Catalog (382)

Our 14K articulated hinged snake bangle suggests the Greek rod of Asclepius with the serpent wrapped around a staff. The ends of the bracelet are capped with a ball finial which are further capped with a small gold ball. The bracelet tests 14K. There are no identifying marks. Interestingly the textured ball finials each have different scrolled raised pattern and a different gold color. That and the carved scales and clear red garnet eyes are just some of the charming details of this Grecian ...

This ring has many Georgian era characteristics, including the symmetry of the 10 Georgian diamonds surrounding a central larger diamond, the silver surround of the gemstones and the impressive gold craftsmanship of the fully closed back. The band is 3 horizontal bands linked with 3 vertical elements and is comprised of 4 sections with a carved gold leaf set into each. The leaves are all carved to suggest veining, adding to the ring's appeal. Our ring is an early precursor to what would la...

Delightful Victorian hallmarked 1865 Birmingham multi-stone ring with two large diamond shaped garnets in the center, surrounded by emeralds and enveloped by a beautifully engraved 15K gold band on either end. We love the contrast in both size and color of the stones. The final photos show how pleasing rings from this decade of 1860-1870 look together on the hand. This ring is not sizeable because the band is engraved all around and sizing would ruin the engraved pattern. It is sized US 7 ...

18K Oval Rose Cut diamond ring with an abundance of rose cut diamonds, 28 on the border alone, surrounding a trinity of large diamonds at center and smaller diamonds as embellishments on either side of the trinity. The diamonds are set in the classic cut down setting of the Georgian/Victorian period. Diamond rings, by the 19th century were most often used as betrothal rings (having replaced the posey rings of the eighteenth century). Note the drawing of a similar diamond ring in our photo ar...

C1770 Silver gilt ring with Glass Tassie cameo portrait of an 18th century gentleman, thought to be young Prince William Henry Duke of Gloucester, younger brother of King George III. Rings set with portrait miniatures of sovereign figures were quite popular and widely distributed. A "Tassie" is a paste or glass copy of a cameo or intaglio. They were named for James Tassie, 1735-1799 who invented a technique for producing perfect copies of antique cameos and intaglios, which have the same deta...

This unusual mid nineteenth century Gold and Silver Diamond Cluster ring is a variation of the classic Victorian cluster ring with a twist. The twist is that the the flower cluster is actually set in a mount of silver, with pear shaped diamonds set in 8 "leaves" of gradually increasing size, perfectly asymmetrically symmetrical. Then the silver mount is further set atop a gold mount and the band is finished in gold. Such a design could only be accomplished with rigorous and exacting hand labor ...

This is a spectacular one of a kind cameo portrait signet ring collector's item made of an sardonyx, a variety of banded onyx and a form of chalcedony quartz of reddish brown. Portrait cameos were often commissioned by those who had amassed enough wealth to leave their mark on society. The wearer of such a ring would demonstrate admiration for a particular philosopher, writer or popular figure in society. The possession of a ring set with a cameo established the owner of the ring as a person o...

Twin hearts, long a symbol of everlasting love, are set here with pearls, a symbol of purity and wisdom, surrounded by old European cut diamonds and crowned with a bow. The double hearts signify the couple ( "our hearts beat as one") while diamonds symbolize fidelity and everlasting commitment. This romantic Victorian ring is a superb example of an ageless motif. Ring size 6 (almost a 6.25) and can be sized to fit.

18K Georgian ring with a cushion cut oval approx. 4 carat topaz center stone flanked by 2 old mine cut diamonds on each side. The diamonds total approximately 1/2 carat. This is a hand forged Georgian ring and the star of the show, the topaz, is encased in a gold surround. A charming detail of 3 "pie crust" indentations in the gold can be seen at the top, bottom and repeated along the sides. The topaz sits about 5 mm above the finger. The combination of the clear yellow-gold topaz flanked by the...

This antique 18K (marked) lover's knot ring with hallmarks for Chester, 1912, is the most substantial lover's knot ring we have ever encountered in our years of collecting antique jewelry. We love everything about the ring, beginning with the solid feel of this chunky gold ring, to its hand forged sinuous intertwined bands of gold, some with charming incised flourishes. We also love the polished band that is over one quarter of an inche wide all around; the essence of solidity. The love knot...

HM 1916 Birmingham, our Victorian "message" ring with the word "Mizpah" engraved on either side (Miz on one side of the turquoise forget-me-not and Pah on the other side) is an example of the romantic message jewelry that was so popular in the era. The word Mizpah is a Hebrew word that symbolizes the bond between two people separated by an act of war or other forced estrangement. The message comes from a quote in the Old Testament book of Genesis and reads "And Mizpah; for he said, the Lord watc...

Sterling silver ring with a horse shoe motif as its central feature, set in sterling silver, complete with hallmark and maker's mark S & G. Silver jewelry was popularized in the last quarter of the 19th century because of the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada in the 1860's, which had the effect of greatly increasing the world supply of silver. The band integrates with the central horseshoe and that is how we know it was originally and cleverly designed to be a horse shoe ring. Ano...

Sparkling Victorian cut steel earrings with faceted balls, leaves and circles. Cut steel was popular in England for its luster and shine in candlelight. Each tiny stud is hand cut and embedded in a metal base plate. Cut steel was the only form of jewelry made by steel workers and was a huge industry in the 19th century. It should be noted that while the jewelry was riveted by steelworkers, the polishing of the jewelry was done by local women, in a cottage industry of sorts. These earrings meas...

This wonderful 18K Scottish fob features an imposing tower, the symbol for the Mason family crest. The fob is carved with a motto which reads "Demeure Par La Verite" and translates to "Keep Fast By the Truth". Keep fast by the truth is rooted in the bible: from the Gospel of John, it means remain faithful to the word of God and one will be rewarded with a fruitful life. Our fob is 1.5" tall and just shy of 1.5" wide. Family crest information sourced from Fairbanks' Guide (see photo of fortress d...

Colorful depiction of a peasant girl graces this micromosaic brooch purchased during the Grand Tour and brought back to England to be set in an elaborate 18K bezel decorated with grapes and leaves. The glass tesserae are set in malachite.

Double portrait cameo ring in sardonyx, a variety of onyx and from the chalcedony family of stones, with the profiles of Venus and Mars overlaid in a pleasing contrast and further set on a carved rectangular stone in a 9K cigar band. Mars is shown in black at the foreground with his warrior attributes (helmet and armour) while Venus is portrayed in the background in white. We love the way each is carved from the same piece of stone then further mounted on another piece of stone. Our double portr...

Victorian 18K Carnelian agate swivel ring of a bearded man in profile. The fiery orange red glow of the Carnelian stone mesmerizes and the feel of the revolving swivel makes this a unique and very pleasant ring to won. The bearded unknown man is beautifully carved on one side while the other side is plain. The ring is .75 inches long and .5 inches wide and fits a size 7-7.5 and fairly large in scale and has great presence. The last photos show the scale of the ring relative to other signets.

Victorian Pietra Dura earrings of a butterfly, set in 9K gold. Pietra dura is a form of micro-mosaic made with pieces of hard stone such as agate, and cemented into black marble. It is also known as Florentine mosaic as Florence, Italy was the center of manufacture of these wonderful pieces. Red is a particularly rare color to find in Pietra dura. The earrings are set onto 14K ear wires.