This brooch is handmade by “beating” the gold very thin and placing it over a form and pressing in the pattern from the form into the back of the gold work. This type of Civil War era Jewelry is called “hollowware”. This also has the advantage of being lighter in weight and will not pull on the fabric of the blouse. This brooch came from a collector in Michigan for 40 years and dates to the early 1860’s. The Brooch has the original T-bar pin and C-clasp the size is 2 inch long and 1 ½ inch tall, and is in excellent condition.