Some of my vintage pearl brooches and earrings

[multichrome]

By now I’ve started to accumulate quite a few, not really intending to start a collection. Oops! Some of these were part of a job lot, others bought individually. I didn’t spend more than $20 for anything here, and mostly much less.

The brooch with the plumes was a surprise on arrival; the seller’s photo really did not show the tiny size of the seed pearls nor the amount of detail. (I am resetting a few loose ones.) The seed pearls are genuine, as are all the pearls in the photographed pieces, except maybe the shamrock pin with the pink rhinestones. Those pearls or pearl-a-likes look beautiful, but they don’t have the grittiness of the other shamrock brooches or the plumes.

I would say almost all of these are mid-century except for the bar pin, which is likely a little later. (I think it’s a 1980s “Victorian” repro.) The shamrock with the pink stones is an antique, if I go by the C clasp.

The one triple earring set is sterling silver, and the others are 12K gold-filled, one white gold.

The only piece with a maker’s mark is the triple pearl pair with the white gold-filled clips: they’re marked “Cultura.”

Thank you for looking! It was fun to group them all together. Hope everyone is doing ok.

—Cece













Above right earrings are marked “Cultura”

 

[BWeaves]

I really like the Prince of Wales feathers.

 

[multichrome]

Thank you! They are very grand—I wish there were a name or any kind of mark on the piece. I haven’t tested the metal yet, but I think it’s gold-filled at most. The metalwork is surprisingly fine.

I really like the Prince of Wales feathers.

 

[multichrome]

I forgot to say that I am of Irish descent (grandmother), so I like pretty shamrock brooches. My husband is Scots, so I like thistles, too, though I have no pearl thistle jewelry.

 

[pattye]

Thank you for sharing, Multichrome! All so interesting ~ the shamrocks are precious.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Those are wonderful! The detail is delightful, and those shamrocks are so cheery We went through years of shamrocks here, what with our family involvement in 4H clubs .... anything 4 leaf clover came home.

 

[Incik Boncuk]

What a great collection! Do you wear any of them?

 

[multichrome]

Thank you all for looking, and for your nice comments! Incik, I do wear them! I crochet lace collars, and I love a pretty little brooch as a fastener!

My love of vintage and my newfound love of pearls have so happily converged.





Not my photo, but one I have crocheted


Also not my photo, but just finished mine in a green tweedy cotton cashmere. I think I will sew a green glass pearl on as the fastener:

 

[Incik Boncuk]

Ah, nice!

 

[BWeaves]

Love the shamrocks, too. My husband is Irish, too.

 

[jeg]

What a lovely collection, Multichrome, and how nice to be able to incorporate it with your love of crochet. I suspect your newfound collection will be expanding.

 

[pearl-man]

Kinda cool......I like the collar and a ppendant/drop in yellow...be real nice with natural pearls.
Norm

 

[GemGeek]

I especially love the last collar with the pearl. So pretty!

 

[Charlotta]

Those collars are beautiful. They remind me of lace my grandmother use to make. She often used yarn so fine that it was more like sewing tread (not the heavy kind). She said it took longer to make a table cloth...when she died she left lots of handmade stuff. She taught me most of it when I was a child, like her mother did with her, except for tatting. We never got around to that. But crochet, knitting, sewing, embrodery, weaving (well ragrugs and towels at least, don't remember how to put a loom up and we gave hers away when she died) at least. I found a tablecloth she had been crocheing in ombre green yarn when she died. She had made half and I finished it. She was my favorite person before my children were born. A wonderful person.