19th Century, 18kt Yellow Gold and Diamond ‘En Tremblant’ Brooch

An exceptional French, floral spray 'en tremblant' brooch pin. This 18 karat gold piece comprises of several components which screw together to form one large brooch. The piece can be pulled apart to create a smaller spray, likely used as a hair ornament, and three singular flowers which would have originally had pins to attach and allow them to be worn as hair pins. Unfortunately these additional pieces have been lost to history, however the piece here is in exceptional condition with the three 'tremblant' flowers still sprung well and dancing with movement. It is likely there would have also been a frame to allow the owner to mount the piece as a tiara.

'En Tremblant', a French term meaning 'to tremble', was first used to describe 18th and 19th century jewellery where parts of the diamond set pieces were attached to a spring loaded 'trembler', to create movement in the jewel when worn. The old and rose cut diamonds with the addition of movement would have reflected candlelight in the 18th and 19th century beautifully.

The piece is marked with the French 'eagle head' purity mark, indicating the item is of at least 750 parts out of 1000 pure gold (18 karat).

Marked - several French purity marks and '11039' likely an inventory number

Measures - 13.5cm long x 7cm wide

Total diamond weight - 19.44 carat

Total weight of piece - 72.99 grams

Independent appraisal values this piece at $63,122