Wednesday, What is It? Broaching "the mystery brooch"

My Fair Lady pin, a special gift waiting for its debut

This week we're broaching the brooch mystery and hoping to uncover more about a lovely vintage pin.

Although, I have had this fancy pin, in the shape of a well-heeled Victorian lady, for at least two decades, I've only recently started wearing it.  It seemed the perfect accessory for my recent Gilded Age presentation, and it inspired me to learn more about it.

I was gifted this pin by my Mom - I'm guessing sometime in the late 1990's - after she returned home from a trip to Stratford, Ontario with her retiree group.  While there, she and her friends were doing some shopping and she came upon this brooch and thought of me. Even back then, I was crazy about past times, especially the Victorian period. Although my Mom's taste usually ran a bit more conservative in accessorizing, she knew this pin had my name on it - all dazzling gold and diamonds and in the shape of a Victorian woman holding a parasol. 

The front of the pin box gives some clues as to is origns.

I absolutely loved it. And, even though I rarely wore it, I kept it in its box on my dresser for years. It was on display, but not exactly in full view.  When my Mom passed away in 2004, it became even more of a guarded treasure and reminder of her thoughtfulness and generosity. But, the pin remained mostly in the box with an occasional determination to frame it or -what it was intended for - to wear it.

Then came this year's Gilded Age presentations. The perfect storm of reviewing accessory inventory and a new velvet dress came together this past Fall and the little black box on my dresser seemed to shout, "wear me now"!

Wearing vintage pin for Gilded Age tea talk sparked compliments and shares

I did, and with rewarding results, may I add. Not only a perfect fit for the tea talk topic, but also a conversation piece. While guests at the talk were admiring my vintage pin, they shared stories of some of their favorite brooches - some bought while traveling someplace special and some handed down from mothers and grandmothers. 

My pin's backstory was limited to what I could recall from my Mom's retelling of her trip to Stratford. So, to start my research, I got on line, backed with only the information that was on the pin's box to see if I could learn more.

Pin alongside the back of the box it came in, displaying name and price tag

Sleuth Time:

• The top of the box states:  "Fifth Avenue Collection, Hand made, www.fifthavenuecollection.com". 
• The back of the box has the following:  "Pin-My Fair Lady - Gold/Diamond" along with the price tag of $69.99.

My search came up with a few hits and misses. I found an image of the same pin was sold on Etsy seven years ago, but no price information. I also found a link to FifthAvenueCollection.com, which states its humble beginnings, starting in a family garage, to now a current, somewhat international operation.  In the jewelry company's present state, it appears to be a home-party type of retail outlet.

And, that's all I got.

If any dear readers recognize this pin and/or the Canadian jewelry company of its origins, please let us know. We'd be delighted to learn more.

Until more is revealed, I will continue to wear my Victorian lady pin, dressed in gold and diamonds, as often as I can. It has also inspired me to orchestrate a vintage pin/brooch afternoon tea for 2023! So, stay tuned. The excitement at BTS never ends! 😀