My Favourite Piece of Vintage Jewellery

I thought today I would share with you my favourite piece of Vintage jewellery. It is an Art Deco dress clip and brooch set from the early 1930's. Attributed to Coro it is in wonderful condition. It is a dress clip 'Duette', with a difference. The design incorporates tiny flowers over the typical geometric lines of Art Deco, all set with sparkling diamanté. It carries the patent number for the sprung mechanism, which was registered in 1932 to Elisha A. Phinney.

Duette was a term used by Coro to describe their combination dress clips and brooch design. It is a piece of metamorphic jewellery which can be worn in more than one way. The typical configuration is a frame which has two removable dress clips. When all pieces are fitted together the piece then becomes a brooch, as can be seen in the first picture.

This piece is slightly different. Normally the frame which holds the clips together to make the brooch is purely functional. Alone it cannot be used as a third piece of jewellery. However, this piece has been made in such a manner that the frame is a brooch in its own right that can be worn alone.

I know this is quite a rarity, as I have been searching for another! They are out there but I think I'm in for a long wait. It gives me great pleasure to own this little piece of Art Deco heritage sitting here telling you about it from Balham's own Art Deco jewel, Du Cane Court.