1870s Brooches

The cameo in addition to being a beautiful brooch is important to both Christians and people of the Jewish faith. For Christians it signifies Jesus' sacrifice. For Jews it is the Fir...

A captivating Victorian-era antique brooch, circa 1870, centered with a finely executed hand-painted miniature of Cupid in quiet contemplation, gazing upon a portrait of his beloved ...

This charming brooch with a miniature painting depicting amor was created in 1870 ca. The miniature painting shows cupid holding a light in his left hand. In his right hand he is hol...

Massive and exceptional 19th Century Paste Sword Jabot Brooch from the l9th Century. Designed likely for a heavy cloak or cape set in sterling with pastes ...

Period: XX century Dimensions: 2.90 x 2.80 cm Carats: 4,50 total cts Weight: 5,75 gr This brooch dating back to the beginning of the 20th century stands out for the presence of bril...

Unusual Victorian Butterfly Wing Stickpin set in 14k gold. Mid 19th Century with a small moth or butterfly caught under glass with an iridescent blue butterfly wing back ground. Supe...

This versatile piece of jewellery can be worn as a pendant or brooch. The pendant loop is on a hinge that can be folded in and out. The rose diamonds are set in silver and backed ont...

Charming 19th C. Egyptian Revival Micro Mosaic Brooch circa 1870's, Italy. Designed as a micromosaic of a pharaoh head set in 14k setting of gold bead and twisted wirework. Very fine...

Exceptional 19th C. Egyptian Revival Micro Mosaic Brooch circa 1870's, Italy. Designed as a micromosaic of a pharaoh head set in 14k setting of gold bead and twisted wirework. Incred...

Highly unusual handmade Victorian snake stickpin in 14K gold with lovely detailing. A fully formed snake is wrapped around a pear shaped faceted rock cr...

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...

14k yellow gold brooch set with Coral - size 2.4 cm diameter detailed description: The diameter of the brooch is approximately 2.4 cm by 1.0 cm high weight: 5.4 grams set with ...

Antique 1880s large rare engraved shell cameo 14k gold brooch decorated with natural green emerald estimate 1 carat topped with 1 diamond brooch is made in Europe 1880s hall marked ...

DETAILS • unsigned • gold tone with glass • vintage designer brooch MEASUREMENTS • CONDITION • very good vintage condition with minimal signs of wear Sku 44 ❤️❤️ VINT...

Period: Late 19th century. Dimensions: 5.5 cm x 3 cm. Weight: 13.6 gr. A rose gold brooch and pendant, adorned with an oval cameo on agate representing a richly dressed woman, with...

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, ...

Brooch with a cameo on agate in an oval decoration punctuated with rubies, white pearls and black enamel. 18K yellow gold frame. French work. Original box. Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.80 cm....

A stunning, fine and impressive antique Victorian 4.64 carat diamond and 9 karat yellow gold, silver set brooch; part of our diverse antique diamond jewelry collections. This stunni...

Charming Victorian Painted Miniature Brooch with a surround of half pearls. A finely painted miniature watercolor of a young child playing a harp in t...

A Victorian enamel, porcelain, and yellow gold brooch, comprising a circular porcelain panel, painted with enamel, in 9 karat yellow gold. My favourite thing about this Antique 9K Yellow Gold Spaniel Brooch...

Antique Archaeological Victorian Etruscan revival pin /brooch with beautiful details . Pin front features exceptional quality of the granulation and filigree wirework with enamel work in between (enamel is in red ,turquoise blue and red color) .Back has a old "C" clasp . Pin is extremely well maid Although not marked /signed it is in the same school of a Castellani style piece....a similar examples can be seen "Castellani and Giuliano...

A Victorian moonstone, diamond, enamel, silver and yellow gold brooch, comprising two round cabochon moonstones, three rose cut diamonds, and bi-colour enamel, in silver and 18 karat...

A Victorian yellow gold, diamond, and enamel brooch, comprising three rose cut diamonds, and hand painted enamel, in 18 karat yellow gold, with silver pin. This exquisite Victorian...

10k yellow gold branch brooch with coral Detailed description the size of the brooch is 3.8 cm by 3.1 cm wide and 1.8 cm high weight 8.9 grams set with - 15 x various sizes flow...

Antique lily of the valley diamond brooch in 18 karat gold and silver. Large brooch featuring two inwardly curved lily of the valley sprigs, held together by a knot. The entire brooc...

The central plaque decorated with a polychrome enamel female deity gazing the dove on the pearl paviment. Under the scene we can find a snake. Width 4.5cm

Extraordinarily cool 19th Century "Secret Lover" Brooch with locket fitting. Most likely French in manufacture, this exquisitely crafted brooch is the work of a master jeweler of the period. The detailing is extraordinary and can only be appreciated with the aid of a loupe. A photo or ivory miniature of a loved one (possibly secret) was inserted into the locket from the back. A mechanical fan...

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 ...

Exceptional Edwardian Corsage Ornament set in silver with pastes. Lovely design with central motif held by 3 sets of paste and faux pearl set swag chains, hanging off sword hilt...

Lovers of Scottish Jewelry unite and cheer this sterling silver large dirk set with moss agate bloodstone and carnelian, topped by a beautiful prism s...

A Victorian pearl, enamel, and yellow gold brooch, comprising one round pearl, and white enamel accents, in 14 karat yellow gold. This outstanding Victorian brooch is set to the ce...

A lozenge shaped frame is covered with black enamel and decorated with white enamel dots. On the outer side of the lozenge are four silver scrolls set with turquoise cabochons. Two a...

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...

Victorian Persian Turquoise and Seed Pearl Dove from the late 19th Century. Pave turquoises and pearls are used to decorate the dove in fli...

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...

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...

A stunning, fine and impressive antique Victorian 5.50 carat diamond, 9 karat white gold and silver set brooch; part of our diverse antique jewellery collections. This stunning, fin...

Charming and Rare Tiffany Carved Labradorite Frog 18K Stick Pin from the late 19th Century. The stone has been cleverly chosen and beautifully carved to reflect the blueish green iri...

Highly unusual handmade Victorian snake stickpin in 14K gold with lovely detailing. A fully formed snake is wrapped around a pear shaped faceted rock cr...

Lovely 19th Century Diamond and Carbuncle Garnet Beetle. Realistically modeled with large cabochon garnet set in high gold prongs with body elements all ...

Details: Really cool antique Italian micro mosaic brooch with a Greek mythological phoenix bird. The phoenix rises out of her ashes...

Victorian Topaz Pendant Brooch set in 10k gold. Simple, elegant design of oval and round sherry colored topazes set into almost invisible crow...

14k yellow gold brooch/pendant with coral and onyx – 18.0 grams detailed description: the dimensions of the brooch/pendant are 5.0 cm long by 4.2 cm wide weight 18.0 grams set w...

Wonderful Victorian Snake on naturally formed tooth pearl brooch. Highly unusual, lovely design and quality. Snakes represented the eternity of love...

Here we have a captivating brooch dating back to the late Victorian period. This highly detailed piece has been crafted from a harmonious blend of 18ct yellow gold and silver to form...

An Etruscan revival micro-mosaic brooch This is an exceptional little brooch created in Rome Italy during the Victorian (1840-1901) era, back in the 1880. The brooch was masterfully...

14k yellow gold brooch set with coral Detailed description The brooch measures 3.2 cm high and 2.5 cm wide Total weight: 7.6 grams Set with: - 1 x 2.5 cm x 1.7 cm oval cabochon-...

This magical Victorian diamond gold silver brooch is no chicken feed. With three adorable diamond chicks vying for their golden food, this one-of-a-ki...

Victorian Seed Pearl and Turquoise Bug crawling up a staff capped with a solitary pearl. Beautifully rendered in 3D with realistic insect anat...

This exquisite flower brooch is designed as a flower stalk with a flower in full bloom, two flower buds and leaves. The blooming flower is made out of twenty petals set entirely with...

14k gold with 925 silver brooch set with rose cut diamond to. 0.50ct G/HSI Detailed description the brooch is 1.5 cm high and 6.3 cm wide total weight: 7.1 grams occupied with: ...

A very unusual and rare Victorian brooch modelled as a fish, dating from the 1870s. The body is formed from a large natural baroque pearl with strong lustre, while the tail, fins, an...

Charming Victorian Fox Stickpin from the 19th Century of hand painted porcelain set in a gold filled surround. 3" length, Porcelain .75" x .65".

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...

A Victorian 14k rose gold rose-cut diamond spider pin, set with a single rectangular shape emerald and natural pearl abdomen. Circa 1860. The spider's legs are set with 74 rose-cut...

Unusual angelskin coral brooch form the late 19th Century of a Neoclassical maiden flanked by 2 grotesque figures. Beautifully hand carved with ...

We are delighted to offer this exquisite antique Victorian 14ct gold and enamel brooch made c.1870. The brooch features a fabulous target/bullseye design with a striking colour comb...

A stunning, fine and impressive antique 0.49 carat diamond and 0.02ct ruby, 9 karat yellow gold, silver set swallow and crescent brooch; part of our collection of Victorian jewelry. ...

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...

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...