The Christmastime Magic of Kirk’s Folly
Kirk’s Folly cat Christmas tree pin, c.2005, $45-75
By Pamela Wiggins Seigel
Every holiday season, a little magical wonder starts to fill the air as we begin dreaming of Santa’s sleigh and building the best snowman ever. When it comes to capturing that essence of enchantment we look forward to year after year, costume jewelry companies didn’t make it their business to distill that sensation into a special little bauble. That is, until Kirk’s Folly came along.
It’s important to know that this brand is about far more than celebrating holidays. They market all types of jewelry dedicated to mystical creatures that go far beyond Frosty the Snowman and sprinkle their version of fairy dust around to delight their fans. Since their unique offerings coincide with the Christmas season’s distinctive charm, it’s a good time to learn more about Kirk’s Folly.
How Kirk’s Folly Got Started
The story of Kirk’s Folly is truly a homespun tale. It started in 1979 when Helen Kirk transformed a set of chopsticks into fancifully embellished hair décor named “Glitter Sticks.” Jenniefer Kirk, her sister, loved the idea so much that she shared this exciting new product with a major department store in New York City, where the sister duo began to demonstrate and sell them to eager customers. As the business grew, two more Kirk family siblings, George and Elizabeth, joined them.
Kirk’s Folly star Christmas tree pin, c.2000, $35-65
Another big break happened in 1992 when Kirk’s Folly started offering jewelry and other gem-laden accessories to home shopping customers. Viewers tuning in embraced Jen and Helen just as much as they loved their designs featuring angels and fairies—so much so that they sold out during their first 40-minute presentation on QVC. They continued to expand their offerings on the network to every type of fantasy item imaginable, including unicorns, wizards, celestial motifs, and even “fairy dust” necklaces. These items were presented on the platform until 2014, when they abruptly closed the business.
Fans who’d been following them for years were happy to learn that Jen and Hellen Kirk revived Kirk’s Folly in 2016. They began selling in their own online shop as well as through select boutique relationships at that time. They’ve also been known to do some live shows on social media and have had a few items available on QVC again over the past few years. However, as noted on the Kirk’s Folly website, some fakes marked with their brand name have been made in China since about 2020, so buying new Kirk’s Folly jewelry from unauthorized sources (any source other than directly buying from Kirk’s Folly, QVC, or an authorized seller) could result in receiving a counterfeit item.
It’s also worth noting that the newer QVC products don’t have the panache or quality look of the older ones, even though the prices are as high (or higher) than before. Buying Kirk’s Folly secondhand offers an option to get earlier pieces that look nicer and often at better prices, too.
The Jeweled Forest
The first Kirk’s Folly Christmas tree pin I ever owned was a matte gold-tone piece expressly made for dog lovers. It had pooch faces and full-bodied canines decorating the boughs but also dangling charms any four-legged friend would appreciate like a fire hydrant and bone-shaped treat. I found out later that there are feline versions of the tree with their own unique characteristics meant to appeal to cat owners.
Kirk’s Folly nautical Christmas tree pin, c.2000, $75-125
In typical Kirk’s Folly fashion, however, the company didn’t rest until it had a whole passel of interests and themes adorning Christmas trees. Love spending your time at the shore? Get a nautical tree. Get your grins from gardening or gambling? They’ve got you covered there, too. Just like the animal versions, each one of these themed trees has dangling charms featuring everything from ship wheels to hand trowels, and even shoes. Being mass-produced, most of these aren’t what you would call rare, although some are easier to find than others, depending on how well they sold when they were new. A couple that bring more than average include a tree chock full of dangling butterfly charms and an Alice in Wonderland example.
Kirk’s Folly gardening Christmas tree pin, c.2005, $75-125
There are also more traditional tree pins available, decorated with rhinestones, although some of those do have lots of dangling stars cascading from their branches. Several are signed and numbered limited-edition pieces and since they were produced in lower quantities, are not as readily available as other Kirk’s Folly trees. Competition among Christmas jewelry collectors also drives the prices up for these lovely designs.
Christmas Jewelry Beyond Trees
Even though the trees win out in terms of volume, Kirk’s Folly also made several other types of Christmas pins. My personal favorite is a large, limited-edition Santa face with dangling candy-cane shaped rhinestone elements for a beard. There are other traditional depictions of Santa available, too, while others have iridescent glass moon faces wearing Santa hats or overlooking Santa and his sleigh as he flies by on Christmas Eve. Not traditional, but interesting to say the least.
Kirk’s Folly snowman, c.2010, $45-65
This company also marketed quite a few different snowman designs that have proved popular with holiday jewelry collectors. They range from enameled versions to those decorated with lots of clear rhinestones. Some of them have components that are stacked and layered, offering complexity and dimension when compared with other snowman brooches. These apparently sold well when they were new, just like many Kirk’s Folly trees, since they come on the market fairly frequently and at a nice variety of price ranges to fit most budgets.
There are also sleighs, stockings, and a variety of charm-filled holiday pieces featuring fairies, mermaids, and other out-of-the ordinary themes. Take some time to get to know the holiday side of this brand, and you’ll understand why so many of their QVC customers became enamored with the magic of Kirk’s Folly, and collectors continue to seek the best pieces years later.
Photos courtesy of Jay B. Siegel.
PAMELA WIGGINS SIEGEL has been buying, selling, and collecting costume jewelry for more than 30 years. She is the author of Warman’s Costume Jewelry (Krause Publications) and the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l, an organization dedicated to hosting events and providing educational resources for collectors. Visit her online at www.chicantiques.com and www.cjci.co.
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