Featured Costume Jewelry - sparkly 3" brooch

I know even LESS about costume jewelry than I do about mountain climbing, and I am SO not a mountain climber. Now you know how much I know about this brooch!

Today's big question is: How the HECK did this end up in one of my old jewelry boxes? I know that I have NEVER worn it, and I can't even recall that I have ever even SEEN it before!

Measuring about 3" top-to-bottom, this brooch has absolutely no markings on it that I can find. I don't even know: are these rhinestones? crystals? glass? (Honestly, I really don't even know that much...)

Is this the sort of thing that someone would actually BUY? (Or should I just slip it into the donations bag & leave it there?)

Help, please - ANY input is appreciated!

 

1970s Flower power.
A nicer piece than usually seen.
Wait for others more knowledgeable to confirm

 

Thanks, cluttered! (You sure couldn't prove it by me!)

 

That it is nicer?
Or that it is 1970s?

 

It is a nice 1970s flower power pin.
I would be very surprised if these don't make a "come back" at some point soon!
I put mine all over a cloth hat!

 

Given the colorway, I'd think a bit earlier. 1960s.

Debora

 

Yah it could def be 1960s too!

 

Oh, cluttered, I don't know! I am completely stymied!

 

Same here - late 60s to maybe early 70s, probably Austrian but not marked. It might be American with European-made stones. It's hard to say and I don't think anyone would care. The center is a foiled opal, might or might not be filed under Dragon's Breath if it has the blue "veiling" and it looks like it from here. Nice pin.

 

Whoa - I NEVER would have guessed ANY of that!

Thank you so much, Clutterered, Anti, Deborah and Evelyb!

 

What they said - and very saleable, especially as it's big.

 

Thanks, Owned! (Shows you what I know...)

 

Love the middle stone!

 

Thanks, Gauntlett! It's certainly "different"!

I found one on eBay that has some similarities, but not the center stone... Maybe not quite the same sort of "prongs", either:

VINTAGE 50's AUSTRIAN CRYSTAL LARGE FLOWER BROOCH GOLD TONE 3.2" open back
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-50...992706?hash=item2f2ef0c042:g:rLQAAOSwbF1blrrS

 

The similarity is very close. However, I think the one on ebay is not as nicely made as yours

 

Cluttered, I did notice that the seller called theirs "open back" - I assume that refers to the part behind the stones, which is "closed" on the one I have.

 

I'm looking at the cheap pin on the back of the ebay one. That's later than the 50s.
The pin back on yours is more substantial.

 

I thought so, too, Cluttered. I also questioned their 1950's dating...

 

The one on Ebay is a D&E wannabe. The open-backed stones say it could be and the prongs are right, but that v-shaped harp makes me wonder. I doubt it's Austrian.

 

Thanks, Evelyb. I know it's not the same, but it's the closest thing I found...