19th century Italian micromosaic brooches and other jewellery

The fashion for micromosaic jewellery centred on Rome and Florence, encouraged by the popularity of the Grand Tour to Italy in the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors to these cities purchased mementoes of their visit, including micromosaic jewellery which often featured scenes of classical ruins. Florentine mosaics were primarily flower studies, set in coloured hardstone or black marble. The jewellery is made using small, intricate pieces of glass or enamel called tessarae, which are set into a metal base to create a pattern or image. The individual pieces of glass or enamel are usually no larger than a few millimetres in size, and are arranged in a mosaic-like pattern to create a detailed design. Mosaics originated in ancient Rome, where they were used to decorate floors and walls, and the technique was revived 18th and 19th centuries in Italy in micro format, where artisans began using it to create more... decorative jewellery, such as brooches, pendants, and earrings. less...