Trifari Crown brooch by Alfred Philippe

Trifari crown pin sterling silver vermeil by Alfred Philippe 1944, USA. Two prong set cabochon faux moonstones decorated with bezel set & prong set faceted sapphire and ruby color glass stones. At the bottom there is a row of blue baguettes and the entire crown is finished with pave set rhinestones. Stamped on the back `Trifari` with a crown above the T, `sterling` and `Des Pat No 137542`. Included is a photo of the original 1944 patent submitted by Alfred Philippe whose crown designs were so popular Trifari incorporated a crown into it`s mark in the 1940`s. Very good vintage condition with age related rubbing to the vermeil. Italian immigrant Gustavo Trifari formed Trifari in 1912 producing high quality costume jewelry. Vermeil is sterling silver coated with gold. To be considered vermeil, the gold must be at least 10 carat (42%) and be at least 2.5 micrometres thick. Vermeil was used in the 1940`s when resources were limited and this is part of it`s appeal to collectors.

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