THE TIFFANY OF THRIFT

IT was the rhinestone-studded strawberry that first caught our eye.

A pink strawberry pendant with rhinestone seeds that gave Kenneth Jay Lane’s $112 strawberry — and Chanel’s similar $500 apple — a serious run for the money.

It was $6.80 at Forever 21, hanging amid the plastic beads and bangles best left for 13-year-olds to throw on with their Hollister ensembles.

We were intrigued. Could mall-babe central be the source for the kind of jewelry a Melrose babe would crave?

We kept shopping.

There was a faceted “jade” drop pendant for $5.80 that looked a lot like the $100 drops at Fred Segal. A brushed gold heraldic pendant in the spirit of last season’s Alexis Bittar collection. A $6.80 studded tan faux leather cuff and studded gold bangles (three for $8.80!) that, at a distance, could pass for Hermès. An ivory plastic camellia ring set on a gold band for $3.80 that could be mistaken for Chanel if caught on the peripheral.

It was impressive, if hit and miss. And then, we discovered the Tiffany of thrift, the Cartier of costume: For Love 21 in the Glendale Galleria, the jewelry-only branch of the Forever 21 chain. There are 16 stores nationwide, with eight more slated to open this year.

In Glendale, For Love 21 is dressed up like a posh Parisian apartment, complete with crown molding and Regency-style fixtures. Shoppers are handed silver trays lined with black velvet instead of those tacky plastic shopping baskets. The place is bubbling over with enough bangles and baubles to disorient even the most seasoned shopper and get a tween salivating as if she’s just been let into Willy Wonka’s candy room.

The plan of attack was simple: Comb the perimeter and then loop through the middle, left to right from front to back. There was a surprise at the bottom of many a picked-through pile, some chic, some just plain cheap.

The trendy pieces such as a charm necklace with the predictable cluster of horn, crystal and bird hanging from it are trite and childish. Same with the bright plastic bracelets and wooden bead necklaces.

But we do approve of the blue-striped, fabric-covered beads (very Lanvin). And the stacked, “jewel”-studded bangles, cheap enough to buy by the dozen. And of course, there was that strawberry — completely irresistible, if you don’t mind stones that don’t shine like diamonds and a little glue seeping out from behind a seed or two. There’s enough stock and styles in this store to satisfy women from 8 to 87. Just make sure the cheap prices don’t coax you into a buying frenzy where you end up looking like the store swallowed you up and spit you out. Remain selective and remember it’s about quality, not quantity. Or in this case, quality and quantity just enough for one season.

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