In 1904, G.Paulding Farnham a jewelry designer for Tiffany&Co. created this very special chrysanthemum brooch...
The stem and leaves, which are naturalistically rendered are pavé set with diamonds. The flower is created of Mississippi River pearls set in a gold supporting frame. The unique shape of these river pearls makes then an ideal choice for this particular design.
Mississippi River pearls are a type of fresh water pearl found in a large species of mollusk native to the river. The pearls found in these mollusks are rarely round, tending to elongate and sometimes tooth-like shapes. Round ones are quite rare. Because of the large size of the mollusk, a species of fresh water mussel, a single one might have dozens of such pearls within it.
Collection of the American Museum of Natural History
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