This 18k yellow gold snake brooch is set with an oval-cut, natural ruby in its head, and two tiny rose-cut diamonds in his eyes. His body is coiled in the shape of the infinity symbol or lemniscate, which is a reference to the historic symbolism of this sinister animal.
Snakes have been used as a motive in jewellery for millennia. They were seen as a symbol of both wisdom and eternity, and their depiction often symbolizes eternal love and the circle of life and death.
The popularity of the snake in jewellery reached its peak in the 19th Century, after Prince Albert famously gifted Queen Victoria an emerald-encrusted snake ring for their engagement in 1839.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 51 x 15 mm.
Weight: 6.0 grams.
Age: Late 19th Century, also known as the Victorian era, circa 1870s.
Material: The body was acid tested as 18k gold: the pin tests as 10k gold.
Condition: In good antique condition with only minor wear, consistent with age.
Please note that the antique box is for display purposes only. This shop is based in the EU. Although antiques are exempt from taxes in most countries, buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import taxes.