THE MODERN pansy we see here is relatively new. The large, velvety garden pansies Victorians loved were developed in the early 1800s from smaller wild violas. The dark “face” at the center made it unusually recognizable in miniature, so it translated beautifully into enamel and painted jewelry. We were delighted to see a dried flower inside under the lens - a pansy within a pansy? Actually, it's a four-leaf clover; still pretty cool.
MATERIALS: 15k gold (marked), enamel, 2mm rose cut diamond, plastic lens (a replacement of the original), tiny dried four leaf clover, new 14k gold chain
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good - small nick to the enamel along lower left side
SIZE: 1" length including the bale, 3/4" diameter, 18" chain