World War 1 9ct Gold & Tortoiseshell Sweetheart Brooch - Norfolk Regiment - 1916

This is a nice and somewhat scarce example of a First World War era sweetheart brooch for the Norfolk Regiment. Sweetheart brooches were gifted to or purchased by the wives, girlfriends or mothers of servicemen fighting at the front line. More than anything else, it was a show of solidarity and patriotism to their loved ones fighting in the war. These types of brooches came in many forms, with the cheapest examples being made in base metal, and the more costly examples being gold, such as this piece. The brooch offered here is manufactured in fully hallmarked 9ct rose gold with a tortoiseshell front. The badge of the Norfolk Regiment is inset into the tortoiseshell in a process known as pique work. To the rear is tube hinge and C clasp mechanism, which is perfectly correct for the era. The brooch also has its original safety chain, but this would appear to be gilt coloured base metal rather than gold. The hallmarks to the rear of the frame indicate it was made in Birmingham in 1916 by Sydney & Co who were based in Powell Street. There is a gold standard mark of 375 and 9 indicating it is of 9ct gold quality. The brooch measures 2.5cm across the face and it has a very slightly domed appearance to it. The unpacked weight is 3.3g. The condition of the item is good and solid with the gold having a fine patina. Any darkening to the surface of the gold that you can see on the back is merely the copper element of the rose gold showing a little tarnish. As is commonly seen with tortoiseshell, there is a fracture to the face where it has shrunk and contracted over time. It is all solidly held in place with no wobbling around. You can see this fracture in the last picture, just to the right of the wreath. This is a nice scarce piece for a collector - if you have any further questions please ask!