Royal Air Force -Mother of Pearl broach
 

I thought this might give someone a lift! I am amazed in the workmanship for these Mother of Pearl broaches! (I couldn't do it!)

It is really thick and am not sure what Mother of Pearl is? think of a shell (Oyster Shell?)

Hope you enjoy it as much as I, billy

Hi

Many of these seem to have been made in the Middle East, with varying degrees of skill. They often have catches to the reverse that look as if they have been made by a beginner in metalwork class!

I think that the average oyster wouldn't yield a large enough piece of shell, so it is:

Pinctada is a genus of saltwater oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pteriidae, the pearl oysters. These oysters have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl".

Good old Wikipedia to the rescue!

The clasp is very basic! But the broach is stunning!

Very nice, what sort of fitting does it have on it's reverse?

Hi Frank, here is the Clasp fitting, small and flimsy! You can see how thick the Mother of Pearl is though, at least in the centre!

Very nice and typical, a really lovely brooch.

I do like mother of pearl sweethearts - they are impressive.

Chris

Hi

Yes, typical of the Middle Eastern made sweetheart badges although this catch is actually quite a good one I have to say!

Mother of pearl is a rather problematic material to work I'm told and produces a dust that can be quite abrasive to the lungs.:(

The H & S Department of this maker probably didn't have much of a say in the production however....:rolleyes:

No Health and Safety I'm sure where involved! Wonder just what did it cost? But cheap I think, I like the fretwork, this is the best I have in my collection now, am sure there are other's out there? All the best Billy