Mastery of Design: A French Diamond Spray Ornament, c. 1850

Diamond Spray Ornament with Trembler
The Hull-Grundy Gift
The British Museum

I've had a good time these last couple of weeks exploring the jewelry in the Hull-Grundy gift to The British Museum.  Among the many grand jewels in the bequest is this ornamental trembler pin in the form of a floral spray, a piece which is highly representative of the Nineteenth Century revival of Eighteenth Century forms.  

The French work of silver, gold, and closed-back, pink-foiled diamonds is reminiscent of pieces made for the French court in the late Eighteenth Century.  Empress Eugénie revived the style in the 1850s when such floral ornaments found a new fashion in the naturalistic style which flourished across the European aristocracy. 

Mastery of Design: The Meller Brooch, c. 1850

Bodice Ornament
France, 1840-1850
Given by Frederick Meller to
The Victoria & Albert Museum

As mid Nineteenth Century jewelers strove for naturalism in their designs, they created pieces defined by densely-set stones in forms based on the beauty of nature. The next natural step in this fashion was to add movement to jewels which would replicate the motion of a breeze through plants and flowers or the motion of insects.

We’ve talked about tremblers before. These flexible, coiled stalks or springs created a sensation of shimmering nature. As the wearer moved, the jewel would sway and quiver. The overall effect was one of immense glamour and opulence.

While most of these pieces were tremendously expensive diamond creations, jewelers made some with less-costly pastes so that this fashion could be available to a wider range of customers.

This floral spay brooch is a great example of the clever use of pastes. In candlelight or gaslight, these brilliant-cut pastes, set in silver, shimmered almost as much as diamonds, and, with the novelty of motion, these costume pieces were quite convincing. It was made in France around 1840 -1850 and features articulated pendants which would have swayed as the wearer walked. The jewel was to give the impression of flowers bathed in a gentle rain.

Mastery of Design: The Cornflower Aigrette, late Eighteenth Century

Aigrette
From the Hull Grundy Gift
This and all related images from:
The British Museum

I like the word "aigrette."  It's one of those words which I find fun to say.  Furthermore, I like aigrettes since they're often very sparkly and chock-full o' diamonds.  This one's no exception.

I know we've looked at a good many aigrettes before.  This one, however, I think is my favorite of the lot to date.

This aigrette is in the form of a ribbon-tied trembler spray of cornflowers and wheat-ears.  The British Museum was bequeathed this aigrette and a many of its cousins as part of the Hull Grundy gift, and the museum describes the silver and gold, open-back spray set with diamonds as being of particularly "fine workmanship."  

Made in the late Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century, the piece was possibly made in France, but, shows stylistic elements of English design as well.  The taste for such spray ornaments and jeweled bouquets was particularly strong in both France and England until well after the turn of the Nineteenth Century.  According to the museum, "a very similar aigrette is included in a French design-book issued by Villardi in 1811." The Morocco leather case further suggests French origin.  

The British Museum also states that, "This may be the 'Antique diamond brooch in the form of a harvest bouquet, the wheat ears, leaves and stems pavé-set with cushion-shaped stones, the single flower-head similarly set with a larger diamond at the centre, with case' sold at auction 'By order of the executors'" which was among the pieces taken from the Tuileries by the Empress Eugénie.  An inventory of the Empress' jewels from 1870 declares that there was a "beautiful brilliant brooch formed as a cornflower and a group of foliage."  

History's Runway: The Cory Lilies of the Valley Spray, 1830-70

Bodice Ornament
1830-70
The Victoria & Albert Museum 

This spray of diamonds is another perfect example of the mid Nineteenth Century sensibility for naturalistic jewelry. Such jewels often depicted floral arrangements, sometimes peppered with jeweled “insects.” This piece shows the trend of adding “tremblers”—jeweled pieces mounted on thin wires which moved as the wearer walked. Dense clusters of diamonds, like the bodice ornament we see here, were the height of fashion during this period.

This ornament, owned by Lady Cory, was made in Britain between 1830 and 1870 and features a plethora of brilliant-cut and European-cut diamonds mounted in silver and backed in gold. Of particular note is the sprig of lilies of the valley which surmounts the piece. Such sprays were designed to be worn on the bodice, either centrally or to one side at the shoulder.

By the Twentieth Century, these pieces were still fashionable, but many were broken apart to make other jewelry. So, it's quite exceptional when they survive unaltered. Not surprisingly, in the 1920s when densely set diamond pieces were once again in vogue, many of these remaining sprays found new popularity--worn on coats.

Mastery of Design: The Cornflower Aigrette, late Eighteenth Century

Aigrette
From the Hull Grundy Gift
This and all related images from:
The British Museum

I like the word "aigrette."  It's one of those words which I find fun to say.  Furthermore, I like aigrettes since they're often very sparkly and chock-full o' diamonds.  This one's no exception.

I know we've looked at a good many aigrettes before.  This one, however, I think is my favorite of the lot to date.

This aigrette is in the form of a ribbon-tied trembler spray of cornflowers and wheat-ears.  The British Museum was bequeathed this aigrette and a many of its cousins as part of the Hull Grundy gift, and the museum describes the silver and gold, open-back spray set with diamonds as being of particularly "fine workmanship."  

Made in the late Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century, the piece was possibly made in France, but, shows stylistic elements of English design as well.  The taste for such spray ornaments and jeweled bouquets was particularly strong in both France and England until well after the turn of the Nineteenth Century.  According to the museum, "a very similar aigrette is included in a French design-book issued by Villardi in 1811." The Morocco leather case further suggests French origin.  

The British Museum also states that, "This may be the 'Antique diamond brooch in the form of a harvest bouquet, the wheat ears, leaves and stems pavé-set with cushion-shaped stones, the single flower-head similarly set with a larger diamond at the centre, with case' sold at auction 'By order of the executors'" which was among the pieces taken from the Tuileries by the Empress Eugénie.  An inventory of the Empress' jewels from 1870 declares that there was a "beautiful brilliant brooch formed as a cornflower and a group of foliage."  

Mastery of Design: A French Diamond Spray Ornament, c. 1850

Diamond Spray Ornament with Trembler
The Hull-Grundy Gift
The British Museum

I've had a good time these last couple of weeks exploring the jewelry in the Hull-Grundy gift to The British Museum.  Among the many grand jewels in the bequest is this ornamental trembler pin in the form of a floral spray, a piece which is highly representative of the Nineteenth Century revival of Eighteenth Century forms.  

The French work of silver, gold, and closed-back, pink-foiled diamonds is reminiscent of pieces made for the French court in the late Eighteenth Century.  Empress Eugénie revived the style in the 1850s when such floral ornaments found a new fashion in the naturalistic style which flourished across the European aristocracy.

Mastery of Design: The Cory Diamond Spray, 1860

Lady Cory's Diamond Spray
London, 1860
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the massive jewelry collection of Lady Cory, we see this spray ornament of brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds set in silver which was made around 1860 during the height of the fashion for Naturalistic jewelry.

The ornament was intended for use on the bodice or the head. The floral spray is created in three attached units, with two “tremblers” set in silver. The design represents blooming roses, rosebuds and leaves.

Mastery of Design: The Meller Brooch, c. 1850

Bodice Ornament
France, 1840-1850
Given by Frederick Meller to
The Victoria & Albert Museum

As mid Nineteenth Century jewelers strove for naturalism in their designs, they created pieces defined by densely-set stones in forms based on the beauty of nature. The next natural step in this fashion was to add movement to jewels which would replicate the motion of a breeze through plants and flowers or the motion of insects.

We’ve talked about tremblers before. These flexible, coiled stalks or springs created a sensation of shimmering nature. As the wearer moved, the jewel would sway and quiver. The overall effect was one of immense glamour and opulence.

While most of these pieces were tremendously expensive diamond creations, jewelers made some with less-costly pastes so that this fashion could be available to a wider range of customers.

This floral spay brooch is a great example of the clever use of pastes. In candlelight or gaslight, these brilliant-cut pastes, set in silver, shimmered almost as much as diamonds, and, with the novelty of motion, these costume pieces were quite convincing. It was made in France around 1840 -1850 and features articulated pendants which would have swayed as the wearer walked. The jewel was to give the impression of flowers bathed in a gentle rain.

Mastery of Design: The Cory Lilies of the Valley Spray, 1830-70

Bodice Ornament
1830-70
The Victoria & Albert Museum 

This spray of diamonds is another perfect example of the mid Nineteenth Century sensibility for naturalistic jewelry. Such jewels often depicted floral arrangements, sometimes peppered with jeweled “insects.” This piece shows the trend of adding “tremblers”—jeweled pieces mounted on thin wires which moved as the wearer walked. Dense clusters of diamonds, like the bodice ornament we see here, were the height of fashion during this period.

This ornament, owned by Lady Cory, was made in Britain between 1830 and 1870 and features a plethora of brilliant-cut and European-cut diamonds mounted in silver and backed in gold. Of particular note is the sprig of lilies of the valley which surmounts the piece. Such sprays were designed to be worn on the bodice, either centrally or to one side at the shoulder.


By the Twentieth Century, these pieces were still fashionable, but many were broken apart to make other jewelry. So, it's quite exceptional when they survive unaltered. Not surprisingly, in the 1920s when densely set diamond pieces were once again in vogue, many of these remaining sprays found new popularity--worn on coats.

Mastery of Design: The Cory Lilies of the Valley Spray, 1830-70

Bodice Ornament
1830-70
The Victoria & Albert Museum 

This spray of diamonds is another perfect example of the mid Nineteenth Century sensibility for naturalistic jewelry. Such jewels often depicted floral arrangements, sometimes peppered with jeweled “insects.” This piece shows the trend of adding “tremblers”—jeweled pieces mounted on thin wires which moved as the wearer walked. Dense clusters of diamonds, like the bodice ornament we see here, were the height of fashion during this period.

This ornament, owned by Lady Cory, was made in Britain between 1830 and 1870 and features a plethora of brilliant-cut and European-cut diamonds mounted in silver and backed in gold.  Of particular note is the sprig of lilies of the valley which surmounts the piece.  Such sprays were designed to be worn on the bodice, either centrally or to one side at the shoulder.  

By the Twentieth Century, these pieces were still fashionable, but many were broken apart to make other jewelry.  So, it's quite exceptional when they survive unaltered.  Not surprisingly, in the 1920s when densely set diamond pieces were once again in vogue, many of these remaining sprays found new popularity--worn on coats.  

Mastery of Design: The Cory Diamond Spray, 1860

Lady Cory's Diamond Spray
London, 1860
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the massive jewelry collection of Lady Cory, we see this spray ornament of brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds set in silver which was made around 1860 during the height of the fashion for Naturalistic jewelry.

The ornament was intended for use on the bodice or the head. The floral spray is created in three attached units, with two “tremblers” set in silver. The design represents blooming roses, rosebuds and leaves.

Mastery of Design: The Dame Joan Evans Diamond Spray Ornament

Spray Ornament, c. 1830
The Victoria & Albert Museum

We’ve seen many of Dame Joan Evans’ exceptional jewels which she bequeathed to the V&A. Today’s shiny thing was previously owned by Dame Evans. This spray ornament (sculpted in the form of a spray of flowers) is crafted of rose gold and is set with large rose-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds.


I have a real fondness for these spray ornaments. They were the height of fashion in the mid-Nineteenth Century as jewelry began to rely on natural motifs. This example comes from the 1830’s. It’s simply exquisite.