Graveside Brooch with buying Angel

This item is handmade by Beth Miller Hall and cast from a mold taken from an original in her collection. Any minor flaws are consistent with the original item.

Gutta-percha was introduced to London between 1841 and 1843. It was initially used for insulation. At the 1851 Crystal Palace, large and small decorative items were displayed including sideboards and statuary. Not long after gutta-percha was introduced, a new substance called vulcanite (which is made from the sap of a different tree and combined with sulfur) was patented. Vulcanite and gutta-percha were both used in the production of 19th century jewelry and can be difficult to tell apart.

Items made of vulcanite and gutta-percha were molded and therefore a large number of duplicate items could be produced in less time and with fewer individual craftsmen than it took to produce jewelry items from a carved material such as jet. This “mass production” allowed the price of gutta-percha jewelry to become more affordable than “handmade” jet pieces. Many gutta-percha items have survived since the 1800's and they have become highly collectible.

Like vulcanite, gutta-percha jewelry items are usually made in two pieces: buying a back or base that can be either plain or have an ornate edge and the center medallion or focal point. The focal point is usually secured to the base with small pegs that do not go all the way through the base of the item. Sometimes there is also evidence of glue being used in addition to the pegs, but this may be from a later repair.

Because vulcanite and gutta-percha items were made in two pieces, it is very common to find the same top or focal point being used on a variety of bases. There seems to be a number of very popular tops that show up very often and not only on brooches but other bases like cuff bracelets, combs and even belt buckles, This leads to speculation that these items could have been sold in sets.

This brooch is an early example of Victorian plastic jewelry.

The style of frame around the frame is similar to 1850 furniture decoration; particularly the draping leaves and side pillars. The slightly tilted and downward facing woman is a common image of an angel watching over a person or child and, in this case, the grave. Many early mourning depictions of graves include a cross under a draping tree.

I have owned this brooch for over 15 years and it was just this year (2020) that I realized it is made from three separate pieces: the frame, a deep circular support and the focal graveside representation.

Suitable for mid-Victorian impressions, including middle class, Steampunk and Cosplay participants.

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Thank you for your interest!