1944 Crown Trifari Vermeil Starburst Brooch

A jewel from the war years, when scarcity made artists resourceful. In 1944, with base metals restricted, Trifari — like the finest houses — turned to sterling silver, and Alfred Philippe used the moment to make some of his most enduring designs. This starburst brooch is one: gold vermeil over sterling silver, set with Trifari’s imported red and aquamarine-blue glass stones and rhinestones, rays bursting outward in a confident radial spray. There’s honest wear to the vermeil along the long rays — the mark of eighty years and the softer gold-wash finish of the period — with every stone still in place. It’s signed on the reverse with the Crown Trifari mark, “sterling,” and “Pat. Pend.” The sterling war-era pieces hold a special place in Trifari collecting: born of limitation, elevated by craft. A radiant, historically grounded brooch — proof that the golden age kept shining even when the gold itself was rationed.