1880's "C" clasp??

[against the wind]

The youngest member of our club dug up what I believe is a brooch from the 1880's
It is about the size of a silver dollar and has 5 stones that are still intact. The reason I think it may be from the late 1800's is because of the type of "C" clasp where the now missing pin would catch.
Any help would be appreciated in confirming that it is a brooch and the approximate age.

 

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[against the wind]

Here are the front and back pictures.

 

[DCMatt]

The "C" catch is in the center? It's a little hard to tell from your pics. Are you sure it isn't a bent and broken hat pin? I would date it to turn of the 20th C, give or take a decade.

Please don't take pics of relics in your hand. Lay them on a medium dark, non-reflective surface. Otherwise the lens will tend to focus on your fingers instead of the object.

 

[invent4hir]

Against, that is one great find by the youngest member of your club! As far as the catch goes, I agree w/ DCMatt about questioning its location. Also is there any indication elsewhere on the reverse side where the pin would have been attached? If not sure, please post a picture of the reverse side using DCMatt's suggestions.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I agree with Matt, it's too heavy to be a brooch, likely a hat pin.
Looks to be more in the Art Nouveau style, likely c1910.

Very nice find,
Dave

"Art Nouveau was an international style of art, architecture and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was most popular between 1890 and 1910. A reaction to the academic art of the 19th century, it was inspired by natural forms and structures, particularly the curved lines of plants and flowers. Art Nouveau is a total art style: It embraces a wide range of fine and decorative arts, including architecture, painting, graphic art, interior design, jewelry, furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass art, and metal work. By 1910, Art Nouveau's influence had faded. It was replaced as the dominant European architectural and decorative style first by Art Deco and then by Modernism.

Art Nouveau took its name from the Maison de l'Art Nouveau (House of the New Art), an art gallery opened in 1895 by the Franco-German art dealer Siegfried Bing. In France, Art Nouveau was also sometimes called by the British term "Modern Style", due to its roots in the Arts and Crafts movement. In the United States, due to its association with Louis Comfort Tiffany, it was often called the "Tiffany Style".

 

[Joe-Dirt]

Very nice, nothing I would wear, but nice nonetheless

 

[Reanm8er]

Very nice atw, congrats! Respectfully I think it's an optical illusion that makes it look like the c catch is in the center. It looks like it's between the rim and the filigree center.

It is a bit large and heavy to be worn on the bosom of a dress but more likely for heavier fabric like a hat an overcoat or perhaps the collar.

I also believe in the fashion of turn of the 20th century.

Best wishes!