The week has not started off good. Here it is already Thursday and I’m still trying to get my blog out!
On Monday we had to put our beloved Porche kitty to sleep. She had been suffering from thyroid issues for several months. On Sunday night we noticed her paw had been injured. The vet thought she was most likely bitten by a snake. Due to the severity of her injury, her other issues and her age, over 17 years! the vet said it would be a very painful, slow recovery if she recovered at all.
More than anything I did not want her to suffer or be in pain. Our fur babies become an integral part of our lives and it is so difficult to let them go. She really was the best, sweetest kitty ever! She will be missed, but never forgotten. Rest in peace sweet fur baby!
Mondays are normally no make-up office work days writing my blogs. Needless to say I’m a bit off kilter this week!
In a couple of weeks I will be attending a workshop at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. “Broaching The Subject.” Since I first began designing jewelry I have always had an interest in designing brooches but have never taken the time to fully explore it or start to do so. I couldn’t be more excited to have this opportunity.
Brooches seem to come and go on the red carpet. Many times we think of brooches as a kitschy, whimsical ornamentation rather than a valued piece of jewelry. Granted there are many of those out there! Brooches have a long history. In the beginning they were purely functional vs ornamental. Brooches worn today are more for embellishment or worn as you would wear a piece of jewelry.
The first documented brooches were made of thorns and pieces of flint. They were used to primarily secure pieces of clothing especially undergarments. OUCH! Not sure thorns were a good choice! During the Bronze age 3000 BC – 1200 BC brooches and pins were beginning to be made of metal. By the byzantine period brooches started to become more attractive. They were still prominently used to hold clothing like a shawl or scarf in place.
Celtic and Viking brooches were first noted during the early medieval period. They appeared as a long pin connected to a ring. They were worn by both men and women and were designed with a distinct level of embellishment that reflected a person’s status.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, both mourning and aigrette brooches were popular. Mourning brooches were usually an endowment in a will. The brooches were emblazoned with the deceased’s name, birth and death dates and had a tiny compartment for a memento such as a lock of hair. Aigrette brooches decorated the hair and were often very meticulous appearing as small birds hovering around a cloud. They were encrusted with such gems as diamonds and rubies.
Tour brooches got their name from “Grand Tour” which was a typical European holiday for the upper class. As Europeans journeyed through Florence, Venice and Rome, they would pick up these little keepsake brooches depicting vignettes of animals, flowers and birds. Cameo brooches which had been around since ancient times were another favored brooch during holiday tour.
Love brooches were given to a sweetheart by departing soldiers during WW1. Dress clips were a form of a brooch that became popular during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Dress clips were worn on straps of gowns, dresses cuffs and collars. They were also designed to decorate shoes and handbags.
As brooches reached the 20th century they became trinkets that were worn for fun and fashion and were less subjected to any cultural or social status. You could find them in all sorts of materials, from metal to leather to fabric. They were often covered in colorful stones from rhinestones to diamonds. They were made in likeness of animals and flowers or nothing at all!
Today, brooches are an often overlooked piece of jewelry. With a little creativity and a bit of daringness they could become your new best accessory! Up next week in “Dare To Wear A Brooch,” we will take a peek at some unique and unlikely ways to wear brooches.
Until then,
ENJOY!!
cheryl