Georgian Halley's Comet Brooch
Cool Georgian comet brooch made to commemorate the passing of Halley's comet in 1835. The apparition of the comet in both 1910 and 1835 caused much excitement amongst jewellers, and society at large, with pieces created especially to commemorate the passings.
Halley's comet was named for Edmond Halley, who successfully predicted its arrival in 1759, 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.
The brooch is crafted in 9ct gold and silver and set with large black-dot paste gemstone and a smaller brilliant cut diamond in silver "pie crust" cut down mounts. The initials CJ are inscribed to the reverse.
Era: Georgian circa 1835
Size: 20.5mm by 8.7mm (length of pin is 4.5cm)
Stones: Paste & Diamond
Marks: None, tested as 9ct gold and silver
Condition: Great antique condition. Some light wear to the facet edges of the paste gemstone. The brilliant cut diamond is a later addition, presumably replacing an original paste stone.
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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)
Shipping
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Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
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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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