Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art (314)

Historic patriotic signet ring of iron, given by the Austro Hungarian military to the soldiers who fought on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian empire during WWI. The crest on the coat of arms is a crown signifying the monarchy (soon to collapse, following WWI). Below the crest is an inscribed "E" (not certain what the E signifies). Three carved leaves "reach" around each side pointing up the center crest...

Fabulous emerald lizard form brooch! Comprised of of emerald green pastes and set in silver, this is a perfectly proportioned lizard with distinctive silver hands and toes. The lizard's red paste eyes are a perfect compliment to the green paste. Paste was a type of leaded glass formulated in the 18th century...

We love this Antique 15k diamond, sapphire, ruby & pearl ring, circa 1910, for its strong combination of shapes and colors as well as its dynamic symmetry. The ring sits on the diagonal, in contrast to the more common linear arrangement. Studded with old mine cut diamonds, a sapphire and a ruby, the pearl provides balance to the strong color and rough texture of the gemstones...

Beautiful White and Yellow Gold Circle Drop Earrings C. 1900. We love these charming 15K diamond and yellow and white gold earrings. Old mine cut diamonds wrapped inside a gold cylinder dance inside a concentric gold circle and shimmer in the light. Two smaller mine cuts encased in a gold cylinder are at the top. Mille-graining, which is a minuscule bead that finishes an edge on gold or silver in jewelry, can be seen along bordering the gold cylinders, a nice detail...

Jewelers produced tie pins in the 19th century to meet the increasing demand for novelty jewelry. The spiral ridge near the top of the pin helps to hold the item of clothing, whether it be a tie or a scarf, securely in place. The increasingly liberated and activism of women toward the later half of the 19th century gave rise to a new class of sporting jewelry. Many an equestrienne was wearing horseshoe pins to the lapel of her riding clothes by the 1880's...

We love these royal blue mirror glass earrings which shine a brighter Bristol blue with the slightest head movement. the beveled hand carved edge is a lovely detail which was clearly time consuming for the maker. The plate glass factory at Vauxhall was known for its production of mirror glass, but in addition, the company employed skillful artisans to produce jewelry out of the remaining shards. Thus was created Vauxhall glass jewelry, much loved then and by collectors today...

These beautifully crafted Egyptian revival cufflinks of sterling silver scarab beetles are the creation of Herman and Eugene Unger, German immigrants who settled in Newark, NJ and were a part of the immensely creative Art Nouveau period at the turn of the nineteenth century. Herman was the silversmith while Eugene was the engraver...

We love the pleasing niello design of the dotted squares on these substantial cufflinks. The word "niello" is a derivation of the Latin word for "niger" meaning black. Niello was an ancient of silver decorative technique revived by a German jeweler in Paris in the early part of the nineteenth century. It is done by engraving a design on the silver, and filling the recesses with an alloy of lead, copper, sulphur, and silver...

Sophisticated and smart double sided 18K French cufflinks with the "owl" hallmark. The cufflinks are marquis shaped with 4 X's, or "kisses". The construction of the cufflinks is extremely well thought out, as the "free" end of the cufflink toggles on a hinge so it can be pulled with ease through the back cuff. For the French cuff type of guy!

Poesy rings were popular in England and France during the 16th through the 17th centuries as lover's gifts. The quotations were often from courtship stories and are usually inscribed on the inner surface of the ring as is the case in this one. This ring amusingly reads "A virtuous Wife Preferreth Life". We imagine that in the 17th century, a woman was indeed better off being virtuous! We think this could make a more unusual and unique wedding band than a gold band...

Dainty Georgian pansy pin set with amethysts and citrines in 18K gold. Pansy pins were often given as a gift from a loved as the sound of the word pansy was similar to the French "pense", meaning "think, remember me". Time to continue the tradition.

The rare fob pendant that is 3 pieces in 1; it includes a beautiful large niello dog clip which attaches to 3 niello links which further attaches to a 2 compartment round locket, .75 inches in diameter.. Long and elegant, the dog clip allows you to connect the pendant from any metal chain. The beauty of niello is that the colors work equally well with yellow gold, rose gold, silver, or even a niello chain...

A very modern looking Niello locket with a modern design on its face and back in black enamel and silver...

Fabulous Berlin iron ring decorated what appears to be agricultural tools, including a scythe. The band has a floral motif. It is possible the ring was owned by a landowner farmer. Popular in the early 1800's, during the Napoleonic war German women gave their precious jewelry for the war effort and it was replaced with Berlin iron jewelry some with the inscription "Ich gab gelt für eisen", I gave gold for iron. The iron jewelry was made by the Royal Berlin Factory, which produced iron for i...

Wonderful 15ct double sided Victorian locket ready for your favorite photograph! This lovely chased gold locket can be worn in 2 ways, with the belt buckle motif on the one side, or the old cut diamond on the other. Both sides are beautifully chased. The buckle and buckle motif was popularized by Queen Victoria, and the belt and buckle motif represented the Order of the Garter. The Order features the garter, which is imbued with the symbol of protection, fidelity, and loyalty. Gold chain not inc...

Stickpins, also known as tie pins, have been collected since the 18th century when neckwear for men came into fashion. They were made in all manner of styles well into the 20th century, with no limits to the imagination as the pursuit of novelty came into full swing. The sun moon and stars motif represents the flow of time as our world cycles through from day to night. We love the ethereal beauty of this stick pin with its combination of tiny pearls and turquoise, which we think helps to bring a...

Delightful Victorian deep blue Vauxhall glass bug will be wonderful to wear for dress up or casual events. Vauxhall mirrored glass jewelry was made at the Vauxhall Glassworks in the outskirts of London, as a way of using their extra shards of mirror glass. It was sold to courting couples at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, and became immensely popular for its intense colors and the exceptional quality of the glass. During the Darwin period, any type of insect was popular, including bees, bugs, and...

Lovely gray lava beads which were inspired by the ruins of Pompeii in Italy. Lava jewelry was actually made from the lava of Mt. Vesuvius as souvenir jewelry fro travelers on the Grand Tour. Notice how the beads are properly graduated, as one would only see on early jewelry made before mass production. The smallest beads at the clasp gradually getting larger until the central bead, which is appropriately the largest and the place where the eye is drawn to.