The Brier Manufacturing Company, located in Providence, RI, was founded by Benjamin Brier and Sam Magid in 1913. The name "Little Nemo" came from a popular comic strip character of the time. The company became the 2nd largest jewelry manufacturer in the US, with only Coro being larger. While they manufactured their own lines under L/N and Little Nemo (much of their production is unsigned, as most of it was simply carded/hang-tagged with their name), they also manufactured for other companies, such as Helena Rubenstein, Revlon, and Walt Disney. When the costume jewelry industry succumbed to the "no jewelry" look of the 1970's, Brier filed for bankruptcy, 65 years after its start.
This exceptional "Little Nemo" multi-colored rhinestone brooch, circa 1930's, is one of their best designs. The pewter colored pot metal base is set with a multitude of colored rhinestones, in shades of red, blue, green, amber and clear; the three large ruby red sets are beautiful. The oval-shaped brooch consists of disc, arch and bars, all filled with the colorful sets. The brooch measures 2 1/2" in length, 1 3/8" in width and has a safety clasp mechanism. The rare "L/N" mark is formed in the molding. Wonderful vintage condition with no damages; a few of the sets have lost some of their original sparkle.