Mastery of Design: A Diamond Hairpin, 1830-1840

Butterfly Hairpin
Diamonds, Silver, Gold
1830-1840
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Set in silver on a gold frame, rose-cut and brilliant diamonds sparkle in the form of a butterfly. This magnificent diamond hairpin was part of the early Nineteenth Century’s Romantic movement and its reliance on natural forms and designs.

Very often, until the rise of platinum and white gold, diamonds were set in silver prongs so that yellow or rose gold setting would not distract from the diamond or alter its color.