Symbol of affection: a Jack Russell Terrier in precious stones

This charming brooch from the 1920s, at the crossroads of the Art Deco and Belle Époque styles, is a magnificent ode to the tradition of hunting or to the deep affection for a beloved canine companion. It features a masterful reverse intaglio depicting a Jack Russell Terrier on rock crystal, topped with mother-of-pearl, and surrounded by 24 rose-cut diamonds and 24 square-cut rubies, set in 18-carat yellow and white gold or platinum. The meticulous intaglio work, characteristic of late Victorian craftsmanship, brings the terrier to life with brilliance, symbolizing either the thrill of the hunt or a heartfelt tribute to a cherished pet. This brooch embodies the early 20th-century love of nature, animals, and the bonds they create.

Antique jewelry object group: brooch

Condition: very good condition
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Country of origin: unknown

Style: Between Art Deco and Belle Époque
The Art Deco is an eclectic artistic and design style born in Paris in the early decades of the 20th century. Emerging in the 1920s, it lasted until after the Second World War. The term "Art Deco" was widely used for the first time after an exhibition in 1966, in reference to the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, which marked the peak of high-end modern style in Paris. Promoted by the best designers in the decorative arts, such as fashion and interior decoration, the Art Deco influenced all areas of design throughout the 1920s and 1930s, notably architecture and industrial design, as well as visual arts like painting, graphic arts, and cinema. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, glamorous, functional, and modern. See also: Art Deco.

The Belle Époque is a period of European social history that began at the end of the 19th century and lasted until the First World War. Taking place during the time of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was retrospectively called "Belle Époque": it began to be regarded as a "golden age." The great European powers, new technologies improved life, and commercial arts adapted Renaissance and 18th-century styles to modern forms. In the United States, newly wealthy after the Panic of 1873, this comparable era was called the Gilded Age. In the United Kingdom, this era overlapped the end of what is called the Victorian era and the period known as the Edwardian era. For more information about the styles

Style specifics: It is something between the Belle Époque and the Art Deco.
The Belle Époque
(in French for "Belle Époque") is a period of European social history that began at the end of the 19th century with the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and lasted until the First World War (1914-1918).

Taking place during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, the "Belle Époque" was named retrospectively, when it began to be regarded as a "golden age": the great European powers, new technologies improved life, and commercial arts adapted Renaissance and 18th-century styles to modern forms.

In the newly wealthy United States, emerging from the Panic of 1873, this comparable era was called the "Gilded Age." In the United Kingdom, this period coincided with the end of the Victorian era and the so-called "Edwardian era."

In the Belle Époque, coal and cheap labor contributed to the cult of the orchid and enabled the perfection of fruits grown under glass, while the trappings of state dinners extended to the upper classes; champagne was perfected during the Belle Époque. Exotic feathers and furs occupied a more important place than ever in fashion, haute couture having been invented in Paris, the center of the Belle Époque, where fashion began to evolve on an annual cycle; in Paris, restaurants like Maxim's reached new splendor and prestige by becoming parade grounds for the wealthy, and the Opéra Garnier devoted immense spaces to staircases, similar places of spectacle.

After the mid-century, railways connected all the major cities of Europe to spa towns such as Biarritz and Deauville; their carriages were strictly divided into first and second class, but the wealthiest began to order private carriages, exclusivity being the mark of opulent luxury. The bohemian lifestyle acquired a different glamour, practiced in the cabarets of Montmartre.

Art Deco
Abstract motifs and geometric forms are typical of the Art Deco period. The Art Deco moves away from the soft pastels and organic shapes of its predecessor, Art Nouveau, and draws inspiration from many early 20th-century styles and movements, including Neoclassicism, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, and Futurism. Its popularity peaked in Europe during the Roaring Twenties and continued in the United States until the 1930s. Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco is purely decorative.

Period: around 1920
- (events and facts from this era, poetry from this era, fashion from this era)

Source of inspiration: Mother Nature

Theme: Jack Russell Terrier

Material: Two tones of precious metal, the main part being in 18-carat yellow gold and the white parts in white gold or platinum. (tested on the touchstone)
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Technique: Reverse intaglio (see the following explanation about English crystal)

Additional information (01): Reverse intaglio crystal or English crystal – Crystal cut in a cabochon shape, shallow or domed, engraved in intaglio on its flat back, with a motif painted with realism and meticulousness, surrounded by a transparent background. The deeper the engraving, the more pronounced the three-dimensional trompe-l'oeil effect, sometimes enhanced by a thin layer of mother-of-pearl. The engraved motif, for pieces mounted on a circular gold ring like a tie pin, Cufflinks, a button or men's studs, was generally a racehorse, game bird, or dog, and for brooch or locket pieces for women, a floral motif or monogramme; some examples depict an insect or a carriage scene.

Sometimes, two crystals are mounted back to back to form a spherical pendant, preferably with non-identical but complementary motifs representing the front and back views of the same subject, for example a dog's head. Some examples consist of two, or even three hollow cabochons stacked, each carved with a different motif, thus increasing the perspective effect.

This technique was invented by Marius Pradier, from Belgium, around 1860 (he made the only known branded example). In England, it was developed by Thomas Cook in the early 1860s and taken up by his pupil Thomas Bean, as well as by his son Edmund and his grandson Edgar (who died in 1954).

After the popularity of these pieces at the end of the Victorian era, their quality declined in the 1920s, a period during which examples were also made in France and the United States (some modern pieces depicting automobiles and airplanes). These crystals have long been associated with maison Hancocks. They have sometimes been misbranded by the erroneous names "Essex crystal" or "Wessex crystal," due to the mistaken hypothesis that they were decorated around 1860 by the portraitist-enameller William Essex (died 1869).

Imitations have been made from carved and painted glass, and even from a glass cabochon over a printed paper motif.

Additional information (02): Jack Russell Terrier - The Jack Russell Terrier is a small terrier originally bred for fox hunting in England. Its coat is mainly white and can be smooth, rough, or broken, and may be of any color.

The small white working fox terriers we know today were bred by Reverend John Russell, a pastor and hunting enthusiast born in 1795. Their origin dates back to the now-extinct English White Terrier. The difficulty in distinguishing the dog from the animal it was pursuing made it necessary to use a predominantly white dog. Thus, in 1819, during his last year at Exeter College in Oxford, he bought a small white and tan female terrier named Trump from a milkman in the nearby hamlet of Elsfield or Marston.

Trump embodied the ideal fox terrier, a term used at the time to refer to any terrier used to chase foxes from their dens. Her coat was described as "...white, with just a dark tan spot over each eye and ear; while a similar spot, no larger than a penny, marks the root of the tail." Davies, a friend of Russell, wrote: "Trump was an animal such as Russell had only seen in his dreams."

She served as the foundation for a breeding program aimed at developing a terrier with great endurance for hunting, as well as the courage and training needed to chase foxes that had taken refuge. In the 1850s, these dogs were recognized as a distinct breed. (Source: Wikipedia)

Diamond(s): 24 rose-cut diamonds. We do not know the weight of the diamonds, unlike what is common in our trade for rose-cut diamonds.

- All the diamonds we offer are checked by the IJGC laboratory (www.ijgc-worldwide.com) to determine whether they are natural or synthetic, and all the diamonds in this jewel are 100% guaranteed to be natural.

Gemstones: 24 square-cut rubies. We have not checked whether the rubies were handmade, as this information has no influence on the value of this jewel. At that time, both natural and handmade rubies were used, more for their effects than for their intrinsic value.
And a rock crystal cut in reverse intaglio with a mother-of-pearl back

Birthstones: Diamond is the birthstone (or stone of the month) for April and ruby for July.
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Hallmarks: No trace.
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Dimensions: diameter 2.61 cm (1.03 inch) - See photo with a ruler in cm and inches

Weight: 11.20 grams (7.20 dwt)

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