro, Massachusetts in 1875, which became the E. A. Bliss Company and moved to Meriden, Connecticut in 1890. James Napier joined in 1914 and the company took his name in 1922. From then until it closed in 1999, Napier made bold, well-engineered metal jewelry: charm bracelets, chunky chains, clip earrings and the sculptural silver tone pieces of the 1950s that still look modern today.

Dating relies on marks and style. The earliest Napier marks are in block capitals, sometimes with Pat. or Pat. Pend. Wartime pieces are stamped Napier Sterling. The copyright symbol dates a piece to 1955 or later, and a registered trademark symbol or a hang tag places it in the later decades. Because Napier produced the same successful designs across many years, we also study clasps, plating colour and findings before we settle on a decade.

Collectors prize the figural charm bracelets, the matte and hammered finishes, and anything from the Eugene Bertolli design years. Condition matters most, since the plating is the beauty; look for bright surfaces and crisp hinge work. If you love Napier's goldsmith sensibility, the chains and clip earrings in our Monet collection make excellent companions.