Vintage Bee Brooch with Tiger's Eye and Paste Stones

• Paste / Rhinestone / Diamante - Paste (or rhinestone or diamante) is the name given to a coloured glass composition used for imitation gemstones, or to imitation gemstones made of glass.
  
  Although the technique of glassmaking had been known for thousands of years, but it wasn't until a lead glass with similar optical properties to diamonds were invented by a German jeweller working in Paris (either "Stras" or 'Strasser") in the early 18th century that "paste" gemstones became popular.
  
  There was no social stigma attached to wearing imitation stones, and they were worn in situations where highway robbery was a possibility. The 18th century settings were of very high quality, equivilent to real gemstone jewellery.
  
  In the nineteeth century the quality of paste jewellery declined and it has remained the poor cousin to genuine gemstones ever since.
• Bee Motif - The bee is a popular motif in jewellery design, often used to symbolize industry, hard work, and the natural world. They can be depicted in a variety of styles, from realistic to stylized, and are often used as a decorative element on rings, pendants, earrings, and other types of jewellery. In many cultures, bees are also seen as a symbol of prosperity and good luck, making them a popular choice for talismanic jewellery. Some people also choose to wear bee-themed jewellery as a way to show support for the conservation of bees, which are important pollinators that play a vital role in the health of ecosystems around the world.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• brooches, depicting
  • bee 70
  • wild cats: lion, tiger, panther 112
• brooches, set with - tiger's eye 12
• brooches, silver - silver items 2,539