What’s in a name? Everything, when it’s your name or initials. Quite often antique dealers pass up monogrammed items on their shopping excursions for fear that they’ll never find a home for them, when in fact, monogrammed items sell well. Whether it’s a piece of jewelry or a monogrammed handkerchief, it will almost always be purchased when the person with the right name or initials comes along.
According to Wikipedia and other Internet sources, monograms were historically used by royalty, often in the form of seals or signet rings as a signature; appearing as early as 350 B.C. on coins. Monogramming items to personalize gifts became a custom in the Victorian era which spanned over sixty years (1837 – 1901). Traditionally women’s monograms had the initial of the first name on the left, the middle initial on the right, and the initial of the last name was larger and placed in the middle. Wedding gifts were usually monogrammed with the bride’s first initial on the left, the groom’s first initial on the right, and the joint last name’s initial was larger in the center.
This beautiful and personal touch wasn’t as prevalent during the Great Depression as many lavish niceties were discontinued, but it resurfaced afterwards as school girls exchanged monogrammed hearts for charm bracelets, and monogrammed sterling silver flatware was the wedding gift of choice. Unfortunately it’s not a common practice today to give a personalized, monogrammed gift, primarily because elaborate engraving is somewhat of a lost art. There is one jeweler in Conroe, Texas, who does beautiful engraving in the Victorian style. Wilkins Jewelry Company located at 1712 N. Frazier St., Suite 103, in Conroe (77301). Unfortunately I couldn’t find a website address but found numerous listings on the Internet, a Facebook page which appears to still be under construction, and the phone number 936-539-2944.
Because monogrammed items will appeal only to individuals with the same initials, they are always priced reasonably. Monogrammed handkerchiefs range from $10-$20 depending on the ornateness of the monogramming; sterling silver flatware usually goes for the penny-weight of the current price of silver, and silver plate trays average $50, unless footed and heavily ornate. Monogrammed jewelry is priced based on the age, condition, and intricacy of the jewelry. Just an observation…the letter C sells better than all others, S & T are good sellers, and the popularity of names will make some monogrammed items more popular than others. Names beginning with A & K have been popular for girls and J for boys. Naturally Q & Z aren't big sellers, and most vowels, but interestingly, neither are the letters F & N.
The one jewelry item where the monogram is insignificant is the Victorian bangle bracelet. These highly- coveted, gold-filled bracelets command good prices and are hard to find. Collectors feel the monogram adds to the bracelet’s charm and that it’s a way of perpetuating the original owner’s legacy. Pricing is based on condition, the width of the bangle, and of course, the intricacy of the monogram. The more ornate and decorative, the more desirable. Prices typically range from $150-$350; but the elaborate bangles can exceed $500. For more information about the Victorian bangle bracelets, reference C. Jeanenne Bell’s book Old Jewelry.
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