SOLD Unusual Large Victorian Scottish Agate Horn Shaped Brooch Silver Citrine 1860's

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Unsual Scottish Agate Horn Shaped Brooch
This is a little different! Its' quite large at just short of 3" and is in the form of a Horn Flask. It has a faceted and foiled Citrine at the top and bottom and the silver setting is heavily decorated with hand engraving.
The agates are red and green jasper and banded "lacey" grey Montrose. In the centre sits a faceted paste imitation Garnet / Amethyst. In excellent condition with one tiny ding at the top right on the collar (althought this is barely noticeable) minor rubbing to the paste as one would expect in a piece this age.

Fastens with a secure pin and C clasp. Comes in a good quality, vintage style presentation case

Measures: 7cm (2 3/4") long x 2cm (3/4") at widest point at the top collar.
Weight: 9.2g
M882/EB325
About Victorian Scottish Agate

Scottish Agate or Pebble Jewellery was made popular by Queen Victoria. When she travelled to the Highlands with Prince Albert she fell in love with the dramatic landscape and went on to purchase Balmoral. Prince Albert found some pebbles on the side of the River Dee and had them polished and made into Jewellery for Victoria. When the London papers reported that the couple were wearing "polished pebble brooches made from local stones" just as it does it set a trend that would last for decades and even spread to Europe. Scottish Jewellers and Lapidaries could not keep up with demand when at it's height and manufacture spread to Birmingham, London and even Europe. Idar-Oberstein in Germany was one of the largest stone cutting centres in the world and many stones other than agates were imported and cut there to satify demand - Brazillian Green Malachite for instance, was prized and in demand.

Written examples of this sweeping fashion are to be seen in the novel written by Elizabeth Gaskell in her novel Cranford (1851) set in the Cheshire village of Knutsford where one of the characters - Miss Pole was wearing no less than 7 Scottish pebble brooches!
If you are interested in Scottish Agate Jewellery I can really recommend Scottish Jewellery - A Victorian Passion by Diana Scarisbrick it is a beautiful coffee table book full of fabulous quality pictures and packed with information. I have supplied to one or two collectors who helped to form this super publication. Buy With Confidence - Over 12 years selling online internationally