"Lunch At The Ritz" -Seeded Sunflower- /Brooch-Pendant Combo /24K Gold Plated /Circa 1992

This piece languished in the Goodwill case for at least three months. The main reason being the one hundred and seventy-five dollar price tag ! I finally noticed it was marked down to ninety-nine and figured I'd better pounce on this ASAP. I was able to buy it tax free with my vendor number and a further 10 % off by putting my pride aside and using my.... (Sigh) senior discount. They had the sheet printed from LATR's website in the box with it. While it wasn't this exact piece it was one from this collection.
LATR pieces are designed by Esme Hecht and Zander Elliot who started business under "Lunch At The Ritz Earwear" in 1982. Advertised as "Couture Bijoux Costume" they are very well made and ornate pieces. You either love them or hate them. The enamels and materials used are the best you could ever hope to find. Most are designed to be worn as a brooch but can be worn as pendants with the bale provided. Unfortunately the chain is not included.
This piece is from 1992 and entitled "Seeded Sunflower". There is a similar one with a different center but as the name states this one has gone to seed. You can also purchase matching ear rings in two styles. There are dangles and ones that are just the single smaller flowers like on the brooch. Done in a rich deep yellow enamel, with red and green accents on the petals. The huge sunflower and it's two companions feature seeds created from dozens of crystals and rhinestones in topaz and emerald. The bottom flowers, leaves and dangles are attached with a lobster claw clasp and are removable when you want to wear only the single large sunflower as a brooch or pendant. The whole piece is plated in 24K gold and measures 5-1/4 x 2-1/2 inches. In perfect condition with almost no signs of wear. A few fingerprints on the gold plating at most. So once again another waiting game for an affordable price has paid off and didn't backfire. A great find just like the 29' Chevy radiator cap. Score ! -Mike-

Note 11/21/2016
I decided to e-mail LATR to see if I could get an ID on this piece and verify it's age. To my surprise I got a answer from the designer himself Zander Elliot. He stated " The design of the pin here was not to my liking and I brought individual Swarovski Tiffany settings to the pin to produce a far more spectacular piece. " A bit of a disappointment but it does show the evolution of the creative process which I think is really interesting. -Mike-