The Estate Collection No. 1 - Leaf Motif Brooch and Necklace

Created in England in the 1890s during Queen Victoria’s final years as monarch, this piece is iconic of a time in history when realist interpretations of botanicals in fine jewellery reached their zenith. 

While botanicals had always been a popular theme in fine jewellery in Europe, what marked this era of botanicals was that it was the naturalist and realist interpretation of the flora. The reasons for this were plenty, but one of the reasons was that travel and exploration were a luxury that few could afford, and creating jewels out of exotic botanicals was one of the ways the Victorians celebrated these voyages vicariously. 

Choo Yilin Leaf Motif Brooch and Necklace

Keeping it in its original form as a brooch, this piece was passed down to generations of children before finding its way to the estate market and us. It has been re-imagined to take on another function as a necklace. 

The botanical motif features the piece’s original old mine cut diamonds. Almost impossible to find in modern day fine jewellery, they disperse light in a way that brilliant cut diamonds cannot. Type A jadeite and pearls are knotted individually with silk thread and can be worn without the Victorian motif, as a single strand or a double. 

This piece is part of a digital gallery exhibition and is not currently available for purchase.

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The Estate Collection encompasses antique jewellery pieces thoughtfully restored to reflect our stories across time and continents — to honour history, to shape the present, and to hold space for what’s yet to unfold. Each piece is the only one of its kind in the world.

Read about The Estate collection and our founder's thoughts for more.