Kingfisher Brooch

This is the brooch I mentioned in the last post- its about an inch in diameter and hand painted on top of butterfly wing. Thats what gives it the iridescence. The picture is covered with a convex piece of glass.These brooches were popular here from Victorian times- although this would probably be the 1940s I think.

This was a present from D from a shop called Keswick Collectibles. My family has been going to the Keswich area in the lakes for holidays since I was a child. The last ten years or so D has been coming and in the last few years the kids! We stay at the same place, a beautiful converted barn on the hill looking down the countryside to the lake below.

Keswick Collectibles is a great shop. It sells vintage stuff, books, records, jewellary etc. I have been buying things from their for as many years as I can remember. They always have really unusual stuff and a lot of my knowledge about vintage jewellary has come about from buying something intrigueing and finding out a bit more about it.

I wish I could show you the back of the brooch- it would have probably originally been silver but that has worn away to the copper colour underneath. As my Dad said to me it has been a much loved thing to someone.