Oh, I love my badge, it just doesn't go with much. I'll still wear it to Founders Day and Convention. It has a guard from my original chapter which is now closed.

But, I'll keep you in mind if I decide to "donate" it.;)

The badge all Chi Os get is yellow gold with 14 pearls. I love it, even though I am a silver/white gold wearer. However, you can upgrade to the 14 diamond badge:

http://www.burrpatt.com/ChiOmega/Images/PinsAn18.jpg


It's beautiful and I would LOVE it, but it's also $415!!!! Maybe, like S&S says, when I am old and rich!!!! :p

That's a very nice gesture, but think of your future daughters. ;)

All right, I'm asking because I've wondered about it for years and this thread is making me curiouser and curiouser about it.

So to our resident Gamma Phis--I can see the Phi and the Beta on your gorgeous badge, but where the heck is the Gamma? Is it the black crescent with the greek script, or something else, or none of my business?

Christin

When I was initiated, I was only able to afford a silver, plain badge. Since becoming an alumna, I have upgraded to a white gold with opal badge that I "rescued" from e-bay. I wish that I had a picture to post.....it's beautiful! I was so excited...opal is my birthstone and you can't buy them new like that anymore.

I'm not a Gamma Phi, but aren't the letters layered? The Gamma and Beta are on the lower layer, and the Phi superimposed on top of them both?

Look just to the left of the Phi.

That would be correct. The Phi is on top, Gamma on the left (as you're looking at the badge on someone else), Beta on the right. Maybe it's just seems too obvious to me. But with the latest badge on ebay, I'm beginning to wonder if people think the gamma is just part of the beta. i.e., they see one letter on top of a second when it's really one letter on top of two.

Did I make any sense????

Thank you Sistermadly and SmartBlonde, I appreciate the badge lesson!

When my non-GPhiB familiar eyes looked at that badge, I always saw the Phi on top, then a larger Beta underneath, then the crescent on the bottom. I never saw the Gamma on the left side, but it's finally there now that I know where to look! Weirdly, it still doesn't look entirely like a Gamma to me, but SmartBlonde would certainly know better than me, so it's a Gamma!

It's still before 8:00am and I've learned my one new thing for today! Thanks again all.

Christin

Be SURE you check into the IHQ policy on returned badges before you send it in. I doubt you would be able to get it back. I know our IHQ resells returned badges as far back as the 20's. If you want to be sure you can get it back when the time comes - even if it's 50 years down the road for your grandchildren - you might be better off putting it in a safe deposit box.

Actually, AOII allows the 'donated' badges to be saved for future relatives. They are kept separate from the returned badges that are for sale. Those saved for relatives are kept with the historic badges that are not for sale. Historic badges are never for sale (so I doubt that badges from the 20s are for sale. . . unless it is a plain badge of a suspended member or something like that).

Definitely check with Alpha Gamma Delta's headquarters about their policy.

Sarah

I would have to agree with you. I looked at mine again after I posted and it could very easily look like one big Beta.

Phi Sigma Sigma has a choice of two badges. It varies either chapter to chapter or even sister to sister which one they want to purchase.

the plain badge is just the sphinxhead with sapphire eyes

the jeweled badge (the one my chapter buys) is the sphinxhead on a pyramid. the eyes are sapphire and each point of the pryamid has 3 sapphires there.

All our badges are received from CO with the chapter guard on it.

When I first saw our badge (at preference) I was confused by it too (I actually thought it was a Phi on top of a butterfly!), and when I got my lavalier:

http://legacycollections.com/images/...limage-597.jpg

my parents were asking me where my letters were on it, because all they could see was the Phi. it is a kind of "distorted" Gamma though, because when looking at the back of that badge the stem of the Gamma curves.

I thought they opened up as far as the 20's when they released a lot of the historic badges last year?? (though I could be remembering wrong and it was just to the 30's)

But I agree, she needs to definitely check on the AGD official policy before returning a badge with that much meaning to her.

Today's AOII badge PSA!
 

Currently, only historical badges from the 1930s and later are available for purchase through Emporium. If a badge from the 1930s or later would have a historical legacy of some sort, it would not be released for sale.

If anyone has a question about AOII historical badges, then Beryana is the person on GC to ask about them. She had the honor of working in our Archives and is quite knowledgable about all sorts of AOII history.

If you own an AOII badge from 1897-1929/1930, it wouldn't surprise me that Emporium would like to know about it. AOIIs can also contact the Emporium directly for more information about available historical badges. End of PSA :D

Christin
(PS--Geeky, thanks for posting your lavalier, it made it so much easier to see the Gamma with the curl on the end!)