Built to be worn.

Midcentury jewelry didn't always borrow from architecture so much as start behaving like it. Silver became structure, open space became part of the design, and a brooch could be built from the same vocabulary of curves, voids and soaring forms that architects were exploring at a much larger scale. In jewelry, the building didn't have to stand up. It only had to hold together.

This one barely bothers to behave like a brooch. Three tall silver forms climb to different heights, with deep openings cut between them and two hollow cups appearing where you might expect the pattern to continue. From the front, it's easy to forget that all of this has to resolve into a flat little pin on the back. At 2 1/2 inches tall, it manages to look considerably bigger than the amount of silver involved.

Details:

• Date: Circa 1960s–1970s

• Material: Sterling silver

• Design: Abstract architectural Modernist form

• Maker: Unsigned

•  Dimensions: Approximately 2 1/2 in. long

• Weight: 18.20 g

• Condition: Good vintage condition with surface wear and patina consistent with age. Please see photographs for details.

• Styling Notes: Pin it vertically on a black jacket or substantial knit and let the silhouette read at full scale. It would also be excellent on the lapel of an oversized white shirt where all that silver has some room around it.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Look through it.

A single sweep of silver curves around an open center, letting air become part of the composition. In the hands of Mexican modernist silversmith Ysidro García Piña, jewelry became an exercise in reduction: line, movement, surface, space.

Made in García Piña's Maricela workshop in Taxco, this brooch turns that idea into something remarkably simple. A textured sterling border traces the curve while the broad interior is left almost entirely open. The result changes depending on what sits behind it: fabric, skin, shadow, nothing at all.

Details

• Era: Midcentury Modern, c. 1950s–60s
• Maker: Ysidro García Piña, Maricela
• Origin: Taxco, Mexico
• Metal: Sterling silver
• Hallmarks: Maricela, Tasco, Hecho En Mexico, Sterling, Eagle 3
• Design: Sculptural open-form / negative-space brooch
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age and use. Patina has been intentionally preserved to retain the definition and depth of the original surface work. Pin mechanism functions as intended. 
• Styling Notes: Pin it somewhere the empty space gets to participate.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Her name was Ruby. We know what she belonged to.

In 1919, this remarkable gold pin belonged to Ruby E. Davis of Stella Rebekah Lodge No. 22. More than a century later, her name, her lodge, and the year are still engraved across the back. We may not know the rest of Ruby's story, but the front tells us something about the community she chose to be part of.

The Rebekahs grew from the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in the nineteenth century, with ideals centered around friendship, love, truth, charity, and mutual aid. Their jewelry carried those ideas in symbols. Ruby's pin gathers them together in miniature: a beehive representing cooperative industry, the dove of peace, and other Rebekah imagery worked into the colorful enameled star. A synthetic ruby glows beneath the articulated dove, all rendered in 14K yellow gold.

This isn't simply a piece of fraternal jewelry. It's a tiny surviving record of identity and belonging. Someone put Ruby's name on it in 1919. More than a hundred years later, we're still saying it.

Details

• Date: 1919
• Organization: Rebekah Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows
• Lodge: Stella Rebekah Lodge No. 22
• Original Owner: Ruby E. Davis, as engraved
• Metal: 14K yellow gold
• Stone: Synthetic ruby
• Enamel: Multicolor enamel
• Design: Articulated dove above a five-pointed symbolic Rebekah star
• Engraving: Ruby E. Davis / Stella Reb / Lodge 22 / 1919, with additional engraving
• Measurements: Approximately 1 1/2 × 1 inch
• Condition: Very good antique condition with surface wear and areas of enamel loss consistent with more than a century of age. Pin mechanism functions as intended.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

The future used to look like this.

There was a moment in the midcentury when everything seemed headed somewhere: satellites, jet travel, new buildings, new materials, new shapes. Even a brooch could look like it was moving.

Trajectory comes straight out of that visual language. Tru-Kay built the piece from sterling silver, then covered its sweeping surface with tiny engraved lines that catch the light as the form changes direction. A polished silver element seems to travel straight through the middle. It is small, strange, optimistic, and unmistakably of its moment.

Signed TK Sterling for Tru-Kay, an American jewelry manufacturer active during the midcentury period.

Details

• Era: Midcentury, approximately 1950s–1960s
• Maker: Tru-Kay
• Country: United States
• Metal: Sterling silver
• Hallmarks: TK, Sterling
• Measurements: Approximately 2 1/4 × 1 1/4 inches
• Weight: 4.93 grams
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition with minimal surface wear consistent with age. Pin mechanism functions as intended. 

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Practicality deserved its pleasures.

A fresh carnation tucked into a lapel before dinner. A single rosebud pinned to a jacket on an ordinary Tuesday. Flourish was designed for exactly these moments, transforming a simple bloom into an act of self-expression. Jewelry, yes—but also an invitation to notice the small rituals that make a life feel fully lived.

Produced by Atlas Manufacturing Co. of New York around 1950, this signed novelty brooch captures the mid-century talent for elevating the everyday. Designed as a miniature flower holder, its polished vase form allowed the wearer to carry a fresh blossom wherever she went, blurring the line between adornment and gesture. Equal parts practical and whimsical, it remains every bit as charming today as when it first appeared on a well-tailored lapel.

Details

• Era: c. 1950
• Origin: New York, USA
• Maker: Atlas Manufacturing Co.
• Weight: 15.4 grams
• Measurements: Approximately 1 inch x 2 1/8 inches
• Style: Flower / corsage holder brooch
• Hallmarks: Signed Atlas
• Materials: Mixed metal construction with polished silver-tone finish; replacement sterling silver pin assembly
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use. The original flower holder remains fully functional. The pin assembly has been professionally replaced in sterling silver to ensure continued wearability.

• Styling Notes: Tuck in a tiny carnation, rosebud, violet, or sprig of lily-of-the-valley for a look that feels equal parts tailored and romantic. Just as striking worn empty, allowing its unusual silhouette to speak for itself.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, flowers, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

A little sparkle made an excellent point.

The evening was finally getting interesting. Some things simply performed better under artificial light.

Crafted in sterling silver and bearing the French crab hallmark, this Belle Époque bar brooch dates to the early 20th century and is set with graduated paste stones in a carefully balanced composition. The stones do exactly what they’re supposed to do. So does everything else.

Details

• Era: Belle Époque, c. 1900–1915
• Origin: France
• Metal: Sterling Silver (French crab hallmark)
• Stones: Graduated paste stones
• Size: 1¾ inches long
• Style: Antique bar brooch
• Condition: Excellent antique condition with light surface wear consistent with age. Stones remain bright and securely set.
• Styling Notes: Wears beautifully at the collar, lapel, neckline, or scarf, adding a precise line of sparkle.

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

The shortest distance was never the point.

There was usually a cleaner, more obvious route available. She ignored it almost immediately. The angle, the timing, the silhouette of the thing mattered more than arriving quickly ever did.

Crafted in Taxco, Mexico and marked TM-72, Mexico, 925, this substantial midcentury modernist brooch pairs sculptural sterling silver with a polished black onyx cabochon in a composition that feels simultaneously architectural and kinetic. The elongated asymmetrical form creates striking movement across a lapel, collar, or structured garment, while the dark onyx anchors the piece with a sharp graphic contrast characteristic of Mexican modernist silverwork from the period. Large enough to command attention without overwhelming, it carries the kind of confident restraint that made Taxco design so enduringly influential.

Details

• Era: Midcentury Modern, c. 1960s–1970s
• Origin: Taxco, Mexico
• Material: Sterling Silver (.925)
• Stone: Black onyx cabochon (tested)
• Hallmarks: TM-72, Mexico, 925
• Size: Approximately 2 x 3 3/4 inches
• Style: Modernist sculptural brooch
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age. Onyx remains beautifully polished and intact. Pin assembly functions securely.
• Styling Notes: Striking worn vertically on a blazer lapel, horizontally at the shoulder, or pinned to structured outerwear, scarves, or bags

Please Note: Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Your piece will arrive carefully packaged in RetroStarr presentation wrapping, ready for gifting, collecting, or immediate wear.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

That was usually the hour the truth slipped out.

By that hour, the formalities of the evening had usually worn off. The opera gloves were folded onto the table, the conversation had grown quieter and far more honest, and nobody still awake was interested in performing for the room anymore. Paris after midnight belonged to a different kind of elegance entirely.

Crafted in French Titre Fixe, a high-quality French gold-filled process popular during the late 19th century, this brooch reflects the era’s fascination with symbolism, celestial motifs, and close-worn ornament. The central seed pearl star sits within an open circular frame that feels both structured and delicate, while the warm gold finish and fine detailing capture the restrained elegance that defined much of late-century French jewelry design. During the period, stars were often used as symbols of guidance and constancy, adding another layer of meaning to pieces worn close to the collar or heart.

Details

• Era: Late Victorian, circa 1890–1900
• Origin: France
• Metal: French Titre Fixe (18k gold filled)
• Gemstones: Seed pearl
• Size: Approximately 1 inch diameter
• Style: Sentiment brooch
• Hallmarks: Titre Fixe
• Condition: Good vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age

Your piece ships in RetroStarr’s branded packaging with care instructions included.

Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

An entrance disguised as courtesy.

Flashbulbs start somewhere behind you. Heads turn one by one. Someone immediately regrets underestimating you. For the person who never mistakes manners for surrender, they do exactly what great jewelry should: change the room. Bright enough to start rumors, sharp enough to finish them.

Born in the late 1930s to early 1940s, when jewelry understood scale, spectacle, and the usefulness of timing, this matched pair still makes the case beautifully. Crafted in 14k gold with tested rubies and diamonds, each piece functions as both brooch and pendant, which means the drama is entirely up to you. Together they read like a private collection. Separately, they still outrank most things in the room.

Details
• Era: Retro Moderne period, c. late 1930s – early 1940s
• Material: Solid 14k gold
• Stones: Tested rubies and diamonds
• Form: Matched pair of starburst brooch pendants
• Functions: Each piece may be worn as a brooch or pendant
• Size: Approx. 2 1/4 in. diameter each
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition with age-appropriate wear consistent with fine jewelry of the period

Please Note
Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Arrives in RetroStarr packaging, ready for gifting, collecting, or making an unforgettable entrance.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Small, sharp, and dressed for a better lapel.

This 14k gold seed pearl bar brooch has the sleek little silhouette that made early 20th-century jewelry so useful: polished enough for a collar, scarf, lapel, or chain conversion, but still delicate enough to layer without making a scene.

The elongated form is set with rows of seed pearls across the front, giving it a soft glow against the warm 14k gold frame. It reads Edwardian into early Art Deco, with that useful bar pin shape collectors love because it can go classic, clever, or completely unexpected.

Details
• Era: Edwardian to early Art Deco, c. 1910s–1920s
• Metal: 14k gold
• Markings: Marked 14k
• Stones: Seed pearls
• Weight: 3.36g
• Measurements: 1.5 in. long
• Closure: Pin back with safety catch
• Condition: Good antique condition with age-appropriate surface wear; seed pearls appear intact; clasp functions as intended

Please Note
Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Arrives in RetroStarr packaging, ready for gifting or keeping for yourself.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Heat, held at the center.

Everything else forced to orbit. A red point of pressure with gold radiating like an argument you cannot interrupt. Pearls keep it civilized. The rest of it does not.

Crafted in 10K gold, this postwar French brooch-pendant features a radiant starburst form set with seed pearls and a synthetic ruby at its core. The construction reflects late 1940s to early 1950s French design, balancing optimism and control through bold geometry and restrained detail. Designed to be worn as either a brooch or pendant, the reverse reveals clean, era-correct mechanics that support both modes with intention.

Details

• Era: Postwar French, circa late 1940s–early 1950s

• Origin: France

• Metal: 10K gold

• Gemstones: Seed pearls, synthetic ruby (tested)

• Size: Approximately 1 1/2 inches

• Weight: 6.19 grams

• Style: Convertible brooch-pendant

• Hallmarks: French eel import stamp

• Condition: Clean vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age

Chain shown for styling purposes only and is not included. Your piece ships in RetroStarr’s branded packaging with care instructions included.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.

Charm has covered ambition for centuries.

A smile appears, the terms improve, and someone else realizes too late what game was being played. Civilized on the surface, excellent instincts underneath.

Created in the interwar years, when jewelry still understood codes, sport, and beautifully disguised status, this 14k Essex crystal brooch says far more than it first admits. Reverse-carved beneath crystal with a fox hunting horn motif, it carries old-world craftsmanship with surprisingly modern wit. Pin it to a lapel, collar, knit, or blazer and let good manners do what they’ve always done best.

Details

• Era: Interwar period, c. 1920s–1930s

• Metal: 14k gold

• Technique: Essex crystal (reverse-carved under quartz rock crystal)

• Motif: Fox hunting horn

• Size: Approx. 7/8 in. tall x 1 1/2 in. wide

• Hallmarks: Marked 14k

• Condition: Clean vintage condition with light surface wear consistent with age

Please Note
Jewelry box, chains, styling props, and any additional items shown in photos are for display purposes only unless specifically listed as included.

Arrives in RetroStarr packaging, ready for gifting, collecting, or changing the terms politely.

Curated by Dana Sednek, GIA trained jewelry professional and founder of RetroStarr, where each jewel is hand selected for its past lives and future attitude.