This is a stunning and intricately detailed Baroque style gold tone brooch or pin. It was made by Sphinx and has the number A1340 on the back (the 4 is backwards). The Sphinx Company was founded in 1948 in England. They made jewelry for a number of well-known designers, including Kenneth Lane and also for department stores such as Nieman Marcus and Bloomingdales. The jewelry pieces often have numbers only or a letter and number in a Cartouche, these are design or maker’s numbers. This is not signed with the name “Sphinx”, the number is the signature of the designer.
This brooch has a large lustrous faux or imitation Baroque pearl domed uneven surface cabochon center framed with two winged angels standing on the sides atop a scroll design. This design with matching sides was often referred to as a “Mirror Brooch”. There is a crown topping off the brooch just above the heads of the Angels. Below hangs a single looped link chain and in the middle of the chain is a teardrop capped faux pearl. The brooch measures approximately 4 inches long including the chain and 1 ¾ inches wide. This is most likely from the 1960s.
The brooch is in great vintage condition as you can see by the enlarged photographs. There are a few tiny spots where the nacre finish has worn off on the center pearl cabochon, but you don’t really see them without magnification because of the shiny luster of the rest of the pearl. There is almost no visible wear to the gilt finish. The rollover safety clasp works just fine. Please look at the photos as they are part of the description and show the details better than I can describe. The price of the brooch reflects the imperfections of the pearl’s finish.
This is a wearable piece of art and makes a bold statement; it is very decorative and would look great on a jacket lapel, a scarf, or a nice touch on an evening bag during the holidays.
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