VINTAGE WEISS BROOCHES IN THE BALLROOM CAFE.

 

   When I was growing up, a grand aunt in America would twice a year send a big parcel full of delights to our home in the west of Ireland.  When we had pulled off the plain brown wrapping paper, we found a box of exotic treasure had been posted to us. There were fancy silk and satin clothes we never were going to wear and the most wonderful vintage jewellery.

Kate had an amazing life in the States and spent her time dressing up for smart occasions, or so we thought anyway. She regularly wore blue and pink satin dresses, sleeveless dresses with matching coats; taffeta and silk along with  fake fur coats and the cutest little handbags with big clasps. 

Photographs were sent back to Ireland. In her younger days, she looked like a film star. The jewellery always perfectly matched the outfit and Weiss was one of her favourite for costume peces.

She had diamonds too, it was rumoured, but they were  kept for the extra special occasions and locked away in a bank safe.

Ella O'Callaghan in The Ballroom Cafe finds solace and peace sifting through her collection of Weiss jewellery.

A simple circle setting is the first Weiss brooch we meet in The Ballroom Cafe.

Here is Ella pinning her Weiss ciruclar brooch to her swing coat.

Ella chose the blue swing coat for Mass, a fitting backdrop to
her favourite Weiss brooch, nine balls of Montana blue
crystals in a simple circle setting. Her mother had only worn
it on special occasions. There wasn’t another one like it, she
told her daughter, and Ella believed it. Carefully, she fastened
the brooch to her left lapel and stood in front of the mirror,
tugging her coat lightly to straighten it. Not that anybody took
much notice of her these days.
Gerry O’Hare’s Mercedes lumbered up the avenue. She
watched as he eased his immense frame from the driver’s seat,
a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. Leaning
against the fountain, he puffed quietly as he waited for the
O’Callaghan sisters.
Roberta was already in the back hall, wearing her black
coat ringed with fur at the sleeves and collar. Her large grey
handbag and gloves reflected the patina of her shoes. The
sisters took each other in, without saying a word.
‘Good morning, girls. How are we this morning?’
Gerry O’Hare collected the sisters every Sunday, to bring
them to and from Mass. He did it out of kindness, though his
Christmas box from the O’Callaghans was exceedingly generous.

 

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