Trifari

This is a fur clip by Trifari from the 1940s. According to Jude Rudoe’s book ‘Cartier: 1900-39’ double pronged fur clips were used as early as 1928 by Cartier. Fur clips have two sharp pins rather than a bar and hook. Some people veer away from them because the pair of extremely sharp pins can…

This brooch is by Trifari and from the 1960s. Two things drew me to this brooch. The sheer brightness of the pink. It’s not pale and wishy washy, like a baby pink. This pink has panache and surprisingly goes well with loads in my wardrobe. The second unusual thing about it is the shape and…

This Trifari lipstick is from the 1980s. Lipstick is a fairly common motif for a brooch but the quality of this one shines out. The enamelling of the red lipstick element has a shimmer just like the real thing giving it a resonance and depth of colour that more modern examples don’t have. It is…

For the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee I have chosen a Trifari Crown as this month’s brooch. Trifari was a prolific designer, Gustavo Trifari emigrated from Naples to New York in 1904. In the 1930s Trifari was the second largest costume jewellery producer in the US and by the 1950s the status of the firm…