A superb Victorian stickpin in 18ct gold, French-made and hallmarked accordingly, set with an Essex crystal depicting a mallard duck by a pond. Essex crystal is a distinctive and technically demanding form of Victorian decorative art: a rock crystal cabochon is hollowed from the flat reverse and painted in miniature from the inside, then backed with mother-of-pearl or foil to give the image depth and luminosity. Viewed from the front through the crystal, the painting appears to float within the stone with a three-dimensional quality that no other technique can replicate. The mallard subject places this firmly within the tradition of sporting jewellery — a genre with a strong and enduring collector following — and the condition of the miniature is exceptional, the detail and colour as vivid as the day it was painted. French assay marks for 18ct gold; indistinct maker's mark. Diameter 1.5cm; weight 5.5g.

The Details

• Circa: Victorian
• Weight: 5.5g
• Diameter: 1.5cm
• Hallmarks: French assay marks for 18ct gold; indistinct maker's mark
• Origin: France
• Technique: Essex crystal (reverse-painted rock crystal)