Unicorn Brooch – Silver finish

This delightful heraldic unicorn brooch, made by Ian Grant of Edinburgh, is available exclusively from the Dorothy Dunnett Society.  There are three plate finishes to choose from: bright silver (nickel), which you are currently viewing, antique and yellow gold.  All are tarnish-proof so will never lose their shine or need polishing.  The brooch measures 3½ cm or 1¼ inches across horizontally and fastens at the back with a secure rollover safety clasp.  Ian Grant's mark is stamped on the back of the brooch, which comes in a smart blue presentation box.

Unicorns are closely associated with Scotland and Dorothy Dunnett.  Two of the mythical beasts support the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland.  In 1469, James III appointed a Flemish Knight, Sir Anselm Adorne of Bruges, to the Order of the Unicorn (of which the fictional protagonist of Dorothy Dunnett's House of Niccolò series was also created a Knight); and in 1993, to celebrate the publication of The Unicorn Hunt, Dorothy Dunnett commissioned a replica of a modern recreation of the Order's chain, based on a design by Charles Burnett who was then Ross Herald.  The Dorothy Dunnett Society adopted Charles Burnett's unicorn as its permanent device in 2012.