Object of the Day: A Mother-of-Pearl Fleur-de-lis Stickpin

I purchased this stickpin several years ago because I like all things mother-of-pearl and the fleur-de-lis is one of my favorite shapes. On a pin of ten karat gold, a metal armature has been lined with shimmering mother-of-pearl in the shape of a fleur-de-lis.


I’m unsure of the date and origin of this stickpin. Comparing it to others in my collection, my guess is that it’s English and dates to the Edwardian era or slightly later, from the reign of King George V. The head of the pin is rather large, so, most likely, it was meant to be worn lower on the scarf or tie. This leads me to believe that it was designed to adorn a the narrower ties which had become the fashion of the late 1910’s.