Catalog (395)

Twentieth Century 14 Karat Blue lapis lazuli signet ring of German or Austrian origin, with initials SVC and a charming intaglio of a stylized castle. The band has a purity mark of 585 on one side and a maker's mark on the other. The ring is hand engraved in the inside of the band with "Van Vater, March 12 1985", German for "From Father, March 12 1985". The ring dates from 1975-1985. It was likely sold by the jeweler as a custom carved engraved signet ring; the lapis stone would have been set in...

18K Pink Tourmaline solitaire ring in a mesmerizing shade of pink set into an open back 18k gold band. This surprisingly modern appearing ring is Victorian, evidenced by the hand work and pink tourmaline; pink and green tourmaline were popular in the 19th century for its considerable beauty and high polish. The gold band flattens out on both sides where it joins the ring head (see last photos). Horizontal piercings along the band are another interesting detail. The detail of the crimped pie crus...

Unusual, rarely seen signet ring with a striking stone of banded agate. The ring has a very small cartouche stamp on the back, it could possibly be the harp indicated Irish origin. Banded agate is a form of quartz with parallel bands of black and white resulting from mineral deposits layering over time, thus the term “banded.” The carved scrolls along the sides are a distinctly Victorian feature, often seen on gold bands during this period and they help to date the ring. The minute dots carv...

Late Victorian signet ring, hallmarked for the year 1907-1908 and monogrammed with initials WW or MM, carved to a polished gold face and set into a band with carved scrolled shoulders. The ring featured on this listing is modeled on the ring finger. We think it looks great with other signet rings or by itself. The ring is fairly large in scale at over a half inch wide and a half inches tall (1.4 cm North-South and 1.2+ cm East-West), US size 8 and size-able.

The devil is in the details. Every detail of our 18K woven gold gloved hand bracelet with guilloche enamel cuffs are is a beauty to behold. Our bracelet was handcrafted by skillful Georgian goldsmiths who took care to make sure that every part of this bracelet met their exacting standards. And it shows. We call this a "woven" gold bracelet because during the Georgian period goldsmiths were adept at weaving gold so that it resembled and felt more like fabric than metal chain. This weaving styl...

Silver jewelry was made to appeal to the "working girl" who desired beautiful and well made jewelry in European society. After Queen Victoria's Silver Jubilee in the third quarter of the 19th century, silver cuff bracelets were incredibly popular. Silver cuff bracelets extremely collectible today as they were well made and no two pieces were alike, each was unique in its own way. We are particularly enthralled with this modern take on a classical Greek element, a lavender enameled Greek key whi...

Our C1900 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 along with the carved gold scales on the snake's body and clear red garnet eyes are just some of...

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...

Classic early Victorian multi-stone ring set with unusual heart shaped almandine garnets and emeralds and chrysoberyl in an elaborate 15K yellow gold setting. Swirls, whorls and curlicues engraved along the band add interest. This was a fully hallmarked ring at one time but it appears the date letter has been rubbed off in a resizing, but the 15K and 625 mark are clearly visible. The design of the ring, with the S shaped scrollwork at the top and bottom of the ring face and the type of stones u...

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...

Hard stone cameo signet ring carved of green agate with an intaglio of a Roman warrior, likely Mars, with a gryphon overtop his helmet presumably offering protection in battle. A popular creature in heraldry, the gryphon symbolizes swiftness and strength. Our bearded warrior has a distinctly masculine rugged profile and is carved from an unusual translucent green agate that transforms depending on the lighting conditions. The ring is .75 inches tall and .5 inches (1.9 cm tall by 1.2 cm wide) and...

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.

Authentic Murphy family crest ring, complete with the motto and crest, all artfully carved in bloodstone (bloodstone is a dark green variety of chalcedony with red specks). The Lion Rampant stands in profile at the top holding a wheat sheath between his paws, the crest sits below and the banner with Latin motto Fortis et hospitales adorns the bottom of the ring face. The wheat is representative of abundance and the lion of strength and bravery. Irish crests always include a shield and a motto in...

Classic Victorian era pleasing large size round monogramed signet ring with an old english monogram carved in a carnelian hard stone with carved scrolls set into the 15K band. The ring is shown with an assortment of other signet rings in a similar shape. We think it looks terrific with others, or alone. The ring is .6 of an inch wide and .5 inches tall (15 mm wide and 12+ mm tall) and is a US size 10 and size-able.

A rare example of the remarkable talent behind the wonderful Austrian Bronze hand painted bronze miniature figurines which were made around the turn of the 20th century in foundries in Austria and Vienna following a period (mid nineteenth century) when realism and and naturalism were in vogue. The bronzes were individually cast from sand molds used only once, then sculpted and cold painted by hand with several coats of a special and an unknown enamel paint that can no longer be replicated, resu...

Striking 18K sapphire and diamond double snake ring fully hallmarked for London in 1914 and fabricated in 18K gold. Snake rings became popular in England when Queen Victoria received an emerald snake ring as her engagement ring from Prince Albert. Snake rings were popular among both men and women. Serpents and snakes represent fertility and are symbols of rebirth and transformation. The ring is .4 inches high, is a size 9 and is 10+ grams.

Substantial 4 coiled 18K Snake Ring with rubies and diamonds of increasing sizes along the head of the ring. The 4 bands wind around the ring terminating in a flourish of the snake's tail. An outstanding snake ring, from the carefully chosen rubies and diamonds which are graduated in size and placed in a carved "tail" which echoes the graduated size of the snake's head, to the substantial coverage the ring provides. The ring has a maker's mark of NBS, is a size 9 ½ and weighs over 10 gr...

This wonderful unisex snake ring is 12 grams of smooth solid gold with 5 coils and a lovely ancient looking matte appearance. The snake has a sweet derpy face and was likely fabricated by a goldsmith who never actually encountered one. Snakes have long been a symbol of eternal love and devotion but were popularized during the reign of Queen Victoria. This is a very solid durable ring for everyday wear and can be worn safely in the shower or during hand-washing and as such is ideally su...

Our Victorian long guard watch chain is composed of an unusual and attractive love knot link. Such chains were called "long guards", and shortened to "guard chains". Watch guard link chains were generally light in weight and always over 50 inches in length. They were designed to hold watches with a dog clips and were originally worn with the chain tucked into a woman's belt with the watch attached to the chain. A great deal of hand work was involved in their construction. This chain has a ...

Double box link original Victorian watch chain terminating in a dog clip stamped 9 carat, this unusual watch chain with its faceted box links attached to one another reveals on close inspection an additional twisted link around each box link, adding interest and glamour to a simple box link watch chain. The link has a slightly yellow gold cast. Note in the photos the detail of the faceted box links as well as the additional twisted link. The chain looks terrific when paired with others and a...

Wonderful tactile slinky watch chain. To be a proper watch chain, the chain must be over 50" long, as they were originally made (shorter chains are simply cut up watch chains). Snake chains are a favorite link because of the slinky smooth texture and the way the link bounces back when adjusted. The watch chain terminates in a barrel clasp, a nice feature as the clasp allows you to unhook the chain and wrap the chain around your neck several times to be worn as a collar, in addition to doubling o...