Luxurious "Retro Style" Brooch With Ruby & Diamonds, c. 1945

Floral motifs have long been known as brooches: As early as the 18th century, Rococo court ladies adorned themselves with corsage ornaments in flower shapes, set with precious stones or sparkling glass. The Victorian era, the Belle Époque and Art Deco also adapted floral arrangements to the prevailing aesthetic in each case. So it is not surprising to find the old theme here now also in the so-called "Retro Style", the style of the late 1930s to early 1950s. Typical of the Retro Style are three-dimensional designs in gold with diamond accents, as we see in this brooch. A red ruby, two old European cut diamonds and 25 diamond roses form the flowers of the luxurious bouquet. Leaves and stems are made of warmly shining, high karat yellow gold. The large flower alone is made of silver. The asymmetrical shape of the brooch is typical of the period in which it was made, because it was only around this time that the way of wearing brooches that we know best today became established: on the side under the shoulder, on a jacket or dress. Before that, brooches were often symmetrically designed, because they were intended to be worn centrally on the corsage or on the collar of a blouse. We date the piece in the years of the 1940s.

Estimate:$2,687.66

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