Antique gold diamond and sapphire brooch snake wrapped around sword or dagger

Antique jewelry object group
bar 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 Late or Aesthetic 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 Late or Aesthetic Victorian Period.

Jewelry of this period is changing back from heavy to more smaller, romantic pieces with often whimsical motifs. Jewelers using diamonds and bright gemstones in elaborated and fine feminine pieces.

Period
ca. 1890
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Mythology

Theme
snake wrapped around sword or dagger

Material
18k pink gold and silver , see also: The silver on gold technique (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Extra information
Snakes and serpents - Snakes and serpents are one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols . Considerable overlap exists in the symbolic values that serpents represent in various cultures. Some such overlap is due to the common historical ancestry of contemporary symbols. Much of the overlap, however, is traceable to the common biological characteristics of snakes.

A lot can be said about snakes and serpents. They have been worshipped since the Dark Ages and are a powerful religious symbol with many different meanings, like death and resurrection, while they have also been associated with healing and rivergods and also denote fertility, wisdom and the ability to cure.

A snake wrapped around a sword combines the symbolism of both the snake and the sword, which can represent life, fertility and wisdom together with strength, protection, courage and fearlessness. When combined, the meaning can be to protect life, wordly struggles or a courageous stance.

Diamonds
38 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 we offer are screened by the I.J.G.C. for whether they are natural or synthetic, and all diamonds in this jewel are 100% guaranteed to be natural.

Precious stones
Two sapphires with an estimated weight of ± 0.75ct

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 sapphire for September.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
No trace.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
width 6,50 cm (2,56 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
11,90 gram (7,65 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
22297-0136

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

Additional information
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