Pietra Dura Butterfly Brooch | 9ct Gold | Florence c.1860

A beautifully made pietra dura brooch, crafted in Florence around 1860.

The butterfly is inlaid in fine hardstones - warm jasper, creamy chalcedony, and lapis blue - each piece hand-cut and set with precision into a black slate ground.

This is true handmade Florentine stone mosaic: no paint, no enamel,  just carefully worked material and skilled hands.

The butterfly is sharp, balanced, and unusually vivid for its age, with all stones intact and the colour still bold.

The 9ct gold mount was likely added in Britain not long after, framing the piece in soft, warm gold and making it beautifully wearable as a brooch.

It’s a rare survivor, part miniature, part jewel, with a timeless quality that still feels striking today.

Worn on a coat, pinned to a black dress, or simply admired, it holds its own with quiet detail and exceptional craft.

In excellent antique condition.

Available exclusively at ELTONS, Grays Antique Market, Mayfair, London.