How Do You Date Micro Mosaic Jewellery?

Micro mosaic is the art of creating an image using minute pieces of glass or stone, called tesserae, held in place with a cement or gum. The term was coined in the 1970s by Arthur Gilbert who was a huge collector of the genre.  Intending to evoke the Roman art of mosaic which had fallen out of fashion in the 18^th Century, the skilled craftsmen of the time started to create miniaturised versions of their work.

 These small, handmade mosaics were sold to wealthy tourists on the Grand Tour, an educational rite of passage trip across Europe which always took in the wonders of Rome. Described as the ultimate Grand Tour souvenir, the micro mosaics were easy to travel with or, indeed, send home in the manner of a souvenir postcard. This was not cheap tat, however. Micro mosaics can take months to make, and the work is painstaking, using up to 5000 tesserae per square inch.

^{A 19th century yellow gold and micro mosaic parure}

^{Sold for £1,500}

Giacomo Raffaelli is credited with being one of the first to incorporate micro-mosaic into jewellery, selling them in Rome in 1775.  Most artists in micro mosaic had reflected the neo-classical sites in Rome such as the Roman Forum Ruins and the Colosseum, but Raffaelli was inspired by nature and featured birds and fruit in his work and is known for his Doves of Pliny and a replica of Da Vinci’s Last Supper made for Napoleon 1^st.

From 1814, The Castellani family of Rome eschewed the flat and polished surfaces that typified earlier micro mosaic jewellery and set the tesserae at different heights so that the uneven surfaces reflected the light and sparkled. Gold tesserae were used, and the final pieces were set in gold creating a glorious shimmer effect. Today, jewellery signed by Castellani can reach tens of thousands of dollars at auction, often exceeding expectations, such is the keenness of the collector’s market.

However, by the beginning of the 1900s, the fashion for fine micro mosaic jewellery had rather lost its appeal and by the 1940s the market was awash with cheap micro mosaic jewellery, made of glass rather than stone, with coarser tesserae and set in a metal frame or back, and often marked with ‘Italy’.

^{19th century micro mosaic brooch}

^{Sold for £1,000}

To date earlier and more valuable pieces, an expert would look carefully at the jewellery’s setting. The effort and skill required to make a fine quality piece typical of the 18^th Century would be reflected in a heavy, gold setting. The clasps of necklaces and bracelets are also helpful to date a piece.

 The quality of the micro mosaic itself is apparent to an expert and the maker mark, say, Castellani or from the Vatican Mosaic Studio, would indicate the date of production.

Dawsons Auctioneers have successfully sold many pieces of micro mosaic jewellery over the years. If you are thinking of selling, our expert Valuers can minutely examine your piece, accurately dating it and giving the seller confidence in our estimate ranges and appraisal. Whilst our in-house marketing team will promote your jewellery to an eager audience of collectors and enthusiasts across the world to achieve the highest prices for you.

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