Sabbadini Gem-Set Diamond Bee Brooch: Italian Blackened Gold Jewelry
Sabbadini gem-set and diamond 'bee' brooch, modelled as a bee, the eyes accented with a circular-cut green Tsavorite garnet, the thorax and abdomen similarly decorated with tsavorites, the wings and legs pave-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in 18ct blackened gold, length 1.18 in., width 1.34 in., Italian workshop registration marks, numbered 6000, signed Sabbadini, Italy.
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- Bee Motif - The bee is a popular motif in jewellery design, often used to symbolize industry, hard work, and the natural world. They can be depicted in a variety of styles, from realistic to stylized, and are often used as a decorative element on rings, pendants, earrings, and other types of jewellery. In many cultures, bees are also seen as a symbol of prosperity and good luck, making them a popular choice for talismanic jewellery. Some people also choose to wear bee-themed jewellery as a way to show support for the conservation of bees, which are important pollinators that play a vital role in the health of ecosystems around the world.
- Garnet - A garnet is a mineral that is commonly used as a gemstone. It occurs in a wide range of colours, including red, pink, orange, green, yellow, and black. The most common and best known type of garnet is the red variety, which has a deep, rich colour and is often referred to as a "garnet red."
Garnets have a long history of use as gemstones, and they have been prized for their beauty and durability for thousands of years. They are often used in jewellery, such as rings, necklaces, and earrings, and they are also sometimes used as a decorative element in other items, such as vases and goblets.
Garnets are prized for their brilliance, durability, and resistance to scratching, making them a popular choice for use in jewellery. They are also valued for their hardness, which makes them well suited for use in abrasive applications, such as sandpaper and grinding wheels. - Tsavorite - Tsavorite is a green coloured garnet, first discovered by a British geologist, Dr Campbell R. Bridges in 1961 in Zimbabwe while working for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Unable to obtain a mining permit, he began prospecting in Tanzania and in 1967 made a second discovery of Tsavorite in northern Tanzania in 1967. Dr Bridges commenced mining the deposit, but the mine was nationalised by the government, so Dr Bridges moved to Kenya, where he made a third discovery of the mineral at the end of 1970.
Tiffany & Co. began promoting the then unnamed mineral in 1973 in association with Dr. Campbell, and it was agreed it should be named Tsavorite, after the Tsavo National Park in Kenya, near to where it was mined.
Dr Bridges died aged 71 in 2009 on his property in Tsavo National Park, Kenya, when he and his son were attacked by a mob in a dispute over mining rights.
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