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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;lizjewel, post: 2005720, member: 13874&quot;]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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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 &quot;bought back&quot; the production from these factories to sell in the West.</p><p><br /></p><p>What some collectors today treasure as <i>Czech</i> <i>jewelry</i> 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?].</p><p><br /></p><p>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&#039;s more about that:</p><p><br /></p><p><font size="4"><b>Inside Providence, Rhode Island, Part I of III:</b></font></p><p><font size="4"><b>The Parts That Make Up The Whole</b></font></p><p><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20010422045001/http://costumejewels.about.com/hobbies/costumejewels/library/weekly/aa080798b.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://web.archive.org/web/20010422045001/http://costumejewels.about.com/hobbies/costumejewels/library/weekly/aa080798b.htm" rel="nofollow">http://web.archive.org/web/20010422045001/http://costumejewels.about.com/hobbies/costumejewels/library/weekly/aa080798b.htm</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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