A fine and substantial Victorian stickpin in 18ct gold, formed as a horseshoe in banded agate set with seven old-cut diamonds totalling an estimated 0.10 carats along the arc. The horseshoe was one of the most popular motifs in Victorian sporting jewellery — a symbol of good luck with deep roots in British equestrian culture — and the use of banded agate rather than plain gold gives this example a distinctive graphic quality, the natural patterning of the stone providing a rich visual texture that plain metal cannot replicate. At 1.8 × 1.8cm and 5.9g this is a stickpin of real presence. Unhallmarked; tests as 18ct gold.

The Details

• Circa: Victorian
• Weight: 5.9g
• Head dimensions: 1.8 × 1.8cm
• Estimated total diamond weight: 0.10 carats (seven old-cut diamonds)
• Hallmarks: Unhallmarked; tests as 18ct gold
• Stone: Banded agate