Puccini Etruscan/ Byzantine Maltese Cross Brooch / Pendant

Puccini Etruscan/ Byzantine Maltese Cross Brooch / Pendant featuring a Maltese Cross with an asymmetrical placement of a single bezel set square faceted rhinestone in green and red at the corners. The arms of the cross are each highlighted with a single bezel set round faceted clear crystal and a large blue softened square faceted rhinestone is positioned at the centre.

Typical of Gripoix style in terms of design as well as colours, this beautiful brooch with a rollover clasp, which can be worn as a pendant, is 4cm tall and 4cm wide and it weighs 16.3g. It is signed 'Puccini' in script writing on an oval cartouche on the reverse, which we associate with their Canadian manufacturing origin. A beautiful piece, which would also look fabulous as a pendant.

The history of Puccini costume jewellery brand spans over 60 years and is associated with two companies. In particular, 5th Avenue NY, New York based company Puccini Jewels Inc. and Montreal, Canada corporation Manufacture De Bijoux Keyes Inc. American costume jewellery brand Puccini appeared in February 1960. Registered officially in 1962, the company manufactured costume jewellery until 1999, and ceased to exist in 2003. Montreal, Canada based corporation Manufacture De Bijoux Keyes Inc. (owner Issie Fisher) registered Puccini jewellery trademark in 1971.

High quality Puccini jewellery demonstrates classic and Art Deco styles. Traditionally for its time, both jewellery companies used alloys of gold and silver tones, gilding, enamels and rhinestones. Noteworthy, the marking style of these companies differs. In particular, American pieces have marking 'PUCCINI' in capital letters, while Canadian marking includes “Puccini” in script, and sometimes “Made in Canada”. There is also a Puccini gold and diamond jewellery brand in Penang, Malaysia, but it has nothing to do with the Puccini vintage costume jewellery brand.

The Maltese cross has origins dating back to the Crusades and the Knights Hospitaller. These knights bore the cross, a religious symbol, on their uniforms. During the Crusades, the Knights battled the Saracens, who used fire bombs made from naphtha. Hundreds of Knights were burned alive, and many fellow Knights did their best to save them. Hence, the first “fire fighters.” Following the Crusades, the Knights made their way to the island of Malta in the 16th century, where the cross remained in use. A sister organisation of the Knights was the Order of St. John’s, a group dedicated to providing care and treating the public. The Maltese cross eventually appeared on the one- and two-euro coins.