butterflywing

Most of the old butterfly jewelry that is on the market today was apparently made by a few British firms in the late 1920s and early 1930s. These included Thomas L. Mott Ltd., Henry W. King & Son and Owen Brothers. Two other companies were located in Bermuda (Crisson) and France (Morpho).

Although jewelry made of insects dates back to ancient times, Thomas Mott's exhibit at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 is credited with making butterfly jewelry all the rage. Mott, which was founded in 1875, acquired Henry W. King in 1925 and Owen Brothers in 1933, making it the largest producer of butterfly wing jewelry. In addition to plain butterfly wing, some jewelry incorporates reverse painting techniques.

In 1922, Shipton Co. of Birmingham, England, applied for a patent with the following specifications: The invention uses real butterfly wings for the production of coloured pictures on glass sheets or surfaces... being first painted or otherwise fixed upon the back of a glass sheet so as to have transparent or substantially transparent portions or space to be subsequently filled in with real butterfly wings applied against the back of the glass sheet to give the desired colour effects. Reverse painted pieces may be stamped PT 202212 or PAT Aug 1924. (Some pieces of butterfly jewelry were mistakenly stamped PT 220213 which is, in fact, the patent for Corona Typewriter Inc. Anti-friction ball carriers for typewriters dated Dec. 3, 1923). The reverse painting on some of the older pieces is intricate and beautiful however, most "souvenir" and modern pieces are either the Rio de Janeiro skyline or the palm tree & sunset motif.

Another decorative technique combined butterfly wings with sulphide bas-relief figures. A sulphide clay plaque of figures or scenes was created and sandwiched between glass and a backing of wing. Sulphides are more commonly seen in marbles and paper weights.

Butterfly jewelry signed Hoffman has been made for a number of years. Old pieces apparently date back to 1938 but new pieces were being sold at the Amish Farm & Home Gift Shop in Lancaster, PA, very recently. Hoffman's older pieces range from the typical palm tree & sunset motif to the very attractive art deco or arts & crafts style frames. Their new pieces have an Amish motif.

When buying butterfly jewelry, look for old, well-made, signed pieces in gold or sterling silver settings. The glass crystal should be tight. Any back painting should be clear and intact and the butterfly wing background should be fully iridescent, not brown or black.

The information on this web page came from: "Butterfly Jewelry: New Finds of an Old Fashion" in HERITAGE, a quarterly report on antique and period jewelry and watches that was included in the May 1994 issue of JEWELERS CIRCULAR-KEYSTONE. There has been another more recent article written by Janet Lawwill for the Spring 2001 issue of the VINTAGE FASHION AND COSTUME JEWELRY NEWSLETTER.

Until recently Max & Lema Hoffman Novelty Company was selling interesting Amish designs at exceptionally low prices. Barbara Bosco Designs may still be making pieces in the $25 to $85 range that are being sold at other web sites. The Nature Shoppe sells new pieces from about $65 to $220.



	Some Info on Butterfly Jewelry Most of the old butterfly jewelry that is on the market today was apparently made by a few British firms in the late 1920s and early 1930s. These included Thomas L. Mott Ltd., Henry W. King & Son and Owen Brothers. Two other companies were located in Bermuda (Crisson) and France (Morpho). Although jewelry made of insects dates back to ancient times, Thomas Mott's exhibit at the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 is credited with making butterfly jewelry all the rage. Mott, which was founded in 1875, acquired Henry W. King in 1925 and Owen Brothers in 1933, making it the largest producer of butterfly wing jewelry. In addition to plain butterfly wing, some jewelry incorporates reverse painting techniques. In 1922, Shipton Co. of Birmingham, England, applied for a patent with the following specifications: The invention uses real butterfly wings for the production of coloured pictures on glass sheets or surfaces... being first painted or otherwise fixed upon the back of a glass sheet so as to have transparent or substantially transparent portions or space to be subsequently filled in with real butterfly wings applied against the back of the glass sheet to give the desired colour effects. Reverse painted pieces may be stamped PT 202212 or PAT Aug 1924. (Some pieces of butterfly jewelry were mistakenly stamped PT 220213 which is, in fact, the patent for Corona Typewriter Inc. Anti-friction ball carriers for typewriters dated Dec. 3, 1923). The reverse painting on some of the older pieces is intricate and beautiful however, most "souvenir" and modern pieces are either the Rio de Janeiro skyline or the palm tree & sunset motif. Another decorative technique combined butterfly wings with sulphide bas-relief figures. A sulphide clay plaque of figures or scenes was created and sandwiched between glass and a backing of wing. Sulphides are more commonly seen in marbles and paper weights. Butterfly jewelry signed Hoffman has been made for a number of years. Old pieces apparently date back to 1938 but new pieces were being sold at the Amish Farm & Home Gift Shop in Lancaster, PA, very recently. Hoffman's older pieces range from the typical palm tree & sunset motif to the very attractive art deco or arts & crafts style frames. Their new pieces have an Amish motif. When buying butterfly jewelry, look for old, well-made, signed pieces in gold or sterling silver settings. The glass crystal should be tight. Any back painting should be clear and intact and the butterfly wing background should be fully iridescent, not brown or black. The information on this web page came from: "Butterfly Jewelry: New Finds of an Old Fashion" in HERITAGE, a quarterly report on antique and period jewelry and watches that was included in the May 1994 issue of JEWELERS CIRCULAR-KEYSTONE. There has been another more recent article written by Janet Lawwill for the Spring 2001 issue of the VINTAGE FASHION AND COSTUME JEWELRY NEWSLETTER. Until recently Max & Lema Hoffman Novelty Company was selling interesting Amish designs at exceptionally low prices. Barbara Bosco Designs may still be making pieces in the $25 to $85 range that are being sold at other web sites. The Nature Shoppe sells new pieces from about $65 to $220.





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