Antique diamond flower brooch in gold and silver, circa 1840
A flower from circa 1840, its pointed petals traced with rose-cut diamonds around an old mine cut centre. Red gold backs the delicate silver setting, while a screw attachment on the reverse hints at an earlier life within a larger jewel. Now a brooch, this small diamond blossom carries both the Romantic period’s affection for nature and an intriguing glimpse of its own past.
Jewellery type: Diamond flower brooch.
Condition: Very good condition with light wear consistent with age.
Country of origin: unknown.
Style:
Romanticism.
The radiating flower, with pointed petals and delicate open spaces between the diamond settings,
reflects the early nineteenth-century taste for ornaments inspired by nature.
A central old mine cut diamond gives focus to the surrounding rose-cut diamonds,
which follow the contours of the flower.
Period: circa 1840.
Source of inspiration: Nature.
Theme: A stylised flower in full bloom.
Material: 18K red gold backing, touchstone tested, with silver diamond settings.
Technique: Silver-on-gold construction with pierced openwork,
giving the diamond-set flower a light, open outline.
Additional information:
The brooch fitting is attached to the reverse by a screw mechanism.
This suggests that the flower once formed part of a larger jewel,
offering an intriguing indication of its earlier use.
The original arrangement has not been established.
Diamonds:
One central old mine cut diamond, with an estimated weight of 0.18 carats,
colour F–H and clarity VS–SI.
The diamond weight, its colour and clarity are approximate, as the stone was assessed in its setting
and was not removed for grading or weighing.
Sixty-one rose-cut diamonds, arranged around the centre and throughout the petals.
We individually screened every diamond in this brooch using the EXA Natural Diamond Detector developed by Magilabs;
each test returned a natural-diamond result.
Total diamond weight: Approximately 0.18 carats, excluding the 61 rose-cut diamonds.
Rose-cut diamonds are traditionally described by number rather than by estimated weight, colour or clarity.
Their irregular proportions, often compounded by closed settings,
make reliable weight estimation and standard grading impracticable while mounted.
Traditional gemstone associations:
Diamonds are traditionally associated with April and symbolise enduring love and strength.
Hallmarks: No traces of hallmarks were found.
Dimensions: 26.7 × 28.4 mm (1.05 × 1.12 in).
See photograph with a millimetre scale.
Weight: 6.7 g
Adin Reference Nº: 26260-00088
Photography © Adin Fine Antique & Vintage Jewellery.
