Antique Victorian brooch. Gold, silver, diamonds. Made circa1830-1880. Origin uncertain - either French or English - see story below.
Versatile - could be used as other forms of jewelry. Comes with independent gemological appraisal, shown in pictures.
Measurements:
Weight is 72.5 grams. Length 3 1/4 inches (8.5cm). Width almost 7cm. 9.53ct diamonds.
Description :
A large brooch that might have been originally used as a bodice bouquet. A pair of arching stems supports 3 roses in full bloom and one in bud emerging from rose foliage. The flowers are 3-dimentional with each petal individually and separately formed and modelled, curving and turning as Nature would have made it. Stamen and centers also individually modelled. Fine detail such as the tiny sepals of the rosebud. The entire surface is set with diamonds - larger Old European cut diamonds and smaller rose cuts. As was traditional at the time, diamonds were set in silver to show them off to best effect in candle or gas light. The silver was laid over gold, which protected skin and garments from tarnish.
The 3 flowers can be dismantled and worn in another form. Originally, there would have been additional mounts for these options or the flowers would be sewn onto the garment.
A large curved gold wire was used to hang a dismantled section of the brooch on a necklace or chain, functioning as a pendant.
The 3 big flowers are mounted En Tremblant sometimes called "trembleuse" because they appeared to tremble. They were mounted on springs that allowed them to bob and quiver, adding to the shimmering effect of the diamonds and further catching the eye.
Hinged pin with a replaced c-clasp. A stopper has been added for convenience.
Marks and Metal:
gold lozenge on the side near the end of the stem, is typically French (for a maker) but we did not find other French marks. The initials in the lozenge are S&P. Another mark on the pin may be unrelated. We tested gold with varying purity. Our appraiser tested 14k, so we will go with the lower value to err on the side of caution.
Condition:
Good with negligible wear commensurate with age. C-clasp is a replacement. Catch on pin is not original. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY:
Part of the charm of antique jewelry is that it sometimes presents us with little mysteries. In this case, we can guess at the origin, but there is nothing definitive to know for certain. The French lozenge mark is one thing, but the general style and use of 14k gold is typically English.
Brooches of this type are extremely rare. Because of their size, they were usually broken up and divided between the daughters in the family. Today, it makes a fantastic statement and makes a highly original adornment for a man.
While we do not know who the original owners of this brooch were, we can be absolutely certain that they were part of the aristocracy, who were the only people who could afford an item like this in those days.
