Antique Georgian to Victorian gold tone brass and clear paste rhinestone oval converted buckle brooch

Antique Georgian to Victorian converted buckle brooch with beautifully shaped paste stones. The pin and clasp look like they may be sterling silver though the piece is not stamped or hallmarked and I haven't tested the pin or clasp. The paste stones have been beautifully set with open backs. It measures just under 1.5 inches by 1 3/4 inches.

I believe these pieces were originally Georgian or Victorian shoe buckles, originally kept in pairs. This piece fastens with a simple C hook clasp and pin which must have been added a little later when buckles went out of fashion. You can see the two little cylinders where the original buckle bar would have joined one side to the other, at right angles to the current pin.

The brooch is in good vintage condition for its great age, please examine all photographs carefully - with vintage pieces of this sort of age, there will sometimes be slight yellowing or greying of stones and small dinks, dents or spots of unevenness.