MINT-CONDITION Large Georgian 25 Ct. TW Amethyst & Gilt Brooch/Pendant, c.1835!

This transitional late-Georgian/early-Victorian jewel is an amethyst-lover's dream come true! This beautifully-crafted and designed brooch is English in origin, and boasts four large natural amethysts of the finest color and clarity! The back of the repousse mounting also has a gilt loop at the top; attach a jump ring, and the brooch can be worn as a pendant!

Measuring 2 1/2" x 2 7/8", this is brooch is a rare combination of high-quality natural amethysts and copper gilt! Normally, one would find paste stones in a brooch like this, but I have tested and examined the stones, and they are the real thing! In fact, the lush depth of color of these stones lead me to surmise that they may be Siberian amethysts, the finest and most precious of these gemstones ever mined. Perhaps the lady who ordered this brooch in the mid-1830s already owned the amethysts, but could not afford the gold? In the decades following the Napoleonic Wars, when gold was very scarce, this was often the case.

This brooch boasts three richest-purple amethysts in the top segment. The center stone weighs approx. 7 carats, and the two side stones weigh approx. 6 1/2 carats each. These gems are claw- and collet-set in open-backed mountings of copper-gilt. The drop below holds a pear-shaped amethyst weighing approx. 5 1/2 carats. That adds up to over 25 carats of magnificent amethysts!

All of the stones are perfectly matched for color, and are free of damage. In fact, this brooch is fresh as a daisy; it must have hardly been worn at all! The copper-gilt mounting is 100% intact, with no loss to the high-karat gilding. The design is so High Romantic, with lovely rococo revival swirls and scrolls. The brooch also retains its original"T and C" clasp, with the pin protruding 1/4" past the frame as a "keeper."

Weighing in at 17.2 grams, this impressive jewel lights up on anything you choose to wear it with! Simply fresh as a daisy after 175+ years, i cannot recommend this piece enough - it has it all!

If you collect the ultimate in antique jewelry, this amethyst beauty belongs in your collection! It is absolutely pristine, and so wearable! Do not miss this regal brooch - layaway is available!

Item ID: 1498