A Barcs brooch from Australia and links to Monet

This morning we were adding a very stylish vintage enamel brooch from the Australian company Barcs. This brooch is inspired by the Art Deco period but was produced in the 1980s. Enameled in black with a blue center onto a gold tone setting. This nice quality brooch however is very similar to a Monet brooch that was made and is part of a jewellery set release during the 80s.
Many vintage brooches and even some of today's jewellery are made by what are called "jobber companies", who then sell the product to other companies who then add their signature to them. Also some well known companies will sell their designs or even the actual jewellery to other well known companies who then sell it under their own name. Just interesting to spot the different brooches and jewellery that are essentially the same design but have a different signature on.

Barcs vintage enamel brooch circa 1980s.

This is a scan of the page number 267 of "Monet the master jewellers" by Alice Vega (A must buy for any vintage jewellery addict) The similar brooch  is in cream, black and red enamel where as the Barcs brooch is in black and blue enamel. Now just wondering is there a whole set by Barcs in black and blue?

We have over 300 different types of brooches

It is amazing on how many different types of brooches we have had available at one time or the other. Some are genuine vintage with some being pre owned, antique and some are new with a vintage inspired look. Today's count shows that we have over 300 different styles and in fact nearer 400. That's not counting the small brooches that we call pins.
Here are just a few showcased:

This is a fun purple rabbit brooch that is classed pre owned. Superb for an animal brooches collection.

A nice sparkling blue glass vintage brooch with a silver and gold ornate surround. This is ideal for a blue brooches collection.

This cameo brooch is a genuine vintage one by Charles Horner. Gainsborough lady profile in a gold tone frame.

Last to show is this pink vintage hat brooch pin from the 1960s. Fun vintage pins that are available in a wide range of styles and colours.
Our brooches are in many colour collections of red, black, pink, orange, amber, blue, turquoise, red, amethyst/purple, white and green. Then we have shown cameo, antique, animal, cat, dog, fish, bird, wedding, diamante and rhinestone on this blog. It is one of my popular choices and a versatile piece of jewellery.
 

Alphabet soup - G & H jewelry

For the Jewelry Ring I have compiled this vintage jewellery selection with pieces from designers/manufacturers beginning with G and H.
First I will start with Charles Horner of Halifax, UK. They also had a show room at Frederick Street in Birmingham, UK, which is why we come across a large number of their productions.

Charles Horner LTD (1860 - 1984) is renowned for its silver jewellery in Art Nouveau, Dorcas thimbles and silver hat pins. However they also made costume jewellery. Most of their silver pieces are marked and can be distinguished as belonging to the Charles Horner factory, but most of the costume pieces were not.

  
 Here are just 3 of the mock marcasite vintage brooches from Charles Horner. All are unmarked accept the pelican bird which has CH stamped on the beak's back part.It has numbers in front of the CH but we can not distinguish what they say.

Bird brooch with enamel by Charles Horner. The circles that glint like marcasite are stamped (see the reverse photo coming up) Signed vintage brooch.

  Bow vintage brooch with stamped silver metal detail. Blue enamel on the edges. Produced by Charles Horner.

 Sailing ship vintage brooch by Charles Horner Does not appear to have any enamel originally. A lot of these great pins have some enamel detail but it wears off, leaving just a little colour in the edges/circle stampings.

Back view to brooches. All have C shaped fastenings.
For more Charles Horner jewellery see our designer jewellery collection. It includes some of his other mock marcasite pieces and cameo brooches of casein. Will write another blog shortly just on Horner pieces as we have many more to show.

Hong Kong jewellery.

Some fabulous beads are still available from Hong Kong as well as other items such as earrings and bracelets. The beads are usually in plastic but come in a fabulous range of shapes and colours.  Here are just a few.

 White bead torsade necklaces signed Hong Kong.

 Three strand green bead necklace. Lots of different shapes to the beads in this one. Hook fastening where it is signed Hong Kong.

A very long green bead vintage necklace with waxy beads. The strand has fixed beads where they are attached to the string. Signed on the clasp.

For other Hong Kong jewellery on Jewels and Finery. We also have repair necklaces that need restringing on Jewels and Finery Craft that includes some Hong Kong beads.

Hollywood Jewellery.

Hollywood jewellery was produced from the early 1900s up to the 1970s by the Bloxidge Brothers in Birmingham. They made costume jewellery that was fairly cheap and cheerful. They were at one point the main supplier of jewellery for Woolworths.

Very large flower vintage brooch by Hollywood in a gold-tone metal.

Not all their pieces are signed but this one is. It is always HOLLYWOOD in block capital.

For more Hollywood jewellery.  


Germany made jewellery.

The G that we have photographed for Germany (other than what is in our designer jewellery collection) is by Christian Dior and these are big earrings.

 

All of the pieces are not for sale at present shown in this blog, but will be shortly.