💎 TRIFARI: An Introduction to the Iconic Jewelry Company 💎
Gustavo Trifari came to the United States from Italy in 1904. He had a dream to create jeweley and it's no surprise as his father was a goldsmith in Naples. In 1925, Trifari partnered with Leo Krussman and Carl Fisher, turning his small jewelry company into Trifari, Krussman, and Fishel. In the 1930s, Trifari started creating custom jewelry pieces for famous actors, which brought recognition to the company. But the great success of Trifari is considered due to French designer Alfred Phillipe, Trifari's primary designer, from 1930 to 1968. Because of Phillipe's background at Van Cleef & Arpels, Phillipe brought a superior level of craftsmanship never seen before in costume jewelry and introduced his method of hand-set invisible settings for stones which he developed at Van Cleef and Arpels. The hand-set pieces looked like fine jewelry and used a gold-plated finish or sterling silver with simulated materials such as paste gemstones, imitation pearls, moonstone and chalcedony.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Phillipe developed the enormously popular Trifari crown brooches. They also produced a series of Coronation Gems in 1953 to celebrate Elizabeth II of Great Britain becoming Queen.
Mamie Eisenhower broke with tradition in 1953 by wearing an Alfred Phillipe designed Trifari pearl choker necklace with a matching bracelet and earrings. Mrs. Eisenhower was so pleased she had Trifari create jewelry for her second inaugural ball in 1957.
In 1994, Trifari became part of the Monet Group. Trifari's beautiful and timelessly styled pieces are among the most frequently collected by lovers and wearers of designer fashion jewelry around the world. As for discriminating collectors and designer costume jewelry connoisseurs, the CROWN TRIFARI creations are some of the most dearly prized and many fetch extremely high prices in the thousands due to their rarity and long-term value.
💎 FEATHERS ~ Significance, Meanings, History, & Symbolism 💎
Feathers generally symbolize high honor, power, love, the wind, the creator, flight, and even the connection one has to God. Because they are inseparable from birds, they represent freedom and inspiration. With their lithe and light bodies, feathers are able to fly where the wind takes them; thus, they symbolize freedom. Any feather can be considered to be a sign. However, the meaning of finding a feather in an unusual place or having one suddenly float across one's path can especially seem like a sign from the angels or from a loved one who has passed to the other side.
There is a well-known saying, "Angels appear when feathers are near."
In Native American cultures, feathers were thought to be gifts from the heavens. Warriors were awarded a feather for winning a battle or great bravery. Feathers have significance in many Native American creation myths and used frequently in many sacred practices, ceremonies, dances and in tools, weapons, sacred clothing, dreamcatchers and jewelry. In Native American symbolism, feathers were used for different purposes such as cleansing, healing, blessing, sacred ceremonies or awakening. They were even used to make rain or for success in hunting and catching fish. The Native Americans thought feathers protected their homes and cured the sick. The Iroquois had a Great Feather Dance to thank the gods for all they were blessed with - their land, water, food, and animals and the sun and the moon.
Native American chiefs wire feather headdresses
to represent their communication with the spirit world. They believed that discovering feathers was a sign of new beginnings.
The Mayans and Aztecs associated feathers with wisdom. For many Native American Indian tribes, birds and their feathers have been associated with the gods and goddesses of Heaven. Feathers were considered gifts from the sky.
In Ancient Egypt, feathers symbolize Ma'at. Ma'at was the Goddess of truth, harmony, justice and order. She is often seen in ancient pictures with a single ostrich feather in her hair. The ancient Egyptians believed a pure heart weighed as light as a feather. A person's heart recorded all the good and bad deeds of a person's life. After a person died, the heart was weighed against the feather of Ma' at. If a person had a decent life, the heart balanced with a feather, and the person was rendered worthy to live forever in paradise with Osiris, God of the dead and the underworld and the God of the resurrection into eternal life.
In Celtic symbolism, the Druid priests wore the feather in the form of ornate, feathered holy robes. They used the robes for spiritual ceremonies when they invoked the sky gods to help them enter the heavens or the other world. To the Celts, feathers represented truth, faith, purification of evil, lightness, speed, charity, abundance, strength, flight, and ascension. The Celtic-derived expression, "A feather in your cap" is used to mean honor to you. It refers to the European custom among many European countries of adding a feather in the hat after achieving something.
Many folklore tales about feathers exist across cultures. The Story of the Robe of Feathers is common in Celtic, Japanese, and Native American cultures. It relates the story about a fisherman who steals a cloak of feathers that belongs to a diety. Because diety is powerless without the cloak, the fisherman consents to return it to the goddess if she will dance for him. She agrees, and, as she does, rises in a rainbow hued aura.
In Christianity feathers represent holiness, truth, protection, purity and God's love. Psalm 91:4 in the Bible says, "He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge. His truth is your shield and armor." In early days of Christianity believers wore Medici signet rings with a trio of feathers as a sign of charity, hope, and faith. Often the rings were used as wax seals after dipping the feathered side into hot wax. The wax seals helped seal documents and envelopes and let the recipient know the documents came from a virtuous Christian person.
Aside from their incredible symbolism as well as their spiritual and cultural significance, feathers have been a source of boundless inspiration for artists, writers, poets and other creative spirits throughout the centuries.
One of Aesop's immortal fables uses feathers to illustrate the wise point that you cannot judge someone merely by their personality with these perspicacious words:
"It is not only feathers that make fine birds."
And the illustrious Lord Byron penned, "Men think highly of those who rise rapidly in the world; whereas nothing rises quicker than dust, straw, and feathers."
But, perhaps, beloved Amercian poet Emily Dickinson captured the magical energy of the feather most appropriately when she described hope with these exquisite verses:
"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all."
It has been said that to wear feather jewelry is an effective way to find a path leading to greater spiritual enlightenment. In Native American culture, wearing jewelry with feathers is a practiced custom as it is believed that feathers are sacred gifts that fall from the sky and offer a sacred connection. Feather jewelry has also been prevalent in Egyptian culture, and, in Christianity, feathers are frequently worn in jewelry pieces as they are a common Biblical symbol that means caring, love, and protection.
It is easy to understand why designers of both fine and fashion jewelry would choose the FEATHER as a source of inspiration for their creations. The legendary jewelry store, Tiffany's & Co., has created several varieties of feather necklaces, including ones made of sterling silver, 18K Gold, and diamonds and gold. Some of the feather pieces were part of Tiffany's iconic Elsa Peretti Collection. The equally illustrious House of Cartier designed several feather brooches, mostly adorned with diamonds. The most famous of these is the one commissioned by the Prince of Wales in 1935 as a celebratory gift commemorating the seriousness of his relationship with Wallis Simpson. Later, the famous actress and jewelry lover, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, fell so much in love with Wallis Simpson's feather brooch that she had her then husband, actor Richard Burton, get permission from the Duke of Windsor to bave a replica of the brooch made for her. Although this replica was never created, Elizabeth managed to procure Wallis Simpson's brooch for herself when, in 1987, she won it at a Sotheby's auction for a price over $623,000.
💎 ITEM DESCRIPTION: 💎
Oh My, what a SHOWSTOPPER! This is one of those exceptional, one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that quite simply makes one's heart skip a beat! This brooch exemplifies the state-of-the-heart craftsmanship that is a hallmark of Trifari's finest and most collectible pieces!
I have seen Feather brooches by Trifari and other top-of-the-line designers of both fine and fashion jewelry but I venture to say that THIS particular feather brooch is quite possibly more stunning and STUPENDOUS than ANY I have ever seen! It looks like a piece done in platinum or white gold and diamonds by a luxurious jewelry store such as Tiffany's & Co., Cartier, of Van Cleef & Arpels.
With the the carefully sculpted and streamlined design of this piece, Trifari has given a gracious bow to the iconic ART DECO movement that has proven to be such an enduring source of inspiration for jewelry designers throughout the decades.
The "jewels" that give this feather such a dazzling appearance are hand-set, simulated White Diamonds - all made from the highest quality Austrian Swarovski crystals. The "diamonds" have been cut in both Baguette and round shapes, with rows of baguette cut stones alternating with the rows of round cut stones. This striking combination of two shapes of stones- the baguette and round cut- lend
depth and dimension to a brooch that has magnificent proportions and conveys a three dimensional presence!
The plating is all done in opulent white gold,
and it really does have that posh platinum look that is so very sought after and coveted!
I encourage you to study all of the pictures to fully appreciate the splendor of this brooch.
A combination of visionary artistry and ingenious workmanship elevate this piece to a
a MUSUEM worthy WORK of ART status.
If you are a discriminating collector who appreciates very rare designer pieces, you will absolutely want to add this brooch to your jewelry collection.
From The Duchess of Windsor to Princess Grace of Monaco to Dame Elizabeth Taylor to The Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth II herself, this is a brooch with royal appeal and would be right at home in the wardrobe of any princess, Dame Duchess, Queen or rare designer-vintage-jewel loving Fashionista!
The measurements on this piece are as follows:
Approximately 3 1/3-3 1/2 inches in length and approximately 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 inches in width.
This brooch is in EXCELLENT Vintage condition and, for its age, it is exceptionally well preserved and shows very few notable signs of wear. It is SIGNED "TRIFARI" on the back All stones are present and dazzling and the white gold plating is shiny and beautiful.
We feel fortunate to have procured this extremely RARE Feather Brooch by Trifari from the extraordinary ESTATE of a well-known film/television star who amassed an extraordinary collection of high-end designer jewelry.
☆Please Note:☆
Many of the exceptional pieces of designer jewelry we are delighted to offer here at the Visionary Fashionista are from the ESTATES of models and actresses, socialites and other celebrities who were collectors of unique designer jewelry. I am not at liberty to reveal the names or further details out of respect for these persons' families and legacies. However, I am delighted to be able to make so many pieces of truly EXCEPTIONAL designer jewelry available, and I hope that these pieces of jewelry will find homes with those who will cherish them as they should be cherished.
☆SHIPPING POLICIES, SHIPPING CHARGES, & INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING☆
All of my items are shipped to my customers within 3 business days of receiving payment. This does not include weekends or holidays. It is our policy to only use USPS Priority Mail, or, in rare circumstances, Fedex. Here at the Visionary Fashionista, we strive to ensure that the shipping costs our customers pay do not exceed what it costs us to ship our packages to our customers. What matters most to us is that our beautiful, one-of-a-kind items reach our clients safely and soundly and that adequate tracking information is available.
🌎 GLOBAL CUSTOMERS 🌎
We LOVE our International Buyers, which is why we choose to use Ebay's Global Shipping Program for all overseas orders. This makes it possible for our items to be available to customers WORLDWIDE!
💎 Shopping with the Visionary Fashionista 💎
For more breathtaking jewelry by legendary designers as well as exceptional designer clothing and accessories in the days, weeks, and months to come, follow my Ebay Store, Visionary Fashionista! I guarantee that ALL of the items I offer are 100% AUTHENTIC and customer service and satisfaction is my TOP priority!
Here's to finding, developing and embracing your Inner Fashionista!
Sascha (the Visionary Fashionista) 🌹
https://visionaryfashionista.com