Featured Mourning brooch, poor thing

It’s had a hard time, two brackets broken off holding in the stone, lumps of solder. I think it’s gold apart from the pin assembly and was originally a pendant. 40mm long.
The piece would have to be worn with the pin hinge at the top now though rather than the side to show the forget me not growing upwards. Victorian or older, I can’t make up my mind, I thought maybe it was an Victorian alteration to a brooch from an older pendant, also would anyone know if is this a difficult and expensive repair to have done, the gold is very thin? Thanks for any help.

 

It is very beautiful, House, in spite of its state.
It looks ca 1840s to me, with the repair done in the late 19th century.

I am a bit confused by the black patches. Could it be gold-plated silver? Or are the black patches on the gold?

 

The two black patches are random lumps of solder AJ, here’s a pic that show this better. I can’t see any reason why there are there. The other discoloured bits on the right near the hinge is I think where the pendant bale was removed. Quite a clumsy job. I think it might really wreck it to get it back to being a pendant again but I’ve never been involved in jewellery making so not sure. Probably best to leave it to remain a brooch and get two new brackets made.

 

I'm going to suggest that the pin...and catch, are old add ons .

the gold slab where the pin is mounted interferes with two of the tiny sliding pin barrels to such a point that they would not have been required if the brooch was originally made that way.
Those two solderings seem to support a gold rim that looks damaged all the way round.....but specially there, where u can see one of the barrels has been torn away leaving the rim broken....

The two missing front brackets support my theory that this wonderful brooch ... has been ...played with ....repaired.....altered......a lot !

 

Poor thing's been messed with early and often.

 

I've had quite a tiny Victorian brooch altered to add a "c" shaped hidden bale on the back with no problem, but on mine the needle was gone and the hinge/clasp broken. They even cleaned up some of the old hinge. It looked amazing. Definitely take it to a local jeweler and ask. It can't hurt!

 

Of course, you mentioned the solder.

Maybe it hung on a short chain which went from one of the solder patch to the other, and the chain would have a ring in the centre to hang it on a necklace? If so, its current position, with the forget-me-not sideways, would be correct.

 

I’ll take it in, see the cost and if acceptable just hope the jewellers can do a good job with it, think it deserves a bit of tlc. I know they do the usual ring alterations but this is a bit more involved.
Thanks to all for your advice.

 

I hope they can do it, this beauty deserves to shine again.
Maybe they could also move one of those shell shaped brackets to balance the piece and get a better grip. It is probably very thin gold, so it could be a challenge.

 

Yes the thin gold worries me and hope the repair person ensures the new gold brackets are well colour and shape matched to the old ones. I’m taking it in tomorrow, see what he says.

 

That could be difficult. But even if they could move one of them to another spot it would be a huge improvement.

My thought was moving the one on the bottom in the pic below to to right, 2 o'clock, opposite the other one. So two on each side.
If they have the skill to do that.

 

That’s a very good suggestion AJ.
I took it in to the jeweller I use to sell bits to and he said no to the repair, he suggested another antique jewellers and I sent them pictures and they have declined the job too, they didn’t like the thin gold and the solder seemed to put them off even though that could just be left as is. There’s a couple more in the city I can try this time with your suggestion which would make it an easier job. Thanks very much.

 

Understandable, but....

 

after hearing that.....I'm thinking it best to 'let sleeping dawgs lie'..

 

Leaving bad enough alone might be the best option.

 

Sorry to see the state of this... after reading this discussion, I think you have come up with the best solution.

 

One jeweller has got back to me, they have seen the pictures and think AJs idea of moving the bracket might be possible so I’m seeing them next week and they can have a good look.

 

Good luck! And please keep us posted.

 

Took the brooch into the jewellers today, they declined the repair work. They didn’t like the lead solder, they thought there was some behind the bracket to be moved which appeared to them to be firmly attached. (I thought that perhaps that might not be the case given that two brackets have already fallen off).They said there were some ‘old school’ jewellers out there who might want to tackle it so I guess it’s auction for the brooch in the hope that it finds one of them.

 

I'm not surprised......
good luck with the auction !!!