This 14k gold and silver bar brooch is centered by an impressive silver star, which I believe to have come from a different antique jewel, and fitted on a 14k yellow gold bar brooch at a later stage.
The star is set with a combination of old mine-cut and rose-cut diamonds. Typical for old mine-cut diamonds, each has a roundish cushion shape with a high dome, and since they were all cut by hand, each is faceted differently. with the largest old miner in the center weighing circa 0.53 carats, and the two smaller diamonds flanking it weigh circa 0.29 and 0.25 carats.
All diamonds have a slightly 'warm' colour, ranging between I and K. The central diamond has an inclusion that can be seen with the naked eye, so its quality is pique: the rest of the diamonds are rated at SI1-2. All diamonds combined have an estimated weight of 1.45 carats, and have been appraised in their settings.
Celestial symbols such as the moon and stars were wildly popular in the second half of the 19th Century, when the upcoming science of astronomy revealed a fascinating world outside our own. The discovery of several planets and meteorites created a new interest in outer space, and as a consequence, jewels shaped as moons, stars, and meteorites became a huge trend.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 58 x 16 mm.
Weight: 4.30 grams.
Age: I believe the star element to have been created around the 1860s, while the conversion to a bar brooch happened a little later, around 1900.
Material: Acid tested as 14k gold and silver.
Condition: The bracelet is in good antique condition with only minor wear, consistent with its age. One diamond was missing when I sourced it, and this has been replaced.
Please note that the antique box is for display purposes.