BOUCHER Early Retro-Style Faux Emerald & Diamond Rhinestone Dress Clip

Jewelry : Vintage : Costume : Marcel Boucher : Phrygian Cap

 

In the world of fabulous fakes, Marcel Boucher is a recognized master. His superbly-crafted pieces mimicked precious jewelry to perfection, they were often mistaken as such!

Case in point is this fine Retro-style leaf dress clip, with faux emeralds and faux diamond rhinestones. From 1947, as its inventory number shows, and marked with Boucher's earliest mark, the Phrygian cap.

Our leaf clip is wide and sweeping, with a striking contrast of textures and colors.

One half of the leaf blade is encrusted with graduated faux emerald oval crystals; the other half is all-gilt open metalwork, with a lacy scalloped design.

The center midrib is all-clear rhinestone pavé, knotted at the top and tapering at the tip.

The leaf curls gracefully at the tip, tucking the edge of the gilt portion underneath.

Measures 2 3/8" x 1 3/4", with a two-prong clip at the back. Stamped with Boucher's Phrygian cap mark and the inventory number 2662 at the back of the midrib. Boucher is the only designer who marked his pieces with inventory numbers, and this one dates to 1948. This is a year before Boucher quit using the Phrygian cap as his logo.

Overall the clip is in excellent condition, with vermeil-looking gilt metal, and unscuffed rhodium backing for the center portion. The open metalwork setting for the faux emeralds show that foil has rubbed off from a few stones, but this has not dulled the brilliance of the colors, nor the glitter of all the rhinestones.

For the Boucher connoisseur, this is a fine addition.

Item ID: 0909-BOU5