Antique Swiss Vermeil & Hand Painted Enamel Portrait Brooch flowers The Grand Tour was a

The Grand Tour was a rite of passage for well-to-do members of the upper classes in England and America during the Victorian Era

The use of paste remained common in fine jewelry

and the pieces became known as Essex crystal pieces

Reverse Intaglio Painting

For instance

Antique Swiss Vermeil & Hand Painted Enamel Portrait Brooch flowers The Grand Tour was aHand painted miniature portraits were the predecessors of photographs. When there was no other way to record a likeness of someone, the miniatures were treasured and passed down in families. Some portrait miniatures were painted of a specific person, and others were of classic style beauties rather than a particular real person. Often, these pieces were made into jewelry and worn as decoration. This fabulous portrait brooch depicts a Swiss beauty