Vintage Diamond and Silver Upon Gold Star Brooch, Circa 1930, 3.00 Carats

A vintage, antique style diamond star brooch, with an old-cut diamond, in a claw and cut down setting, in the centre of a raised cluster of six old-cut diamonds, in grain  settings, on a six pointed silver star, each ray set with two, graduating, old-cut diamonds, an eight-cut diamond and three rose-cut diamonds, in grain settings; with single diamond rays, in cut down settings, on knife edge stalks, between the points of the star, mounted in silver-upon-gold, with an approximate total diamond weight of 3.00 carats, with a pin and catch fitting and a dropping pendant fitting, South American, circa 1930.

In Victorian symbolism stars represented direction, wisdom and guidance for the spirit. This was inspired by sailors of previous eras who used stars in the night sky as navigation aids. Stars have been popular motifs since the 17th century, with women of the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras adding diamond starbursts to their collections. The appearance of Halley’s Comet, in 1758 and again in 1835, lead to a fashion for star and comet jewellery. This fascination with the solar system and its celestial bodies continued long after Halley’s Comet disappeared from view.