French Art Deco Sterling Silver & Paste Brooch
An exceptionally elegant French Art Deco brooch, finely worked in sterling silver and set throughout with sparkling clear paste stones. The pierced openwork design centres upon a stylised flower, surrounded by sweeping foliate forms and a beautifully geometric outer border.
Details
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Date: Circa 1920s–1930s
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Period: Art Deco
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Origin: France
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Material: Sterling silver
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Stones: Clear faceted paste
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Design: Openwork floral and geometric design
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Shape: Elongated oval
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Dimensions: 6 x 3 cm
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Fastening: Pin fastening
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Marks: Stamped Sterling
Condition
Excellent antique condition, with gentle signs of age and wear consistent with a piece approaching a century old.
The intricate silverwork remains beautifully defined and the numerous paste stones retain an impressive degree of sparkle.
Please refer closely to the photographs, which form part of the description.
History
Paste jewellery has a long and fascinating history. Rather than simply being regarded as an inexpensive imitation of diamonds, high-quality paste became a specialist branch of jewellery manufacture in its own right, with skilled makers cutting and setting glass stones to maximise their brilliance.
During the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s, white-metal jewellery set with clear stones became enormously fashionable. Platinum and diamonds dominated the most expensive jewels, while finely made silver and paste pieces captured much of the same glittering aesthetic.
French jewellery of the period was particularly influential, combining exceptional craftsmanship with the new geometry and stylisation of Art Deco design.
This brooch beautifully combines those influences. Its elongated geometric outline is softened by a stylised flower and sweeping leaves, while the densely set clear stones create wonderful movement and sparkle as the light catches them.
Heritage House Note
A beautifully glamorous piece of Art Deco jewellery. We particularly love the combination of crisp geometric lines with the wonderfully exuberant central flower — and the sheer number of tiny stones gives it tremendous sparkle. Nearly a century after it was made, this is still an immensely wearable brooch.
