Antique Cosmic Dance: 24ct Black Opal Brooch from 1920

This black opal is nothing short of mesmerising and astonishingly rare. Sourced from Australia, the epicentre of fine opals, its vibrant flashes of green and blue dance like the aurora borealis captured in gemstone form. As you gaze into it, you're immediately drawn into its otherworldly depth, akin to a cosmic journey through the universe.

It is exceptionally rare to find opals of this substantial size in vintage jewellery, making it a true collector's gem. Further adding to its uniqueness is the near absence of mother stone at the back, an uncommon feature that elevates its rarity.

Every glance offers a new visual symphony, captivating the beholder in a timeless spell.

Antique jewelry object group
brooch

Condition
very good condition
more info on our condition scale

Country of origin
Netherlands

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.
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. 1920
Events & facts of this era, poetry of this era, fashion of this era.

Material
18K yellow gold and platinum (touchstone tested)
more info on precious metals

Diamonds
Four old mine brilliant cut diamonds with an estimated weight of ± 0.24ct
Four single brilliant cut diamonds (also called 8/8) with an estimated weight of ± 0.10ct
60 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.

Total diamond count
68 pcs.

Total diamond weight without rose cuts
approx. 0.34 crt with an average colour and clarity H/J, si/i

All diamond weights, color grades and clarity are approximate since stones are not removed from their mounts to preserve the integrity of the setting.
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
One black opal with an estimated weight of ± 24 ct
dimensions: 2,72 cm (1,07 inch) x 1,87 cm (0,74 inch) x 0,73 cm (0,29 inch)

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

Hallmarks
In addition to the Dutch 14K hallmark from 1953 found on the pin, the edge also features the Dutch hallmark for 18K gold used between 1906 and 1953, represented by a lion's head.
more info on hallmarks

Dimensions
3,55 cm (1,40 inch) x 2,76 cm (1,09 inch)
see picture with a ruler in millimeters and inches

Weight
10,30 gram (6,62 dwt)

Adin Reference Nº
23226-0435

Copyright photography
Adin, fine antique jewellery

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