Victorian Hermes Cameo Brooch

Victorian Hermes Cameo BroochCool neoclassical cameo brooch depicting Greek god Hermes wearing his winged cap. Utilising a single piece of Bull's Mouth shell, the carver has used the white band in the shell for the subject and the orange brown band as the background. It's mounted in 9 carat gold with a Greek Key engraved border. Son of Zeus and Maia the Pleiad, Hermes (or Mercury to the Romans) used his famous winged sandals to travel between realms divine, mortal, and underworld

Vesta cases were made to house matches - before the invention of modern safety matches - with a rough textured strip at the base for striking

The domed head features a single brilliant cut diamond in an engraved star setting - a space-age take on the ever popular Victorian "gypsy" solitaire

he acts as the protector of holy sites and important places and wields a spear to fight against the evil spirits

it would originally have hung from the end of a watch chain

having fallen out of favour

it's crafted in 9ct yellow gold with fine millegrain detailing around the bezel mounts

and the band features fabulously intricate engraving that continues up the shoulders and around the head - gorgeous abstract foliate patterns

later becoming the patron of the Upper Egypt and ultimately

and French control marks (import) suggest it was made in England before being retailed in Paris

9mm diameter

and it became increasingly associated with Italian fascism - ultimately leading to a mass walk-out of the socialists

someone decided they wanted to wear their Georgian garnet and pearl clasp as a ring