General Information:
- Total Carat Weight: 1.51 ctw
- Precious Metal Weight: Estimated 4.30 dwt
- Precious Metal Material: Sold to the shop as 14k, though is marked for and tests as 15k yellow gold; this piece exhibits a highly desirable buttery patina that is sought after by collectors.
- Dimensions: This brooch faces up about 28.59 mm north to south (length) x 28.64 east to west (width) x 20.15 back to front (depth) including the pin and c-clasp. When the bezeled glass and silk setting is removed, the locket compartment is roughly 9 mm deep. As is characteristic of pre-1900 jewelry, the pin's stem extends beyond the face of the brooch just over 2 mm.
- Weight: An impressive 6.70 grams
- Markings: The reverse of this brooch shows a raised/affixed "15CT" cartouche, one edge of which is somewhat curled and the text of which is slightly obscured due to age. The outermost edge of the brooch's reverse is hand-etched with "my may", followed by a series of other letters and/or numbers (possibly 11?), though all of this engraving was cross-hatched sometime in the piece's history. Today, their meanings are unknown, though their sentiments are surely still felt.
- Era: This brooch is believed to date to the early to mid to late Victorian period, sometime between 1860 to 1875.
Specifications:
- Center Stone Type: Diamond
- Center Stone Count: One (1)
- Center Stone Dimensions: 1.95 x 1.85 mm, as measured within mount so as to preserve the piece's integrity
- Center Stone Carat Weight: 0.036 ct by formula per the specific gravity of diamond
- Center Stone Shape: Rough rose cut
- Center Stone Color: I-J
- Center Stone Clarity: I1 (foiled so difficult to specify)
- Center Stone Notes: The aged foiled backing causes the stone to appear darker and makes clarity difficult to specify. Rose cuts, and especially foiled rose cuts, were designed specifically to catch the glimmer of low candlelight and reflect the glittering flames. Such stones were not scientifically faceted to emit the same "fire" as brilliant full cut diamonds, and rather, twinkle in historic lighting conditions.
- Side Stone Type: Turquoise
- Side Stone Count: Eighteen (18)
- Side Stone Dimensions and Carat Weights:
- 1. 3.06 x 3.01 mm = 0.118
- 2. 2.93 x 3.12 mm = 0.130
- 3. 2.64 x 3.13 mm = 0.119
- 4. 2.20 x 3.30 mm = 0.072
- 5. 3.25 x 3.57 mm = 0.18
- 6. 3.10 x 2.85 mm = 0.120
- 7. 1.50 x 2.25 mm = 0.120
- 8. 3.00 x 2.15 mm = 0.078
- 9. 1.99 x 2.00 mm = 0.021
- 10. 2.95 x 2.85 mm = 0.095
- 11. 1.80 x 2.21 mm = 0.050
- 12. 2.81 x 2.83 mm = 0.114
- 13. 1.80 x 1.91 mm = 0.032
- 14. 2.68 x 2.18 mm = 0.073
- 15. 2.06 x 1.75 mm = 0.041
- 16. 2.86 x 2.25 mm = 0.080
- 17. 1.75 x 2.32 mm = 0.041
- 18. 2.48 x 2.44 mm = 0.078
- Together, these 18 stones total an estimated 1.47 ctw
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Side Stone Shape: Round(ish) cabochon cut
- Side Stone Color: Robin's egg blue to Persian blue to earthy, subtly mottled greens
- Side Stone Clarity: Opaque with characteristic waxy luster
- Side Stone Notes: Some stones show wear commensurate with age and affectionate use, including a chip on one stone's edge. Kindly note that this imperfection is not visible to the unaided eye due to stone's consistent through-color and waxy luster.
The Story:
A lovely work of art hailing from the mid to late 19th century, this Victorian Etruscan Revival brooch features a swath of decorative elements evoking the tastes of ancient civilizations. This trend was brought on by re-discoveries of the ancient world, and in the decorative arts, craftsmen drew deep inspiration from all that was recovered during excavations. It was at the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art of 1862 that many jewelers presented another variation of the Revival styles, which harkened to a slightly more recent past; Neo-Renaissance designs were en vogue and just as praised as the Etruscan Revival designs, of which this brooch shows hints of both.
Characteristics of both Archeological (Etruscan) Revival and Renaissance Revival style jewelry include a dependency on symmetry, allusions to organicism, the arrangement of featured gemstones into a cross shape, the use of careful colorful enameling or colorful gemstones, and a tendency toward a sculpted quality evoked through the three-dimensionality of gold. Within all of the Revival styles that thenceforth evolved, a commonality amongst them all-- and perhaps their most distinctive aesthetic feature-- was the application of gold on gold to create designs rather than opting for etching or carving away of gold to achieve designs. In essence, this new method of metalworking was additive rather than subtractive. Both the fundamental aesthetic characteristics and the structuring process mentioned are on display in the making of the brooch at hand.
Of note is the patinaed character of the gold. Made by hand over a century and a half ago-- as evidenced in its ever so slightly imperfectly applied wirework-- this piece was delicately fabricated with 15 warm yellow gold, and boasts a desirable patina that makes the gold deeper and warmer in color. This patina is a prized attribute by collectors, as it is seen as well-earned from age, a characteristic that invigorates the dimensional details which cover the entire surface of the brooch.
The twisted gold wirework forms a scalloped ribbon pattern that frames the piece and is punctuated by raised roundels, together drawing the eye to the central domed portion encrusted with round turquoise cabochons, which sweep around the piece as if a mountain of ethereal blues, teals, and greens. Their placement guides the eye toward the topmost hand-cut and beautifully crude rose cut diamond, mounted within an 800-silver oxidized star setting. The color of turquoise was reminiscent of the Forget-Me-Not bloom, and as expressed in the flower’s title, it was lovingly exchanged between lovers separated by distance, and was deeply cherished by mourners as a token by which to recall the memories of their departed. Likewise, diamonds have long been associated with eternalism and steadfast loyalty.
A sweet, albeit enigmatic, detail reveals itself on the brooch's reverse: "my may" is hand-etched around the pin's perimeter, possibly denoting the name of a lost loved one or a lover. Furthermore, a swatch of pinkish-salmon colored silk has been set within the glass bezel locket for over a century. Perhaps this silk was a gift of remembrance from The Mysterious May to whomever owned and donned this brooch. While we will never know for certain, this piece's evocative memories enspirit the brooch over one hundred and fifty years later.
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General Information: All additional jewelry boxes, ring boxes, and other jewelry items pictured alongside a featured listing are considered props, are for photographic and display purposes only and are not included in the transaction unless otherwise noted. Items do not come with physical documentation, appraisals, or certifications, unless explicitly stated in the item description and/or title. While jewelry is inspected upon procurement by the shop as well as prior to shipment, Revival Fine Jewelry cannot guarantee a warranty once items leave our inventory, given the delicate and individual nature of secondhand articles and the unaccountability of buyer handling post-purchase.
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Regarding Brooches & Pins: Often significantly and curiously undervalued jewelry items, brooches, pins and stick pins are treasured pieces of history in this shop. Accordingly, their pricing is calculated analogous to other fine jewelry, including their symbolic meaning, rarity and historical prestige. Such pieces are typically converted to other forms of jewelry, and are therefore becoming increasingly rare in their original states. Aside from being perfectly wearable as sophisticated lapel ornaments, brooches and pins of all kinds are prime candidates for many kinds of fine jewelry conversions, including rings, earrings, pendants, and charms, if so desired by the consumer post-purchase. Revival Fine Jewelry does not perform conversion projects for customers.
Regarding Storage & Boxes: All specifications, including but not limited to the measurements, age, origins, and material compositions are supplied in good faith as professional estimations constructed using professional grade tools, years of learned and honed skills, educational resources and academic scholarship, and refined research methods. Regardless of our confidence in our descriptions and the photographs deemed viable extensions of these descriptions, we cannot guarantee the definitiveness, faultlessness, or exactitude beyond our knowledge and expertise. Kindly keep in mind that this and all items are sold as-is vintage, antique and estate secondhand wares, and consequently bear conditional wear in matter and operation commensurate with age and use.
More information on these, and more, topics may be found in the shop policies.
All layaway terms may be found here, and all shop policies may be found here.
Layaway is available for full priced, non-sale items priced $600.00 USD or greater, and items may not be combined to attain price-eligibility. Plans are offered as 3-month/90-day maximum terms.
In exchange for offering interest-free plans, customers agree to abide and uphold the following nonnegotiable terms and conditions:
- A 30% deposit is due upfront to reserve the item for layaway and pull it from public sale on all of our shopping platforms. Shipping expenses are added to this first payment unless otherwise requested.
- The remaining 70% balance is divided up into three subsequent monthly payments due on the same day of the following three months. If delinquent, a $20.00 USD late fee is added per day to an overdue payment until paid.
- In the event that a layaway installment is left unpaid for seven (7) days and no communication is received from the designated customer, the layaway plan will be presumed abandoned. While the item will be returned to public sale, all payments made hitherto are still considered final.
Layaway items are promptly boxed and shipped to the designated customer once the final payment successfully processes. Taxes, import and other legal fees are not calculated into the payments, and are the sole responsibility of the customer, whether a domestic US or international buyer. Revival Fine Jewelry is not responsible for calculating, covering or adding such costs into purchase prices.
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Revival Fine Jewelry reserves the right to cancel any layaway plan at any point for any reason if fraudulent activity is suspected. In this event, the designated customer will be notified prior to the intended cancellation of their plan.
Request a layaway plan via email here. Remember to specify your desired item by providing its link, title or SKU/code.