Smoky Quartz Oyster Shell Brooch with diamond | 18ct gold fitting | Victorian c.1880s

Carved in luminous smoky quartz and set with a sparkling old-cut diamond, this beautifully made Victorian brooch takes the form of an open oyster shell - a poetic symbol of hidden beauty and feminine strength.

There’s wit in the choice: a 0.40ct diamond where a pearl might sit, elevating a simple shell into something quietly luxurious.

It’s a small piece, but one that shows real thought and craft.

The shell motif held deep meaning in the late 19th century: linked with birth, love, the sea, and pilgrimage, it was also associated with Venus and classical ideals of beauty.

Just 2.5cm wide, this brooch was likely worn as a quiet accent, a subtle, imaginative piece for someone with an eye for the unusual.

Today, pinned to a cashmere jumper or a neckline, it’s still effortlessly chic still stylish, and still witty, and just intriguing enough to make someone look twice.

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