late Victorian to Edwardian sash pin by Charles Hettel / C&R

Acollectible maker. C&R--or Charles R. Hettel--was founded in 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri, and was in business until around 1940. The pieces are prized today for their high quality and gorgeous designs. This sash pin features poppies (a favorite flower for the Victorians, especially in the 1890s art nouveau era--meaning consolation after a loss, extravagance, or deep sleep). The stems twist in art nouveau fashion, though this piece overall gives more of a straightforward Victorian vibe. One of my favorite features in this sash pin is the wires you can see coming around the back, holding the poppies on the front. The piece is so richly textured, with a brass base and gold plating--it gleams with the play of light. At 3 inches by almost 2, it makes an impression! Flaws This beauty is showing a big of age, though she presents very well. - The plating is less even on the front than on the back. The front also shows some spotting. - The beautiful purple glass stone is clear, except on bottom. You can see in photo #3 that the bottom is a little cloudy. This could be fixed by taking the stone out and cleaning the bottom of the setting--but--it is very hard to remove a stone with damaging a bezel (or breaking the stone), so I don't recommend it. - The hinge (which is of the style that dates this piece to the 1890s to about 1910) is a bit loose, and the pin (the poky part) is a little crooked. They still work just as they should, however.