Fashioncraft (Original) Robert Brooch

Jewelry : Collectible : Vintage : Bracelet, 1940s, Rhinestones

 

In the early 1940’s the Fashioncraft Jewelry Company was founded by designers Robert Levy, David Jaffe, and Irving Landsman. The early markings on Fashioncraft were just Fashioncraft and Fashioncraft Robert. In 1942 the name changed to Original Robert and remained so until 1979.

The brooch/pin we have added to our shop is a very early Original Robert when it was still marked Fashioncraft Robert, somewhere between 1940 and 1942. This piece is quite special for many reasons; the first one being that there were few pieces with the marking Fashioncraft Robert made, making this is an historical piece.

This brooch/pin is just spectacular! It appears to be shaped like an artist’s palette. Where one might expect paint brushes to emanate there is instead a floral motif of gold tone metal stems and leaves, that spring from the palette in a three dimensional design. At the end of the leaves there is a glass marquee shaped rhinestone in amethyst, citron, emerald green, and rose. They are each accented with a clear rhinestone on each side of the leaves. For me the palette itself was the most exciting and surprising part of the piece . There are five raised coils on the palette. On top of the coils are faceted prong set rhinestones. At the front are two rose colored glass rhinestones, with a round one toward the front. The other rose marquee shaped rhinestone is a little further back. To the right of the rose colored rhinestone and standing tall on a coil is a deep blue rhinestone in a marquee shape. Toward the back there is a marquee amethyst rhinestone. On the last coil opposite the amethyst stone is a turquoise diamond shaped rhinestone. All the rhinestones are accented by small round clear rhinestones that circle each of them. Along the border there are faceted prong set small round rhinestones. Like any good artist the rhinestones have an organization but they are not in a uniform pattern, and everything is piled on one another, so it is hard to see all the stones. On the right hand side there appears to be a clear rhinestone almost totally covered by the flowers that spring forth. A slightly better view seems to show two pink stones following the clear stone. There are four turquoise rhinestones one of which is slightly obscured. The next four rhinestones are two clear ones and two pink ones, respectively. At the center are four turquoise rhinestones. Has the palette become such a mess that they just appear to be turquoise, but are actually a melange of colors that the artist has been mixing all day? (I say he, because I know our artist is Robert). There are two clear rhinestones followed by two rose colored rhinestones. At the end of the left side are four more turquoise rhinestones followed by hidden rhinestones. From what I can tell one is rose and two are clear and the last is rose. Perhaps they are all clear after the first rose colored rhinestone, but who can get past that mess. He probably stores the very best of his work back there hidden beneath the rhinestones.

To add to the wonder of this piece, it measures 3 1/2” in length and 2” in width. For one of the first pieces by Robert, he was already thinking big!

Item ID: c1093