Antique Diamond Pendant Brooch

Antique Straits Chinese pendant brooch set with Old European cut diamonds in 18k.

The diamonds are a mix of old Euro and old rose cut diamonds.

Refined from Victorian brooches, this star-in-a-flower motif is an East West style Straits Chinese brooches are known for.

This piece is considered less busy, its elements are spaced equally apart, and not as dense as its filigree variants.

This piece could be much older, since older brooches tend to be more domed, with a rounded curvature (to contain the fabric pinned beneath).

The floral ‘heart’ of the cluster is the size of an ordinary cluster ring, the whole comes to 4cm.

Straits Chinese pendants tend to be big, since they grow bigger in size the longer they wear, with long handmade chains that are even harder to find now.

When a pendant is intricate, or regarded well, it is customary for one to double up as the other, even at the onset of making a piece must already be two-in-one.

The understanding being brooches are the mothers of pendants – the multi-wearing and multi-versions of Straits jewelry reflects the aesthetic dominance of its fastidious culture.

Diamonds weigh 2.8ctw.