Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Jewelry (230)

C1890 60 inch long original full length French watch chain features lovely handcrafted filigree elements with its traditional links and filigree circles within the links. The chain can be worn doubled or tripled and with a pendant attached. An 18K French chain is a must for every woman's jewelry wardrobe! The hallmarks consist of a French eagle head (18K), bigorne marks, and a goldsmith's mark. The hallmarks are located on the ring that attaches to the clasp. The chain weighs 50 grams.

Exquisite Georgian verre églomisé, or gilded glass, portrait ring surrounded by seed pearls. Verre églomisé is a French term meaning gilded glass and is a decorative technique in which the back side of glass is gilded with gold leaf. The gilding may also be combined with reverse painting on glass as in this case. This ring has very large verre églomisé panel with a black silhouette of a peasant girl against a gilded background...

Fantastic engraved 18K gold bracelet set with a shell cameo of the god Pan and presented in its original box. Clearly a one of its kind. The bracelet measures 1 5/8" wide, the interior circumference is 6 1/2", c1840

This is a silky smooth gorgeous original French watch chain. Silky smooth about the neck, it has a wonderful texture as only 18K gold has. There is a French eagle's head on the clasp showing its French provenance.

8K eighteenth-century portrait ring under crystal of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Miniature portraits were painted on vellum or ivory and given as tokens of love to husbands and wives or parents and children. Portrait rings with diamond bezels, such as ours, reflect the importance of the subject. The paintings would be commissioned to the leading miniature portrait artists of the day. Sarah Churchill had a close friendship with Queen Anne of England...

Stunning early 19th Century Berlin Iron earrings with a floral motif which is highlighted with polished steel. Berlin Iron was sought after by Napoleon who invaded German and captured the factory, confiscated the molds and took them back to France in 1806. Today this unique and fascinating jewelry is as prized as it was back then. The earrings measure 2 1/2" long and 3/4" at their widest.

This intricately woven gold necklace with enameled serpent biting its tail, known as an ouroboros, is classically Georgian and circa 1790. Woven gold necklaces like this one took weeks to make and created enormous precision and painstaking detail. Our ouroboros snake necklace, with blue and green enameling and gold paint to denote the snake's scales and amethyst paste eyes, is a treasure to behold. It is quite a miracle that this necklace has survived over 200 years.

Late renaissance memento mori skull ring. "Memento mori" jewelry translates to "remember thou must die", a reminder to all to live life fully, as death awaits. Memento mori rings were meant to encourage the practice of reflection on one's mortality. This is a very early ring with black enamel etching along the sides and back and a perfectly shaped skull in intaglio on the front. The ring is silver gilt with black enamel carving. Circa 1620. US size 8 1/2.

Fantastic 18th century black dot paste drop earrings set in silver with a bow motif. These elegant earrings are rare and desirable, wonderful to wear for evenings on the town. The earrings measure 3 1/4" long and approximately 1" at their widest.

Napolean III amethyst necklace individually claw set in 18k yellow gold with gold spacers in the archeological taste. An extra amethyst gem link is available to lengthen the chain should this be desired. There is a safety chain for additional security. The necklace is 15.5 inches in length.

Fantastic Georgian 18K gold cuff bracelet with an elaborate woven band and ornate central motif. Beautiful to wear on the most elegant of occasions. Be prepared for an avalanche of compliments. The bracelet measures 7 1/2" long and 2" at its widest.

In this stunning suite of necklace and earrings, almandine garnets set in gilt metal are fashioned into a striking pair of earrings and choker with drop, which can be removed. The choker is tied on with a ribbon. Much of the jewelry of this period was set with pastes. These pieces are unusual in that gemstones were used. Though called "Queen Anne", jewelry of this type was actually made some 30 odd years after her reign.

Porcelain hound head whistle made by Royal Worcester. This sweet faced dog may be worn as a pendant on a chain or just kept as a pet. The hound measures 1 3/8" wide by by 1 1/8" deep by 7/8" high.

Our Victorian silver arrow brooch is handcrafted with a high degree of skill insuring the stone is perfectly and painstakingly carved to fit its mount. The warm colors of the Scottish agate and the matte finish all combine to make this a wonderful brooch. The arrow was an important Victorian motif representing protection from danger; thus the arrow symbolized maintaining and protecting life...

Georgian ring of green paste in a basket setting flanked by two clear pastes on each side. Paste is colored or clear glass, often lead or flint, cut in the same fashion as gemstones and used as a substitute especially while traveling. Antique paste jewelry was valued on its own merits and not as an imitation of another piece of jewelry. This Georgian 15K gold, green paste ring is a size 7 1/2 and can be sized. It measures 1/4" at its widest.

Lovely 18K stone coral ring with 8 small diamonds. Five stone rings were classic Victorian forms. Our ring has smooth polished cabachon coral stones and ten small perfect flat cut diamonds at each corner. During Victorian times and earlier, coral was believed to have mystical properties and to ward off illness. The rose pink color was the most sought after. The ring is a size 8 and can be sized.

This is an original 18th century Gouyn period porcelain Chelsea fob seal. These seals were given as love tokens by the wealthy and known as "toys". This particular seal features a woman dancing and holding out her apron on either side. She has a low cut pink bodice and a skirt with a mini print pattern on the front and stripes on the back, and reads "Toujour gai", meaning "Always happy"...

Unusual paste earrings with three curved lines of paste gemstones dripping from a central paste cluster. Paste earrings rose in popularity in 18th century France when improvements in domestic candlelight made the appeal of such glittering gemstones soar.Paste is a type of leaded glass which was first created in the 1600's, but only in the 1700's did it achieve a level of perfection, and it was in the Georgian era that the most beautiful paste jewelry was created...