The Mother of Pearl

Mother of pearl, also called nacre, (the same stuff of pearls, just a different shape) has for a long time been seen as beautiful. As you may have read, (if you're a loyal follower of my internet travels, and researches) mother of pearl was used in brooches a good deal in Victorian Jewelry. It was used in pique work as well. (Pique work is basically an inlay of precious metals into another substance).

So where did the Victorians get their gorgeous iridescent argonite and elastic bipolymers which constitute nacre? Australia of course! From oysters in Northwestern Australia, to be more specific, mainly for inlay material and buttons.

For a neat article on mother of pearl buttons click on the title link! You'll find some neat stuff about American history (including Ronald Regan).

Somethings on Gold that Happened in Victoria's Reign

From 1851 to the late 1860s, an Australian gold rush took place in the state of Victoria. In that time, Victoria was the largest exporter of gold in the world.

Early Victorian gold pieces could vary from 18 to 22 karat. Then in 1854, the Stamp Act was passed, which made gold content standardized at 9, 12, or 15 karats. It also made jewelry producers obligated to hallmark their pieces declaring the karat number.

Jewelers could then start to experiment with different types of casting, like chasing and granulation. Because the gold standard was less, gold jewelry was easier to buy. Hurrah for parliamentary change! It can make the economy grow!