-
Blue Chalcedony & Moonstone Fruit Salad Trifari Dress Clip
1940s Jewelry, Trifari Jewelry, Vintage Dress ClipsThis Trifari dress clip is a 1941 Alfred Philippe design. It features fruit salads in translucent blue chalcedony and moonstone, surrounded by diamanté in a rhodium-plated setting. This graceful, beautifully-detailed piece is shaped like a maple leaf. You can wear it as a brooch – the hinged, double-prong fastener works well with weighty fabrics. Or wear the clip as a pendant. The third photo shows this piece attached to a sterling chain (which is not included with the clip) – I wanted you to see how lovely this combination looks.$ 295 -
Diamanté & Sterling 1940s Dress Clip
1940s Jewelry, Eisenberg Jewelry, Vintage Dress ClipsProng-set, large diamanté flowers are complemented with pavé ribbons in this substantial, yet graceful sterling silver 1940s dress clip. Although it is unsigned, the high-quality design and construction as well as the style of the piece makes me believe that it came from Eisenberg. It has a hinged, double-prong fastener, which works well with weighty fabrics. This piece would really stand out on the lapel or shoulder of a jacket or coat. What a glorious statement!$ 350 -
Diamanté & Sterling Leaf Eisenberg Dress Clip
1940s Jewelry, Eisenberg Jewelry, Vintage Dress ClipsThis Eisenberg dress clip from the late-1940s is substantial in weight and size. It has two layers: square-cut diamanté flowers with a pavé stem that sit atop a sterling silver leaf embellished with additional diamanté. The cut-outs on the leaf add a graceful effect. The hinged, double-prong fastener works well with weighty fabrics. You could wear this jewel on the shoulder or lapel of a dress, jacket or coat, and own any room you enter! What a knockout!$ 395 -
Diamanté Baguette & Pavé Ribbon Dress Clip by Marcel Boucher
1940s Jewelry, Marcel Boucher Jewelry, Vintage Dress ClipsThis luscious 1940s dress clip features baguettes and pavé set in rhodium-plated metal. Even the underside of the furled upper corner is bejeweled. Marcel Boucher was one of the finest designers in this era, and this piece attests to his talent. Wear it to great effect on a weighty fabric, such as a coat or jacket. Or wear it as a bold pendant on a substantial chain. The third photo shows this clip on a sterling flexible choker from the same decade – scroll down to see it. Note that the stones do not have the yellow tinge suggested by the photos.$ 245 -
Emerald Bead & Pavé Leaves Frank Hess Dress Clip
1940s Jewelry, Vintage Dress Clips, Vintage Miriam Haskell JewelryThis Frank Hess dress clip is a well-known World War II design. It features emerald-glass beads atop and hanging from silver-tone metal leaves inset with diamanté – much like a bunch of grapes. In typical Haskell style, the large beads have metal tips. The components are hand-sewn onto the pierced plastic back, which is finished with a dress clip. This piece is unsigned, but its maker is well documented. Although this lovely dress clip needs to be handled with care, it has retained its original beauty. An elegant addition to your jewelry wardrobe!$ 175 -
Emerald, Diamanté & Sterling 1940s Dress Clip
1940s Jewelry, Unknown (Maker's Mark is Unknown), Vintage Dress ClipsThis dress clip is beautiful in design and construction. Faceted emerald-cut and round emerald-glass stones, in sharp contrast to the diamanté and rhodium-plated sterling silver setting. This color combination is rich and versatile You can wear this piece on the shoulder or lapel of a jacket, on the shoulder of a dress or sweater, or on a hat or a scarf. The hinged, double-prong fastener works best on weighty fabrics. Although this piece is marked, I cannot identify the maker. The design and use of sterling make me think it's from the 1940s. But I don't think these details matter – this clip is stunning!$ 195 -
Gemstone Fruit Salad & Diamanté Dress Clips
1930s Jewelry, Unsigned Jewelry, Vintage Dress ClipsThis pair of vintage dress pins has ruby, sapphire, and emerald acorn-shaped glass stones surrounded by diamanté. Costume jewelry makers adopted this practice of molding colored glass in the shapes of leaves or fruits to imitate Indian-carved gemstones used in fine jewelry. Firms such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels popularized these fruit salads or tutti frutti in Art Deco pieces. The trio of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds was a favorite combination. The setting of these classic 1930s dress clips is rhodium-plated base metal. Notice the photo showing one clip worn as a pendant on a sterling silver chain (which is not included), to illustrate the versatility of this type of jewel. You probably have a silver or white-gold necklace that would work as well. The utility patent for the dress clip mechanism is here, shown below the name of Anthony E. Waller.$ 245 -
Ruby, Diamanté & Rose Vermeil Sterling 1940s ‘Sparkling Peonies’ Duette & Earrings Set by Coro
1940s Jewelry, Coro Jewelry, Costume Jewelry Sets / Parures, Double Clip Brooches, Vintage Brooches & Pins, Vintage Dress ClipsThis Coro Duette brooch has two rose-gold-plated sterling silver flowers edged in diamanté with ruby-glass-stone centers. It can be worn as a brooch or as separate dress clips, and has matching earrings. Made for the company's high-end line, this stunning set showcases one of Adolph Katz’s brilliant Retro Modern designs, from both an aesthetic and engineering point of view. For Duettes that were asymmetrical like this one, the brooch frame had to be customized to work with the particular pair of clips. Truly gorgeous pieces in remarkable condition! You can see the utility patent for the brooch mechanism here, shown below Coro's name. This design was advertised by the company as Sparkling Peonies.$ 795 -
Vermeil Sterling Leaf & Berry 1940s Dress Clip by Nettie Rosenstein
1940s Jewelry, Nettie Rosenstein Jewelry, Vintage Dress ClipsA layer of berries is attached to openwork leaves in this substantial piece by Nettie Rosenstein. Made of gold-plated sterling silver in the 1940s, this dress clip has a hinged, double-prong back. This decorative, high-quality piece looks great on the shoulder or lapel of a dress, jacket, or coat – the fabric just needs to be weightier to support the jewel. No wonder this maker's jewelry is highly-prized!$ 250
Free Shipping to the United States & Canada
Please note that I am not acquiring additional inventory at this time. I do not provide appraisals or identification services, nor do I answer specific questions about your jewelry. I invite you to learn about vintage costume jewelry by visiting these pages.
For press inquiries or requests for a publication or speaking engagement, please use the Press & Speaking Inquiries form.
Vintage Dress Clips
This collection of vintage dress clips includes singles and pairs in 1930s Art Deco designs as well as big and bold jewels in the Retro Modern style of the 1940s. First introduced in the early 1930s in fine jewelry, costume jewelry makers joined the bandwagon of this incredibly popular accessory. Women wore one clip at the bottom of a V-neckline as well as on a hat, belt, or purse. In pairs, dress clips perfectly anchored the edges of the square neckline that was prominent in the era. By the 1940s, women were wearing furs around their shoulders, and jewelry makers obliged with the double-prong clip backs needed to hold the furs in place. See also Double Clip Brooches.
This collection of vintage dress clips includes singles and pairs in 1930s Art Deco designs as well as big and bold jewels in the Retro Modern style of the 1940s. First introduced in the early 1930s in fine jewelry, costume jewelry makers joined the bandwagon of this incredibly popular accessory. Women wore one clip at the bottom of a V-neckline as well as on a hat, belt, or purse. In pairs, dress clips perfectly anchored the edges of the square neckline that was prominent in the era. By the 1940s, women were wearing furs around their shoulders, and jewelry makers obliged with the double-prong clip backs needed to hold the furs in place. See also Double Clip Brooches.