Masonic Victorian brooch with pendant

In our trade of antique jewelry we frequently come along pieces that once were made (and bought) for their symbolic meaning. Over the years (and generations) the knowledge of those specific symbols faded away and what remained is “just a pretty piece”. As was the case with this jewel.

We had this brooch on-line for about a month when we received a mail from a customer explaining us the history of this jewel. He told us that this is not “just a pretty brooch” but a jewel that was given to the spouses of English Freemasons who contributed to the Royal Masonic Hospital. The men were given a silver ribbon jewel. Eventually the use of precious metals was abandoned in favor of silver and gold colored base metals. The last of these jewels were handed out around the 1950's.

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around 5 million, with around 480,000 in England, Scotland and Ireland alone, and just under two million in the United States. The various forms all share moral and metaphysical ideals, which include, in most cases, a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being.

Antique jewelry object group: brooches
Country of origin: Great Britain
Style: Empire - (styles overview)
Style specifics: A style that borrowed style specifics from the ancient Greeks and the Roman empire (hence the name of the style: Empire). The empire period represents the second part of the Neo-Classical style, and shows a strong French influence. The style originated in the desire of Napoleon to revive the luxurious majesty of imperial Rome. Traditional classical motifs, already seen in the reign of Louis XVI, were supplemented by symbols of imperial grandeur- the emperor's monogram and his emblem, the bee; representations of military trophies; and after the successful campaigns in Egypt, Egyptian motifs. If we had to characterize this style briefly, we could focus on two elementary concepts: massiveness and symmetry.
Period: ca. 1859 (events and facts in 1859)
Source of inspiration: Freemasonry and mythology
Theme:unknown scene
Material: 9K gold - (precious metals)
Technique: Enamelling is an old and widely-adopted technology. The ancient Egyptians applied enamels to pottery and stone objects. The ancient Greeks, Celts, Russians, and Chinese also used enameling processes on metal objects. Enamel is the colorful result of fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius. The powder melts and flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. According to some sources, the word enamel comes from the High German word smelzan (to smelt) via the Old French esmail. Used as a noun, "an enamel" is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coating, such as a champlevé or a cloisonné (different techniques).
Precious stones: turquoise - (precious stones)
Birthstones: Turquoise is the birthstone (or month stone) for December. - (general birthstones explanation)
More background information on: mythological jewelry
Hallmarks: Birmingham 1859 - (general hallmarks info)
Condition: excellent condition - (our condition scale)
Dimensions: Height 5.88 cm (2.31 inch)
Weight: 12.00 gram (7.72 dwt)

ReferenceNº: 08317-4189

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