Christmas tree brooch vintage stones - colored stones 17

The fine brooches are made of old vintage rhinestones. Most of the brooches are unique, but there may be a few models of which there may be several. The brooches are hand-collected in an area of northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. The same place that makes the popular rhinestone Christmas trees.

The area was the headquarters of jewellery and crystal production before the Second World War. The many workshops were run by the German minority, who were expelled after the war - because they supported Germany. The country was then occupied by the Soviets for 40 years. It was not until the fall of the Berlin Wall that trade began in the large stocks of jewellery components and rhinestones that had stood untouched for years. These are the stones that are still used to assemble Christmas trees. This means that most of the stones are from the 30-40s. As the earrings are often unique, it is not possible to re-order in specific colours. So if there's a combination you love, go for it - it's unlikely to come back.

Materials: brass and lead is used for soldering.