Diamante bird brooch - Modern jewellery. But is this a stork or a flamingo?

 Is this a stork or flamingo brooch?

Found this pretty diamante brooch several months ago in a car boot sale. Liked the look and so it ended up in my eclectic collection. This gold tone bird brooch has clear diamante decoration with a larger diamante stone in the middle. I think this is a modern piece of jewellery due to the style of the back and because the pin fastening keeps coming loose. Also does not feel as well made as older brooches.

Not sure what type of bird this is. Could be a stork or a flamingo brooch? Or just the maker's poetic licence used! More pre owned/vintage/antique jewellery that I have found can be seen on this blog.

Pewter wren brooch pin by A R Brown

Cute pewter wren brooch pin by A R Brown

Another great collectable bird brooch. This wren shaped bird brooch pin was produced by A R Brown, who make many different pewter brooches in British animal and bird designs. Well made and very worth while collecting.  Engraved on the back with the name A R Brown and a number, each having a tie tack pin fastening. Unisex bird jewellery that can be worn on a hat, tie or lapel. I brought this one in a car boot sale. 

 Not for sale as in my own pewter jewellery collection. But plenty available to buy on the web. Also I think they are still being made new. We have wrens in our garden. These small cute birds fly very fast and can be very quick to try and view. Just the second of three pieces of second hand jewellery that I will be showing this Bank Holiday Monday. 

 Loss of costume jewellery in a fire - Absolutely gutted.

A couple of months ago, we had a major fire in the storage unit that we had stored lots of our stuff in anticipation of moving in a few years time. The whole unit burnt to the ground. There is an investigation ongoing that it was arson. I am convinced it was as the whole building burnt so fierce and there was suppose to have been a sprinkler system! 

Anyhow we lost so much, yes we were insured but very much under insured. Gone now is the collection of vintage costume jewellery that I had built up over the last 20 years. My whole inventory of jewellery books that I used for identification and reference - along with many other things that meant a lot to me and hubby. 

Can I go on collecting and researching costume jewellery?

I now find it very difficult to actually look at any jewellery. In the last few months I have brought just a few pieces to add to my own personal collection. The jewellery that I have on eBay was the boxes that I still had at home. I don't think I will every buy anymore jewellery just for resale again. 

Brought this pretty Cloisonne unicorn brooch to add to my Gothic/fantasy collection. Circa 1980s of age. Wiggle to the pin at the back.

Art Deco style brooch from the 1980s. In green and gold colours. Copy of the Pierre Bex brooches but this one was made in China/Asia

Silver marcasite swallow bird brooch circa 1960s with a rhodium plated back.  

 Floral Iris or rainbow glass vintage brooch circa 1960s. The rhinestone are in shades of blue, pink and clear. 

Collecting bird jewellery 2022

 This years collecting bird jewellery for 2022

From my previous blog posts, you will see that each year I choose a theme for collecting jewellery. This year it is animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures. See my previous blog post for the animal jewellery that I have already. 

My rules are that it has to be cheap - under £2 or something rare that I will pay more than £2 for it. The jewellery is often second hand or sometimes I browse the auction websites and other shops to buy new.

Here are the bird jewellery pieces that I already have. Some are in my own collection and some are to buy. Hence they will appear in my eBay shop - Cool Vintage & Beyond (at some point!) See part 2   

Cute silver bird brooch from Sarah Coventry circa 1970s. In my own collection

Cute plastic bird in a cage. Not my style but my daughter's who threw out a box of costume jewellery a few years ago. Modern from around the mid 2000s and probably from Primark. For sale

Love the birds on this finch pendant. They are well made on a silvery background. This one will be for sale.

This brilliant large bird brooch is of a cockatoo. Found him years ago and have had him in my collection. He looks handmade but unfortunately there is no name on the back.

A small white dove charm pendant features on this necklace. Another one that was in my daughters jewellery box and is for sale. Doves are often used in jewellery for a "dove of peace" message.

My large Egyptian eagle brooch. Love the enamel colours of turquoise and blue. This bird brooch is in my own collection. 

Another very large eagle brooch by Butler & Wilson. This was a present from my hubby a couple of years ago. I did ask for it and love to wear it. It is very big and fits my hand. 

An Egyptian pendant that has a small bird at the bottom of it along with the eagle head of a god at the top. This is in my own collection.

Although damaged I love this hummingbird brooch. He is missing a wing unfortunately. Enamelled in pastel colours of purple and green. This bird brooch is by BJL. In my own collection and quite rare I believe.

Oh La La. Now I have this French inspired necklace with the Eiffel Tower, heart and a swallow bird charm. Another rescued necklace from my daughters jewellery box. Circa mid 2000s of age and for sale.

A pair of love birds on this pretty brooch. Brought this to do a collage for my husband for Valentines day. Unfortunately that was a few years ago - yet to get around to it!!

I wear this robin brooch during the winter months. Pretty and small with marcasite accents. Unsigned but by BJL.

This swallow brooch is quite old and dates to the early twentieth century. Enamelled brass in yellow and green. Popular bird brooch during WW1, due to the nature of a swallow. This bird is said to always return to the same place to nest. Hence it was a special symbol during the first world war. Unfortunately this piece of jewellery is damaged. It is in my own collection.

Last but not least my brilliant rooster or cockerel brooch. He is big and bold covered in red diamante. Brought new in the last few years. In my own collection.

Hope you have enjoyed looking at what I already have. Will be picking up more as I go through the year. Including reptile, fish and other sea creatures - which I will show soon. 

Peacock and fantasy bird jewellery

The COW for the Jewelry ring this time is peacock and fantasy birds. So here are a few vintage bird brooches that qualify. One of the most used designs in vintage jewellery right up to today, because of all the beautiful colours and different interpretations.

Enamel bird with bright colours - this has been made over a long period and I think still made today.

 Antique silver vintage peacock brooch of marcasite.

Do you collect or wear bird brooches?

Now I know there are many people that collect bird brooches. Not as unusual as it sounds as the number of bird brooch particularly owl brooches have been flying of the virtual shelves. We have recently made it easier to view the vintage brooches collections with a new look to Jewels and Finery. So bringing the bird brooches collection to the main page.

Along with owls, other birds are peacocks, kingfishers, parrots, swan, dove, ducks, swallow, eagle and vultures. there are those birds that can not be identified and due to designer artistic inspiration.

Vintage swallow brooch with diamante circa 1970s.

Swan brooch in flight. Vintage swan brooch 1970s by Sphinx.

Partridge pin in pewter by A R Brown

King fisher vintage bird brooch 1960s

Humming bird brooch circa 1990s.

Two bird brooch pins

Bright parrot brooch in plastic

Penguin brooch pin in clay

Attach a bird brooch to a jacket's lapel, hat or bag. Even to a hair band or evening bag to have a different look to anyone else.   

Scottish Jewellery - Ptarmigan or Grouse Foot Brooch

Okay so you either like them or thing they are grouse! That is Scottish jewellery Ptarmigan or grouse foot brooches!

Since the Victorian era when Scottish jewellery became popular. The birds foot of the Ptarmigan has been used in the jewellery industry, to produce claw brooches.
Originally worn on kilts, shawls and cloaks - it was prized for good luck especially when on a game hunting trip. Still very collectible vintage jewellery today.
Grouse bird foot brooches can be found in both silver and costume. The silver ones are hall marked and were made by the Ward brothers. (Ideal for dating with the hallmark) The brothers were originally producing jewellery in Scotland but also opened another factory in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, as the popularity was such for their Scottish and other jewellery.
They also produced costume grouse pins under the Mizpah range.

The signature is above with two hearts and an arrow through. Not signed Mizpah on some pieces. Made by Quarrier Ward and the Ward Brothers - the designs now owned by Miracle.
Some brooches are unsigned and may be displayed on just a card.   

The real feet are decorated with Cairngorm stones usually of glass but some are the real gemstone. They can also be found with amethyst coloured stones. Again some of the stones are real amethyst and usually on the silver versions.
Earlier brooches are made with very skinny feet and later versions being fatter. I think the later ones are not real feet but manufactured. Different finishes are also available with either smooth silver or silver tone to a pattern on the jewellery. Still made today by Miracle as still very popular Scottish souvenirs.

Above is a silver ptarmigan grouse foot brooch in metal.

Also was available in just gold tone if you do not want a real foot!

Happy Christmas 2010

Every year we send Christmas cards with scenes of snow and the bookies odds are up and down to will it be snowing on Christmas day. Well this year it looks to be coming true. Its snowed for most of this month.
Writing this blog at about 6.30 am on a cold Wednesday morning, its once again snowing and we still have a thick covering on the ground. Not that I intended getting up so early but my oldest has flu and is one of the worst when he is ill.
He has Asperger's Syndrome a form of high level autism and has little awareness of time. Snow is an extreme of temperature and represents change, so his anxiety levels were raised last weekend when it came down thick and fast. As the snow has been here for a few days now, he was just starting to settle again but then he came down with flu! Oh the joys - this probably means that we will all get it now.

So with the heating just kicking in and feeling cold I thought I would show a few "warming" jewels to bring out the sun.

 
 A large vintage brooch in the design of a vulture. Makes me think of hot desert areas and cactus plants.

 
Warm seas and swimming for this 1990s sea horse pre owned brooch with sparkling diamante and enamel.

A second hand snake clamper bracelet in black enamel and clear diamante - for hot swampy areas with snakes skimming the river banks and noisy insects.

Finally managed to make my cakes for Christmas and will show the photographs next time.