Antique French Garnet & Rose-Cut Diamond Spider Brooch
$4,500.00
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Antique French Garnet & Rose-Cut Diamond Spider Brooch
$4,500.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
VictorianEstate
- Free US shipping
- One-year warranty
Questions about this piece? Book a private consultation
Description
A French spider brooch in 18K yellow gold and silver, the body set with rose-cut diamonds, a cabochon garnet abdomen, and ruby eyes, with finely engraved gold legs reaching across an openwork web. Carries the eagle's-head mark for 18K gold and the owl mark for imported pieces — the latter in use from 1893, placing the brooch in the late Victorian years before Art Nouveau took hold. Maker's mark L D in a lozenge cartouche. The pin element is not only removable, but it also allows the spider to tremble gently as if alive.
Spiders were a favorite of 19th-century jewelers, and rarely just decorative. To the Victorians they signaled good fortune and prosperity. The craze sat inside a broader fascination with the natural world: as naturalism and entomology gained ground, insects and arachnids crawled across brooches, hair ornaments, and bodice pieces in gold and gemstones. In France, the closing decades of the century moved through revival styles and naturalism toward the sinuous lines of Art Nouveau, and a creature like this — beautiful, faintly unsettling — fits squarely in that turn.
The Details
- Metal: 18K yellow gold and sterling silver
- Hallmarks: eagle's head for 18K gold, owl for imported pieces
- Maker's mark: L D in a lozenge cartouche
- Stones: rose-cut diamonds, cabochon garnet, and ruby
- Weight: 9.3 grams
- Measurements: 1.1 x 1.0 inches
Care
Remove your jewelry for the gym, swimming, and sleep. Clean gold, diamonds, and hard gemstones with warm water, mild soap, and a soft toothbrush. Antique pieces and softer stones require gentler care. See the full care guide. Every piece carries a one-year warranty for repairs.
Design
Designed by C. Disston and hand crafted in the US. Want to see it in person? Book a private appointment in the San Francisco Bay Area or virtually.
Shipping & Returns
US orders of $500 or more ship free. Made-to-order pieces ship in about 4 to 6 weeks; ready-to-ship pieces are finished and in stock. Made-to-order pieces shipped within the US can be returned within 30 days; bespoke pieces and international orders are final sale (EU orders excepted). Every order ships fully insured, with a signature required. Need it by a certain date? Email me about rush orders. See the FAQ for details.