Antique Victorian Scottish chased pinchbeck good or gold filled / rolled gold large love knot brooch with agate inset stones

Antique Victorian large love knot brooch, with lovely chasing / engraving / repousse work along the length of the winding gold strand. It has four organic shaped agate / stone cabochon inserts around its length in white and orange colours.

The knot was a Victorian symbol of unbreakable love. The curls also resemble a curled snake, which was a popular way to symbolise eternal love and a favourite design of Queen Victoria. Most of these types of Scottish brooch with agate cabochons were made of silver, so this one is less usual.

Brooches of this kind were often gold filled, when not solid gold - I have not had this one tested in fact but believe it is rolled gold or gold filled. Sometimes they are listed as pinchbeck, but this is not usually the case, even though the gold plate does have a very yellowy matt finish.

This brooch is in good vintage condition. I have left it in its original condition, though it might benefit from a clean. One of the agate cabochons is very flat to the surface of the gold - good it may have been worn down or a section sheared off over the years, though it may have been that way originally.