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TRIFARI Jelly Belly STERLING brooch VTG large fly bee
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TRIFARI Jelly Belly STERLING brooch VTG large fly bee
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This pin is an extremely RARE and fascinating item for the discerning collector of jelly bellies and vintage Trifari, especially the 1940s vermeil pins by Alfred Philippe, one of my favorite designers. LARGE -- 1.75" across, nearly 2". I have zoomed in the first photo for detail.
When I acquired this pin it was severely tarnished. Polish revealed a lovely, pale vermeil, as you see it now in the photos. It was missing one of the original red cabochon eyes, and many of the stones were very dark. I replaced the worst stones, gave him new green eyes (vintage stones), and a good polishing with silver polish to remove the tarnish. I collect these jelly belly flies, which Philippe patented and Trifari produced in the 1940s. Trifari initiated the "jelly belly" line with lucite left over from airplane windshield production in WWII. I guarantee 100% that this fly is original 1940s vermeil, and was produced from the same stamp and mold as the signed and patented pieces. It's the "Great Fly" -- 1 and 3/4 inches across the wings at the widest point. (The line also had two smaller brooches and clip earrings.) However, it is only signed STERLING. It does not have the Trifari signature or des. pat. (design patent) stamps which the regular line of Trifari fly brooches and earrings in this series have. Plus, as you can see, there are rhinestones in the jelly belly, which suggests Coro as a possible manufacturer, although, for the following reasons, I'm reasonably certain this is an unsigned Trifari piece and not by Coro. 1. Coro closely imitated Trifari jelly bellies in the 1940s. You can see many examples of Trifari jelly bellies and Coro jelly bellies of the same period listed on eBay and other vintage jewelry sites. Coro's original quality was similar to Trifari -- heavy cast and stamped sterling bodies with gold vermeil wash, high-quality finish and rhinestones. But being a reputable company, Coro, while happy to imitate Trifari's idea and create similar designs, did not reproduce exact copies of Trifari's designs, which would have been actionable. 2. Many of the Coro jelly bellies from that era have rhinestones in the belly. Few if any by Trifari do. I myself have never seen a Trifari fly with rhinestones in the lucite. Costume jewelery companies, including Trifari, did produce special run editions, and unsigned runs for stores. 3. Also, if you look at the photos closely, you will see that the original casting has small, flattened areas for attachment of the pin mechanism at the very tip of the fly's largest right wing and left front foot. That is where the "Great Fly" brooches have their pin fittings attached. This one has a shorter pin mechanism attached further inboard. 4. From the condition of the vermeil, the slight patina scratches on the jelly, and the darkening of some of the rhinestones, it is clear that this is an original piece from the 1940s. But the lack of signature or patent stamps, the presence of rhinestones in the lucite, and the pin mechanism all differ from the canonical Trifari flies. It is clearly not a knock-off, so what's the story? My guess is that Trifari ran a production line with rhinestones in the belly, stealing an idea from Coro. I'm from Providence, where oddities like this turn up due to the location of the historic costume jewelry factories and the companies' salesmen there. I'm listing this guy with a reserve, kind of hate to part with him, but there's always a price! Please drop me a line if you have any insights or comments. I am selling from my massive collection of costume jewelry. Please visit my eBay store, sign up for the newsletter, and watch for new listings. I have been a very happy eBayer for over 5 years, and I look forward to doing business with you! Please contact me if you have any questions. I do accept offers -- make me an offer, don't be shy! I am also very happy to respond to questions about jewelry you may have. I love helping out other eBayers if I have useful knowledge for you. Please be a... 
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