Blueprint | Vintage Sterling Silver Modernist Brooch (Midcentury)

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.