Victorian online Brooch Transluscent Agate Gold Mount - Original

Victorian Brooch Transluscent Agate - Original

This is a very lovely original early Victorian era agate brooch with in a 12k gold mount The agate is so lovely with natural occlusions and is almost translucent. Would have been worn with a neck ribbon or fichu.

No gemstone is more creatively striped by nature than agate. Each individual agate forms by filling a cavity in a host rock. As a result, agate often is found as a round nodule with concentric bands like the rings of a tree trunk. It is said to be named for the place it first was found — along the River Achates (now called the River Drillo) in Sicily.

In ancient times, agate was highly valued as a talisman or amulet. It was said to quench thirst and protect from fever. Persian magicians used agate to divert storms. Some believe agate renders the wearer invisible, and due to its strength and durability, it is used for making ornaments or for astrological purposes. Agate is a cooling stone and is said to cure insomnia, protect against danger, promote strength and healing, and ensure a healthy life.

Brooch measures 1 1/4" in width by 1" in height, closes with period correct tube hinge and "c" clasp fastener. Pin back does extend beyond the body of the brooch and there is a tiny loop on the back of the mount which would have originally been used with a very fine, short safety chain - indicative of "better" pieces of jewelry of the period.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made their first visit to Scotland in 1842, only five years after taking the throne. The young Queen was greatly excited by Sir Walter Scott's novels and very anxious to make the acquaintance of her northern kingdom, which soon became one of her favorite haunts after the purchase of Balmoral Castle a few years later. She loved all things Scottish, including distinctive Scottish jewelry, and where the royals go, the masses follow, and by the 1850's Scottish jewelry was all the rage. It remained so throughout the Victorian era. Godey's Ladies Book in online February 1862 lists agate as a representation of "Long Life and Health."

Take a look at my other original Victorian brooches! http://www.etsy.com/shop/victoriansentiments?section_id=7179660