Victorian fox head stickpin in 14K red gold, silver mask and rose cut diamonds

Victorian fox head stickpin, Grand Victorian period, circa 1880, in 14K red gold with a silver modelled mask. The alert muzzle and pricked ears are set with rose cut diamonds, their foil backing lending a soft, candlelit glitter, and finished with two small red cabochons for eyes. A witty, well observed nature motif, light on the lapel yet unmistakably of its era.

Jewellery Type
pin/brooch

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
unknown

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

Style specifics
The Grand Victorian Period - Experts divide the reign of Queen Victoria, also called The Victorian era (1837 - 1901) into three periods of about twenty years each; The Romantic Victorian Period (1837 - 1860), The Grand Victorian Period (1860 - 1880), and the Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period (1880 - 1901).

We consider this to be of the Grand Victorian Period.

This second Victorian period is famous for its ostentatious pieces set with pearls and diamonds (from South Africa). From ca. 1850 wealthy English had reported about jewelry from India and Japan, which heavily inspired the jewelers of this period. This period also corresponds with the death of Queen Victoria's husband King Albert making mourning jewelry (set with heavy dark stones) the type of jewelry specific for this period.

Period
ca. 1880
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Mother Nature

Theme
fox head

Material 14K
red goldand details in silver (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Technique
The rose cuts are set on foil. This is a special technique that was used to bring the lustre of the diamonds to its best quality.

Diamonds
28 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 cabochon
All color stone weights are approximate since stones are not removed from their mounts to preserve the integrity of the setting.
It is a very common practice to treat gemstones to intensify their clarity or colour. The item in question has not been tested in this regard.

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

Hallmarks
No trace.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
Fox head 1,10 cm (0,43 inch) x 0,78 cm (0,31 inch), total length pin 4,00 cm (1,57 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
3,50 gram (2,25 dwt)

26019-0131

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

Additional information
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