Gentleman's Best Friend: Antique Diamond Set Dog Head Tie Pin with Rubies

An exquisite Victorian tie pin from the Romantic Period circa 1860 exudes sentimentality and ornate craftsmanship. Crafted from 18k red gold and silver using the revered silver on gold technique, it features approximately 290 rose cut diamonds and senailles, and a pair of rubies, symbolising enduring love. With motifs evoking the era's fascination with nature, a dog's head theme emerges, enriched by gothic and renaissance patterns. This exceptional piece, in excellent condition, reflects the era’s opulence with intricate carvings and enamelling, a tribute to Queen Victoria's devotion. Its inspiration, drawn from Mother Nature and the era's poignant poetry and fashion, encapsulates a deeply symbolic and romantic essence.

Antique jewelry object group
tie or stick pin

Condition
excellent 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 Romantic Victorian Period - Experts divide the reign of Queen Victoria, also called The Victorian era (1837 - 1901) in to 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 Romantic Victorian Period. This period covers the coronation of Victoria as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and her marriage to King Albert and their love, their devotion to their marriage and to their country are the sources of inspiration for this period. The jewels of this period are made of intricate carvings, special techniques where the enamel is subtly worked. These techniques allowed to give the jewel a certain opulence with less precious metal needed. As precious metals were really rare at that time. Highly favored (semi-) precious stones in this period are amethyst, coral, garnets, seed pearls and turquoises. The connotation is obviously sentimental, symbolic and romantic with reminiscent Gotic and/or Renaissance patterns and an abundant use of motifs like anchors, birds, branches, crosses, hearts and snakes.

Period
ca. 1860
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Source of inspiration
Mother Nature

Theme
dogs head

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

Diamonds
approximately 290 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 rubies (most probably)

Birthstones
Diamond is the birthstone (or month stone) for April and ruby for July.
more info on birthstones

Hallmarks
No trace.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
height of head 2,28 cm (0,90 inch), total length 9,90 cm (3,90 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
14,20 gram (9,13 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
22112-0167

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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