Summary

Round ring brooch in the form of a thick rope. It contains a flower set with a green stone, flanked below by two grape leaves and a curly tendril and a broken bow. A bluebell hangs from the ring, containing a gold wire tassel.

The design of this brooch - a rope-twist ring encircling delicate motifs - is one of the standard patterns of Victorian goldfields brooches. This one is significantly updated to 1870s fashion by the pendant tassel.

Lamborn & Wagner (growing to Lamborn, Wagner & Clarke in the mid 1860s) were active manufacturing jewellers in Melbourne from 1858-1885.

Physical Description

Round ring brooch in the form of a thick rope. The ring is worked up in rope-like segments with a figured stripe; the back is reinforced by plain gold sheet. Open-backed motifs are set within the ring: a six-petal flower and two grape leaves, stippled, with chased veins on the front. The flower has an oval green paste set in a collet with five claws. The grape leaves show a broad gash of bright gold along the middle vein, springing from wire stems. The form of the leaf stems is decorated with a corkscrew-tendril of gold wire. At the base of the outer ring, a motif representing a decorated ribbon knot curves over and under; the long ends of the bow are now broken off, making it difficult to read from the front. From this hangs an almost flat bluebell with three petals. Hidden behind its width is a wire rod, carrying eleven short, straight wires, chamfer-cut to form a V-profile tassel. The back of the ring and the bluebell are enclosed by flat gold sheet, with Lamborn & Wagner stamps about 6 o'clock on the ring. The brooch has a standard steel pin between a gold tube-hinge and C-clasp. There is a small ring at the top of the back for a safety pin chain.

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