Late Victorian gold butterfly with red strass stones and half seed pearls

Antique jewelry object group: brooch

Condition: very good 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: Late-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: late-Victorian or 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. 1900
  -  (events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era)

Source of inspiration: Mother Nature

Theme: Butterlfy

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

Extra information: Butterfly - Artistic depictions of butterflies have been used in many cultures including Egyptian hieroglyphs 3500 years ago. In the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan, the brilliantly colored image of the butterfly was carved into many temples, buildings, jewelry, and emblazoned on incense burners in particular. Today, butterflies are widely used in various objects of art and jewelry: mounted in frames, embedded in resin, displayed in bottles, laminated in paper, and used in some mixed media artworks and furnishings.

Butterfly symbolism - A butterfly was seen in Japan as the personification of a person's soul; whether they be living, dying, or already dead. One Japanese superstition says that if a butterfly enters your guestroom and perches behind the bamboo screen, the person whom you most love is coming to see you. The Russian word for "butterfly", bábochka, also means "bow tie". It is a diminutive of "baba" or "babka" (= "woman, grandmother, cake"), whence also "babushka" = "grandmother".

The ancient Greek word for "butterfly" is psyche, which primarily means "soul" or "mind". According to Mircea Eliade's Encyclopedia of Religion, some of the Nagas of Manipur trace their ancestry from a butterfly. In Chinese culture, two butterflies flying together symbolize love. Also, Butterfly Lovers is a famous Chinese folktale. In some old cultures, butterflies also symbolize rebirth after being inside a cocoon for a period of time. Some people say that when a butterfly lands on you it means good luck. The idiom "butterflies in the stomach" is used to describe a state of nervousness. (From Wikipedia) Cartier - A leading French jewelry firm, founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier (1819-1904).

Its headquarters are in Paris, with branches in several major centres. The founder was joined in 1872 by his son Alfred (1836-1925), and the latter, with his eldest son, Louis (1875-1942), moved the Paris business in 1898 to its present address, 13 Rue de la Paix.

In 1902 Alfred's second son, Pierre (1878-1964), opened a branch in London and in 1903 in New York City. In 1909 the London branch was taken over by-the youngest brother Jacques (1885-1942), by which time it had moved to its present address at 175 New Bond St.

A group headed by Robert Hocq (1917-79)acquired from the Cartier family the branches in Paris (1972), London (1974), and New York (1976). Hocq was Managing Director until his death when he was succeeded by his daughter, Nathalie (b. 1951),who since 1974 had headed the high-fashion jewelry department and promoted the boutique collection of jewelry known as Les Musts'.

Originally the firm made jewelry of enameled gold set with gemstones, which attracted a prestigious clientele, including French royalty and the future Edward VII;in recent years it has greatly expanded into new types and styles of jewelry, and is extending its world-wide operations.

Precious stones: Seven red strass stones (also called paste ) as ruby imitation and 27 seed stone pearls

Birthstones: Ruby is the birthstone (or month stone) for July and pearl for June.
  -  (more info on birthstones)

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

Dimensions: width 4,05 cm (1,59 inch) - See picture with a ruler in cm and inches

Weight: 5,20 gram (3,34 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº: 20076-0027

Copyright photography: Adin, fine antique jewellery

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