Circa 1850, this striking Victorian rare Scottish agate inlay plaid brooch is a large size, high quality and meticulously made. Crafted in sterling silver it features a beautiful scalloped outline with a port-hole in the centre that shows the agates off to their best advantage. A plaid brooch is typically used to keep a Scottish "fly" tartan in place when it is draped over the right shoulder.
This brooch showcases dramatic high-polished Scottish chalcedony gemstones that are precision cut and invisibly set into a foundation of local black slate, an older laminating technique usually seen in earlier examples of inlaid agate brooches. 19th century Scottish agate (pebble) jewellery of this type is prized for this innovative use of cut agate in intricate inlays.
A collector's dream, if you're looking for a distinctive statement piece of Victorian Scottish pebble jewellery then this may be the one for you!
DETAILS
MATERIALS: sterling silver
GEMSTONE: Scottish chalcedony (agate, jasper, bloodstone)
MEASUREMENTS: 2.2" (5.5cm) diameter
WEIGHT: 24.2 grams
DATE: Victorian, circa 1850
HALLMARKS: None, as is typical with these early pieces and we have acid tested to verify sterling silver
CONDITION: in excellent antique condition with minimal surface wear, no damage to the agates and the pin back in perfect working order