Antique Brooch With Seed Pearls in Gold, Great Britain c. 1900

Celestial bodies are a recurring motif in the jewellery of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Suns, moons, stars, even comets: Sometimes they sparkle coolly in the light of large diamonds in silver, sometimes they gleam in the warm luster of pearls in gold, and now and again they are joined by coloured gemstones. However, it is rare to see two of these motifs combined. In this brooch, a narrow crescent moon winds its way through the rays of a glistening sun. The materials used absorb the light of the two celestial bodies: The pearls shine soft and cool like the moon, while the gold radiates the warm glow of the sun. In fact, both materials are also culturally and historically linked to the respective celestial bodies. In the Middle Ages, it was said that the shell would rise to the surface of the sea at night and receive the pearl through the pure, white rays of the moon. The sun, on the other hand, is the classic symbol of gold in alchemy. We were able to discover the beautiful brooch in London. It is a wonderfully preserved antique accessory of the kind that boomed on the island c. 1900.

Estimate:$1,338.2

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