James Arpad Swarovski Crystal Large Black Butterfly Brooch Vintage 1980s

James Arpad large brooch in black plastic with Austrian Swarovski crystals. Measures 3.5” wide by 3” long. The 3D brooch is reminiscent of a butterfly inside a heart. Working pin on the back. Preowned in excellent condition. No observed flaws. About the designer: James Arpad was a jewelry and handbag designer who gained prominence in the late 1980s. He is known for using “pave”-set Austrian flat-backed rhinestones in his sparkling creations as his father did decades earlier. He is one of several 1980s designers who used this technique to create jewelry. James Arpad was “once an aspiring architect” who shifted to creating fashion accessories, as noted in Forbes magazine in 1987. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Steven Arpad, creating jewelry designs encrusted with Swarovski flat-backed rhinestones (often referenced as “crystals”) in a technique named “pavee.” He is most widely known for earring designs made using this technique sold in the late 1980s and early 1990s. James Arpad sold his jewelry in his New York City showroom and upscale department stores such as I. Magnin on the West Coast and Sakowitz in Texas and Arizona. Numerous magazines, such as Cosmopolitan and Mademoiselle, also featured his pieces in spreads.