Posted 7 years ago
mikelv85
(1230 items)
This piece languished in the Goodwill case for at least three months. The main reason being the one hundred and seventy-five dollar price tag ! I finally noticed it was marked down to ninety-nine and figured I'd better pounce on this ASAP. I was able to buy it tax free with my vendor number and a further 10 % off by putting my pride aside and using my.... (Sigh) senior discount. They had the sheet printed from LATR's website in the box with it. While it wasn't this exact piece it was one from this collection.
LATR pieces are designed by Esme Hecht and Zander Elliot who started business under "Lunch At The Ritz Earwear" in 1982. Advertised as "Couture Bijoux Costume" they are very well made and ornate pieces. You either love them or hate them. The enamels and materials used are the best you could ever hope to find. Most are designed to be worn as a brooch but can be worn as pendants with the bale provided. Unfortunately the chain is not included.
This piece is from 1992 and entitled "Seeded Sunflower". There is a similar one with a different center but as the name states this one has gone to seed. You can also purchase matching ear rings in two styles. There are dangles and ones that are just the single smaller flowers like on the brooch. Done in a rich deep yellow enamel, with red and green accents on the petals. The huge sunflower and it's two companions feature seeds created from dozens of crystals and rhinestones in topaz and emerald. The bottom flowers, leaves and dangles are attached with a lobster claw clasp and are removable when you want to wear only the single large sunflower as a brooch or pendant. The whole piece is plated in 24K gold and measures 5-1/4 x 2-1/2 inches. In perfect condition with almost no signs of wear. A few fingerprints on the gold plating at most. So once again another waiting game for an affordable price has paid off and didn't backfire. A great find just like the 29' Chevy radiator cap. Score ! -Mike-
Note 11/21/2016
I decided to e-mail LATR to see if I could get an ID on this piece and verify it's age. To my surprise I got a answer from the designer himself Zander Elliot. He stated " The design of the pin here was not to my liking and I brought individual Swarovski Tiffany settings to the pin to produce a far more spectacular piece. " A bit of a disappointment but it does show the evolution of the creative process which I think is really interesting. -Mike-
:<)))))))) beautiful!
Thanks Bonnie for the first "love" and compliment. :)
LOVE IT!!! :)
Thanks so much Martika. :)
wooooooow...great pre christmas sale and find mike!!
It sure was ! Thanks fleafinder for the "love" and comment . :)
This is beautiful.
Thanks so much Lentilka :)
Wow Mike, this is a fantastic jewel. When I first saw it I thought it awesome. When I read the initial price I gulped a bit, $150 seemed high. Then I read further and looked into the brand and yes, a bargain, even without the dreaded senior's discount.
Well done mate!
Mike,
I have little knowledge of jewelry, but this is just fantastic!! Wonderful GW find!
Thanks Karen...yes it was a bit of sticker shock for me too. It sat in the GW case with their price of $174.95. This shop has a special person that does their jewelry so there are never any bargains here. I had never even heard of LATR myself up to this point. It also wasn't written on the box exactly what it was. So I didn't even want to look at it until I saw the price drop to $99.99. Then my curiosity peaked. I also had to research and think about it a day or two before I bought it. A visit to their website was all it took to convince me it was worth the investment. :)
Thanks so much Scott.... I wasn't familiar with this maker either. I know their production dept. uses an outside person to price their jewelry so I was confident that it was a exceptional piece at a more than fair price. :)
Fantastic!!!
Thanks Ivonne for the "love" and compliment. :)
Another fantastic brooch to add to your fantastic collection. :)
Thanks so much CindB... The Golden Buckeye is not a card I play very often. Half the time I forget I even have it. My nephew takes great delight in reminding me when I don't.....lol, but in this case it was worth it. :)