Rare Antique 18K Gold Vermeil Filigree Flower Brooch

This stunning gold vermeil filigree sunflower tested as 18K. It is signed Topazio, out of Portugal. Topazio was founded by the second generation silversmiths, Gabriel and Silvestre Ferreira Marques, the history of Topazio trademark began in 1934. Originally, Topazio was a family business founded in 1874 by their father Manuel José Ferreira Marques. His company Ferreira Marques & Irmão, located in Oporto, Portugal, became famous all over the world for its silverware. After the death of Manuel José in 1930, his sons Gabriel and Silvestre Ferreira Marques headed the company. The brothers renamed the company to Topazio after their mother’s favorite stone, topaz. Along with table silver, the company’s craftsmen hand crafted exquisite filigree jewelry using silver, gold and enamel. An exclusive creation of a bygone era, Topazio is reminiscent of the 18th-19th centuries jewelry. Called “Indo-Portuguese filigree”, such adornments first appeared in Portugal in the 16th and 17th centuries, when mariners brought Chinese filigree to Portugal. This brooch is 2 1/4" by 1".