My new brooch...

I was recently browsing in my local Accessorise - which just happens to be a discount store (70% off everything!) - and I spotted this beauty...

  

I've never been a big brooch wearer, I know their popularity has come and gone several times and they were particularly popular in the 80's (I've seen loads of pictures of my mum wearing them when I was little) but I've never gotten into that particular fashion accessory.

However, on this occasion, I couldn't resist. I knew I had to buy it immediately (then figure out what to wear it with later).

Being that it was in the discount Accessorise it cost me a meagre £1.80! What a bargain. And it turns out - because of the style and colour - it goes with almost every  item of clothing I own!

This however was just the beginning...

I loved the way it looked so much I dug out the huge collection of costume jewellery my mum had very generously gifted to me a few years ago. I'm such a huge fan of costume jewellery and my mum's collection contains pieces from the 60's, 70's and 80's. I just knew there would be some brooches in there and I wasn't wrong.

This was the first brooch I noticed, I love the rope-like detail of the frame...

This one is a 'Sarah Coventry Jewelry' design. I had no idea who Sarah Coventry Jewelry were until I noticed the copy write stamp 'SARAHCOV' and looked them up. I discovered they were established in 1949 and are recognized as the oldest direct selling jewellery company in the world. Up until the 1980's their jewellery was mainly sold at home fashion parties.

My grandma had also gifted me all her jewellery when she died, which also contained a large amount of costume jewellery (the love for costume jewellery must run in the family).

She died when I was 17 and I'd never noticed the amazing vintage brooches she had.

This gorgeous brooch, I believe, may have been made in the 1920's/1930's going off research I've done. The clasp has a rounded hinge and a C-clasp catch. Pre 1920's most brooches had a T-bar instead of a rounded hinge and post 1930's/40's brooches became increasingly heavier and the roll clasp was invented (this roll clasp is still used on brooches today).

This is one of my favourites. It has a beautiful leaf-like design and a lovely faux pearl in the middle, made even more appealing to me as pearl is my birthstone.

And thus begins my love of brooches.