Nina Ricci Fancy brooch. Triple 22kt gold plated w handset Swarovski crystals. Hand painted black enamel. Designer, Vintage, Canadian, NEW

The D’Orlan Jewelry Ltd. Company was founded by Maurice J. Bradden in 1957 manufacturing fashion jewelry in Toronto, Canada. The D’Orlan jewelry designs produced used the finest hand set Austrian crystals and rhinestones and Japanese glass pearls. Their jewelry lines were unique insofar as most manufacturing companies buy components from other companies and simply put them together. D’Orlan manufactured everything at their factory with the exception of Japanese glass polished pearls and Austrian crystals and rhinestones. The stones are imbedded in a triple plated 22 kt. gold finish over pewter base metal that ensured a consistency of color that was developed by the D’Orlan and Nina Ricci companies. In 1979, the D’Orlan Company acquired Marcel Boucher jewelry molds from his wife , 13 years after his death, thereby helping the company to produce costume jewelry of higher quality and workmanship. The D’Orlan jewelry does not posses the outstanding craftsmanship of the original Marcel Boucher jewelry pieces. The jewelry has the look of newness. It is said to be using different shapes, using different details of design, using newer faux stones, and has a different enamel used look. The mark has also been changed to: “d’Orlan”.

In 1984, D’Orlan Jewelers Ltd. of Toronto, Canada formed a partnership with the Nina Ricci Enterprises of Paris, France (known throughout the world in the fashion industry for French designs and French luxury goods including perfumes). This partnership occurred due to the impression made by Maurice J. Bradden, D’Orlan’s founder because of the classic designs of high quality and the ability to develop high fashion jewelry lines that complemented the Nina Ricci image. Together the companies developed a high standard plating process that highly regarded to include a 22 karat triple-plated finish over a pewter base metal that ensures a consistency of color. This process has been incorporated into the D’Orlan and Nina Ricci jewelry lines.