1870s Brooches

A very fine and impressive antique Victorian 0.88Ct old European round cut diamond and 15 karat yellow gold brooch/locket; part of our antique jewelry and estate jewelry collections. This fine antique Victorian brooch / locket has been crafted in 15k yellow gold. The brooch has an oval form ornamented with a central quatrefoil design claw / prong set with five Old European round cut diamonds. This central design is further embellished with four applied scrolling motifs displayed in relief. This impressive brooch has an applied rope twist and bead decorated border accented with four floral motifs. The Victorian brooch / locket is fitted to the reverse with a removable oval glass panel, behind which a personal photograph may be displayed. The brooch secures to the reverse with a hinged pin in addition to a detachable safety clip and chain. The 15k fineness mark (15k) is clearly struck to the reverse of the brooch, in addition to the registration number. This antique Victorian gold locket...

This stunning and handcrafted brooch is shaped in the design of a fly, featuring the wings as half moon, cabochon cut garnets. They have a total weight of 2.00 carat and are supporte...

Pendent-Brooch composed of an oval decorated with interlacing punctuated with white pearls. 18K yellow gold frame. French work. Dimensions: 3.30 x 3.00 cm. Gross weight: 7.53 g.

Antique Victorian 15kt rose gold and silver old-European cut diamond and pearl tiara brooch with safety pin chain. X-Ray has been tested positive for 15kt gold and silver. Made in...

his lovely antique brooch is Victorian period, 1870 circa Elegantly designed in a triumph of Diamond rays complemented by natural not nucleated salt sea Pearls and swinging drop Pear...

HIGH VICTORIAN (= VIENNESE HISTORICISM) GOLDEN JEWELRY SET: PAIR OF EARDROPS AND BROOCH MADE OF GOLD 14ct, COVERED WITH SMALL EMERALDS. ELEGANT BROOCH: made of GOLD (14 ct / 585), having longitudinal-oval form, additionally decorated with small movable rods attached to area below - causing a very decorative effect ! Additionally, the brooch is ornamented with a small emerald attached to middle area, surrrounded by scrolls made in chiselled technique. WEIGHT: 6.0 GRAMS (= 0.21 OZ / 0.19 TROY OUNCE) FINEST GOLDEN COLOUR ! OLD PRAGUE OFFICIAL HALLMARK (= OLD IMPERIAL AUSTRIA...

Antique Archaeological Victorian Etruscan revival pin /brooch with beautiful details . Pin front features exceptional quality of the granulation and filigree wirework with enamel w...

Centering an oval-shaped tablet of banded agate measuring 9.5 x 13.5 mm Opaque reddish orange with carved cameo on gray-white band Depicting a lamb asleep on a cross - symbolic of t...

In very good condition. Total weight is 18.4 grams. Totally is diamond diamond 4.50 ct. Acid tested to be 14k real gold. Please contact for any questions.

This Castellani Archaeological Revival brooch dates back to the 1870s. The circular disk is styled as a flower head with a garnet in the centre, surrounded with white enamel beads an...

Era: Victorian Date: 1870s - 1880s Metal Content: 10k Yellow Gold Stone Information Natural Pearls Style: Stickpin Theme: Horseshoe, Good Luck, Equestrian Measurements Face Hei...

An exquisite example of Masonic jewellery art by Guild & Delano of Boston, C 1876, specialists in jewellery for Masons. This piece was made for the PM ...

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...

Era: Victorian Date: 1870s - 1880s Metal Content: 14k Yellow Gold Stone Information Natural Diamond Cut: Mine Natural Seed Pearls Style: Stickpin Theme: Intertwined Circle Spiral...

Designed as a puffed heart-shaped form with a grooved swirl fleur-de-lis motif pattern Featuring 1.0 to 3.0 mm round seed pearls bead set throughout pattern White to gray in body col...

An Antique Victorian Finely Carved Shell Cameo Brooch with a bail - provision to wear a piece as a pendant within a 9K Yellow Gold decorative rope border featuring safety chain be...

A Victorian, Etruscan style brooch and earrings suite, comprising an oval brooch, with three layers, with a central dome, all decorated with Etruscan style wire work, with a loop on ...

A Swiss enamel brooch, with an oval hand painted scene depicting mountains in the distance with a church surrounded by trees, with a feature tree, people and animals to the foregroun...

In very good condition. Total weight is 7.8 grams. Totally is diamond 2.10 ct. Acid tested to be 14k real gold. Please contact for any questions.

Antique early imperial russian era brooch in crescent designe decorted with rose cut diamonds brooch was made in st petersburg 1880s hall marked 56 imperial russian gold standard for...

An amazing amethyst measured to weigh approximately 30 carats is the centerpiece of this incredible antique brooch. The faceted, extremely well-cut Amethyst displays a unique color s...

Centering an oval-shaped sapphire cabochon weighing approximately 5.18 carats - bezel set with flat face up Transparent light blue in color and carved with an intaglio of the Greek ...

Antique shell cameo brooch and earrings by John Brogden, English, circa 1870. A yellow gold suite of jewellery, the brooch composed of a horizontally situated oval Bull’s Mouth shell cameo of the Greek goddess Selene riding a serpentine dragon in a rubover collet setting, encircled by a conforming frame of gold beading and twisted gold wire punctuated with four gold palmette form plaques engraved and decorated with dark blue enamel and placed at the cardinal points, the reverse mounted with a hinged pin and scroll clasp, the earrings each composed of a vertical oval Bull’s Mouth shell cameo engraved with a bust length portrait of Selene with crescent-set headdress, encircled by a conforming frame matching that of the brooch with the addition of a pendant decoration composed of a horizontal bar of gold beading and twisted gold wires suspending gold link chains graduated from centre and ending in conical gold elements, the reverses mounted with French wire fittings, all in a fitted red leather case, the interior marked ‘FIRST CLASS PARIS MEDAL/ 1855.1867.1851/ PARIS FIRST CLASS & LONDON PRIZE MEDALS/ JOHN BROGDON/ Goldsmith/ MANUFACTORY/ 16, Henrietta St. Covent Garden/ London’. The cameo—defined as a gem, usually either a mineral or a shell, upon which a design has been carved in relief—is believed to have originated in Hellenistic Greece, during the third century BC. These miniature sculptures, at that time confined to the medium of hardstone, are thought to have been made with the primary purpose of personal adornment. The same practice of mounting cameos in jewellery was then continued by the Ancient Romans, and they are known to have been worn by many a Roman emperor. After the fall of Rome the fashion for cameos went into a decline, until it was again revived during the Renaissance period, brought about by a keen interest in the ancient world. At this time both antique and contemporary cameos were mounted in jewellery, as well as collected as objet d’art. The art of cameo cutting was revived in Italy, where it would remain a centre for the coming centuries. Again there was a lull in interest in carved gemstones, until the Neoclassical revival of the eighteenth century, largely stimulated by the discoveries of the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. As with the Renaissance, antique specimens were generally prized over modern cameos, and the worldliest men in Europe held them among their collections of art and antiques. That said, carving centres in Rome and Torre del Greco (near Naples) in Italy were established in response to the demand of the Grand Tourists, who travelled to Italy and Greece to become educated in the wonders of the ancient world. It was at this time that shell cameos, mostly made in Torre del Greco due to its proximity to the sea, became more popular, owing to the relative ease in carving shell over hardstone. In addition to Rome, hardstone cameos also became a specialty of Idar Oberstein, Germany, which had a long history with both the gem mining and cutting trade. In a shift away from the collector’s cases of the previous century, the nineteenth century saw a strengthening in the fashion for wearable cameos. After the Empress Josephine donned a cameo-set suite of jewellery at the coronation of Napoleon in 1804, cameo jewellery became all the rage. Napoleon played a further hand in promoting the art by establishing a gemstone carving school in Paris, inspired by his appreciation for the arts of the ancient world. By the mid-nineteenth century shell cameos, in part due to their lightness compared with hardstone cameos, were the height of fashion. Large shell cameos as well as hardstone cameos were set into contemporary mounts, often as suites of jewellery. Some of the best cameos of the nineteenth century—carved by a select group of recognized carvers—were set into revivalist mounts, corresponding to the subject matter. In Victorian England cameo jewellery was particularly prized, due in part to the fact that the Queen owned and wore a number of cameo jewels. One example which can often be seen in official portraits is the Badge of the Order of Victoria and Albert, carved by Tommaso Saulini of Rome, who also produced cameos for the maker of the present suite, John Brogden. To meet demand some carvers set themselves up in London, including William Schmidt, a German carver from Idar Oberstein, who produced cameos for top London jewellers, including Brogden, Carlo Giuliano and Child & Child. In fact, Schmidt purports to have been the first to carve cameos out of opal, which Brogden reportedly displayed in the Paris Exhibition of 1878. An extant example, now in the collection of the British Museum, was set by the Giuliano firm. Regarding subject matter, cameos throughout time have been largely figural, from bust length profile portraits to scenes with multiple full-length figures, and sometimes animals. Ancient Greek and Roman cameos often depicted mythological scenes as well as contemporary figures. During the Renaissance, mythological scenes were popular, often taken directly from ancient sculpture, as well as portraits of notable contemporary figures. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, due to the revivalist styles, both Renaissance and Classical subjects were copied and set into matching (and sometimes unmatching) revivalist mounts. From the Renaissance through the Victorian era, being able to recognize the source of the carving in a cameo was a mark of erudition, revealing in the wearer knowledge of Classical art. As mentioned, the present cameo parure...

Victorian tortoise beetle brooch. Set horizontally with three iridescent Brazilian tortoise leaf beetles graduating in size from the centre in closed back claw settings, to a novelty...

Victorian turquoise and half-pearl locket brooch featuring a raised domed turquoise cluster with a star-set natural half-pearl. A glass locket to the rear and a fancy wire surround c...

Circa 1870, this gorgeous French brooch features a pink tourmaline as its centerpiece, flanked by Rose Cut diamond studded triangles along a horizontal 18k gold pin. The tourmaline i...

In very good condition. Total weight is 11.3 grams. Totally is diamond about 1.75 ct. Totally is ruby 0.08 ct. Acid tested to be 9k real gold. Please contact for any questions.

Era: Victorian Date: 1870s - 1880s Metal Content: 14k Rose Gold Stone Information Natural Hardstone Banded Agate Cut: Carved Cameo Size: 19mm x 13.4mm Cultured Seed Pearls Theme:...

A love letter to a departed soul, this tender piece manifests as an envelope that folds over a pearl studded arrow and is sealed with a forget-me-not flower. Circa 1870, this early Victorian brooch is cast in 14k gold with a beautiful acid wash matte finish. The forget-me-not, a sentimental image often seen in mourning jewelry, consists of a chrysoberyl cat’s eye surrounded by six old cut diamonds bead set into its petals. The whimsical arrow is encrusted with eight pearls that look beautiful against the matte gold. On the back of the brooch, a portrait of a woman is held in an oval frame. She has braided hair, wears beautiful jewelry, and was clearly very loved by the brooch’s original owner. The blue-grey cat’s eye has lovely chatoyancy that shimmers as it moves, making the piece even more magical. Chatoyancy is an optical phenomenon seen in certain stones, caused by light reflecting off of parallel needle-like elements within the stone, this is the cat’s eye effect.  In addition, the chrysoberyl has a trait known as adularesence—a milky sheen or glowing light that seems to come from below the surface of the stone. The effect is caused by layers of orthoclase and albite that reflect and scatter light. The brooch measures 2” x 3/4” and weighs 10 grams. The chrysoberyl measures 3.25 mm. The six natural old cut diamonds measure 2.25 and equal .15 of a carat...

Era: Victorian Date: 1870s - 1880s Metal Content: 14k Yellow Gold Stone Information Natural Gold in Quartz Style: Bar Brooch Fastening Type: Hinged Pin and Covered C-Clasp Theme: ...

In very good condition. Total weight 7.1 grams. Totally about 1.90 carat diamond. The diamond has s1-s2-s3-Pique1-Pique2 clarity and H-I-J-K-L-Brown color. Acid tested to be 8k real gold. Original ottoman item...

Etruscan Revival Citrine Cameo and Pearl Gold Brooch, France circa 1870 Important brooch in the archaeological style, set with a golden yellow, detailed cut citrine cameo depicting ...

This beautiful antique Crescent Moon is 1870 ca Glorious Victorian workmanship made of solid 18 KT gold and Silver Set with 15 graduated in size old mine cut Diamonds and tiny rose cut Diamonds to complement, approx 3.10 Ct (H/I-SI/I) – lovely color contrast given by 15 untreated natural, mine cut, Rubies of gorgeous pastel color for 1.80 Ct. 34 mm. In diameter with fine condition throughout keeping with age Victorian Celestial...

Era: Victorian Date: 1870s - 1880s Metal Content: 14k Yellow Gold (brooch) & Gold Filled (backing) Material Information Enamel Color: Black & White Style: Tassel Dangle Brooch Cha...

In very good condition. Total weight is 5.8 grams. Totally is diamond about 0.60 ct. The diamond is has H-I-J color and s1-s2. Acid tested to be real 18k gold. Please contact for any...

This is one Mid-Victorian Brooch in 15k yellow gold that showcases the beautiful patina which has oxidized with time. Fine floral granulation work in the Etruscan revival style, hand...

Oval brooch/pendant in 18kt yellow gold, the center decorated with an onyx cameo depicting a Venus bust in profile wearing emerald and diamond highlight jew...

Antique 19th Century 9kt gold and silver 7.17 cts. of cushion-cut Aquamarine and 2.56 carats of old - European cut Diamonds brooch/pendant with safety chain. X-Ray tested positive f...

Brooch centering a cameo on bluish agate decorated with a profile of a woman wearing pearl jewelry. Frame in 18K gold With its original case. Good condition. Gross weight: 35.3 g Siz...

Antique Victorian sterling silver Scottish thistle brooch circa 1870 with amethyst and citrine topaz colour glass stone and thistle design. Not...

Flying Swallow This graceful Victorian Swallow brooch is 1870 ca Depicted with wings spread in flight, epitome of grace and beauty Expertly rendered by the Victorian masters of solid...

This divine example is 1870 ca and crafted of solid 18 KT gold displaying an array pod graduated cushion cut old mine Diamonds alternated by natura Red Rubies Approx 4.40 Ct of brigh...

18Kt (750°/°°) yellow gold victorian brooch featuring an upper element decorated with arabesques and foliage and three oval parts enhanced with blue enamel and each centered with a f...

Dropped From Sky Victorians were brimming with Symbolism, from clothes to tapestry, jewellery was no exception, Crescent moons symbolize the feminine moon goddess associated with fem...

This sparkling star is set with graduated old mine rose diamonds in silver backed onto 9 karat gold. This star would have been part of a set that could be converted into a hairpin or...

Ruffled oval brooch, which can form a collar watch holder, in 18kt yellow gold centered with a cameo on malachite depicting Cupid in profile, his head turned, holding his loose bow, ...

An antique shell cameo and gold brooch, featuring a conch shell cameo, carved with figures representing the Roman god Jupiter or the Greek god Zeus, with his eagle symbol and the Rom...

Massive 19th Century Silver Rose, hand crafted with extraordinary detailing by a fine jeweler of the period. 4.75" x 2". 1870's. French silver marks on hooks.

Massive Victorian Bear Cloak Clasp Brooch from the late 1800's. Large and dimensional, with beautiful detailing throughout. The bear has emerald past...

The Victorian Montrose Agate brooch is from 1860 to 1880 and is shown combined with a second Montrose agate brooch separately sold. I think Scottish agate is fascinating when stacked two together. Lovely luscious Montrose agate shows off its varieties of stripes in both the garter brooch and the deeper gray example. The garter is the symbol of the Royal Order of...

Stunning Convertible Diamond star Pendant / Brooch Set in 14K gold. Approximate 1.35 Carats of Old Mine cut diamonds. The back is fitted with a pin clasp and chain hoop, allowing you...

A Victorian, gold, Etruscan style suite, consisting of a pair of drop earrings and a matching brooch, with pendant fitting, circa 1875. The earrings measure 49 x 23mm. The pendant m...

Unusual and Elegant Victorian Carved Bone Riding or Hunting Brooch from the 19th Century. A hand carved hoof is entwined by a textured snake like crop moti...

Spilla a forma di ferro di cavallo in oro con lapislazzuli e piccole rosette di diamante, fine '800 circa. Dimensioni: 3.2 cm in altezza e 3 cm di larghezza

This fine size Greek revival brooch with articulated pendant was made around 1870 out of red and yellow 18 karat gold. The Jewel is decorated with 9 natural pearls. The pendant, in the shape of a stylized heart, can be worn seperately, it is fitted with a hinged locket...

Antique Circa 1875 Constructed of 18 Karat Yellow & Green Gold with Hand-Painted Enamel in Pastel shades --with every characteristic of a fine piece of Lalique porcelain...

An antique cameo brooch, with a hardstone sardonyx cameo of a lady, with a Roman hairstyle, on a brown background, in a double row gold frame, ...

Austrian carved agate cameo of Ceres. Magnificent neo classical piece, created in Vienna Austria back in the 1870. It was crafted in solid yellow gold of 18 karats and finished with textured and polished patterns. This piece feature 2 fabulous three-dimensional cameo pieces, carved from natural agate of two layers, with gradations of colors; from translucent orange brown to frosted white. The quality of the carvings are exceptional, with intricate thorough details. for example, the ear and the incised lines of the hair are magnificent. Embellished with applications of black enamel and fitted at the reverse with a hinged horizontal pin to be wear as a brooch and a bale to wear in a chain. Both carved agate cameos depicts young womans with a Greek profile...