Highland Bling

Gross or grouse? You decide. But this curious creation isn’t just a macabre ornament – it’s a piece of Scottish courtship history.

In 19th-century Scotland, a young man might gift his sweetheart a grouse foot as a token of cunning and worth. The red grouse, prized for its elusiveness, symbolised cleverness and skill – not bad qualities in a suitor. When Queen Victoria popularised all things Scottish, this rustic gesture got the full Victorian treatment. Enter the grouse-foot brooch: part taxidermy, part jewellery, and wholly strange by modern standards.

This example goes all in on the flair. It’s mounted in silver with a stag’s head detail, has a vivid foil-backed glass stone and a full set of Edinburgh silver hallmarks. The most collectible examples are Scottish-hallmarked, and the finest feature natural Scottish stones such as cairngorm or amethyst. This one ticks most of the boxes – minus the gemstone upgrade.

Striking, unsettling, and unmistakably of its time, this footed fashion statement adds a wild twist to any collection.