1835 Halley's Comet Brooch
A Georgian brooch made to commemorate the arrival of Halley's comet in 1835 when people held their breath waiting for the apparition which now and for the first time bore Halley's name. This new society was increasingly enamoured with the natural world and the comet's grand return captured the collective imagination to the extent that jewellers began making commemorative brooches, in myriad styles and designs, to be worn in honour of Halley's prediction. It was a new era: of science, of the steam train, of Michael Faraday and electrical fields, of theory becoming visible and tangible in practice.
Even the human relationship with the heavens was changing. It was becoming infused with a knowledge derived from experimentally tested scientific method. And with this knowledge came a new kind of awe and humility before the heavens: the sense that the most magical thing about the universe is that it is not, in fact, magic.
It was an era in which mathematical theory was extending upwards into the heavens, and to those gathered in 1835 to see Halley’s Comet, theory demonstrated its awesome magiclessness.
This brooch is crafted in 9ct gold and silver, and set with a gorgeous old pear cut topaz (representing the comet itself) and a pear-shape domed rose cut Vauxhall Glass (basically a paste gemstone with metal foil stuck to the flat base to create a mirror finish) representing the tail.
The comet was, of course, named after Edmond Halley, who first predicted its arrival in 1758, causing quite a stir. By studying the records of comet sightings between 1531 and 1682, he noticed that a particularly bright one seemed to crop up every 75-79 years, and correctly deduced that it was probably the same object with a long solar orbit. The last sighting had been in 1682, witnessed by a young Halley himself, so he told the world that it would be back in 1759 (but sadly didn't live to see his prediction ring true). The last appearance was in 1986 (the worst viewing from Earth in over 2000 years though, as it was on the opposite side of the sun to us), which means we'll have to wait until 2061 for its next apparition.
Era: Georgian, circa 1835
Size: 20.5mm by 6.7mm
Stones: Old Pear Cut White Topaz & Rose Cut Vauxhall Glass (aka mirror glass)
Marks: None, tested as 9ct gold and silver
Condition: Great antique condition, light wear consistent with age
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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).
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Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and 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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