EWA - Gold on Silver with Enamel Name Brooch - 19th Century - Victorian Era

Victorian era Silver Enamel Gold Overlay Puzzle Name Brooch - EWA. 

Here is an unusual Victorian 19th Century Name Brooch in puzzle form with the letters EWA intertwined in gold on a white enamel background with a blue enamel border on silver. This brooch measures 3 cm by 3 cm. the brooch fastens with a c guard and has a joined safety chain with pin attachment. It is in very good condition with just a few nips out of the blue enamel border on the outer edges. Please see photos. It is a very pretty and well made piece of jewellery. Perfect for anyone named EWA or buy to add it to a collection of Antique Name Brooches. 

It is reputed that these name and initials pins were first worn by the servants in England's large country houses.    The pins quickly became a popular form of sweetheart brooch for the sentimental Victorians.  The popularity of the brooches continued  through the Edwardian period into the 1920's and there was a revival of these items during World War 2.  Materials used for name brooches include Silver, Gold, base metals and rolled gold wires, sometimes they are set with gems, diamante or paste or marcasite.  Names are also engraved and sometimes painted onto natural materials like  ivory, bone or Whitby Jet and early plastics like Bakelite, Celluloid, Casein and Lucite.  It was also popular to make brooches with the words 'Mother' and 'Baby' ;  with initials on or letters which make up a name in the form of a puzzle; with place names upon them or simply with sentiments like 'Best Wishes', 'Mizpah' (an old hebrew prayer which  translated  means 'may the Lord watch over us whilst we are apart' ) or the words 'Souvenir'.