Early Victorian Brass Red Vauxhall Glass Butterfly Pin

Vauxhall glass (also known as "mirror glass") refers to a specific style of colored glass production originating in the Georgian era. The colorful molded glass was backed in silver to create a reflective "mirror" below the surface, which creates a unique light-catching quality. The colors often included deep, rich shades of red, purple, white, and black (sometimes mistaken for jet), and were generally mounted in brass. Antique Vauxhall glass jewelry remains popular with collectors in the modern day!

This beautiful insect pin is a wonderful example of antique Vauxhall glass jewelry from the early Victorian (ca1850s) era! The 3-dimensional brooch depicts an open winged butterfly, which adorns deep red Vauxhall glass detailing the body and wings in a traditional brass setting. With an appearance that could easily be mistaken for garnets, each wing displays two sections with a larger, flat Vauxhall glass center framed by round, faceted glass stones. Three additional Vauxhall stones form the body of the insect and the charming design is complete with two final faceted stones dotting each antennae. All of the glass stones are set atop an open brass backing and hidden on the underside is a simple bar pin with a "c-catch" closure, perfect for fastening to a favorite garment. The glass stones are faceted along the edges and surface, and display the reflective "mirror-like" quality that is unique to Vauxhall glass, bringing their deep firey red color to life. This unusual piece is perfect for the antique Vauxhall glass collector or insect jewelry lover!

Measurements: The pin measures approximately 1 1/8" tall, 1 3/8" wide, and 1/8" thick. 

Condition: The pin remains in good overall antique condition. Besides normal surface wear, there is no apparent damage to the brass setting and the bar pin remains secure and in good working condition. There is some minor wear, including chips along the edges, to some of the Vauxhall glass pieces, most significantly a small chip on one of the antennae as well as a repaired crack in one of the larger pieces set in the wing. However, due to the design and nature of Vauxhall glass, none of the damage is noticeable when worn, nor does it detract from the overall beauty of the piece.