$1,450.00
Here is an antique brooch that will appeal to so many people and collectors of antique jewellery and is so rare and unlike any that we have had before.
Firstly it is made in pique which is a form of jewellery that is made with tortoiseshell inlayed with gold and/or silver and always looks so good on any outfit thanks to the wonderful natural chocolate brown colouring.
And then this is a Mizpah brooch which has its own collectors and is so steeped in history and wonderful in its own right, so to get an antique pique brooch combined with Mizpah jewellery makes this a very special piece.
Click here for a history of pique jewellery: https://www.kalmarantiques.com.au/articles/history-of-pique-jewellery/
Click here for a history on Mizpah jewellery: https://www.kalmarantiques.com.au/articles/history-of-mizpah-jewellery/
Measuring 3.2cm in diameter, this pique Mizpah brooch dates from the Victorian era of the 1890's and will look good set onto any outfit.
Antique jewellery is always so special, and this antique brooch is just spectacular and a wonderful piece of history.
Stock# ES2177
Circa: 1890
$1,450
In stock
Antique pique Mizpah brooch
What is pique jewellery?
Pique jewellery is a style and type of jewellery all unto itself and one that cannot be reproduced today and is so unique and spectacular. Made most popular during the Victorian era, it can be found as far back as the 18th Century and was popular throughout most parts of Europe but mostly in Italy and England.
Pique (pronounced pee-kay) is gold or silver, or sometimes a combination of both, inlayed into another material. Quite often the material was tortoiseshell (from the Hawksbill tortoise which was also used for the making of other tortoiseshell material such as boxes etc) and sometimes even from elephant ivory.
The tortoiseshell seemed to be the most popular, probably because of its light weight and being easy to mould into other shapes. Tortoiseshell is a natural thermoplastic , meaning that it is quite malleable when heated/warmed. Very fine gold or silver would be fashioned into either fine rod or leaf designs and the pressed into the already warmed tortoiseshell.After the gold and silver was set, the shell was left to cool down which would then contract to hold the metal in place.
Prior to 1870, the metals were cut by hand allowing for very fine and intricate detail then after 1870, machines started to do the work resulting in more straight and angular designs. The attention to detail no matter the age is always something that never ceases to amaze people especially when you consider that these pieces were often made well over 140 years ago and still look superb today.
Pique jewellery can most commonly be found in earrings and pendants, and the designs and colouring are amazing to admire.
This form of jewellery making is now a lost art as both the elephant and Hawksbill turtle are protected species, meaning that pique jewellery will become harder and harder to find as the years go by.
What is Mizpah jewellery? What does Mizpah mean?
Click here to see more antique brooches currently in store:
https://www.kalmarantiques.com.au/product-category/antique/antique-brooch-antique/
A link to the beautiful Victoria & Albert museum in London:
