Antique Vintage Victorian 18k Gold Lovers Knot Etruscan Seed Pearl Pin Brooch

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Antique Vintage Victorian 18k Gold Lovers Knot Etruscan Seed Pearl Pin Brooch:
$153.50

SPECIALIZING IN FINE ANTIQUE VINTAGE JEWELRY & COLLECTIBLES

The History

This beautiful brooch was made during the Victorian Period! The Victorian Period is famous for its very rare & elegant hard to find designs! Queen Victoria was the ruling monarch for this time period (1837-1901) hence the name (Victorian).

The GrandTour was the standard European vacation of the Georgian and Victorian eras. Theopportunity it gave for studying culture, architecture and art made it atradition, especially for the upper classes. And what better souvenir of thislong trip than pieces of native souvenir jewelry such as Italian cameos, mosaicand pietra dura pieces. Pieces often also had historical inspirations from theremnants of Pompeii to the pyramids of Egypt, cultural learning was a focalpoint of the grand tour, the process of remembrance spilled over into jewelrysouvenirs.

EtruscanRevival Jewelry was known for the clean and elegant simplicity of ancient Greekand Roman design and detailed by granulation and scrolled wire work. MasterItalian goldsmiths, such as Castellani, were famous for their work in thisstyle. Other Etruscan Revival pieces, include cameos of carved lava, hardstoneor shell, in yellow gold, which were detailed with scenes from classicmythology or jewelry created in micro-mosaic and pietra dura. Gods andgoddesses, nymphs and warriors, were all prevalent as well as motifs consistingof grapes, vines, swags and garlands.

Seed pearls occur naturally andwere used as a decorative border, as tiny accents in small patterns, or inlarger clusters woven together to make up an entire piece of jewelry. They wereimported from India and China, and carried a hefty price tag due to this. SeedPearl jewelry was used often for special occasions such as weddings, Mary ToddLincoln received a seed pearl parure for Lincoln\'s inauguration.

In 1724,French jewel designer Georges Frédéric Strass came up with “paste,” a kind ofleaded glass that he cut and polished with metal powder until it appeared toshimmer like a diamond in the light. These white “diamante” or “strass” were ahit with glamorous Parisian high society.

The knothas been an emblem of love and constancy of the lover’s bond, as the patternusually has no discernible beginning or end point (similiar to infinitydesigns). Tracing the roots of the love-knot pattern reveals no specificbeginning either, as it has been found in Celtic artwork, ancient Egyptiancarved sculptures, and ancient Greek jewelry. The design is also known as themarriage or Hercules knot, and thought of as a protective amulet in Greece andRome. It was also incorporated into protective girdles worn by brides, which isa likely origin for the phrase “tie the knot”. In medieval and renaissancetimes, the lover’s knot was used as a love token.

The paste stonedoes include some wear.

The Piece

The brooch includes a beautiful round faceted green paste stone in the center of the brooch set into a buttercup setting. Also inset in the brooch are two beautiful small Seed Pearls.

The piece features classic Victorian Era handmade craftsmanship throughout including a beautiful Lovers knot design with gorgeous granulated Etruscan themed beads on parts of this gorgeous brooch. The actual lovers Knot and metal work includes hand blown and hammered repousse patterns to create this masterpiece.

This brooch can have a bale added to be worn as a pendant, or worn on a scarf as well.

The brooch measures 1 and 3/4\" by 3/4\". It includes an old style C clasp on the backside as well.

Antique and Vintage jewelry is disappearing at alarming rates. Unfortunately, most of the jewelry from this time period has been lost or melted down over the years, please don\'t miss your chance to own this special piece of history!

Display items do not come with purchase, item only, unless otherwise noted.

Age CircaAntique C. 1870Accent StonePasteMarkingsUnmarked, TestedMain Stone Carat Weight/Color/ClarityWhiteGram Weight2.4Accent Stone Carat Weight/Color/ClarityGreenMetal TypeYellow GoldStone CutsRound, Round FacetedMetal Purity18kSizable by Your Local Jeweler--Ring Size--Item MeasurementsSee DescriptionMain StoneSeed pearlNo Questions Asked 30 Day Return PolicyYES! Always

*Due to the age of some of these pieces, some items will not be stamped. The National Stamping Act was not enacted until 1906, before 1906 jewelry was not legally required to have a karat mark. This is one way to date items prior to the Art Nouveau time period.

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*****COLORADO RESIDENTS ARE SUBJECT TO SALES TAX. PLEASE WAIT FOR AN UPDATED INVOICE BEFORE PAYING FOR YOUR ITEMS.If you pay the invoice that doesn?t have sales tax added, we will have to cancel your transaction and you will have to resubmit payment on the correct invoice. Thank you for your cooperation.

All packages are sent via USPS First Class Insured Mail unless another shipping option is chosen by the buyer. Buy It Now items ship for free (domestically). Shipping on sale items is priced as follows:

Gold: $8.00 + $1.00 per additional gold item & silver items combine for free
Silver: $4.00 + $1.00 per additional gold item & silver items combine for free

On Oct-16-16 at 18:54:32 PDT, seller added the following information:

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