Tay pearl brooch?

[hbyrne]

Hello there....I don't know if any of you saw this amusing little fellow on Ebay? Well, I finally caved in and bought him.
He arrived this morning, and I'm more than pleased. He has such personality, with his cute cabochon ruby eye and handmade gold setting.

He was sold as an antique baroque pearl brooch. I thought Mississippi, but after doing some research, I think there's quite a chance he could be Tay. I've seen similar pearls on a brooch by John Donald. There has been quite a bit of discussion on the forum about scottish pearls and it seems difficult to establish any facts or evidence as to whether individual pearls really are from these rivers in Scotland. The box seems to be original, and is from 1880s/90s, the company were based in a smart street in London and when they expanded and opened their jewellery/watch dept, they had Scottish pipers and band...Queen Victoria was spending a lot of time in her scottish home at the time and everything Scottish was HOT! Eitherways....what dyou think?

 

[FrenchPearl]

Hi Helen,
I know nothing about Tay pearls, and look forward learning more about them here.

This brooch is delightful, and as a "pisce", I feel very attracted to it ! I think it's a great purchase for your collection.
thanks for sharing it !

 

[GemGeek]

Ha! I want your pin!!! It's much more likely an American river pearl. Are the gills and mouth a natural part of the pearl, or are they carved? What a cool pin!

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

It's much more likely an American river pearl.

Agreed. Color, shape, size and likelihood suggest American river pearl.

 

[hbyrne]

Hmm...it's very true, I've never seen a picture of a supposed 'Tay' pearl that shape. The pic bottom right is of a brooch in the book sold at the current Pearl exhibition at the V&A in London....They look just like mine. It is listed as Tay pearl...(however, there is also a locket in the book listed as Ruby and Pearl which looks just like flat-cut Garnet and Pearl).

Dave, thank you for your 'verdict', I really value it.

Gemgeek, just the gill is carved I'm glad you like him...I 'hovered ' over buying him for weeks.

 

[MSC]

I remember seeing that one on the ebay super cute! looks like a typical American river pearl to me as well. I've looked at a lot of English and German art nouveau/jugendstil jewelry, they also use pearls that appear to be American river pearls, but are they??? Unfortunately, I only have one of my art nouveau jewelry books out of storage (art nouveau jewelry by Vivienne Becker) but the jewelry descriptions do not state the source of the pearls used in the pieces presented. One description I found actually labeled what are clearly conch pearls as coral! Anyways, it would be interesting to find out of the UK and Germany sourced these pearls from America or their own rivers.

 

[pearlescence]

I don't think that is a UK river pearl (whisper it very quietly there are other mussel beds besides the Tay -shhhhhhhhhhhh) too much like a stick. our pearls tend to be more roundish. It's a bit big too - or appears so from the pix.
Dang, I was just in Brighton a couple of weeks or so ago. wish I had known we could have met up!

 

[juliebeth]

i surely don't know but he is a darling little fish!

 

[LitGeek]

Such a sweet pin! Enjoy!

 

[MSC]

I'm looking through the Strack pearl about something else and I came across a plate of a necklace from Liberty's (UK) where the description states that the pearls are American FW (fig. 189, pg. 235).

 

[GemGeek]

Here's the thing - the volume of American river pearls was exponentially higher than European river pearls, so they were readily available and figured prominently in art nouveau jewelry.

 

[hbyrne]

MSC...I read yesterday (somewhere) that there were pearls in German rivers. But, also that jewellers in the town of Pzorzheim also used American pearls. Apparently there were 14,000 workers involved in the 1890's!!!

 

[hbyrne]

Pearlessence...think I was just getting carried way with the idea that he could be Scottish! Let me know next time you're in Brighton though!

 

[pattye]

The fish pin and box, what a darling treasure~looks American pearl to me, too.