AMS9164 Amethyst and seed pearl brooch, circa 1850

A lovely example of an ouroboros brooch set with an amethyst and seed pearls, circa 1850. Ouroboros, a serpent biting its tale, is an ancient motif signifying cyclical renewal, wholeness and infinity. For the Victorians it also represented lifelong love, a trend set by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria when he proposed in 1839 with an ouroboros ring set with an emerald