Jewelry tells a story and sometimes a chapter in an even bigger story. This one in particular is about a Trifari costume brooch that belonged to this client’s beloved relative. It’s a classic spray design featuring rhinestone baguettes and is believed to date back to the 1940s or 50s. Unfortunately, the years were not especially kind to this piece. This client had already taken it elsewhere for a repair, but the outcome wasn’t quite the ideal final result. So she found me online and emailed me some photos. I agreed to do the repair and so she mailed the brooch from New York to my studio here in CT. The first thing I did upon receiving this brooch was to photograph it and explain how I’d intend to make the best possible repairs. I would not be re-soldering at the break, just working with what I have. I then planned to remove the rhinestones and clean them and the brooch as best as I could. Additionally, I burred out some of the soft solder so that the stones could be re-cemented back into place and perhaps sit a bit more securely in the channels. This was a time-consuming job, and while not perfect, the final result breathed new life into this piece and has allowed this client to enjoy and wear this pin the way that her beloved relative did many years ago.
- Materials: Gold toned/rhinestone spray costume brooch
- Client location: Upstate NY
- Words from my client: “The pin was in today’s mail. It’s beautiful. Thank you again.”
