19thc Etruscan Revival 14k Gold Brooch Set With Carved Coral and Silver Colored Seed Pearls. The pillow shaped concave sided brooch has an open-work gold wire border. The top has a gold filigreed wire with engraving in a scrolling design. The border is set with four, floral carved coral blossoms and the four corners are mounted with silver colored natural seed pearls. The sides have tapered free moving bullet shaped gold drops. Centering the brooch is a carved coral, sleeping putti. The warm burnished glow in the deep yellow gold was the result of a technique called bloomed gold. The brooch has a high carat gold wash (22-24 kt) over the 14 kt gold. Bloomed gold is the use of alloy deletion leaving a pure gold surface. This is a different look than gold plating as it leaves a beautiful frosted effect. These techniques were used and developed by the Etruscan's. The Etruscans were master metal smiths and mined various ores including iron, tin, copper, silver, and gold and became famous for their metalworking. Italians have harvested coral...
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Etruscan Revival Brooches
MaterialsCoral, Natural Pearl, 14k Gold