A late 19th century, Italian micro mosaic brooch in its original box with original price label to underside, by Cesare Rocchiggiani.
Micromosaics are created by assembling fragments of multi-coloured glass into a base to create an image and was most popular in Italy in the mid 19th century, although their creation goes back to the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries.
This pin has what appears to be the remnant of a gold hallmark for France, indicating it is likely 18kt gold. The piece has been further 'bloomed' in pure gold to give the rich buttery appearance to the finish of the metal. Blooming is essentially a wash of gold over the existing metal.
Measurements - 7cm at widest