A refined Edwardian stickpin in 18ct gold, c.1900, formed as a horseshoe set with alternating old-cut diamonds and natural pearls. The alternating diamond-and-pearl pattern was a characteristic Edwardian combination — the cool, precise brilliance of the diamonds playing against the warm, organic lustre of the pearls in a way that epitomises the period's taste for elegant contrast. The horseshoe, a universal symbol of good fortune with deep roots in British sporting culture, was among the most popular stickpin motifs of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The head tests as 18ct gold; the pin as 14ct — a common arrangement where the pin was made separately. Head 1.1 × 1.3cm; weight 1.7g.

The Details

• Circa: 1900
• Weight: 1.7g
• Head dimensions: 1.1 × 1.3cm
• Hallmarks: Head tests as 18ct gold; pin tests as 14ct gold
• Stones: Alternating old-cut diamonds and natural pearls