Antique Conch Pearl and Diamond Flower Bud Brooch

A natural conch pearl, approximately 1/2 × 5/8 inches (1.3 × 1.6 cm), sits at the crown of this Victorian floral spray — the soft pink of its flame structure cradled by rose-cut diamond sepals just opening to reveal the bud. Below, two fully blown rose-cut diamond flowers and a stem of gold wrap across nearly 3 15/16 in (10.0 cm) of length, set with 345 rose-cut diamonds totaling approximately 10 carats, with three Old European cuts accenting the bloom. Conch pearls are non-nucleated, found only by chance in queen conch shells from the Caribbean, and cannot be cultured — a fact that has made them quietly prized for over a century.