The Exquisite - Georgian Brooch

I am so in love with this Georgian brooch! It is large and ornate. Pink...the center stone is a pink foiled back paste stone. You can see the beaded edge of the setting around the stone. Just one clue that says the Georgian era to me. The fact that the paste stone is foiled is another. The ornate engraved setting. Also in the photos below, you will see the domed or bubbled back of the piece. All indicators of the Georgian era. I believe this beauty dates to around 1800 to the 1820s.

Look at the engraving! Just amazing!

You can see how the edges are done in a repousse design.

The hardware on the back is not original to the piece. Roll over safety type clasps were not introduced until around 1910. The piece can be worn as a pendant or a brooch. When you wear the piece as a brooch, the bale folds down out of sight. As I understand from the previous owner, the engraving is also not original to the piece.

Notice the bubbled or domed back.

Just a lovely, lovely piece of wearable history.

I hope that you will visit my shop and find a treasure! I am having my annual Christmas in July Sale. All items in my shop have been reduced by 15%. I have over 100 pieces of antique and vintage jewelry in my shop. From the Georgian era through to the 1970s. Prices to fit every budget! Shop now for Christmas or treat yourself. Save money in the process! Be sure to follow me here and use the coupon code WDBLOGFREESHIPPING at checkout for your free shipping! Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Collecting!

Christmas in July SALE at Wicked Darling.

Striking! Georgian Paste Brooch

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