British Brooches

One (1) 18 Karat Yellow Gold Brooch, with safty lock. Model: "CHICK". Set with two (2) cabuchon cut natural Sapphires = 0.12 ct. (no treatment) and with...

Rare Pair of Georgian REGARD Turtle Dove Brooches, ca. 1820s A symbolic and museum-collectable example of acrostic jewels, featuring two doves, mounted with various gemstones, where the gems spell out "regard" - (R)uby (E)merald (G)arnet (A)methyst (R)uby (D)iamond. The pieces are further accentuated with fine cannetille gold work throughout. About Acrostic Jewellery and Turtle Doves In acrostic jewels the first letter of each gemstone spells out a word. Typical examples are words of endearment like "adore", "dearest" and "regard". The utterly romantic trend of acrostic jewels began in the Georgian era and flourished throughout the Victorian period. It is believed that acrostic jewelry was first created by Jean-Baptiste Mellerio of the House of Mellerio, who started designing jewels with gems that spelled out “j’adore.” Napoleon Bonaparte admired Mellario’s acrostic designs and commissioned acrostic jewels for both Empress Josephine and his second wife, Empress Marie Louise. Secret messages of love encoded in gems went perfectly with the Georgian and Victorian love of romance and symbolic meanings. These sentimental jewels would have been gifted to lovers, family members, or even treasured friends. Further to being acrostic jewels, these doves also represent love and faithfulness, because they mate for life, work together to build nests and raise their young together. They are immortalized in literary and poetic works, such as the Old Testament, and artists like Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser...

Clown brooch by bespoke British designer Albion Craft Company set in ruby and sapphire in bimetal 18 carat yellow and white gold. British hallmarked London 1968, sponsor mark "AC.CO".

An Art Deco diamond and pearl circular brooch, the open circle set with graduated diamonds, one side set with three round old-cut diamonds suspending two lines of diamonds with brilliant-cut diamonds leading to a marquise-cut diamond attached to a pearl, the diamonds estimated to weigh 3.2 carats in total, all set in platinum, circa 1920, measuring approximately 4.6 x 2.8cm, gross weight 5.5 grams An Art Deco diamond and pearl brooch...

A Victorian diamond, blue enamel, and yellow gold brooch, set with five rose cut diamonds, with blue enamel, set in 9 karat yellow gold, with 9 karat yellow gold pin and fittings. T...

Graceful figural "musical note" pin. Sparkling diamonds set in an antique 9K yellow gold setting. 1 1/4" x 1/2." Lovely. Alice Kwartler has sold the finest antique gold and diamo...

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...

Edwardian belle époque stick pins Very delicate pair of stick pins, created in England during the Edwardian belle époque period, back in the 1910. These pieces has been crafted in y...

A Victorian gem-set butterfly brooch, the body set with old-cut diamonds, the wings embellished with rose and old-cut diamonds, emeralds and rubies, perched on a branch with rose-cut diamond-set leaves, all mounted in yellow gold, the detachable butterfly can be worn individually as a brooch, accompanied by associated fitting, circa 1880, unmarked, tested as 18ct gold, measuring 4.3 2.7cm, gross weight 10.8 grams. This antique brooch is in very good condition for its age. Unmarked, tested as 18ct gold. This colourful and bright Victorian butterfly brooch comes from the collection of Bentley and Skinner, the London jewellers by appointment to both Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. This brooch features a yellow gold floral branch set with sparkling rose-cut diamonds. Resting on the branch is a butterfly set with further rose-cut and old European cut diamonds and decorated with bright and vivid rubies and emeralds. This charming brooch...

Maple leaf design antique 14/15 carat yellow gold pin in the shape of a five corner leaf, detailed down to the ridges, edge, and stem. The leaf itself is 3 dimensional with the edges...

A Georgian, diamond, gold, and silver brooch, comprising forty-three old mine cut and rose cut diamonds, and one large pear cut diamonds, set in silver, with a yellow gold backing, f...

Regimental brooch set in 9ct gold with polychrome enamels - 7th Light Cavalry of the British Indian Army. 1930s circa. Highlights - 9ct gold and p...

Composed of a shovel, pick axe and nugget, and a late Victorian gold bar brooch, brooch length 5.4cm.

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...

A Moira design orange to yellow plique-a-jour enamel flower brooch, with a pavé set ruby centre, and diamonds set to the outer petal edges, with a millegrain edge. Mounted in gold, w...

An Edwardian diamond and ruby Star of David stick-pin, formed with an equilateral triangle-cut diamond estimated to weigh 0.25 carats, set between three triangular-cut rubies, all fi...

A granulated jewel of a brooch, set in 18kt soft toned gold, showcases a star of gleaming natural pearls on turquoise blue enamel. Layers and texture were created by the jeweler's ha...

An early Victorian flower broach, ca. 1860s, with big rosecut diamonds. The diamonds weigh circa 6-7 carats.

An Edwardian diamond-set buckle brooch and choker centrepiece, the rectangular shaped brooch consisted of a double openwork frame set with old European and rose-cut diamonds, with tw...

This wonderful Georgian gold lyre brooch is set with amethysts and has a little locket with a hinged lid. The lyre is the instrument of Apollo. In Greek an...

A Victorian natural pearl ruby and diamond bug brooch, the body with a baroque pearl, the legs embellished with emeralds and the wings with faceted ...

1945 Cartier London Exquisite Multicolor Sapphire Diamond Gold Brooch Similar to those in the Royal Collection of H.M Queen Elizabeth. An exquisite examp...

Shakudo were from Samurai’s ceremonial swords and sheaths. The last time these unique and works of art were used in the Japanese Samurai culture was in the late 1800’s, when the Samu...

Kutchinsky Squirrel Brooch in 18kt Gold, London, 1971 This charming and whimsical squirrel brooch is crafted from 18kt yellow gold, made by Kutchinsky in 1971, with a finely detaile...

An unusually large antique "Crescent Moon" motif brooch. Wow! To most antique jewelry lovers this brooch is exceptional. Made in the United Kingdom circa 1900, it is handmade in 15k ...

A Victorian pear rose cut diamond with blue sapphire and red ruby set in 14k gold and silver , the central rose cut pear diamond ( approximately ...

Sweet, edgy, and boho pin, creative and fun to wear, charming with this 9 carat yellow gold pin in fox head design. The fox head itself has incredible details, from its whiskers to i...

A Victorian pearl and diamond double heart brooch, each heart set with a natural saltwater oval button-shaped pearl to the centre of an old brillia...

Beautifully crafted in 15K Yellow Gold, this stunning Bar Brooch is Edwardian, i.e. dating from the turn of XX century Of elegant elongated design, it features 2 horizontal bars ...

Founded in 1866 by Sir Robert Inches and James Hamilton, Hamilton & Inches has been crafting high quality luxury jewelry in Edinburgh, Scotland, for well over a century up to the current day. They have been lauded for their skilled craftsmanship worldwide, including even the British royal family, having held a royal warrant for over 120 years as "His Majesty’s Clockmaker and Keeper and Dresser of His Majesty’s Clocks, Watches and Pendulums in Palaces and Houses in his Ancient Kingdom of Scotland” and retitled in 2010 as “Silversmiths and Clock Specialists to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”. Renowned for their exquisite jewelry, clockwork, giftwares, and even trophies and bespoke whiskey bottles, Hamilton & Inches is deeply ingrained in the UK's jewelry industry. A stunning diamond crescent pin...

Antique Cameo Brooch 9ct Rose Gold Stamped Circa 1900 A beautiful, Edwardian piece. Decorated with a pretty, shell cameo of a landscape scene with lovely palm trees, buildings & ...

An antique from the Victorian era in original condition, circa 1895. It features approximately 2 carats of round European cut diamonds along with smaller rose cut diamonds. They are ...

Large luxurious flower bouquet pin brooch Set in 9 carat yellow gold, stamped 375 and inscribed DJE Twenty one multicoloured semi-precious stones - ...

An 18 karat yellow gold, brownish green stone, enamel and diamond brooch, Elizabeth Gage. Designed as a bezel set brownish green stone carved in the form of a honeybee with black en...

A Victorian circular enamel and diamond brooch, the centre an enamelled lady's head with rose diamond detail, within a rose diamond border, mounted in 18ct yellow gold with a pierced gallery, circa 1860, measuring approximately 2.6cm in diameter, gross weight 5.7 grams. This brooch is in excellent condition. Unmarked, tested as 18ct gold with 14ct gold pin. This wonderfully expressive and detailed brooch comes from the collection of Bentley & Skinner, the London jewellers by appointment to both Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Created in the mid-Victorian era, this brooch exemplifies the Victorian craze for Ancient Egypt. In 1867, many Egyptian artifacts...

Brooch in 14 karat rose gold, and silver. Sublime brooch of the beginning of the 20th century, it is formed of patterns in arabesques, in lace, floral patterns and pampille in the geometrical lines, the whole decorated with antique rose- cut diamonds, antique- cut diamonds and sugar loaf- cut sapphires. The attachment system is a pin with safety. Height : 7,5 cm approximately, width : 4 cm approximately, thickness : 7,5 mm approximately. Total weight of the jewel : 13 g approximately. Antique jewel, authentic French work circa 1900. Our opinion : incredibly refined, this antique diamond and sapphire brooch...

This charming brooch pin has been crafted from 18 karat yellow gold and silver and then set with diamonds, turquoise and a single aquamarine. The 'starburst' or 'shining sun' type pi...

An Art Deco monochrome stylised floral brooch, circa 1925. The brooch is designed with a floral motif in the centre, set with old cut diamonds and accented with pieces of carved and ...

Antique Victorian Scotch Pebble & Silver Brooch Dated Circa 1880 The scotch pebble plaques are surrounded by bright cut engraved silver. The centre stone is a Citrine The outer circl...

A turn of the century ruby and diamond stick-pin, depicting Fleur-de-Lis encrusted with thirteen old European-cut diamonds, estimated to weigh 0.20 carats in total, and six round faceted rubies, estimated to weigh 0.10 carats in total, all mounted in platinum and yellow gold to a yellow gold pin, circa 1900, the jewelled part has indistinctive mark, measures approximately 1.4x1.25cm, the pin is 6.5cm long, gross weight 2.2 grams. This antique pin is in very good condition for its age. Unmarked, tested as 18ct gold and platinum with 9ct gold pin. This attractive ruby and diamond stickpin...

A Victorian pearl and diamond oval star pendant brooch, the central half-pearl with pair of old-cut and rose-cut diamonds surrounded by a row of half-pearls, framed by alternating ra...

A Victorian ruby, diamond and pearl heart brooch, the natural saltwater pearl measuring 10.1 x 8.5 x 7.1mm set to the centre, surrounded by a row of...

A demantoid garnet 15 karat yellow gold frog stick pin, circa 1950. This charming stick pin depicts a realistically modelled frog which is beautifully hand detailed to show the frog...

A sapphire, ruby, diamond and enamel brooch by Giuliano, with a central round brilliant-cut diamond, flanked by a round faceted ruby to one side and a round faceted sapphire to the ...

Showcasing an antique diamond encrusted brooch accented with square cut blue sapphires. Diamonds weigh 8.00 carats total while the blue sapphi...

E Wolfe & Company Handmade 18 carat Yellow and White Gold Diamond, Sapphire, Tsavorite Garnet and Ruby Brooch. This Kingfishers brooch has been handm...

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...

A beautiful example of Victorian craftsmanship, this antique cameo brooch features a finely carved portrait of a Grecian woman in profile. The delicate carving is set into a soft pea...

Stunning multigem brooch by Asprey from their Chaos series. The crescent shaped brooch consists of 6 carats of blue topaz; 1.7 carats of peridot; 1.65 ...

Authentic 1850's antique Victorian 15k yellow gold (tested) and turquoise brooch and earrings set. Exceptional handmade set Etruscan Revival style, brooch measures 3 1/8 inches long ...

A fine Georgian gold and enamel hair art mourning pin. Memorializing Isaac Shakespeare (possibly a William Shakespeare descendent). With braided hair behind glass in a worked gold setting with a black enamel band. The enamel band has gold lettering that reads: IN MEMORY OF *. The dedication on the reverse reads: Isaac Shakespeare Died 14...

A Victorian round gold brooch with twin heart motif, one set to the centre with a cabochon-cut emerald , the other with a cabochon-cut ruby, both wit...

Victorian silver and 9kt gold plated back, horse brooch with rose cut diamonds and cabochon ruby. Made in England, Circa 1860's. X - ray been tested positive for 9kt. gold and silver...

Description A delightful elephant ballerina brooch by E.Wolfe & Co. 2021, the finely modelled elephant in 18ct yellow gold with semi-matte finely textured finish wearing a diamond set tutu and depicted leaping through the air with arms thrown wide, clutching a rose in one hand, the eyes set with sapphire cabochons and with single pin brooch fitting to the reverse. This utterly charming little brooch is full of personality and vigour and is imbued with a real sense of movement, from the rippling tutu to the trunk held aloft and the flapping ears this is an elephant having great fun! Reminiscent of the dancing elephants in Walt Disney’s Fantasia...

Antique 15ct Yellow Gold Turquoise and Rose Cut Diamond Bar Brooch truly exquisite and detailed diamond and turquoise brooch The item com...

You can't help but admire this attractive antique Edwardian era 9ct gold cameo brooch. A nicely carved bullmouth shell cameo depicting Nyx the Greek goddess and personification of n...

A 19th century aquamarine and garnet snake brooch/pendant, fine and elaborate chased gold finish to the body with chain,set with oval-shaped aquamarines and cabochon garnets, with r...

Length: 4.8 cm, width: 1.2cm. Biggest pearl 7mm diameter Unmarked, tested as 18ct gold weight: 5.3g A pretty Victorian Natural Pearl brooch that was made circa 1880. It is set wit...