Victorian Diamond Star Brooch
Excellent diamond star brooch dating from the late Victorian era, circa 1890. The gold features a slightly matte, brushed finish setting up a wonderful warm contrast with the icy flash of the old cut diamond at the centre. Built in 18ct gold.
Long before the birth of our solar system, all the gold on Earth (every single iota) was created by a cosmic collision of epic proportions. Stuff is colliding in the Universe all the time, but neutron stars are really, really dense, and when they smash together remarkable things happen. Two collided somewhere in our galaxy, sometime in the distant past, resulting in a kilonova that produced the equivalent of 300 Earths worth of gold. These collision events are incredibly rare, a particular galaxy will get one roughly once every 100,000 years... so when an abnormal barrage of gravitation waves heralded one in the Milky Way in 2017 it obviously caused quite a stir amongst astronomers and astrophysicists. Two seconds after the gravitational waves were detected by LIGO and the Virgo observatory, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected a gamma-ray burst and subsequently around a third of the entire astronomical community around the globe trained their imaging equipment on the event. So when I see the star motif crafted in gold (or silver or platinum, same kilonova origin) I smile - little did their Victorian creators know how fitting they really are.
Era: Victorian, circa 1890
Size: 3.0cm by 2.7cm
Stone: Old European cut diamond, 0.18ct (calculated weight)
Marks: None, tested as 18ct gold
Condition: Great antique condition
Full appraisal document provided with each item
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable)
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain)
Shipping
Express shipping is free of charge and carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
UPS Express (International)
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
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Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£35 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
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Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
A 25% deposit will be taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved, often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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alex@lostowl.jewelry