An Edwardian 9 Carat Gold Amethyst and Seed Pearl Art Nouveau Brooch by Ward Brothers, 1910 weighing 2.9 gm

An Edwardian bar brooch in the Art Nouveau style, manufactured by Ward Brothers (WBS). The piece features a symmetrical openwork frame of whiplash scrolls and leaf-inspired motifs. A central oval-cut purple amethyst is secured in a multi-claw setting, accented by two seed pearls mounted on scrolling wire stalks. The reverse of the brooch is struck with multiple marks including the maker’s initials WBS in a rectangular frame on the left. The right side features a full set of Birmingham hallmarks consisting of the WBS maker’s mark, an anchor assay mark, the 9 and .375 fineness marks for 9 carat gold, and the lowercase date letter l corresponding to the year 1910. The fastening mechanism consists of a hinged pin and a simple C-clasp.