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Victorian garnet brooch

Reference #:9348

Status: sold

Dimensions:  approx. 1 and 1/3 inch square or precisely 3.4 by 3.5 cm

Condition: excellent, no damage or restoration

Year:  1850-70

Price: sold

Description:  Victorian garnet brooch with a heart in the middle of two crosses.  A strong symbol of faith and devotion.  The garnets in this brooch are lovely and are accentuated by the open back setting which allows the light to brightly reflect through them. The brooch is a low karat rose gold, often called "garnet gold".   
     

Garnet is the birthstone for January. 
The stone received its name from the Latin word for pomegranate, "granatum", because it reminded early scientists of pomegranate seeds.
The Persians considered garnet a royal stone.  Primitive cultures believed that garnets could be used to stop bleeding and cure inflammation. Asian and North American tribes used garnets as bullets, believing the stone would inflict fatal wounds.  During the Victorian era, Western cultures believed that garnets would enrich the blood and provide the wearer with a long, healthy life.