Victorian Moorish Brass Extra Long Hat Pin with Turquoise and Crystals, 1900s

A necessity during the Victorian Era, hat pins not only balanced precarious hats atop piles of hair but also moonlighted as weapons against overzealous gentlemen. Though teetering hats are no longer de rigeur, glorious century-plus-old pins such as these can be pierced through modern hats as statement accessories or even arranged in vases like bouquets of flowers. This extraordinary example combines a Moorish brass globe inset with turquoise stones and crystals to create a collectible worthy of standing on its own. 8 ½” hat pin with brass stem; Moorish textured brass finial inset with 2-1mm turquoise stones and 3-1mm Austrian crystals. material: brass metal, turquoise stones, clear Austrian crystals noteworthy: gently clean with damp cloth repairs: replaced broken crystals with Zwarovski replacements condition: very good with moderate tarnish on stem; stem gently bent measurements: length: 8” (stem), ½” (finial) finial diameter: 5/8” signature: no signature present