Brooches

I have just added a handcrafted brooch cushion to the website and for the photo used some of my old brooches. I used to regularly wear a brooch but don't seem to so much nowadays.

There is a general theme to these four brooches with their anchors. My father, mother and husband were all in the Royal Navy. The middle two are sweetheart brooches; the top one being a marcasite crown and the bottom one is hallmarked 1914 so would have been given to someone at the start of the First World War. The left brooch was my mother's when she was a Wren. I don't know the significance of the enamelled butterfly on the anchor but it is very pretty.

I like the 'R' brooch because it is my initial and the middle brooch is such a pretty mosaic. The brooch on the right I have always treasured despite there being a stone missing - it was on a dress that my mother bought back in the 60s. She thought it was ghastly and as an eight year old I thought it exquisite!

The 'Good Luck' brooch is hall marked 1937 and has small leaves, berries and mistletoe on it so I imagine it was a Chrimstmas present to someone. The bottom brooch is fairly new as I bought it in the 80s as I just loved its Art Nouveau design. The 'Forget Me Not' one is a particular favourite.