General Information:
- Total Carat Weight: Professionally estimated by formula to be approximately 0.32 ctw (breakdown below)
- Total Precious Metal Weight: 1.74 dwt
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Precious Metal Material: 10k rose gold domed bezel
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Dimensions: 18.65 mm long (not including pin) x 14.92 mm wide x 5.15 mm deep (not including pin closure)
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Weight: A very nice 2.72 grams
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Markings: No markings present, but tests for 10k rose gold domed bezel; the yellower-gold toned ribbed ring between the outer rose gold bezel and the corals is unable to be tested given its location. It is possible that this is gilt or Pinchbeck (a very common, very high end alloy that was chemically crafted to be an identical alternative to high karat yellow gold). This pin is not personalized with a name or date as many mourning and sentimental jewels were.
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Era: This piece is believed to date to the late 18th century, placing it at circa 1780 according to stylistic and construction research. However, beyond what our years of collecting, dealing, learning and refining our expertise enable us to determine, we cannot ascertain a more precise date range or history than this without knowledge of the piece’s exact provenance.
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Buyer Notes: This pin is a precious reminder of the honoree whose brunette locks are so carefully plaited within. It is a petite scale, which tells us that it was designed to be safely fastened to extremely delicate material (silks and lace, etc.) at the bust of a woman’s garb. Today, many pins of this sort have been converted into charms, pendants or rings, changes for which this pin is certainly eligible. However, we have opted to leave this piece exactly as it was procured so as to respect and preserve its hand-fabricated and time-earned integrity. It boasts a warm patina and wear that characterizes its age and loving usage over the last 240 years. Its closed back settings, extremely antique age and the presence of hair under glass mean that it should not get wet and ought to be handled with care. It is a stunning memento that has survived generations.
Specifications:
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Center Stone Type: Coral
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Center Stone Count: Sixteen (16)
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Center Stone Dimensions: 1.70 mm each (Measured within setting so as to preserve the piece’s integrity)
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Center Stone Carat Weight: Professionally estimated by formula per the specific gravity of coral, 0.020 ct ea./0.32 ctw altogether
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Center Stone Shape: Cabochon
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Center Stone Color: Deep Salmon to Red-Orange
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Center Stone Clarity: Vitreous/waxy, which is characteristic of coral
The Story:
A delightfully delicate treasure, this late 18th century brooch dates to circa 1780, and was designed to be lightweight and petite enough to be fastened to a lady’s lace, cotton/linen, or silk fichu situated at her mid to upper bust. This little jewel is adorned with several concentric ovals of detailing, every element an intentional designation to a symbolic sentiment:
The outermost rose gold bezel shows linearly incised lines engraved at an angle at each of the four cardinal points. These signify purposeful direction, an assured path that conquers the disparity of death. Next, a decidedly more yellow gold-toned oval ring divides the rose gold bezel from the coral halo, and features a steady motif of ribbing that recalls the body of a snake. Serpents have been used in mourning pieces for centuries, such as the alchemistic ouroboros (snake eating its tail) which is a symbol of endless return, or infinity. Further inward, a ring of 16 coral cabochons are mounted within cut-down collet settings, a ‘prong’ style mounting that was used through the mid-Victorian years, oftentimes in closed-back jewelry such as this.
Coral was popular amongst 18th and 19th century wearers, as it held loads of meaning and was representative of the wearer’s wealth and relevance, given that coral was most often harvested in the Italian Mediterranean during the 1700s and 1800s. Today, of course, such harvesting is not legal, so any antique coral jewels are considered especially rare and important. Corals are believed to be protective agents against sickness and ill will, and when used in jewels like this, are representative of wisdom, joy and immortality. The corals in this pin show wear commensurate with the piece’s age and affectionate use, but are no less vibrant with earthy hues of red-orange. The corals’ organic striations are visible under magnification, and their subtly ranging colorations visible to the unaided eye. They are truly special relics of a bygone era, bygone customs and the departed who was so clearly adored.
Anchoring the piece at its center is an east-west oriented locket compartment comprised of a hand blown, handcut and hand-polished glazed top (glass) with a charmingly imperfect beveled edge that reveals its handcrafted origins. Beneath this glass center is a remarkable, intricately plaited hairwork piece tightly woven of a long-passed beloved’s brunette hair. While some clouding does exist, look carefully to take in the incredible artistry of table-worked hair, which was a Georgian and Victorian custom in sincerest reverence to a departed loved one. The domed back exhibits some dents and dings which is to be expected, and the piece retains its original tube hinge and open c-clasp that together display the age’s latest technology. While no personalization appears to the pin’s domed reverse, this piece is still a jewel of homage, whomever the honoree’s mysterious identity may be.
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General Information: All additional jewelry boxes, ring boxes, and other jewelry items pictured alongside a featured listing are considered props, are for photographic and display purposes only and are not included in the transaction unless otherwise noted. Items do not come with physical documentation, appraisals, or certifications, unless explicitly stated in the item description and/or title. While jewelry is inspected upon procurement by the shop as well as prior to shipment, Revival Fine Jewelry cannot guarantee a warranty once items leave our inventory, given the delicate and individual nature of secondhand articles and the unaccountability of buyer handling post-purchase.
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Regarding Brooches & Pins: Often significantly and curiously undervalued jewelry items, brooches, pins and stick pins are treasured pieces of history in this shop. Accordingly, their pricing is calculated analogous to other fine jewelry, including their symbolic meaning, rarity and historical prestige. Such pieces are typically converted to other forms of jewelry, and are therefore becoming increasingly rare in their original states. Aside from being perfectly wearable as sophisticated lapel ornaments, brooches and pins of all kinds are prime candidates for many kinds of fine jewelry conversions, including rings, earrings, pendants, and charms, if so desired by the consumer post-purchase. Revival Fine Jewelry does not perform conversion projects for customers.
Regarding Storage & Boxes: All specifications, including but not limited to the measurements, age, origins, and material compositions are supplied in good faith as professional estimations constructed using professional grade tools, years of learned and honed skills, educational resources and academic scholarship, and refined research methods. Regardless of our confidence in our descriptions and the photographs deemed viable extensions of these descriptions, we cannot guarantee the definitiveness, faultlessness, or exactitude beyond our knowledge and expertise. Kindly keep in mind that this and all items are sold as-is vintage, antique and estate secondhand wares, and consequently bear conditional wear in matter and operation commensurate with age and use.
More information on these, and more, topics may be found in the shop policies.
All layaway terms may be found here, and all shop policies may be found here.
Layaway is available for full priced, non-sale items priced $600.00 USD or greater, and items may not be combined to attain price-eligibility. Plans are offered as 3-month/90-day maximum terms.
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Request a layaway plan via email here. Remember to specify your desired item by providing its link, title or SKU/code.