The Victorians were great fans of novelty jewelry. Ornaments of curiosity were designed with consideration for beauty and color, but also with the intent to amuse and delight the wearer. Such eccentric styles include mounted hummingbird heads, tiny golden renderings of mice, and bejeweled flies, just to name a few. This 19th century brooch would have been classed as a “Cleopatra ornament,” though it bears little relation to the jewels of Ancient Egypt, and in fact, the beetle was most likely imported from South America. The beetle sits between two base metal bird wings—strange and unusual (in the best possible way).