Antiquers Daily


  • Antiques articles and information
  • Pictures of antiques (lots of them!)
  • Discussions and debates

Enter your email address:




We guarantee 100% privacy. Your information will not be shared.

Help with a pair of brooches

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Allan Ashford, Jun 5, 2025.

  1. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    Hello

    I have a few items of jewellery that were in a box that I purchased for the coins- which I am not too bad with.
    But these items are challenging.
    I have done a bit of Google homework and one could be a Ciro brooch?
    But the pair I have not the foggiest.

    Both are the same but face each other

    Any help much appreciated, it’s the first of a few I am afraid

    allan
     

    Attached Files:

    kyratango and Dessert58 like this.
  2. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    They are very nice dress clips, which were generally worn in pairs. They were fashionable from the 1920s-early 50s.

    Yours are probably American, and they are costume jewellery, neither of which are my specialty, but the US costume 'joolies' will know. They will be along later.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2025
  3. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

  4. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    This is how dress clips were worn:

    adr.jpg
     
    kyratango, crowleys, Marote and 2 others like this.
  5. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    Thanks for the reply and information
     
  6. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    Absolutely correct these are dress clips, and 1920s a date.

    I have a suggestion, unlikely to have a positive result, but keep reading. I would just do a quick check to see if these are diamonds. 99.9% of dress clips would not be diamonds, but there is something about this and I would want to rule it out. The open backs on every last stone is a bit fancier setting than most, and it seems to have some extra quality about it. Any jeweler could look at it for 3 seconds and tell you, if you don't have a tester.

    Less than a week ago I was watching Antiques Roadshow and one of the featured items was a platinum diamond dress clip pair so they are out there.

    I would want to rule it out.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2025
    lovewrens, kyratango, Marote and 3 others like this.
  7. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    Thank you Lucille , now have to hide this from my wife!
     
    lovewrens, kyratango, Marote and 3 others like this.
  8. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    I think the backing frame posted on another thread goes with these clips, and with this new info, likely means not diamonds.
     
    kyratango, Marote and Any Jewelry like this.
  9. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    Which was the backing frame? The on that looked quite plain ?
     
    Lucille.b likes this.
  10. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Lucille.b likes this.
  11. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    kyratango and Lucille.b like this.
  12. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    Does the number 3 on the back of the clip part mean anything?
     
    Lucille.b likes this.
  13. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    Pairs of dress clips often came with a frame backing so you could wear them separately or together as a brooch. Definitely don't force anything. If it is a match, they should easily fit in. I have to say this frame is an unusual one, usually I've seen them sort of in a straight horizontal pattern, but can't imagine what else this is. Maybe someone will come along with ideas.

    The frame also has a "3" (near the maker's mark) which is another reason I wondered if it was connected with the clips.

    upload_2025-6-5_11-53-31.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2025
    mirana, Allan Ashford and Any Jewelry like this.
  14. Lucille.b

    Lucille.b Well-Known Member

    Still thinking about this...

    The holes may have nothing to do with the attachment of the clips. Do the clips fit (clip in) in on the bars in a way that looks like it's meant to be? And try both orientations, left and right. Those double holes could have been, I don't know, maybe for a safety chain that clips on that is now missing? Can't imagine that what else this backing frame would be for unless a completely different set of clips.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2025
    kyratango and Any Jewelry like this.
  15. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Most dress clips were more 1930s than 1920s; they were generally worn on a sweetheart neckline and 20s dresses didn't tend to have them. I think precious metals are unlikely here, most dress clips were costume, but weirder things have happened. There were indeed some triple sets, with the center piece meant to pin to the dip in the decolletage. This clip may be the third piece in a set of three.
     
    kyratango and Lucille.b like this.
  16. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    The Duchess of Windsor. An example of dress clips as fine jewelry.

    Debora

    GettyImages-3097408-1-scaled.jpg
     
    Allan Ashford likes this.
  17. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Agree a later than 1920s. The style then was straight dresses with emphasis on the waist, not the bosom.

    Debora
     
  18. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    UPDATE

    I took them to a local antique centre and the back clip and dress clips DO connect and form a brooch!
    Interestingly they offered me £50 but not sure if that is a fair reflection. The stones are NOT diamonds unfortunately

    thanks
    Allan
     

    Attached Files:

    Lucille.b, mirana and Any Jewelry like this.
  19. Allan Ashford

    Allan Ashford Member

    Thanks Debora
     
  20. mirana

    mirana Well-Known Member

    Here's a version that is real diamonds...most I find seem to be fur clips or brooches.

    I think £50 is a respectable offer for rhinestones for an open market price like what you'd get on ebay. Being a shop they will likely try to get twice that since they can attempt a "retail" price. You can scroll through ebay solds and see many pieces get less than 50. The only other factor is the maker might command more if identified. You can try some other shops to get other offers though.
     
    Lucille.b and Any Jewelry like this.
Write your reply...
Uploads are not available.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page