When Napier finally closed its doors in 1999, it was widely regarded as the oldest fashion jewellery house in America — the end of a lineage that stretched back well over a century. Few costume jewellery names carry such a depth of history, and fewer still wear it so lightly. Napier's appeal has always been its modernity: bold chains, architectural links and a confident, sculptural sense of design that still looks thoroughly current on the collarbone.
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A long and slightly tangled beginning
Napier's origins are the stuff of collector debate. The story most often told is that the company began in 1875 in the Attleboro area of Massachusetts, as Whitney & Rice, making silver goods and men's gilt watch chains. Careful research has since suggested the firm more properly dates to 1878, when it was established as the E. A. Bliss Co. — with the earlier 1875 date adopted later as a marketing flourish. Either way, the roots are deep, and they run through a series of names: Whitney & Rice, then Carpenter & Bliss, then E. A. Bliss & Co.
In 1890, after rapid growth, the company moved to Meriden, Connecticut, where it would remain for the rest of its working life. From early on it set itself apart by sending designers to Paris to study Continental fashion — an unusual commitment to design at the time, and one that shaped the house's outlook for decades.
Enter James Napier
The name we know arrived with the man who gave it. James H. Napier joined the firm in 1914 and rose to become president in 1920, at which point the company became Napier-Bliss. Two years later, in 1922, stockholders voted to rename it simply The Napier Company. Napier himself was not a designer, but a demanding and stylish executive who insisted on an excellent product, and he led the house until his death in 1960.
Tellingly, Napier kept working through both World Wars, turning its factory over to medals and war-related items when jewellery production paused — a sign of the company's standing as one of America's first modern corporations.
Quality you can feel
Whatever the decade, a Napier piece tends to announce itself through its construction. The house was particularly admired for its chains and clasps — smooth, well-engineered and built to last — and its gold- and silver-tone pieces carry a satisfying weight that speaks to solid metalwork beneath the finish. Look for the Napier signature, frequently stamped on the clasp itself; a small © copyright symbol appears from around 1955, and some pieces are marked "Pat. Pend.", each a useful clue to dating and authenticity.
The 1950s and 60s: reaching the top
The 1950s and 1960s saw Napier reach its greatest scale and reputation, growing from a respected regional manufacturer into one of the top three jewellery houses in the United States. The look of the period is unmistakable: substantial chains, bold links, beaded and enamelled designs and oversized brooches, often with stones used sparingly so the metalwork could speak. The house dressed the era to match its prestige — its jewellery was worn by Hollywood names and even by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and Napier produced pieces for Miss America winners through the decade.
Bold and collectible: the 1970s, 80s and 90s
Here is where many of today's most wearable Napier pieces come from — and they deserve every bit as much attention as the earlier work. The 1970s brought some of the house's most adventurous design: bold modernist and brutalist statement pieces, with hand-manipulated wire and swirling, hammered metal worked into sculptural collars and pendants. Designers such as Francis Fujio created striking modernist pieces — three-tiered enamel drops, double-ring pendants and the like — that are now genuinely coveted by collectors.
The 1980s are Napier at its most confident and glamorous: big gold-tone chains, snake and curb links, enamel bar necklaces, and the flat, articulated "watchband" collars and woven basketweave links. Napier continued producing fashion jewellery right through the 1990s, until the company closed in 1999, and these later pieces are still signed, still beautifully made, and still very much collectible.
For many wearers, in fact, these three decades are the sweet spot. The pieces are bold enough to carry an outfit on their own, well-made enough to wear every day, and — being more plentiful than the rare early work — far more accessible. If you love a statement that has genuine design pedigree behind it, this is Napier's most rewarding era.
A long life, gracefully closed
Victoria & Company acquired Napier in 1980, and the brand continued under new ownership until production finally ceased in October 1999 — closing a remarkable run of more than a century, and the last chapter of America's oldest fashion jewellery house.
Why collectors love it
Napier rewards the wearer who likes a piece with presence. The mid-century chains and the bold modernist designs of the 1970s, 80s and 90s are very versatile and the quality of construction means a well-kept piece can still be worn daily, decades on. To buy vintage Napier is to own a small piece of American design history, made by a house that took its craft seriously for such a long time.