General Information:

• Total Carat Weight: 0.10 ctw
• Precious Metal Weight: Estimated 5.38 dwt
• Precious Metal Material: This brooch tests as 14k to 15k throughout, while the stem pin is base metal.
• Dimensions: This brooch faces up about 30.52 mm north to south (length) x 31.06 mm east to west (width) x 11.11 back to front (depth) including the pin and c-clasp. When the bezeled glass locket and existing photographs are removed, the locket compartment is roughly 5.50 to 6.00 mm deep. As is characteristic of pre-1900 jewelry, the pin's stem extends beyond the face of the brooch.
• Weight: An impressive 8.37 grams
• Markings: This piece does not bear a maker's mark but it does have a set of roman numerals hand-inscribed on interior (hidden) lip of locket bezel which read "XVII", the equivalent of the number 17. 
• Era: This brooch is believed to date to the mid to late Victorian period, sometime between 1870 to 1895.
• Buyer Notes: A perfect mix of sophisticated refinement and undeniable luxury, this brooch feels as en vogue today as the day it was made a century and a half years ago. Late 19th century Etruscan Revival jewelry is widely available on the market, though this brooch proved to have very, very few direct comparables, elevating it to a desirable scarcity. This brooch conveys with the pair of photos it housed when it arrived to our shop, one of which is a cutout of a gentleman, possibly circa 1900, and the other a cutout of a woman, circa 1960. Please note that there is a small loop affixed to the pin's reverse, wherefrom a delicate safety chain may have once been hooked. 

Specifications:

• Center Stone Type: Diamond
• Center Stone Count: One (1)
• Center Stone Dimensions: 2.55 x 2.60 mm, as measured within mount so as to preserve the piece's integrity
• Center Stone Carat Weight: 0.10 ct by formula per the specific gravity of diamond
• Center Stone Shape: Rose cut
• Center Stone Color: I-J 
• Center Stone Clarity: SI and foiled, which may obscure exact color grade
• 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.

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 recognizable shapes such as crosses, florals or stars, and a tendency toward a sculpted quality evoked through the three-dimensionality of gold. The aesthetic characteristics of revivalism are on brilliant display in the making of this brooch, and its original maker cleverly crafted the piece using wirework and molded components arranged in a geometric fashion.

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 nearly iridescent-pinkish patina that makes the gold appear 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.

Boosting the central rose cut diamond is the dynamic nature of the star-set etchwork of the stone's setting. Celestially themed jewels have been popular for virtually millenia, as many ancient cultures deeply revered the mystery of the heavens, relating to it both divinity and destiny. Stars represent hope, determination and purpose, their fiery luminosity symbolizing wisdom and courage. While this brooch's celestial motif has ancient roots, this piece is also reflects taste of the late Victorian era. Today, this brooch persists as a stunning treasure that is powerfully bespoke, and abundant in history. A lone silvery "star" set against a backdrop of gold, this piece is luxuriously enchanting and twinkles in elegance.