Magnificent vintage insect brooch made of gold and precious stones

Pieces of jewellery in the shape of insects first enjoyed great popularity in the second half of the 19th century. They were often elaborately crafted and therefore also suitable for festive evening parties. The Berlin ladies' journal Der Bazar, for example, recommended jeweled butterflies for elegant dinners in the summer season of 1888. But it wasn't just butterflies that adorned the ladies of the time; beetles made of gemstones, golden bees, precious flies and even spiders with diamond trimmings can be found again and again in the jewellery catalogs of those years. This dragonfly brooch is a splendid example of how this preference for insect motifs continued into the later 20th century. This extraordinary piece of jewellery is made entirely of gold, diamonds and rare colored stones and impresses with its magnificent appearance as well as the delicacy of its design. The dragonfly's wings consist of four large rutile quartz crystals, whose mysterious inclusions in the form of copper-colored threads shimmer vividly in the light. Small diamonds in white gold settings accompany these stones and emphasize their transparent luminosity. The body of the animal is formed by five beautiful sunstones, a rare variety of moonstone that is mainly found in this form in Oregon in the USA. The stones have been cut into cabochons and arranged in a graduated pattern, giving the dragonfly's body a particularly lively appearance. The head is formed by a large green tourmaline, also cut as a cabochon. Small brilliant-cut diamonds form the eyes and, together with a teardrop-shaped ruby, adorn the animal's delicate antennae. The dragonfly's body, antennae and legs have been crafted with great attention to detail. All gemstones are set in 18-karat gold. A small maker's mark on the back and gold stamps in the shape of an elephant's head allow the brooch to be traced with certainty to Salzburg, where it was created around 1985. This exceptional brooch came to us from a high-ranking collection in Stuttgart.

Estimate:£6,702

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