Big Victorian Gold-in-Quartz Butterfly Pendant

A wonderful Victorian-era pendant, modeled in 14k rose gold, whose unusual, hand-engraved subject (a sweet-faced butterfly) rests at center, surrounded by a notched border. Our butterfly’s angular, scallop-edged wings are inlaid with slabs of white, gold-bearing quartz, whose figuring insinuates a patterned butterfly wing. His forelegs are up-stretched, alongside his antenna, and his gaze is also cast upwards— we think this gives him a happy, hopeful, “open armed” expression! His head and abdomen are decorated with bright-line linear and cross-hatched details. This rare old darling reads like a large, shining coin, from a distance— it reveals its outstanding character only as the wearer is approached. We love this pendant for its sweet character, and for all of the symbolic potential implied by the butterfly— as a totem the butterfly embodies transformation, rebirth, and hope.

This pendant is weighty and beautifully-made, measuring approximately one inch, without its bail. It wears well on a substantial chain.

Materials

14k gold
Gold-in-quartz

Age

c. 1880

Dimensions

Total drop (including bail) measures approx 31 mm (about 1.2"); pendant measures approx 23.5 mm (just under 1"), without bail; thickness is approx 3.7 mm.