Antique Opal and Diamond Brooch-Pendant, Silver Upon Gold, Circa 1900

A French antique diamond and silver-upon-gold bow brooch, set with two rows of old mine cut diamonds, with a total weight of approximately 6.00 carats, in silver grain settings, back...

A Victorian oval diamond openwork brooch, with a centre cluster, set with a cushion shaped old-cut diamond, surrounded by old-mine cut diamonds, in claw settings, enclosed by four tr...

An antique, Austrian, Burma ruby and diamond chequerboard brooch, with French-cut rubies, in claw settings, surrounded by old-cut diamonds, in silver cut down settings, mounted in go...

An antique diamond crescent brooch, set with old-cut diamonds, weighing an estimated total of 4.50ct, in a three row design, with an inner row and outer row, set with graduating old-...

18ct gold & silver set Art Nouveau Diamond Opal Pendant/Brooch dated circa 1900 Five round opals with an articulated pear shaped opal drop, very well matched with lively play of colours and iridescence in reds, greens, blues and gold. Set in 18 carat yellow gold claw collets Two main transitional cut (old mine) diamonds 0.70ct. Mix of old mine and rose cut diamonds in an 18 carat yellow gold with “silver Set” channel setting , approx 1 ct total. G/H/I, VS2-SI2. Total diamond weight: approx 1.7carats Setting diamonds in gold with a thin layer of silver, “silver set”, was a technique used in the Georgian/Victorian/Art Nouveau period as white coloured gold and platinum were not yet available. A very thin layer of silver was applied to the gold, on which the diamonds were set, to show them off to their best advantage (as the yellow would reflect and distort the white colour of the diamonds). The Art Nouveau period was a short lived but worldwide movement which reached its peak at the end of the 19th Century and the first decade of the 20th Century. It had its roots in the Pre Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements in Britain in the 1860’s. Artists, such as William Morris, took their inspiration from the flora and fauna of nature and rejected the mass industrialisation and mechanisation of the Victorian age. Art Nouveau continued with this theme and has a distinctive appearance with soft, curved shapes and lines and often depicted natural designs such as flowers, birds and the female form. Before the Art Nouveau period, the emphasis had been to design pieces with an emphasis on gem stones, diamonds, rubies emeralds etc. However, during the Art Nouveau period, jewellers adopted the idea of using other semi–precious stones “from nature” such as agate, garnet opal, moonstone, aquamarine and experimented with a wide variety of new techniques e.g. enamelling. The “New Art” style became a worldwide movement encompassing all disciplines of the arts, and world class artists as far afield as Gaudi with his “modernisme” architecture in Spain, Louis Comfort Tiffany in New York with objects, Galle Glass in France and the Liberty & Co Archibald Knox designs in Britain, Jugendstil in Northern Europe and Faberge in Russia. The movement flared brightly but briefly and by 1910 it was already going out of style to be replaced by Art Deco. Detachable 18ct brooch...

A fine opal and 0.22 carat diamond, platinum set, 15 karat yellow gold brooch; part of our antique jewelry and estate jewelry collections. The elongated shaped pierced decorated frame of this fine antique opal brooch...

A stunning, fine and impressive antique 1.91 carat opal, 0.88 carat diamond and 0.54 carat sapphire, silver set butterfly brooch; part of our antique jewellery and estate jewelry col...

A stunning, fine and impressive antique 2.23 carat white opal and 0.82 carat diamond, 9 karat yellow gold brooch; part of our diverse brooches collection. This stunning, fine and impressive antique cabochon cut brooch has been crafted in 9k yellow gold with a silver setting. The rectangular 9k yellow gold frame is ornamented to the center with a feature sixteen-claw set 2.23Ct cabochon cut white opal. The stunning cabochon opal is surrounded by sixteen millegrain decorated individually bezel set Dutch cut diamonds. The pierced decorated brooch is ornamented with a further twenty-eight millegrain decorated bezel set Dutch cut diamonds to the rectangular frame, completing the design. The antique opal brooch...