Description
This is a beautiful vintage Weiss brooch / pin of a yellowish gold-tone butterfly with black and cream accents. It really is a pretty piece of jewelry in great condition that would look very nice and sophisticated on a scarf or lapel. See more details about the Weiss brand below.
- Size: 2 1/2″ wide
- Mark: ©Weiss (circa 1951)
About Weiss Jewelry
Those who know their jewelry, certainly recognize the inherent value of Weiss Jewelry, a brand that has had its day but lives on now in collectible vintage jewelry. Weiss Jewelry symbolized the elegance and unmistakable beauty of fine jewelry. Let’s take a closer look at the company, its values, and why Weiss is still one of the highly regarded jewelers today.
Weiss Jewelry Through the Years
The genius of jewelers is often measured by their ability to innovate their collections through time, and Weiss is no exception. Here’s how the company’s creations evolved over the decades.
- 1940s – Early Weiss brooches are characterized by the playful use of crystals, rhinestones, and their smokey rhinestones, called ‘black diamonds’, to create designs inspired by nature, particularly flowers, fruits, and insects, especially butterflies.
- 1950s – Weiss designs of this time continued to feature large rhinestones in elaborate designs to fit the times. However, the most memorable Weiss innovation of this era was their pioneering use of Aurora Borealis crystals, popularly known as ‘Polar Lights.’ Weiss created these highly coveted pieces in cooperation with the ‘Christian Dior’ brand. Weiss still did away with using diamonds, even going so far as to run advertisements that said, “Why do you want diamonds when there is Albert Weiss!”
- 1960s – Metal alloy and rhinestones were still the main attraction for Weiss charms during this time, albeit in a much more understated way than previous decades. It was also during this time when the company released several collections of dangling synthetic diamond earrings, including a line they dubbed as the ‘knock-em-dead’ collection.
- 1970s – As mentioned earlier, the Weiss company only remained open until 1971, but one prominent creation they released prior to closing the business was a line of brooches that introduced the heavy use of white enamel in its pieces.
Weiss Hallmarks
It can get tricky trying to spot legitimate Weiss jewelry from imitations, because the marks encrypted on Weiss pieces also evolved throughout the years. To ensure the legitimacy of each piece, make sure you check for the hallmark featured on the piece. Some of these correspond to the year it was crafted in.
- 1942 – ‘WEISS’ written in block letters, or ‘Weiss’ written in script. Some pieces also feature the signature of ‘ALBERT WEISS’ engraved in block letters.
- 1947 – ‘Weissco’ in print
- 1950 – ‘AW Co’ with the ‘W’ larger than any other letter, drawn with a crown
- 1951 – ‘Weiss’ in print with the copyright symbol
- 1952 – ‘WEISS’ in block letters on a scroll
- 1954 – ‘Weissco NY’
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