Such a beauty! Still debating if I should keep this piece for myself or list it in my shop. Yes...I am greedy for pretty pieces like this! This Georgian era paste brooch has so much sparkle! Very hard to capture in my photos. The small brooch dates to the 1820s.
There are two missing pastes stones. In one of the empty spaces you can see the remains of a gold gilt finish. Can you imagine how striking this brooch would have been when it was first created! To me, it is gorgeous now!
The metal is a bit of a mystery to me. It has rust, yet looks like silver or possibly iron. My husband tried to explain the complexity of this setting to me. He believes, as do I, that it was a very time consuming piece to make.
You can see the remains of the gold gilt finish on the back as well. Also a clue to the age of this brooch, is the extended length of the pin stem. It extends significantly past the actual brooch...which indicates great age.
The paste stones appear to be foiled backed...which is also a quite common feature of Georgian era jewelry. The foil backed stones would be more reflective and beautiful by candlelight. Even precious and semi precious stones were often foil backed for the same reason. Today this practice is pretty much limited to synthetic stones or crystals and rhinestones.
I hope that you have enjoyed seeing this beautiful antique Georgian brooch! Happy Collecting!
Be sure to visit my shop for more antique and vintage jewelry!
Wicked Darling
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