It is common to find a pietra dura brooch, and it is common to find a Whitby jet brooch, but it is exceedingly rare to find the two materials together such as in this lovely brooch from the late Victorian era.
Pietra dura is when material is inlayed with highly polished coloured stones to create images, and in this brooch this has been done to make a stunning floral scene that has the most beautiful colours that stand out even more set against the black background.
Then the border of the brooch is made from Whitby jet which is the fossilized material of a tree called the Araucaria Tree. Dense black in colour, it was very popular in the late Victorian era and has the ability to be carved as has been with the design that can be seen. The detail is wonderful, and just like the pietra dura, the time and skill needed to create these two sections would have been immense.
Measuring 58.5mm across by 48mm, this brooch will stand out from near or far and always be such a fabulous talking point.
Stock# ET181
Circa: 1890
$Sold
Out of stock
Rare antique pietra dura and Whitby jet brooch made in the Victorian era
A brief history on pietra dura:
Pietra dura originated during Roman times and is the term given for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly-polished colored stones to create images in solid walls and floors, furniture as well as jewellery.
A brief history on Whitby jet:
Whitby Jet is a fossilized material of a tree called the Araucaria Tree also known as the Monkey Puzzle tree and is dense black in colour, which is where the term “Jet black†came from. Found since 10,000 BC in countries such as Poland, France, Spain and Germany, the best material has always come from the town of Whitby in England.
Click here to see more antique brooches currently in store:
https://www.kalmarantiques.com.au/product-category/antique/antique-brooch-antique/
Click here to go to the Queen Victoria Building website - a stunning building that we are situated in:
