Black Tahitian Pearl Dutch DroogDesign 1998 Unique ThirdNipple GoldDisk Brooch

During the ArtDeco period when Gabriel "Coco" Chanel was at her peak as a Parisian couture fashion-designer in the early 1930s, this antique one-of-a-kind handcrafted gem-fringed and gilt-chain medallion brooch with trombone clasp was commissioned to accessorize one of her clothing designs. Marked only "FRANCE" like some early 1930s Chanel couture jewelry (without a brand stamp until the 1950s), its artistic origin is most likely from ornate organic-form sketches by her favorite parurer Fulco di Verdura. The Sicilian duke began creating fabric patterns for Chanel in 1927, which shortly expanded to fine jewelry beginning with custom pieces for herself. These include the iconic Byzantine-influenced gem-adorned cuffs referencing the Maltese military-cross, which the French designer can often be seen wearing in circa-1930s photos. This bright yellow-gold brooch suits goldsmith Verdura's early anti-Art-Deco aesthetic that was considered a radical departure from 1920s silver-tone jewelry, which otherwise featured linear geometric designs or figurative representation. The softly-shaped deconstructed gem-bouquet mixes amethyst and rose-quartz beads with natural Keshi pearls and intricate tiny gilt leaves, which are wired to a Baroque-motif open-work frame that dangles another gem surrounded by a thick gilt-rope halo. Notably, Verdura is credited with re-introducing since Victorian times the rope motif to jewelry. Since 1930, Verdura's unique style was influenced by travels with Chanel to explore Byzantine art, Baroque architecture, and exotic flora-and-fauna among his native Italian aristocratic estate. The legendary fashion-editor Diane Vreeland and American entertainment-stars were among the first Chanel clients to acquire couture real-gem-adorned jewelry made by Verdura, while one of the two brooches treasured by Vreeland was titled "Theodora". See our photo of the Byzantine mosaic of Empress Theodora, whose image wearing many teardrop pearls above her chest and surrounded by a golden halo seems to be the inspiration for this brooch. As one of the most important modern-design collaborations, Chanel's close relationship with Verdura lasted largely-undocumented years in Paris, until he launched his first outside jewelry venture with a Hollywood designer-boutique after emigrating to the United States in 1934. By 1939 as a financially-backed in-demand goldsmith, he founded the namesake jewelry-company Verdura in NYC. After he retired in 1973, the brand continued to operate without him with different owners. Given the duo's designs that played with historic and military references, Chanel's couture commission for this purple medallion may have been sparked in the early 1930s when the internationally-new...

This antique Victorian platinum filigree bar-brooch or tie-pin from the Edwardian period in a Faberge style features bezel settings with three square-cut 10mm sugarloaf aquamarine ca...

In the 1920s in an Art-Nouveau style, Czech costume-jewelry designer Max Neiger created this brass dangle brooch that features three different shapes of ...

This modern mid-century abstract three-dimensional unsigned brooch is a single hand-hammered sterling-silver wire that was shaped by an artist into an undulating squiggle that ends i...

Like the pendant collected by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this bezel-set lava rock was handcrafted as a modern sterling silver brooch by studio-artist Joan Parcher...

This early-16th-Century Renaissance period silver-repousse round medallion pendant features a romantic encounter in a rural landscape between a man and smiling woman wearing European-nobility fashion, including a men's feathered hat, tights and sword. A silversmith was commissioned by this unknown man to make the pendant as a hat badge to promote his affectionate nature, which is conveyed by the welcomed gestures between the adult couple, who stand cheek-to-cheek and hand-in-hand. As there is a church in the distant landscape, this may have been his wedding-engagement announcement. It is worth noting that romantic love via marriage was a rarity before the 18th Century. The tragic romantic Italian legend of Romeo and Juliet was first translated into English for publication in 1562--several decades before Shakespeare turned it into a famous play about a deadly consequence of separating lovers. The pendant medallion is framed with a filigree-like inward-curving bezel and a flat metal backplate, while its bail enables it to be pinned as a brooch or strung on a necklace. A perfect engagement or wedding gift for a man or woman who loves antique...

Art deco diamond brooch. Set to centre with one round old cut diamond in an open back rubover setting with an approximate weight of 0.85 carats, surrounded by 45 round old cut diamon...

This item is an antique 19th-century diamond crescent moon brooch with a detachable spray of rubies and diamonds. It is made in France, circa 1860. The brooch features an elegant dou...

Loving flower brooch made in the 1930s USA. Window glass from the aircraft industry was used for this type of jewelry! . The flower was cut out of wood and placed on the Lucite leav...

This wonderfully elegant huge polished gold vermeil hardware detailed with intricate sculpted Filigree frames a beautiful natural Amber. The height measures 3 1/2 inches. The...

This exquisite brooch from Cilea Paris is a piece of art to wear, crafted by hand with skillful attention to detail. Made with high-quality resin, it features a beautiful turquoise r...

Cilea Paris designed this stunning dimensional floral pin brooch. The piece features a fantasy-inspired hand-made artisanal crafted design with a giant pumpkin with different texture...