Antique, Silver, Mother of Pearl Diamond Paste Turtle Brooch

This is a wonderful piece of antique jewellery.  Crafted in Solid Silver (not marked but tested), this good sized brooch depicts a turtle with a mother of pearl body and a wonderful diamond paste border.  The sparkling paste stones continue on each of the feet and the head.

This sweet turtle is a great size, at 3.6cm x 1.7cm and it weighs 7.15g.   It also features a lovely cabachon ruby eye.  The second ruby eye must have fallen out at some point in the turtles life, but it would not be difficult to replace.   I would date this piece to the late Victorian, early Edwardian era. 

This brooch looks fabulous attached to a lapel, but could also be converted to a pendant.

Please have a look at the pictures and video, and dont hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information.

NB: Pease note that these are not diamond gemstones, they are paste. Paste is hand-cut glass that has been polished with metal powder until it shimmers like the gemstone it is impersonating. Paste jewellery was very popular in the Georgian and Victorian eras as an inexpensive alternative to diamonds.