I love this brooch, which was a birthday present (and the
first gift of jewelry my husband ever gave me) 25 years ago. According to this recent post by Andrew Thornton,
that makes it vintage! I wore it all the time in the late-‘80’s, at the center of
a buttoned-up collar, but must admit that it has languished in my jewelry box
for the last 20 years. Until this week, when I was looking for a focal for an
Alchemy of Objects class challenge.
My first thought was
to remove the clasp and drill holes in the side petals to attach the
neckstrap. I was debating the best place to drill to achieve just the right
balance, when it occurred to me that I could keep the pin back attached. The
brooch is concave, and the clasp would not interfere with it lying flat as a
focal. I particularly liked this option because it allowed me to create some
fringe to echo and accent the gray stamen in the brooch.
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| Faceted quartz, bali silver, chyrsocolla rondelles, and herringbone sections adapted from a Carol Wilcox Wells design in Beadwork (April/May2011) |
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| Pin back detail: Square-stitched loops connect the neckstrap to the brooch; fringe cascades from removable peyote-stitched tube. |
The upside of retaining the pin back: the integrity of my
brooch wasn’t compromised (I’m an absolute novice with a drill!) and my necklace
is now convertible. It can be worn without the fringe, which can easily be
slipped off its pin. Also, the brooch itself is completely detachable – it will
be jacket season soon, and, when it's not enjoying its second life as a necklace, it can still be used as a pretty, single accessory to
punch up a black blazer.
