Really cool antique stag beetle.
 
We the have the Victorian love of entomology to thank for the sudden surge of insect themed jewelry in the late 18th Century.
 
Fun Fact - Did you know The Rothschild collection, assembled by English naturalist and entomologist Charles Rothschild, contains a whopping 250,000 individual specimens of fleas. The Rothschild Collection helped identify nearly 500 different species of flea, including the flea species responsible for the spread of the Black Death plague. 
 
Anyway the obsession for insect collecting quickly transferred itself to diamond incrusted pendants and brooches, making bugs suddenly a lot more attractive.
 
Here we have a Stag Beetle, her reeded abdomen carved from a piece of brown agate, her pronutum and head set with rose cut diamonds, with two little ruby cabochon eyes staring forwards.
Her stag beetle insecty legs are also adorned with diamonds.
 
As insects sometimes roll on to their backs and expose their abdomen it makes sense for this lady's underbelly to be as finely detailed in high carat gold as the rest of her.
 
Perfect for all of you who like things a bit edgey.
 
weighs - 6g
measures - 30mm x 26mm not including jump ring
English circa 1870
Agate, diamonds, rose cut diamonds, rubies, silver and high carat gold
 
Condition - excellent