I recently bought this lovely Alfred Spaney for Trifari large rhinestone brooch. It is 4 inches long and dates from the early 1940s. It has the patent number 129320 on the back. In looking through Claude Freganc's Jewelry From the Renaissance to Art Nouveau, I saw two images that caught my eye. Of course, many know that the rhinestone look of the 1930s-early40s recycles the age of diamonds look of the early 19th century. Often these designs are compact florals, open roses in a cascade. But on page 101 there is this striking tiara and aigrette, both by Duval for Empress Maria Feodorovna. The lovely wheat sheaves and long grasses look is there. and Spaney beautifully translates it to a more modern open brooch.
The wheat sheave was popular with the ancient Egyptians and continued to be a symbol in Christian iconography. A singe sheave of wheat represents harvest and fertility, which seems like a luxurious symbol for a lovely brooch.
Duval was a Swiss jeweler who settled in Saint Petersburg, according to Fregnac.
