Featured Baroque pearl brooch

I purchased this brooch on the same foray that I found the necklace I just posted. Although a bit distressed it has a lot going on I think. Baroque fresh water pearls, plique a jour leaves (?), trombone clasp; the pin is gently curved to follow the design. I believe the gold bits are at least 14k (maybe 18k) except for the flower mounting (plated I think). And could those be rubies in the center????? One is sadly missing. This piece is about 2 3/4" long and the flower is 1 1/2" in diameter. Any thoughts to age, maker, place of origin? As always, thanks for looking!

 

With the T-hinge on the pin, I'd guess late 1800s, but I'm not an expert by any means. Fascinating brooch!

 

Thanks! And I did not consider the construction of the hinge! Now I have one more piece of info...

 

WOW! Mississippi dog tooth river pearls used as petals, Tiffany made a chrysanthemum with that


Right for plique à jour, a little damaged (I'd love to repair them), the flower mount is plain gold too, only had a blob of soft solder to block it from rattling...
Center stones surely have the colour of rubies, if you have an UV torch you may check if they fluoresce (ruby does, garnets don't)
Trombone clasp begun in 1890, combined with the rounded thick tube hinge, I'd say between 1900/1910

Henri Vever, 1900


For sale for $775:
https://picclick.com/Victorian-10k-...pearl-diamond-chrysanthemum-253582507805.html

Etsy, sold, dated 1910

 

Wenna, yours is Very Nicely Elegant!!!!!

 

Fantastic comparable pieces Kyra. What an intriguing piece, Wenna! Beautiful.

 

Beautiful pieces. Thanks for the information. I learn something new every day here.

 

@kyratango I checked with a black light and they glowed a deeper richer color. Is that what you mean?

 

Yes, they should fluoresce like you're looking into a demon's eyes.
That probably means Burmese rubies, the best. Most rubies don't fluoresce.
I'm with kyra on everything, great info kyra.

 

Here is what flourescence in Burmese rubies looks like:


If yours fluoresce more orange, they are still rubies, but from another region. And as I said, some don't fluoresce, it depends on how the ratio chromium oxide to iron oxide in the stone is. More chromium oxide gives that beautiful red fluorescence.

 

The focus great but here it is with black light

 

Good shot, wenna!
Color could have been of rhodolite garnet, but the UV test says rubies to me and... Agree with AJ, not Burma

On this test, the 3 stones on the left are garnets...


Beware, SYNTHETIC ruby fluoresce too (this is a silver and pastes clasp):

 

Ceylon/Sri Lankan rubies can fluoresce orange, so these could still be rubies, but from a different region.

 

UMMMM.....slightly off topic, but how long has PicClick.com been around??? Sure is new to ME!!! And sure seems easier to navigate than eboo unless one wants to buy!!!!

 

Am I the only one thinking the pin could have been made in New Orleans? If those are Mississippi pearls it would be the logical place. They certainly had jewelers who could handle the job. It also appears to have something like a trombone clasp, and most of those are continental European. A French-trained New Orleans Jeweler might have used one too.

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments! I did get this checked out. All the gold parts are 18k and those are indeed tiny rubies in the center!!! Now to figure out what the heck to do with it...

 

@wenna I'm willing to help you getting rid of it
Or at least repair the plique a jour leaves!

 

Nice find
good eye
& fer now....enjoy the hell out of it.....maybe even wear it !!!!