Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10

Mary Gage Sterling Silver Brooch with Rock Crystal Cabochon

$2,900
£2,217.20
€2,553.77
CA$4,063.79
A$4,536.84
CHF 2,377.24
MX$55,535.36
NOK 30,190.91
SEK 28,466.19
DKK 19,059.06

About the Item

Mary Gage Sterling Silver Brooch with Rock Crystal Cabochon Handmade extra. large brooch in a seldom seen Lily Pad design with rock crystal cabochon. Exquisite detail with gorgeous patina. This sterling silver brooch is in excellent condition. Designer: Mary Gage Maker: Mary Gage Design #: N/A Circa: 1940's Dimensions: 3.5" L X 3" W Country of Origin: USA Her obituary, from the Maine Antique Digest: "Mary G. Gage died March 13 [1993] in Portland , Maine on the eve of the 'Great Blizzard.' She was born August 16, 1898 in St.Mary's (Township) Indiana. "During her life, she had been a medical technician, a silversmith, a breeder of French poodles, a used-book seller, and an antique's dealer. After serving as a nurse at the time of World War I, she moved to Chicago where she studied and worked at St. Luke's hospital. In the early 20's she fled a brief marriage and spent three years traveling around the world; two of those years were spent in China, including a year in Peking. She developed then a life-long interest in things Chinese, ranging from literature to design to erotica to food. The balance of her trip was spent in India, Africa (including a trip on the Blue Train to Lake Victoria), and Argentina. "On return to the States, she learned silversmithing and set up in business in New York. She owned a row house in Greenwich Village and had a workshop in SoHo where she was a regular at Fanelli's Bar. Her jewelry was sold in uptown shops and at exhibits throughout the country. "In the 1940's, she lived in an old mill on the river in Westport, Connecticut, raising poodles. Following that, she moved to Hartland, Vermont, where she salvaged an elegant old brick house, which, after she left, became the Hartland Antique Center. "In the '50's, Mary Gage moved to Maine, spending a number of years in Waldoboro, working as a silversmith, antiques and used-book dealer, and poodle breeder. At some point she also had a cat that did well in commercials. The citizens of Waldoboro didn't much appreciate Mary Gage (She was different, and her place did reek of dogs). In turn, she loathed Waldoboro, which she referred to as 'that pusspocket.' Her last years were spent in a Portland apartment where she continued to make jewelry and occasionally bought and sold antiques. "Throughout her life, she had a series of interesting friends and acquaintances: from Henry Ford when she was a girl in school, to gum magnate Phillip Wrigley, whom she met in India, to Isamu Noguchi in New York to James Thurber in Connecticut, Maxfield Parrish in Vermont. "In recent years, her jewelry has enjoyed increased interest as The Arts and Crafts movement has come to the fore. Auction houses have begun to feature her pieces and collectors have actively been seeking her work." In her book Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition (p. 238), Elyse Zorn Karlin wrote that Gage had no formal training, and "learned her craft by working with Armenian and Yemenite Jews in Greenwich Village. In 1924 she had a workshop in Greenwich Village and later one in Soho." Her work is very identifiable, with complex wirework frames, applied lily pads or leaves and silver balls, and extensive use of turquoise and other semiprecious stones. Her work is often confused with that of a contemporary with whom she was well acquainted, Lillian Pines.
  • Creator:
  • Metal:
    Sterling Silver
  • Dimensions:
    Width: 3.5 in (88.9 mm)Length: 3 in (76.2 mm)
  • Place of Origin:
    United States
  • Period:
    Mid-20th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1940's
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Big Bend, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 9251stDibs: LU2261213985152

More From This Seller

View All
Georg Jensen Sterling Brooch with Onyx, Design #328 by Nanna Ditzel
By Georg Jensen
Located in Big Bend, WI
Georg Jensen Sterling Silver Shell Brooch with Onyx, Design #328 by Nanna Ditzel Classis Nanna Ditzel "Shell" Brooch Designer: Nanna Ditzel Maker: Georg Jensen Design #: 328 Cir...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Brooches

Materials

Sterling Silver

Georg Jensen Sterling Silver “Double-Tulip” Brooch with Turquoise, Design #236A
By Georg Jensen
Located in Big Bend, WI
Georg Jensen Sterling Silver “Double-Tulip” Brooch with Turquoise, Design #236A A similar example can be found on p. 138 in the book, "Georg Jensen, A Tradition of Splendid Silv...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Brooches

Materials

Sterling Silver

Georg Jensen Sterling Amorphic Brooch, Design #339 by Henning Koppel
By Georg Jensen
Located in Big Bend, WI
Georg Jensen Sterling Amorphic Brooch, Design #339 by Henning Koppel Designed in 1948. A similar example can be seen in the book, GEORG JENSEN JEWELRY...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Contemporary Brooches

Materials

Sterling Silver

Art Deco 14K Wide Filigree Brooch Pin with 3 Diamonds
Located in Big Bend, WI
Art Deco 14K white gold diamond filigree pin with 3 diamonds weighing .16cts total. The round brilliant cut diamonds measures about 2.2mm in the center and 1.8mm on the sides. The f...
Category

Vintage 1920s Art Deco Brooches

Materials

Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold

Peer Smed Sterling Silver Calla Lily Brooch
By Peer Smed
Located in Big Bend, WI
Peer Smed Sterling Silver Calla Lily Brooch. Signed and hallmarked hand wrought Peer Smed sterling silver. Highly sculptural and very three dimensional as i...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Brooches

Materials

Sterling Silver

Georg Jensen 826 Silver Antique Belt Buckle with Coral
By Georg Jensen
Located in Big Bend, WI
Georg Jensen 826 Silver Museum Quality Antique Belt Buckle with Coral. This is an extremely rare find, in excellent antique condition with origin...
Category

Early 20th Century Danish Art Nouveau More Jewelry

Materials

Coral, Sterling Silver

You May Also Like

Georg Jensen Sterling Silver Brooch
By Georg Jensen
Located in Montreal, QC
Georg Jensen silver brooch #54, originally designed when was working for Mogen Ballin silversmith. Stamped on the back, measures 2 1/16 inches x 1...
Category

Vintage 1930s Danish Brooches

Materials

Sterling Silver

Hand Made Silver Brooch with a Faux Moonstone and Faux Garnets circa 1920s
Located in London, GB
Beautiful rope twist and swirl design silver brooch featuring four faceted faux garnets, and a faux moonstone. The brooch measures 4.5cm / 1.77 inches by 3.8cm / 1.49 inches. There a...
Category

Early 20th Century Brooches

Materials

Silver

Georg Jensen Denmark #91 Sterling Silver Pin / Brooch
By Georg Jensen
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Sterling silver pin/brooch #91 by Georg Jensen, Denmark. Georg Jensen's Pattern # 91 featuring a sterling silver oval dome at the center, surrounded by silver beaded accents, leaf d...
Category

20th Century Danish Brooches

Materials

Sterling Silver

An Arts and Crafts silver and moonstone brooch circa 1900
Located in Central England, GB
A most beautiful and fine silver arts and crafts brooch, unmarked (tested). This fine bar brooch is set with seven good sized moonstones, it ha...
Category

Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Collectible Jewelry

Materials

Silver

Sterling Stephen Dweck Brooch Pin Jasper 1990s
Located in Wallkill, NY
Stunning Dweck Brooch. Bezel set Jasper stones in sterling silver. Dated 1992. Hallmarked Stephen Dweck. Sterling silver. Measures 3.9 inches H x 3.9 inches wide. This was purchased...
Category

1990s American Brooches

Materials

Jasper, Sterling Silver

Antique Victorian Scotch Pebble & Silver Brooch Dated Circa 1880
Located in London, GB
Antique Victorian Scotch Pebble & Silver Brooch Dated Circa 1880 The scotch pebble plaques are surrounded by bright cut engraved silver. The centre stone is a Citrine The outer circl...
Category

Antique 1880s Scottish Victorian Brooches

Materials

Agate, Citrine, Silver