BJ 'Beatrix Jewelry' Leaping Dolphins (Mother and Calf) Brooch

BJ 'Beatrix Jewelry' Leaping Dolphins (Mother and Calf) Brooch featuring a sweet design of a mother and calf playing with a ball. Mum has a sparkly clear crystal breast and underbelly and she is holding a single round blue crystal in her mouth, representing a ball, and they each have a single black faceted crystal for their eyes. This is a smooth gold tone brooch with a rollover clasp and signed on the textured reverse 'BJ' on a round cartouche. A lovely 1970s Dolphin brooch measuring 5.7cm long and 3.3cm at its widest point and it weighs 10.7g.

Nat Sugarman founded 'The Beatrix Jewelry Company' in 1946 after the second World War. He named it after his sister, Beatrice. At first, the company didn’t mark their jewellery, and they weren't particularly successful. However, this all changed in 1965, when the company manager Leonard Mandell decided to keep the name of the company, but change the entire concept. First of all, he began producing seasonal brooches dedicated to traditional and favourite American holidays, including, of course, Christmas, Halloween and Easter.

The mark “BJ” or “Beatrix” wasn’t consistent until 1975, but from 1975 to 1977, marking on the reverse was constant and mandatory. Traditionally, the designers of the company used gold tone metal, enamel, rhinestones and crystals. Active for three decades (1946-1977), the company was sold to Treasure Master who only operated until 1983.