06 Mar Estate Jewelry Pins
Seen Above: An 18K Ruby and Green Enamel Frog Pin, Recently Bought by C. Blackburn Jewelers
If you have browsed fashion influencers on Instagram in recent years, you may have noticed that fine jewelry pins are seeing a resurgence in popularity. As San Diego jewelry buyers, we also have seen increased interest among clients who visit our La Jolla jewelry store to shop for antique and vintage pins, or who wish sell us their previously-owned jewelry pins.
One popular jewelry motif that we frequently see in estate jewelry pins is the insect motif. The winged insect has been a popular theme in jewelry design for centuries, and one which can be traced all the way back to ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations. Insect-inspired jewelry became increasingly popular during the Victorian era, as interest in natural history and the scientific study of insects grew.
During the Victorian era, jewelry designers often incorporated insect motifs into their designs, creating brooches (pins), necklaces, and other pieces featuring realistic depictions of beetles, butterflies, and other insects. These pieces were often made using materials such as gold, silver, enamel, and precious stones.
One of the most famous examples of insect-inspired jewelry from this era is the beetle brooch, which was popularized by the Victorian-era designer, Aimee Crocker. These brooches featured the detailed depiction of beetles, often adorned with colorful enamel or precious stones.
In the Art Nouveau era, which emerged in the late 19th century, jewelry designers began incorporating more stylized and abstract insect motifs into their designs. The naturalistic lines and flowing forms of Art Nouveau lent themselves well to the insect theme, and many designers created intricate pieces featuring butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects.
The Art Deco era, which emerged in the 1920s, also saw the continued popularity of insect-inspired jewelry, with designers creating pieces featuring geometric, stylized depictions of insects, often using materials such as diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds.
At C. Blackburn Jewelers we pay premium prices for pins and brooches designed by luxury houses such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany & Co. We also are always interested in pins made in 14k, 18K, or platinum, and set with diamonds and precious gemstones. In addition, our owner Carl Blackburn is a La Jolla jewelry designer who can design for you a gorgeous pin inspired by classic motifs.
Send Carl a message below if you would like to buy or sell an estate jewelry brooch or pin, or have an original custom piece designed for you.
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619-723-8589
