Starfish lapel pin

This is a small decorative lapel pin or brooch featuring a dimensional starfish design. The item is crafted from a silvery-toned metal alloy with a textured surface, exhibiting minor surface wear and a light tarnish consistent with age or gentle use. The front side displays raised dots, granules, and segmented ridges along the arms to mimic the natural skeletal texture of a sea star. The reverse side features a partially visible golden-toned clutch or pin backing, though the full mechanics and any potential maker's marks, stamps, or hallmarks are obscured in the photograph. The style is suggestive of coastal or nautical-themed costume jewelry popular in the latter half of the twentieth century, though neither the exact age, metal composition, nor manufacturer can be verified from the visual evidence alone. The identification relies entirely on the recognizable biological form and standard lapel pin construction visible in the image.

Based on what I can see in the provided image, this item appears to be a coastal-themed costume jewelry lapel pin featuring a textured, silvery-toned starfish design. I can note the raised granules and segmented ridges that mimic a sea star's natural form, alongside a partially visible golden-toned backing on the reverse. However, I cannot verify the exact metal composition, manufacturer, or precise age from a photograph alone, and any potential maker's marks or hallmarks are obscured. My valuation of $25 to $50 assumes the attribution to mid-to-late twentieth-century costume jewelry is correct, representing typical market behavior for similar vintage novelty pins in fair condition with minor surface wear and light tarnish. Demand for vintage nautical costume pieces remains steady among casual collectors, though market values for unsigned or mass-produced pieces of this type are generally modest. To properly evaluate and confirm authenticity or metal purity, I would need physical inspection, hallmark verification, and expert appraisal. If this piece turns out to be a modern reproduction, replica, or an unbranded copy in the style of vintage costume jewelry rather than a period piece, the value would likely decrease to the $10–$20 range.