1940s

  • Mr & Mrs Squirrel

    These two brooches depict a pair of squirrels. A gentleman in a top hat, possibly holding a baton or scroll, why I’m not sure, and a lady wearing a hat and holding a bunch of flowers, which makes far more sense, were manufactured by Coro.  They are known as ‘jelly belly pins’ because their middles…

  • Elephant in a Hat

    This brooch is cast in metal which has been mixed with copper to give a rich reddy brown hue.  For a small piece (the elephant is only 2” long (5cm) maximum) of unnamed costume jewellery there is a good deal of detail in the casting. You can see the folds of skin, tassels on the…

  • Glitz and Glamour

    This magnificent large brooch is by Staret and is over three inches wide (7.5 cm). There is little known about the Staret Jewellery Co. Inc. who were based in Chicago Illinois.  This particular name was registered between 1941 and 1947 but previously the company was known as the Star Novelty Jewelry Company, Inc. which began…

  • Masks

    There is little known about the Reinad Company but it is believed to have started in New York in the 1920s and have been in operation until the 1950s.  These two brooches date from the 1940s and I love the small bit of red enamelling detail that has been given to the lips of the…

  • Magnificent Fur Clip

    This magnificent fur clip by Eisenberg is made of silver gilt, which means it is made of sterling silver with a wash of gold over the top.  The brooch dates from the 1940s and is a substantial piece, it weighs over 60 grams (2oz plus) and being a fur clip has the two sharp prongs…

  • Flower Fur Clip

    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…

  • Enamel Fish

    With all the rain we are having, I decided a fish would be an appropriate brooch for wet July. This enamel brooch was manufactured by A H Darby & Son, who were based in Birmingham. It is hallmarked for 1946. After WWII materials for luxury items were in scarce supply in the UK. It is…

  • Feather Fur Clip

    I don’t often buy Fur Clips, they are difficult to wear and strictly speaking they are not brooches. As their name suggests they were designed to be worn on fur coats and stoles and usually have two sharp pins that would have been pushed directly into the pelt. But this one with is curve like…