Sapphire, Diamanté & Rose Vermeil Sceptron Brooch & Earrings

This Sceptron brooch with matching earrings feature rose-gold-plated sterling silver set with large, faceted, triangular sapphire-glass stones and diamanté accents. This set is a wonderful example of the Retro Modern style of the 1940s. I couldn’t decide if the brooch should be worn horizontally or vertically until I saw Anne Baxter wearing one like it in the 1946 movie Angel on my Shoulder. Hers was perfectly placed in the vertical position at the base of her V-neckline. She even wore the matching earrings. The pin has a roll-over safety clasp, and the earrings are screw-backs. I’ve included a photo of the brooch in the horizontal position, so you can decide if you prefer it that way. A similar piece was shown in a 1945 wholesaler’s catalog. The page was entitled “New Pink Gold Finish on Sterling Silver — Styled by Master Craftsmen” (who were not named). The brooch was $28.50 retail, and the earrings were $13.50, or $42.00 for the set. (While I don’t have income statistics for the mid-1940s, to put these prices in perspective, the U.S. government reported that by 1950, the average American household’s weekly income was about $81.) This well-made set was not inexpensive.