Elegant Bar Brooch with Opal and Diamonds in Platinum, England, circa 1925

Somewhere over the Rainbow, at the other end of the rainbow, lies the land where the multicolored opal is mined: Its inhabitants affectionately call it “Oz,” after the magical land from the musical *The Wizard of Oz*, from which the song quoted at the beginning is taken. It therefore seems fitting that gemstones displaying all the colours of the rainbow are mined there. As early as the late Victorian era, toward the end of the 19th century, Great Britain was importing opals from the now-legendary mines of Australia. Australian opals were clearer and displayed a more intense play of colours than the Hungarian opals that had been used previously. This brooch from the Art Deco period features just such a stone. The cabochon-cut Australian solid opal used here is what is known as a “crystal opal”: it is characterized by its slightly translucent body, within which the color patterns seem to float like cosmic nebulae. When held up to the light, this crystal opal shimmers in shades ranging from peach to soft pink; however, when worn or set against an opaque background, its greenish-blue colour becomes more intense. The opal cabochon is held in place by a simple prong setting. On the left and right are elongated platinum ellipses, each set with a total of 14 diamonds in various cuts. We discovered this brooch in the south of England; it is in very good condition.

Estimate:£1,180.7

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