Saturday Sparkle: The Bettine Diamond and Pearl Buckle, c. 1910

Buckle
The Victoria and Albert Museum

From the collection of "The Bettine," Lady Abingdon, we have this handsome buckle of ebonite, gold, silver, pearls and diamonds.

Made circa 1900-1910, this buckle pin probably heralds from the United States.  It's the sort of pin which would have adorned a lady's jacket, or even her shoes, worn in pairs.

Mastery of Design: The Bettine Diamond and Pearl Buckle, c. 1910

Buckle
The Victoria and Albert Museum

From the collection of "The Bettine," Lady Abingdon, we have this handsome buckle of ebonite, gold, silver, pearls and diamonds.

Made circa 1900-1910, this buckle pin probably heralds from the United States.  It's the sort of pin which would have adorned a lady's jacket, or even her shoes, worn in pairs.

Mastery of Design: A Pair of English Shoe Buckles, 19th C.

Shoe and Knee Buckles
England, early 19th C.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

An Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century gentleman would have felt positively naked without his buckles. Buckles were worn at the knees as a way of securing knee breeches and often, matching buckles were worn on the shoes. While some of these buckles were made of carved, pierced and chased metals, some were set with stones. Only the most extravagant examples were set with real diamonds or precious stones. Most glittered with paste. 

This set of shoe and knee buckles is crafted of silver and set with pastes in steel prongs. They were made in England in the early Nineteenth Century.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Dame Joan Evans Shoe Buckles, 1770

Silver Shoe Buckles Set with Pastes
Circa 1770
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Dame Joan Evans didn’t just collect necklaces, earrings, tiaras and bracelets. Oh, no… She collected some shoe buckles as well. From Dam Joan’s collection, we have these shoe buckles of blue and white pastes set in silver. The rounded buckles are decorated with a ribbon of white pastes which is interrupted by larger pastes.

Gold or silver shoe buckles were in fashion during the bulk of the Eighteenth Century (falling out of vogue by the 1790s), adding a bit of an elegant touch to the bottommost part of an outfit. These glittering buckles were worn by men and women alike. Pastes were usually use in place of real gems on shoe buckles for the obvious reasons.