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C1820 Brooch of Mother of Pearl Carving of Gentleman and His Loyal Dog

About the Item

Enchanting brooch of cut steel and mother of pearl with carved image of a faithful dog standing at attention as his human companion peacefully angles for a catch under the shade of a tree. The scene is carved from Mother of Pearl and mounted in cut steel. The brooch’s long bar hinge with curved "C" catch helps authenticate indicate its age. Mother of pearl is the iridescent inner shell of mollusks that produce pearls. It has been used to carve decorative objects since ancient times and is the most precious part of the shell. Cut steel was a jewelry form crafted by a cottage industry of men and women (and likely child labor as well) in the 18th and 19th century England. Cut steel was also made in France. Using found materials, this enterprising group of artisans fashioned jewelry from nails which after pounding and polishing and setting, imitated the sparkle of diamonds in the light. Cut steel achieved great popularity as it appealed to people of more moderate means and was the only jewelry form in history that was made by steel workers.. The mother of pearl and cut steel combination is an appealing combination.

Metal:

Cut Steel

Stone:

Pearl

Stone Cut:

Cabochon

Dimensions:

Width: 2 in (50.8 mm)Length: 1.5 in (38.1 mm)

Style:

Victorian

Place of Origin:

United Kingdom