Badge Trends?

[tinydancer]

That's gorgeous - and so appropriate for you!

[Griffins&Quills]

Originally Posted by AOIILisa

I've heard complaints of pearls falling out of the HJ AOII badges entirely, HJ quality control seems to be a problem for many.

That's disappointing. I really am considering taking it to a jeweler instead of shipping it back and waiting 6 weeks for it. I just need to find a jeweler around me. My badge isn't even that old, and it's very well taken care of. It's supposed to last.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by WCsweet<3

Here are my two badges!
The one on the left I ordered from HJ as a replacement of my initiation badge that was lost. Received it today. It looks like the enamel is off center by less than a centimeter, but just enough for me to notice. It is silver with emeralds and pearl points.

The one on the right is one that I saved from that site last year. I hadn't been able to take decent pictures until now. I believe it is from the 60s or 70s from the chapter at Monmouth. It is a closed chapter now, but not sure when it closed exactly. It is gold and fully pearled.

I find it interesting that the older pin is slightly smaller than the new pin. The new pin is the "standard" size from HJ and no smaller size is offered. I'm not sure when this size was changed.

I love silver pins! They're so beautiful.
I would have HJ fix it, though. For the prices they charge, they can get it right.

The pearl is lovely, too. Beta Gamma closed in the mid-1990s, after a long struggle with recruitment issues. After it closed, Alpha Xi Delta recolonized, a couple of years later.

[mshudec]

Photographed my collection awhile back but then couldn't upload the photos. Finally got over that hick up.

Here are the first few:

Alpha Chi Omega. Engraved '45, interesting clasp.



Alpha Delta Pi. All Rubies, 1965.


Alpha Epsilon Phi. Pearls. No year engraved.


Alpha Gamma Delta. Pearls. Engraved AL-824, Epsilon Pi Chapter

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by Jen

If anyone is interested, I've started a Pinterest board to share pics of Alpha Phi badges I've collected over the years - http://www.pinterest.com/ariesrising/alpha-phi-badges/

(and if anyone has any cool pics to share, send 'em to me!)

Jen, I've never seen a few of those badges on your pinterest board! Those older badges (esp. Ida Gilbert Houghton's) are so unique! Thanks for sharing!

[clemsongirl]

Okay, so my beautiful personal badge came in today and the hands are WONKY. Wonky hands is one of my biggest pet peeves of ADPi badges and I'm upset that after waiting as long as I have to get my badge that it's not right. I'll post pictures of it later but needless to say it is getting shipped back to HJ tomorrow morning to be fixed.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

Okay, so my beautiful personal badge came in today and the hands are WONKY. Wonky hands is one of my biggest pet peeves of ADPi badges and I'm upset that after waiting as long as I have to get my badge that it's not right. I'll post pictures of it later but needless to say it is getting shipped back to HJ tomorrow morning to be fixed.

If you don't mind being outspoken, you might try posting the issue on the HJGreek facebook page. I know of two people who received less than perfect badges and posted about the issues on the FB wall. The posts were immediately seen and a customer service rep posted a phone number to call. The issues were taken care of quickly and to the posters' satisfaction.

[WCsweet<3]

It's amazing what happens when you are the squeaky wheel.

[clemsongirl]

I will do just that, ladies. It's so obviously wrong that I can't believe it slipped by quality control, if there even was any The Adelphean bonds of fellowship do not involve having scurvy!

[IUHoosiergirl88]

Originally Posted by clemsongirl

I will do just that, ladies. It's so obviously wrong that I can't believe it slipped by quality control, if there even was any The Adelphean bonds of fellowship do not involve having scurvy!

Quote of the month right there

[amIblue?]

I envy Theta not having to use HJ. They have what is essentially a monopoly for badges, and they're just not careful. These things have a meaning, and recently we've seen lopsided KD and wonky ADPi hands just here in this thread. Booo!

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

I envy Theta not having to use HJ. They have what is essentially a monopoly for badges, and they're just not careful. These things have a meaning, and recently we've seen lopsided KD and wonky ADPi hands just here in this thread. Booo!

My non-Greek boyfriend asked how it was a good thing that one company had a monopoly on badge manufacturing, and besides standardization I couldn't come up with a good reason for him. And if this is standardization I'd rather take my chances with a different company!



Here's the scene of the crime, ladies and gentlemen. Not the best photo, but the hands are quite clearly off-center on both planes of symmetricality, and I can lift the hands with my fingernail on one side-they're not even fully attached! When I'm done with my homework for tomorrow HJ is getting a post on their page like they won't believe.

Also I've photographed the rest of my badges but that too will have to wait until homework is done.

[IndianaSigKap]

Oh my...the hands are even covering part of Pi. I can see why you're not pleased!

[AZTheta]

That is shoddy. I'm sorry. Be sure to let your HQ know. Maybe they will switch jewelers. Theta did, some years back. I've not heard any complaints about J. Lewis Small badges. I've ordered two, and seen others, and they are all very nice.

HJ Greek is now looking like Pollack. Yikes.

[IrishLake]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

Here's what I know about our badge, based on what I've seen in photos and in "real life"; the oldest Theta badges I've personally seen and touched date back to the early 1900s. Prior to that, I can't say. There are some GC members who may want to share their knowledge and that would be most appreciated.

The inner black enamel , with the twin stars, the chevron with the greek letters, and "a w o" below, is a separate piece which is mounted to the underneath gold outline (the border of which may or may not be plain or jeweled). I've not seen one where the black enamel is onlaid,inlaid,or inset into the gold. The black has always been mounted on top of the gold.

The Fraternity website frequently posts a photo of a very early badge, and you can see in that photo (which I posted early on in this thread) that the black enamel piece is set on top of the gold outer piece. I will either locate the page # or repost the photo.

Left to right, below, are a Dyer badge, a standard 14K badge, a large crown badge, and a small crown badge. The black enamel on the first three badges is exactly the same size. The enamel on the far right badge is smaller, in order to allow for the pearl border.

(I am not quitting my day job to take up photography. At least now I know what to do and what not to do, so Paige's quills will receive proper treatment.).



[IMG][/IMG]

Here Jen.