Antique Allegorical Brooch

Cupid's torch, a ribbon tied as a bow, the victor's laurel wreath and a small, luminous pearl illuminate this beautiful allegorical brooch.  The elements of the brooch are finely detailed and beautifully arranged.  Created by Whiteside & Blank in 14kt gold, circa 1900.

Allegorical jewels are ones in which the elements, beyond adding to the beauty of the jewel, also carry a message or meaning.  These message jewels were especially popular during the Middle Ages, as well as the Victorian era.  This brooch with its symbols of love and triumph  suggests "Love conquers all." (Amor vincit omnia)  -  a beautiful token of passion and surrender.

This brooch is finely crafted.  Note the strong clasp and pin which secure the brooch when worn, the chatelaine hook behind the torch which allows a small watch or pendant to be suspended beneath the brooch, and the hand-applied struts that anchor the ends of the laurel wreath and the tied ribbon.  It is the small, often unseen details that make a beautiful jewel exceptional.

The top of the clasp is stamped with the maker's mark of Whiteside & Blank - a crescent pierced by an arrow.  Along the side of the clasp "14" is stamped for the purity of the gold.  Whiteside & Blank created elegant, finely crafted brooches, cufflinks and other jewels in the decades around 1900.  

Name:  The Triumph of Love

Cost:  $785

Measurements:  This brooch is crafted in 14kt yellow gold and measures 1" by 1".  It weighs 4.1 grams.