Stuart Nye Signed Sterling Silver Vintage Minimalist Hand Carved Leaf Brooch

D E T A I L S: * Will arrive gift boxed * All jewelry is hand cleaned and polished * I include a photo of the piece held in my hands for size reference Vintage Stuart Nye sterling silver vintage brooch. Stuart Nye's sterling silver jewelry originated in Asheville, North Carolina in 1933. Nye was inspired by the natural beauty of the area. This piece is hand wrought and carved. It's lightweight, long and thin. Stuart Nye was a native of Brooklyn, New York, Stuart Nye arrived in Asheville in the 1920s as a patient at the Veterans Hospital in Oteen in east Asheville where he participated in craft therapy, working with his hands. In the depths of the Great Depression, he bought second-hand tools and a small bit of silver. Inspired by blooms outside his window, he made his first sterling silver dogwood pin in 1933, completely by hand. Through trial and error, he fashioned silver into the leaves and flowers that grow in the southern Appalachians. Although the original work was accomplished in sterling, copper was added during the metal shortages of World War II. Both metals have remained popular and Nye’s original designs have become nationally known and loved. The brooch is stamped with sterling on the posterior, it also tested positive when checked. C O N D I T I O N: excellent vintage condition. enclosure works. S I Z E: width: 3.75" length: 0.5" W E I G H T: 5g