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Georgian Halley’s Comet Brooch

435M
40 Admirers
Written by Olly Gerrish

An unusual 9ct gold brooch set with a foil backed flat cut almandine garnet and natural split pearls. It was most likely originally made to celebrate the sighting of Halley’s comet. Halley’s Comet was named after Sir Edmund Halley, the royal astronomer. He formed a view that all of the sightings between 1531 and 1682 were actually one single comet, which circled the sun every 75-76 years. Halley predicted that it would return again in 1759 and, when it did, it received its name. The next sighting was in 1835 and, soon after, jewellers began creating Halley’s Comet pins, which were influenced by the shape of the comet as it approached the sun, it heated up and produced a tail that streaks away from the comet’s head. These intricate small pins are rare and significant historical pieces. Both the Georgians and Victorians had an affinity for symbolism and meaning, and created jewellery to represent birth, love, betrothal, and mourning or death.

Item Number
435M
Measurements
Height of cluster 1.1 cm
Width 9 mm
Length of brooch 2.8 cm
Materials
Date & Origin
Provenance
English
Hallmarks
Unmarked, tested to 9ct gold
Condition
Very Good, brooch fitting has been repaired at some point
Discovered
6 years ago
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