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Antique Green Paste Lizard Brooch on Sterling

About the Item

Fabulous emerald lizard form brooch set with emerald green pastes on silver. The Roman symbol of wedded bliss and popular in jewelry during fin de siecle (end of century). our lizard is a good example of realism which prevailed in 19th and early 20th century jewelry design. Paste is a type of leaded glass whose formula was perfected in the 18th century after glass makers had worked on it for several centuries. It was discovered that glass could provide an inexpensive substitute for the color and brilliance of precious gemstones. Paste jewelry continues to be much sought after today. Emerald paste is the most rare and most desirable among collectors of paste jewelry. Onour brooch (and on any authentic paste jewelry), one finds that each paste “gemstone” is carved by hand and graduated to fit the contours of the lizard's trunk. The round hinges and safety catches (pictured) date our lizard to the early 1900's. The 935 hallmark indicates the silver is slightly higher than sterling. The brooch is four inches long.
  • Metal:
  • Dimensions:
    Width: 1 in (25.4 mm)Depth: 0.5 in (12.7 mm)Length: 4 in (101.6 mm)
  • Style:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1910
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Baltimore, MD
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2519924892

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