Object of the Day: An Antique Gold and Iolite Stickpin

Our Victorian forebears, loved to communicate via subtle media. Almost everything was assigned a special meaning. From flowers to the way that a hand fan was held, society was filled with little clues about a person’s position and opinions.

Jewelry, aside from its main role as ornamentation, often conveyed a message. Not only were gemstones given particular definitions and properties, they often spelled out messages. Similarly, wearing exotic and rare gems communicated something else—the ability to obtain something special and unique.

Exotic gems were often quite dear and in limited supply in the U.S. and U.K. Among the rarest of gemstones, iolite was highly prized for its unusual violet/pale blue color and brilliant sparkle. Iolite is quite fragile and is often employed as a small accent stone in order to avoid chipping and cracking. The stone also presents a slight color change depending on the type of light. Iolite will often appear a deep blue, an amethyst purple or an icy lavender.

This antique stickpin, dating to about 1870, is fifteen carat gold set with a small iolite. The pin takes the form of a gold teardrop with a hollow in which the stone has been set. This was a popular shape for stickpins during the period. A similar shape can be found set with a variety of other stones ranging from garnets and rubies to diamonds and pearls.