Wings of History: A Diamond Tribute to Belgian Aviation

A splendid testament to the pioneering spirit of early aviation, this exquisite Belle Époque brooch, circa 1908, celebrates Belgium's first manned motorized flight. Crafted in 18K yellow gold, it features a detailed replica of the historic aircraft, adorned with 23 rose cut diamonds. This piece, believed to be of Belgian origin, not only encapsulates the elegance of the era but also pays homage to Colonel Vanden Borren and Baron Pierre de Caters, key figures in Belgium's aviation history. It's a rare collector's item, marrying history with the timeless allure of diamonds and gold.

Antique jewelry object group: bar brooch

Condition: excellent condition
  -  (more info on our condition scale)

Country of origin: Although it does not carry any legible control marks we believe this to be of Belgian origin.

Style: Belle Époque - The Belle Époque (French for "Beautiful Era") was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the time of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, the "Belle Époque" was named in retrospect, when it began to be considered a "golden age" the major powers of Europe, new technologies improved lives and the commercial arts adapted Renaissance and eighteenth-century styles to modern forms. In the newly rich United States, emerging from the Panic of 1873, the comparable epoch was dubbed the Gilded Age. In the United Kingdom, this epoch overlaps the end of what is called the Victorian Era there and the period named the Edwardian Era. or more info on styles

Style specifics: The Belle Époque (French for "Beautiful Era") was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century from the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and lasted until World War I (1914-18).

Occurring during the time of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, the "Belle Époque" was named in retrospect, when it began to be considered a "golden age" the major powers of Europe, new technologies improved lives and the commercial arts adapted Renaissance and eighteenth-century styles to modern forms.

In the newly rich United States, emerging from the Panic of 1873, the comparable epoch was dubbed the Gilded Age. In the United Kingdom, this epoch overlaps the end of what is called the Victorian Era there and the period named the Edwardian Era.

In the Belle Époque cheap coal and cheap labour contributed to the cult of the orchid and made possible the perfection of fruits grown under glass, as the apparatus of state dinners extended to the upper classes; champagne was perfected during the Belle Époque. Exotic feathers and furs were more prominently featured in fashion than ever before, as haute couture was invented in Paris, the centre of the Belle Époque, where fashion began to move in a yearly cycle; in Paris restaurants such as Maxim's achieved a new splendour and cachet as places for the rich to parade, and the Opéra Garnier devoted enormous spaces to staircases as similar show places.

After mid-century, railways linked all the major cities of Europe to spa towns like Biarritz and Deauville; their carriages were rigorously divided into first-class and second-class, but the super-rich now began to commission private railway coaches, as exclusivity was a hallmark of opulent luxury. Bohemian lifestyles gained a different glamour, pursued in the cabarets of Montmartre.

Period: ca. 1908
  -  (events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era)

Source of inspiration: The first plane to be flying in Belgium

Theme: a copy of that actual first plane

Material: 18K yellow gold
  -  (more info on precious metals)

Extra information on:
Pierre de Caters, Belgium's first "aviateur" on a motorised flight
The worlds first "air races"
The "Stampe & Vertongen Museum" in Antwerp

Diamond(s): 23 rose cut diamonds. We do not have the weight of the diamonds which is normal in our trade when it comes to rose cuts.

Birthstones: Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April.
  -  (more info on birthstones)

Engraving: "au le 1er Aviateur belge Colonel Vanden Borren Baron Pierre de Caters", French for: "to the 1st Belgian Airman Colonel Vanden Borren Baron Pierre de Caters"

Hallmarks: No trace.
  -  (more info on hallmarks)

Dimensions: width 4,90 cm (1,93 inch)

Weight: 6,90 gram (4,44 dwt)

Reference Nº: 18256-0157

Copyright photography: Adin, fine antique jewelry

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