Victorian jewelry featured a swarm of insect designs, and these colorful (and frequently glittering) creatures added an air of charming whimsy to the more stuffy fashions of the period. Although rooted firmly in the camp of novelty fashion, insect jewelry of the era was popularized thanks in part to francophile inclinations. The previous century’s French Empire period was a point of fascination for Victorians, specifically an affinity for the house of Bonaparte which featured bees on its coat of arms. This carved coral fly was once a stickpin, we’ve converted it into a pendant and added a new 18" 14k gold chain.
MATERIALS: 10k gold (tests), coral, new 14k gold chain
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good - we've converted this piece from a stickpin into a pendant
SIZE: 3/4" length including the bale, 3/8" at the widest point, 18" chain