Objects of the Day: A Rhinestone Necklace and Dress Clip

Costume jewelry of the 1930’s an 40’s had as much flare as the real thing. During that era, contrasting stones were hallmarks of jewelry design. Often arranged into fan-like patterns, diamonds were set against the richness of sapphires, rubies and amethysts. A popular accessory of the 1940’s was the dress clip. These could be fastened at the bodice, shoulders or waist of a gown and were often worn in pairs. Sometimes they could even be used as shoe ornaments or attached to an existing necklace to create a whole new look.


This rhinestone necklace dates to the 1940’s and shows the predominant style of contrasting stones. Here, we see faux amethysts and diamonds in a popular pattern of the time. The necklace has been mounted for display in a custom-made, velvet-lined shadow box. Above the necklace, a dress clip from the mid 1930’s has been mounted. With its late Art Deco styling, the clip is the perfect complement to the necklace. Together, they make for an eye-catching and unexpected bit of wall art.

Object of the Day: An Edwardian Necklace and Brooch

For as long as humans have adorned themselves with shiny objects, they’ve found a way to make less expensive variations of the jewels that they see other people wearing. Costume jewelry—especially of the Nineteenth and Early-Twentieth Centuries—was actually quite well-made. In fact, as much skill went into the creation of costume pieces as did the “real” ones. The only difference was the materials that were used. In some cases, wealthy ladies had paste or rhinestone copies of their real gemstones made so that they could wear them to certain events without fear.


Here, we see a necklace and brooch dating to the early 1900’s. In typical Edwardian style, the necklace features a large pendant suspended from a gold-tone chain. The pendant itself is set with an opalescent center stone and dangling faux pearl drop. Swags of rhinestones adorn the piece. I found this necklace in a local antique store and thought that it would look rather smart in a shadow box. The brooch features rows of pink rhinestones set in a gold-tone metal and neatly compliments the necklace with its sunburst shape.

My parents expertly crafted this shadow box for me with its blue mohair lining and antiqued gold frame. I like to display small objects in shadow boxes. This is an excellent way to give importance to an item that might otherwise be lost. It’s also an excellent way to create interesting wall art.