Featured Crown Trifari Sterling Earrings - What is the stone

The Crown Trifari and the sterling were easy, they are stamped right on these clip earrings. The primary stone is another story entirely. I have searched and searched and couldn't come up with a definitive answer, so I thought I would ask here. It was hard to get a right photograph, but the stone has a line of light in the center like a tiger's eye stone. But it is a pale blue. The line moves based on the angle of the light but is really a single large central line. It is prong set. There is a faceted bright blue stone that is prong set mounted on the top and a double row of diamond like stones glued into the very top curve, most of which are missing.

Has anyone seen a stone like this before?

 

Think the stone is likely to be glass. They can make cabochons that have that chatoyancy. Someone will tell me whether moonglow is only plastic or is used also for glass.

 

Moonglow glass is a thing, yes.

 

FWIW, I also would call it moonglow glass. I have had a number of pieces in different colors that have had it.

 

The earrings were made to go with Trifari's coronation crown brooch, which came in several variations. The examples I've seen online call the stones moonstone, moonstone glass or faux moonstone (I didn't find any called moonglow). Yours seem to have more of a tiger eye effect than any of the crown brooch and earring examples I've seen, so a matching brooch might be hard to find. If someone has only the matching crown brooch, I suspect they'd covet your earrings.

Here's a set showing a different variation of the earrings and the matching crown brooch. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235106387397?mkcid=16&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Pt9L_zGxTMW&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=iRwL2pcoRlC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE&nma=true&si=5o2koE78NDsy5TMzcnJcsk7Sj9o%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


I also found a Trifari bird brooch with a blue stone similar to yours (but not as translucent), which the seller called a moonstone jelly belly (I wouldn't call it a jelly belly since they're typically clear glass cabochons). https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pri...wn-blue-moonstone-jelly-belly-swallow-brooch/

 

PS, after searching Trifari "moonglow" on eBay, I did find a few listings that referred to the glass cabochons as "moonglow," but most of the moonglow examples were lucite/plastic bead necklaces. "Moonstone glass cabochons" sounds better than "faux-moonstone," similar to "glass pearls" vs "faux-pearls."

 

I am pretty sure Jelly Belly should be clear Lucite, not glass

 

Yes, I stand corrected...original Trifari jelly bellies were Lucite. I remember reading somewhere several years ago that Trifari used recycled acrylic windshield material from scrapped military airplanes, but maybe that's a myth.

 

I might call the OP's stone catseye or moonglow glass. That's not quite right either, since proper moonglow is acrylic.

Originally that's exacly what was used, at least for reverse-carved lucite and GI-made jewelry. Or jewelry made for GIs to send home to Mom. It was only later that it was manufactured for the purpose. Early Trifari could have been made with WWII surplus for all I'd know.

 

Interesting. I hadn't considered glass or plastic. Must investigate. Thank you.

 

Aha. I checked this out. These certainly look like moonglow glass.

 

Thank you Lizzie. Another vote for moonglow glass. I see your point about the number of colors.

 

Absolutely astonishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe you found the original similar set. These are the earrings for that wonderful brooch. What an absolute pleasure to look at it. You are terrrific Joan and I am grateful. Based on your idea, I think I will put them out there for sale, so the brooch owner can nab them. It's a shame for such a lovely set to be broken up. I am truly grateful that you found this. I buy things that interest me, not always to wear, and I am so glad to be able to offer them to someone who has the brooch.
The pin is very much the same type of stone. Too bad the seller didn't have better information.

 

Excellent comment. I will make sure I refer to them as such. Thank you for following up.

 

I have seen jelly belly opals, but not jelly belly Lucite. I will have to look this up. Thank you.

 

Don't you love the legends that grow around certain type of materials. Soon it become fact.

 

Another excellent piece of knowledge. What an invaluable resource you are to people like me. I am very grateful.

 

I've heard of jelly opals; their bellies weren't in it.

 

You're right. My bad. Thank you.

 

For those who may not already know this....In the 1940s, Alfred Philippe, Trifari's head designer, created what came to be known as jelly belly brooches. The main bodies/bellies of various animals and birds were carved from clear acrylic/lucite. The head and appendages were usually sterling silver. Coro also made similar, but probably not as many as Trifari.

If you search "vintage jelly belly brooches" on eBay sold listings and sort high to low, you'll see examples. Buyers pay a lot for "true" Trifari jelly belly brooches. I even saw one by Coro that sold for $1500.