14ky Seed Pearl & Black Enamel Brooch

Sourced from our Estate collection

Sophisticated and elegant - this simple brooch is a timeless piece. Accent your hat, scarf, blazer or any other accessory that is deserving.

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~~$1,400.00 (CAD)~~

now$700.00 (CAD)

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Estate pieces are exchange only.

Details

Material

14k Yellow Gold

Stones

Seed Pearls & Black Enamel

Outer Diameter

28.56mm

Weight

4.07g

Condition

Very Good for Age.

Want to try it on? Come visit us at Halifax, NS

Created:2025/11/26 13:39

About

Victorian Era

(1837 - 1901)

This beautifully elegant era got its name from Queen Victoria, who reigned over Britain at the time. Best known for its motives inspired by nature and easily recognized for its use of snakes, birds and flowers. However, the era is most popularly known for the influence that Queen Victoria’s mourning period had on the world of fashion and Jewellery after the passing of both her mother and husband in the same year.

The Victorian Era consisted of three distinct periods. The Romantic Period, which spans from 1837 to 1861. This period took inspiration from the Renaissance, the Middle Ages and the natural world using delicate, intricate designs.

Gold was the standard material used in jewellery, and was often twisted into serpents, trees, lotus flowers and birds. Moving into the Grand Period (1861-1885), jewellery pieces took on a bolder design. Lockets took over as casual day wear along with brooches, bracelets and earrings. Mourning jewellery, often made with the hair of a deceased loved one, became popular after the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Queen Victoria took to wearing pieces such as mourning lockets, jet, and various other black jewellery while mourning.

The Aesthetic Period takes us from 1885 to the end of the Victorian Era in 1901. With women becoming more involved within the world of business, politics, and sports, they wore much less jewellery. Instead, they opted for accessories that would keep their hands free such as lorgnettes, watches, and long chains to hold their coin purses. When jewellery was worn, the items were much lighter to fit their active lifestyle. Motifs such as hearts, bows, horseshoes, and crescents were prevalent in the Aesthetic Period. In 1901, Queen Victoria’s passing brought an end to the era.

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Pearl - Calcium Carbonate

Developed inside the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk, pearls are hard and lustrous. First used as jewellery in 420 BC, the sarcophagus of a Persian Princess from that time was found wearing a fragment of pearl jewellery. Although round is considered the preferred shape, pearls come in a multitude of silhouettes. Baroque pearls are irregular, non-spherically shaped and make up most of the cultured freshwater pearls we find today. There are four main cultured pearl varieties. Akoya pearls are saltwater pearls that are white or cream with some hints of pink and green. Tahitian pearls are saltwater pearls that range in colour from eggplant purple, peacock green, metallic grey and greyish blue. They are found in Tahiti and generally range from 7-12mm. South Sea pearls are saltwater pearls that can come in a variety of silver, white or golden and are commonly sourced along the northwest coast of Australia. Ranging from 8-16mm, they have been known to reach up to 20mm. Freshwater pearls are typically cultured in lakes and ponds and come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colours. Pearl is the birthstone for June and ranks between 2.5-4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.

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