French Victorian Bar Brooch with Bejewelled Beetle in Garnet, Ruby and Diamonds

French, circa 1860, a Victorian bar brooch in 18 carat warm yellow gold, centred by a jewelled beetle. The wing covers are formed by two domed garnets of deep wine colour, while the thorax is set with rose cut diamonds and tiny senailles in a silver top. Ruby eyes give a sly, alert expression, and a single pearl finial softens the line of the bar. With the wing cases eased open, it feels less pinned than briefly persuaded to stay.

Jewellery Type
brooch

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
France

Style
Victorian - Victorian decorative arts refers to the style of decorative arts during the Victorian era. The Victorian era is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and Interior decoration. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in a regrettable excess of ornament. The Arts and Crafts movement, the aesthetic movement, Anglo-Japanese style, and Art Nouveau style have their beginnings in the late Victorian era.
See also: Victorian
more info on styles

Period
ca. 1860
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Mother Nature

Theme
beetle

Material 18K
warm yellow gold (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Diamonds
Fourteen rose cut diamonds and senailles . A senaille is a simplified rose cut diamond, a small diamond chip with perhaps a few polished facets. We do not have the weight of the rose cuts diamonds nor the senailles which is normal in our trade when it comes to rose cut diamonds and senailles.

- All diamonds, regardless of their size or shape, in our vintage and antique jewellery are verified as 100% natural by the IJGC laboratory.

Precious stones
Two garnet
Two rubies . We did not check if the rubies are lab produced or not as this information has no influence on the value of this jewel. Natural rubies and lab produced rubies were both used in this era, rather more for their effect than for their intrinsic value.
One pearl

Birthstones
Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April, ruby for July garnet for January and pearl for June.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
The French control mark for 18K gold representing an eagle's head that was in use in France from about 1838.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
5,34 cm (2,10 inch) x 1,88 cm (0,74 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
8,20 gram (5,27 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
26050-0148

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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