Floral Brooch with Diamonds and a Natural Pearl in Silver on Gold, c. 1890

Of all the motifs that jewellery sometimes takes on, none are quite as steeped in tradition and yet as flattering as those drawn from the world of flora. Even the ancient Greeks adorned themselves with real flowers, but they also transformed their fleeting beauty into real gold: Hellenistic floral wreaths are among the most beautiful creations of ancient goldsmithing. No era in the history of jewelry—no matter how much it leaned toward abstraction—has done without the floral motif entirely. This brooch was created in the late 19th century and illustrates the era’s preference for white, sparkling diamond jewellery. The setting itself—the metalwork—takes a complete back seat here: it is the impression created by the countless sparkling diamonds that is meant to dominate the design. For the loosely arranged, natural-looking bouquet is studded all over with small diamond roses that do not stand out in color from the silver of the setting—but certainly do through their shimmering play of light. A single, natural saltwater pearl—the kind that still had to be retrieved by divers in those days—is set as the pistil of the open flower. Only the underside is crafted in gold, as was customary at the time. We discovered this beautiful brooch in London. It was likely made in Great Britain as well: in an elegant salon of the late Victorian era, it would certainly have been met with admiration.

Estimate:$2,125.38

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