WHAT: A whimsical dragonfly fairy brooch sold for $6,250 early this month in a sale of Jewelry, Timepieces and Vertu at Rago Arts in New Jersey. The piece features a dimensional diamond pave platinum body and 18-karat yellow gold wings set with almost four carats of fancy yellow diamonds. It is believed to date circa 1944.
MORE: Measuring 3 inches by 2.25 in inches, the unmarked pin has all the features of fine jewelry. Following characteristics, a trained auction specialist identified the piece as similar to a series of fairy and ballerina brooches made for Van Cleef & Arpels.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: When an unmarked piece is consigned to auction, it’s up to house specialists to ID possible origin and make. That is when education and background matters. A sharp specialist examines design, materials and particulars of style. Plus, he or she is up on nuances of design history.
HOT TIP: While this piece could not be definitively linked to a specific maker, research indicates that the brooch resembles similar pieces, especially ballerina pins, made by Paris jewelers Maurice Duvalet and John Rubel who each designed jewelry for large houses.
BOTTOM LINE: In the end, it is up to bidders to decide how high they will go for a no-name commodity. Which brings us back to the first rule of collecting: Buy what you like, not to invest. You may have the item for a while.
