Like much post-Renaissance English jewelry, this 19th century brass brooch with prominently prong-set rock crystal, amethyst and peridot has a story to tell. But, unlike the love tokens of jeweled salamanders and frogs or the propagandistic badges of the Tudor rose or Jacobean thistle, our brooch almost certainly telegraphed a call to civil disobedience on behalf of a woman’s right to vote in the United Kingdom. The Suffragist movement was represented by distinct colors: purple, representing loyalty; green, hope, and white, purity. The colors also appeared on banners, lapel ribbons and medals, particularly those awarded to the courageous women who endured suffering and in some cases death by hunger strikes to force their nation forward. Originally a peaceful and admittedly ineffectual campaign, in 1903, the cause of women's suffrage adopted a violent program of resistance under the leadership of Emmeline Pankhurst’s Women’s Social and Political Union. The prize was finally won in 1918. It is very rare to find suffragette jewelry today, particularly such a robust example as ours. Condition: some tarnish to the brass. Pin back may have been replaced. Dimensions: 2.25" x 1.25".