Micro Intarsia Mosaic Pin from Italy. Vintage. 1950s or earlier. 1 Sq Inch.

Micro intarsia mosaic pins are made entirely by hand. Artisans use special tools to cut glass and enamel pieces into teeny, tiny shapes called tesserae and then place them on the jewelry. There is usually a small hole on the piece that the artist can use to hold the piece in place while he or she is working on it.