Lot 55

Overall condition is very good for age. Central back section of brooch has been repaired as the setting seems to have cracked just above the pale. several leaves seem to be drilled for the setting of stones, however there is no evidence that it was evers set with gemstones.

A brief history of Provenance:

The brooch has been in the same family since the late 19th century and was given to Louise Adeline Harris from Edward Reeves as a gift on the occasion of their wedding. It is known that Edward, who founded the 'Reeves School of Elocution', travelled from Adelaide to Ballarat and Bendigo for eisteddfods in the late 1890's. In the boom of the 1850's there were any number of jewellers from Britain and Europe who are known to have worked on the Victorian goldfields and major cities, meeting the demand of wealthy prospectors and merchants who were riding the wave of success. By the end of the 19th century this prosperity turned to bust and many of the gold and stone set pieces of jewellery from the previous decades was either sold on the secondary market, or melted down for gold.




The opinions expressed in the condition reports are a guide only and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Prospective buyers are encouraged to inspect articles for sale at our pre-sale viewing where Leonard Joel staff are available for advice.
Leonard Joel makes no guarantee of the originality of mechanical or applied components. Absence of reference to such modifications does not imply that a lot is free from modifications.