DATE: Victorian, c.1870

An exceptional Victorian star brooch set with cushion cut white paste gemstones (scroll down if you're not familiar with paste, it's great but I feel like we've been here many times before now...). It's crafted in sterling silver, made in England - by hand - in the latter half of the 19th century, circa 1870. Made at a time when the precision of machines didn't apply to production of such small articles, but the skill of the artisan craftsmen was such that they turned out near-perfect every time. IMO that gap between precision and near-perfection is where the allure of antique jewellery begins.

The brooch was made at a time when paste gems could command as much (if not more) than natural gemstones, on account of the technology being so new and that the stones would be completely clear and free from inclusions. The medium is usually highly polished leaded glass, with minute amounts of certain metals added to give colour – the technique was perfected by Georges Frédéric Strass in 1724.

STONES 

White Paste Gemstones

MEASUREMENTS 

3.5 x 3.5cm

WEIGHT 

9.4g

MARKS 

No marks present, tests as sterling silver

CONDITION 

Very good, with fine antique patina