Grey Granite Brooch , c.1850
Middleton Rettie & Sons
Preview Grey-Granite-Brooch
Jeweller:Middleton Rettie & Sons
silver and granite
Silver and granite jewellery was made in a variety of forms – the Maltese cross, bar and oval brooches - with loops which enabled them to serve as pendant necklaces. Middleton Rettie and Sons specialised in this form, exhibiting “Gold and Silver mounted granite” at the 1851 Great Exhibition and also at the 1862 London Universal Exhibition. They employed the world famous Rubislaw Quarry granite, with its characteristic fine grey dappling, which was used to build most of Aberdeen’s celebrated grey granite buildings.
This brooch by Middleton Rettie and sons is formed as a Maltese cross set with grey granite from the Rubislaw quarry, Aberdeen. It fastens with hinged pin across back and has a suspension loop so that it can be worn as a pendant.
Purchased in 1985 with the assistance of the National Fund for Acquisitions.
Length: 3.7 cm, Width: 3.7 cm Weight: 16.11gm
Acc. No. ABDAG001381
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums