Until recently, I never much thought about WHY I was drawn to Brooches/Pins....I just accepted that I liked them, they were an affordable item to collect and the wearing of them full filled the 'UseIt or LoseIt' rule. In the last six months or so I discovered my 'Inner Broochable Self' in my Mother's 1950's wooden, unhinged, scratched and nicked 'Special Things' box.
Who knew that Brooches and Pins were holding together the 'Molecular Strands' of my DNA, and the undeniable draw to jumbles of old jewelry was in my genes. I should have guessed it long ago...for you see, as a little girl I was always drawn to the 'Special Things' box and it's contents of 'Four Fifty's Pins'. The 'Thelma Heart Pin' was a February Birthday Gift from her Sweetheart...my Dad. I will share the others in a later 'Collecting Broaches' post.
The wearing of 'Brooches' dates back to the Bronze Age, and throughout history has been a chronological indicator of fashion. Dating a vintage broach is all about the back...it's clasp, pin or hinge.
In my 2xGreat Grandmother's Victorian era, T-bar pins/clasps were used with their longer pin extending past the body of the brooch which helped secure the pin on heavy Victorian fabrics. The c-clasp and small hinge came into use in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
In my Mother's 1950's era, brooches were made for the modern woman with the more functional and secure 'Safety Clasp'. Today, many brooches are multi-functional with a Pendant and Lock Latch that allows them to be worn as a necklace as well as a pin.
My latest find from a 'Jumble of Jewelry' display was made by Sarah Coventry. It spoke to me on several levels...one, it was a 'Flower'...two, the baroque style pearl...three, the name Sarah.
It is good to know your 'Inner Broochable Self'.
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