Mastery of Design: A Diamond and Pearl Bee Brooch, 1890

Brooch
English, 1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

There’s not much to say about this pretty, little brooch except that it’s pretty. Unfortunately, not much is known about where it came from or who made it.


It is, almost certainly, the work of an English jeweler and was made at the end of the Nineteenth Century when such brooches were the height of fashion. A simple design of a bee, the brooch is set with two large pearls and rose-cut diamonds and is mounted on a bar pin.

I would guess that this was probably a brooch given to a young lady who would not have been able to wear the larger, more ornate jewels that a more mature woman could wear. It is tasteful and attractive, and just right for a younger person.

Nevertheless, it is quite lovely and it fits in with our theme today.