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C1860 9k Halley's Flat Cut Garnet Comet Brooch

About the Item

The Georgians and Victorians were fond of symbolism in their jewelry and crafted jewelry to commemorate important life experiences such as birth, love, betrothal, and mourning or death. Events such as Halley’s Comet sightings, which occur about every 75 years, served as inspiration for such jewelry forms. Georgian jewelers were the first to create Halley’s comet brooches which resembled the shape of the comet as it approached the sun, heated to a fiery red and was followed by a long streak, or "tail". The comet is named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who concluded that the three comet sightings that occurred prior to the 1835 sighting (which he did not live to see) were actually the same comet returning over and over again. This discovery led to the comet being named after him. Our comet brooch was made to commemorate the 1835 comet sighting and features polished almandine garnets, with fiery red tones that replicate the color the immense heat generated as the comet approached the sun. The gold work is evocative of the tail. We love the way the brooch looks with our similar almandine garnet cluster ring, shown in the last image.
  • Metal:
    9k Gold
  • Stone:
    Garnet
  • Stone Cut:
    Cabochon
  • Dimensions:
    Length: 1.3 in (33.02 mm)
  • Place of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Period:
    1860-1869
  • Date of Manufacture:
    c1860
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Baltimore, MD
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU25111674002
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