General Information:
- Total Carat Weight: 0.782 ctw
- Total Precious Metal Weight: 1.29 dwt
- Precious Metal Material: This stick pin was sold to the shop as 18k yellow gold, but tests as higher on our digital testers. The patinaed yellow gold horseshoe head tests a bit higher than the stem.
- Dimensions: This pin has an overall length of 75.17 mm, while the head measures 17.43 mm long x 12.36 mm wide x 2.78 mm deep excluding the stem to the reverse.
- Weight: Exactly 2.00 grams
- Markings: Unmarked but tested
- Era: This pin is believed to date to between 1840 and 1850, although the horseshoe motif was popular before and well after this window of time. Without knowing an exact provenance, a more precise date range cannot be determined.
- Buyer Notes: his pin is an extremely interesting piece and took us on a journey uncovering the identities of the lovely blue stones, which are believed to be "Cobalt Spinel", which look nearly identical in appearance to cornflower sapphires, and are only found in consistent supplies in Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Cobalt Spinels are very, very rare and owe their unique coloration to iron or zinc contents. Given that these stones have only been tested 'in-house' on a Presidium gem tester and not professionally tested by an accredited lab (such as the GIA or AGL), we can only presume their identities in good faith based on our digital testing. To this end, this pin is not priced as containing guaranteed and certified Cobalt Spinels, which command $2,000 to $8,000 USD per carat. Rather, this pin is offered at an exceptionally more affordable rate, keeping in mind that the buyer may wish to have these stones tested and verified post purchase. This pin is greatly collectible, of excellent size and scale, and surprisingly versatile if a conversion is desired. It is rich in symbolism and style, a relic of history and lore. This pin does not come with a clutch. Please kindly note that there is some residue to the pin's reverse, and the gold bears a time-earned patina; per collector preference, this pin is being sold exactly as-is so that the next caretaker may clean and polish as desired.
- Value: If indeed this pin houses six of the ever scarce Cobalt Spinel gems, it would have a baseline value of $1,400 USD, with the Cobalt Spinels accounting for approximately $1,295 USD of the total value. When considering purchase, prospective buyers should consider this valuation, the above information, the pin's wear and chipping commensurate with its historic age and affectionate use over almost two centuries, and the collector desirability of the pin's horseshoe motif.
Specifications:
- Center Stone Type: Spinel (sold to the shop as sapphire, but tests as spinel)
- Center Stone Count: Six (6)
- Center Stone Shapes, Dimensions and Carat Weights:
- Round Faceted Cut measuring 2.15 x 2.20 mm = 0.040 ct
- Round Faceted Cut measuring 2.25 x 2.25 mm = 0.047 ct
- Cushion Faceted Cut measuring 2.40 x 2.55 mm = 0.092 ct
- Cushion Faceted Cut measuring 2.90 x 2.55 mm = 0.115 ct
- Cushion Faceted Cut measuring 3.25 x 3.00 mm = 0.160 ct
- Cushion Faceted Cut measuring 3.45 x 3.30 mm = 0.200 ct
- Center Stone Color: Bright, vivid blue; color akin to cornflower and ceylon sapphires
- Center Stone Clarity: Vivid and semi-translucent
- Center Stone Notes: These stones are abraded and chipped after over 180 years of life. Particularly, please take note of the very tiny "pitting" in the smaller blue spinels located toward the heel of the horseshoe, which actually evidence spinel's characteristic conchoidal fracture patterns. The larger spinels toward the toe of the horseshoe show larger chips as larger conchoidal fracture patterns. Not all gemstones chip in this circular formation, and while imperfect in presence, these chips assist in identifying the stone as spinel.
- Side Stone Type: Pearl
- Side Stone Count: Eight (8)
- Side Stone DImensions: 6 pearls are about 1.20 x 1.20 mm and 2 pearls are about 1.85 x 1.85 mm, as measured within setting as the mounting permits.
- Side Stone Carat Weight: 6 pearls are 0.010 ct each and 2 pearls are 0.034 ct each, altogether totaling 0.128 ctw, calculated by formula per the specific gravity of pearl.
- Side Stone Shape: Split/halved
- Side Stone Color: White to cool cream
- Side Stone Clarity: Fair to good luster with some nacre loss on a few of the smallest pearls
The Story:
A sweet talisman for luck and blessings, this stick pin is believed to hail from the genesis of the Victorian period, between 1840 and 1850. It boasts six bright blue gemstones and eight lustrous pearls mounted within a sizable, high karat gold horseshoe frame. While bearing the appearance of ceylon or cornflower blue sapphires, the gems are maintained as spinels. These luminescent drops of blue in combination with the creamy orient of the pearls is a highly sought after and recognizably Victorian pairing. Indeed, the horseshoe shape is equally beloved by collectors and connoisseurs.
The horseshoe motif has long been popular as a symbol of both fortune and protection, two themes that have influenced jewelry for thousands of years. During the Victorian period, novelty and sporting jewelry grew to popularity as early as the first quarter of the 19th century, and by the 1870s, they were a dominant favorite by ladies and gentleman consumers alike. Horseshoes were meant to allude to the support of equestrian sports just as much as they conveyed good fortune, leaning most often toward the latter as the Victorian era drew to a close.
It is believed that the horseshoe can both gather and bestow luck; when worn ‘U’-shape up, the talisman catches good fortune for its wearer, and when worn ‘U’-shape down, it is thought to bless others with luck and protection, both friends and strangers alike. The emblem is not relevant solely to equestrians, as its illustrative meaning benefits all with favor and good will. Horseshoe jewelry was typically gifted as a celebratory gesture, intended as a blessing over the recipient.
The Victorians are heralded for their deep and wide-ranging symbolic associations evoked through jewelry. Every element, gemstone, design choice and motif carried with it a wealth of symbolism, and this stick pin is no exception. Blue spinels are thought to be grounding and calming to anxieties, injecting flourishing energy in place of negativities, and pruning away unhealthy thoughts and self-doubts. In conjunction, pearls represent purity, holiness and new beginnings.
