Old brooch restoration - which gems to choose

By the style of this brass brooch what do you think would have been in the gaps? pearls, coloured glass or black glass?. Arrived in a joblot missing all gems.
Is it c1900 or a bit later do you think?
Thanks for looking

 

None of those: I'd suspect turquoise, coral or jet cabochons - glass or real. 19th C yes.

 

Black would look quite good in it. I'll see what I've got but I think I've only cut glass in black. I'll have a search through my hoard of loose beads.

 

Quite likely. I like rescuing old wrecks though

 

Not exactly the same style, but maybe for inspiration?


https://www.ebay.nl/itm/133389016948?ul_noapp=true

 

That works.

 

I think I've got some like that.
I may be some time....

 

Well, 7's a lucky number, anyway!!!!

 

The wonderful thing about brass stampings is that they are impossible to date. For one, they're still made in f ex Providence, Rhode Island, USA, as we speak.

I was once at a stampings manufacturer's shown a stamping that came out of a storage drawer marked 1912. Next the same model stamping was dropped in my hand from the machine that had made it that day.

The only difference was a little patina and dust in some of the crevices in the 1912 production piece. If anyone wants more details here's an archived article I wrote in 1998:
Inside Providence, Rhode Island, Part I of III:
The Parts That Make Up The Whole
http://web.archive.org/web/20010708...es/costumejewels/library/weekly/aa080798c.htm

The stamped brass brooch pin shown in this thread is very likely from a plant in Providence. Some of these plants are themselves over a hundred years old, got their start in the early 1800s, and are still in business. Attached are images from my trip to the Providence stampings manufacturer referred to above.

 

Some nice things there Liz, some of them look like Czech Gürtlerwork bases.

KSW is in England. We hardly get any American jewellery here in Europe, so it is higly unlikely that it is American, especially since so many were made here.

 

I would guess cabochons along the lines of this Miracle brooch

 

I could see it with glass pearls too, but it probably had rhinestones or black glass originally.

 

The brooch in this thread most likely had glass stones, rhinestones, because the bottom of the cups end in a point. As for origin, the brooch may have been made in the U.K. but its brass stamping base could have been made in Czechoslovakia or the U.S.

After WW I when most of Europe was in shambles much aid came from England and the U.S. to help restore the failed economies in the wartorn countries. One way this was done was to supply them with raw materials, or partially finished goods, to provide work to many. These were of course mostly women and children survivors so the work was light and suited to them. Costume jewelry setting and assembly was ideally suited for it.

The U.S. supplied unfinished, i e non-plated stampings to Czechoslovakia complete with glass stones imported to the U.S. before the war, to support this production. The U.S., and U.K. too, then "bought back" the production from these factories to sell in the West.

What some collectors today treasure as Czech jewelry did in fact have its origins in the U.S. It just took a tour to Europe, became finished, and then returned to be sold in U.S. shops, or English, Scottish shops, as it were. The Czech jewelry was often not as nicely plated as the production that stayed in the U.S. Gold, silver plating was expensive in Europe so often the back of the jewelry had scant or no plating [why waste it on the back side when no one would see it there anyway?].

The Czech post WW I costume jewelry was at that time, 1920s, 1930s, considered extremely low end in the Western countries that sold it. Compare with jewelry marked WEST GERMANY, which was the same type production organized there by the Western allies after WW II was over and widows and children there needed work. It was also the cheapest sold in massmarket stores like Woolworth. Here's more about that:

Inside Providence, Rhode Island, Part I of III:
The Parts That Make Up The Whole
http://web.archive.org/web/20010422...es/costumejewels/library/weekly/aa080798b.htm

 

Far too early a hinge and clasp to be post WW1.

 

@Ownedbybear This hinge and clasp is used to this day by jewelry crafters. However, you're right about it being an earlier style. It was also a cheaper style. In Europe, France especially, the trombone clasp was introduced already in fine jewelry way before the end of the 19th century. The ball safety clasp was introduced by B.A. Ballou in the late 1800s; the company itself is America's oldest, founded in 1860. The ball safety clasp was initially only used in precious jewelry. Some
https://www.pinterest.com/mirshe/barton-ballou-family-jewelry-1860-1920s/
If forced to guess a date when the brooch discussed was made I'd say between 1910 and 1925. The styling is a matron's. Meaning, a mature woman would wear it at her neckline to hold a shawl, scarf or blouse ties together. This style was never marketed to younger women (who usually didn't wear any jewelry in those days anyway; it was a mature fashion).

 

All fascinating!. Thankyou for all the information, it all helps to make the full picture of this brooch but also lots of other pieces that come my way

 

I like that idea as I'm struggling to find cabs that are all one colour other than in faceted glass. My turquoise ones are too big . I may put it on one side until I find the right gems.

 

@KSW I am the owner of a very large stash of c.j. stones of all types. If you were to tell me what size stone you need in mm diameter, I'd be happy to mail you some if you wish, at no charge. I realize you're in UK but I think I can stand the postage in a little safe non-tear envelope. I invite you to lizjewel dot com to find how to get in touch if you're interested. As far as what type stone you should use, it's entirely up to your personal taste. Turquoise, moonstone, coral, lapis, green jadeite, by themselves or any combination thereof you can think of would all look great on a brass brooch. I'd avoid black stones, or stark white ones though. Black conveys mourning and is very limiting fashionwise if you wish to get some wear out of it. White is usually reserved for summer jewelry and brass does not say "summer" in the least, to me anyway.

 

Wow, that's incredibly kind!. Thankyou so much for the offer. Once again I'm blown away by the generosity I find on this forum. I will certainly visit your website and get in touch. Thankyou.