Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Jewelry (230)

Attractive bracelet with 8 nicely proportioned brilliant cut rock crystals set in individual gilt metal rope bezels attached to one another with a double set of links. The bracelet fits a medium-sized wrist and hangs attractively. The clear stones and gilt metal would make a nice addition when worn with other gold bangles as the clear rock crystal stones and gilt metal compliment gold.Fits a small to medium sized wrist.

Bold Victorian banded agate bead necklace with a silver dog tag clasp. The 19 large banded agate beads are interspersed with small black agate beads. The necklace measures 17 1/2" long, c 1870

Floral rondelles, the five central ones with tassels, comprise this lovely cut steel necklace. Multi-faceted cut steel jewelry was popular during the 18th and mid 19th century. The jewelry sparkled in candlelight and was used as a substitute for diamonds. The necklace measures 15 1/2" long and 1 3/4" at its widest.

Essex crystal carving of a horse and jockey surrounded by rose diamonds. Perhaps they are symbolic of the winners wreath. The crystals are carved in reverse or intaglio into the flat back to create a three-dimension trompe l'oeil effect. The image is then painted in realistic detail. The pin measures 15/16 in diameter.

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.

Victorian silver and three color gold locket with a raised floral and foliate design. Wonderful to wear on a chain, either short or long as shown here. The locket measures 1 3/4" high by 1 3/8" wide.

C1880 Victorian buckle bracelet beautifully engraved with clover leaves and a geometric design. The bracelet is stamped "Sterling". Buckle bracelets became very popular when Queen Victoria wore the Order of the Garter on her arm. The bracelet measures 1 3/16" wide. The interior dimensions are 1 7/8" wide by 2 1/8" long.

Early C1860 Victorian Marquise shaped ring of 15K gold, silver, enamel and diamonds set in a floral and leaf design. Wow! how fantastic! The stylized leaf form with young diamond buds harkens to the expression “nipped in the bud”, when mourning one who dies too young. The ring is a size 5.5 and can be resized to fit.

This pattern on our watch chain comes from an ancient technique of decorating silver, known as niello. Niello which was revived in the 19th century and adopted by English jewelry artisans. The word niello which derives from the Latin form of niger, or black...

Lightweight, hand forged 72 inch long 15k belcher long guard chain which can be doubled or tripled or quadrupled as a necklace. The belcher link is sometimes called a box link chain and is an interlocking square open link that remains popular to this day. Note that this is an original Victorian chain that has remained intact through the years and not chopped up into shorter chains. It has a threaded dog clip that is easily unscrewed to attach a pendant or two of your choice...

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...

Fun and unusual earrings of Whitby jet with a jet ball hanging below carved Whitby jet florets. Whitby Jet is fossilized coal mined in Whitby, England in the 19th century and made into jet jewelry, used at the time for to create jewelry. It was truly a cottage industry, with men extracting the jet from the mines and turning the precious material over to woodworkers, who hand turned and carved the jet into smooth forms...

9K Turquoise and pearl pendant with integrated matching turquoise studded large bale and original crystal on a 9K gold back. The turquoise stones and natural pearls have managed to avoid the fate of so much Victorian jewelry, stone discoloration. The pairing of the two types of stones is typical of mid Victorian sentimental jewelry...

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.

Beautifully miniature hand painted rectangular signet ring of the tree of life. The tree of life has its origins in both Judaism and Christianity, it is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and symbolizes connection to the larger world, the earth and the sky. This ring is 17x 11.4mm and sits about 3.6 mm off the finger. It is 5/8 long and almost ½ inch wide. The size is 6.25 US. The Weight is 3.0 Grams.

Striking Victorian Whitby jet earrings with a floral design. Jet jewelry became popular after the death of Prince Albert in 1861 when the court went into official mourning. These striking earrings measure 2 1/2" long and 3/4" at their widest.

description needed for Cameo Stick Pin of Psyche

Unusual lightweight original watch chain of made of gunmetal, a material used to make decorative chains, purses, brooches, buckles and other items during the Victorian era. Gunmetal is an alloy of copper and tin. Our chain has a lovely complex knot link that is shown closeup in the images. It is hard to imagine the time it took to construct such a chain by hand, and a similar link could not be made today. Gunmetal watch chains were both decorative and functional...

Elegant Victorian cut steel necklace was worn in lieu of diamonds in an era where sparkling jewelry was in vogue. Cut steel was multifaceted by hand to glimmer in candlelight. This necklace measures 16 1/2" long by 3" at its widest

Substantial silver bangle bracelet with an elliptical border of open cutwork featuring delicate daisies and swirl designs. The delicate openwork border surrounds smaller raised ellipse at center which with a delicate carved composition of a bird and a bee together in flight. An arabesque design flanks each side of the elipse to complete the symmetrical arrangement...

Charming Victorian turquoise drop earrings set in silver, with daisy form tops and bow bottoms, circa 1880. The earrings are attached to gold shepherds hooks and are 1.4 inches long. Turquoise were considered sentimental love jewelry and the Victorians, ever the romantics, associated turquoise with happiness in life.

Known as a box link or Venetian chain, this 60 inch Victorian long guard watch chain is hand forged and was made by welding together hollow section rings. Such chains were called " long guards". Often shortened to "guard chains" , these chains were ultra-lightweight and long, anywhere and over 50 inches long. They were designed to hold watches with a dog clips and were originally worn with the chain tucked into a woman's belt, and the watch dangled from the chain...

Charming 18K Victorian gypsy ring with a solitaire diamonds set in an unusual carved pointed petal setting with incised flourishes along the shoulders which are a nice detail.. This type of mounting was popular through the 19th century and into the 20th. The gem is set flush with the gold band creating a secure setting for people with active lifestyles...

Lovely early Victorian bow pin of white woven hair set with turquoise in 15K gold. Hair jewelry was primarily of a romantic or loving nature. Queen Victoria was given a brooch made from her mother's hair for her 16th birthday. This pin measures 1 3/4" wide by 1 3/4" high by 1/4" deep.

Lovely sapphire ring with three large sapphires and four small diamonds, an unusual variation of the form of a classic five stone half hoop diamond ring (the each pair of small diamonds read as one larger diamond). Five stone rings were crafted to show emphasis on the gemstones. The ring is set with the gemstones "a jour", or "open to the day", meaning the ring can be worn for hand washing and is appropriate for everyday wear. The stones are polished and clear...

This a rare poesy holder, of sterling silver with an intricate cased foliate design and long pin and ring attached...

Lovely early Victorian sterling silver paste pendant with a border of paste stones and royal blue enamel, most likely was a pendant given as a gift to a loved one. The beautiful blue color represented innocence and virtue and was probably given to a young woman by her suitor. Women adored their paste jewelry as much as their diamonds, so the use of paste stones indicates this was likely owned by a member of the "upper crust". The pendant is approximately 1 1/4 inches.

The term "pique" comes from the French word "piquer" (to prick) and describes a method of inlaying gold or silver onto tortoiseshell. The craft was discovered and perfected in the 17th century by the French Huguenots. The Huguenots later taught the craft to English jewelry artisans. These classical pique earrings with their Greek key design, are a perfect example of the sophistication, polish, depth and natural beauty of pique jewelry. The crafting of pique jewelry was a true art form, and the t...

The sporting craze in Victorian jewelry started in the 1890's and continued into the 20th century up until WWI. Encouraged by women's more active participation in sports, such jewelry was particularly fashionable for country wear. Our bangle is a slightly more modern version of the Victorian silver bangle, with a silver ball in the center of the tennis racket as the main motif, and stylized leaves to the left. A very subtle silver rope carving detail runs along the border of the tennis racket se...

C.1860 18ct Pietra-Dura Flower Brooch Antique 18K Gold Pietra Dura Brooch, Italy C.1875. Oval shape brooch with fine pietra dura floral green, robins egg blue inlay colors,and white and gold flowers as accents. 18K surround gold mount with 8 gold X's soldered symmetrically around the gold border.

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.

his is an original nineteenth century sterling watch chain with a substantial square shaped link called a Venetian or box link. Closeup photos reveal the interesting interlocking pattern of the links. A great deal of ingenuity went into making chains, and there is nothing like an original long Victorian watch chain that has never been chopped up into shorter chains, but retains its original length. If you favor chains that are fabricated by hand, this chain is a real find. The links are full...

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.

Wonderful Victorian 18k gold fringe earrings that will swing and sway as you walk down the street or dance the night away. Beautiful cannetille bead work, the earrings measure 2" long from the top of the ear wire to the bottom ball of the longest fringe.

Smart and tailored gutta percha necklace or collar, tie it on and walk away. Gutta percha is a black or brown hard rubber like material made from the sap of a Malayan tree. In the late Victorian period it was molded in various forms to make jewelry. This necklace measures 13" long by 1 1/4" at its widest

18K pendant of rock crystal with a reverse intaglio of the head of an adorable Pekingese, with an inscription on the reverse side, Ed. Van den Hove & Fils, Bruxelles, C. 1880. This pendant is stylistically characteristic of the work of the Pradier family, whose speciality was painting miniature works of domestic animals. These miniature works of art were widely popular in the United States as well as on the Continent. They are often erroneously referred to as Essex Crystals.

Translated as "pierce" in French, the word pique describes a classically Victorian type of jewelry made by heating tortoiseshell and piercing it with gold and silver inlays to create beautiful geometric or floral patterns. This describes the beautiful art of pique jewelry, made from the upper shell and lower belly of the hawksbill turtle and considered the highest quality of turtle shell and used for the production of beautiful boxes, objet, hair ornaments, and in the nineteenth century, jewelry...

Striking Victorian banded agate earrings set in 15K gold. The brown and black tones make them wearable with any color. The earrings measure 1" in diameter and date to 1890.

Fanciful Victorian silver collar with a silver locket embellished with two-color gold. The necklace and locket are adorned with geometric arch motifs and engravings. The necklace measures 16 1/2" long and 3/4" wide and the locket measures 1 5/8" long and is hallmarked 1881.

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. The locket has 2 compartments from which to hold photos. This niello technique derives...

A very modern looking Niello locket with a modern design on its face and back in black enamel and silver. This most unusual locket would look wonderful hanging from your silver chain. The locket has a Weiner Workstatte (English: Vienna Workshop) graphic style. It is likely this locket design was a Victorian predecessor to this most creative and short lived Austrian movement in the Fin de Siecle. As the Victorians were never to leave a surface unfinished, note the pleasing vertical stripes ad...

Wonderful silver cuff depicting a classical arch design including rose gold flowers and yellow gold arches with etched tendrils growing in between. There is a Vaughton's Patent trademark inscription on the inside. Vaughton's was an English manufacturer in Birmingham, still in existence, which made silver jewelry to appeal to all classes of society, including the "working" girl. The small silver balls gracing the bottom and the larger ball placed atop where each arch meets are a nice touch. Brac...

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 nun with her gilded black cape holding a staff and reading from a book. The seal reads in red letters, "Amour Spirituel", ("Spiritual Love"). The black cape with gold edging is in particularly fine condition. Charles Gouyn, a French jeweler, with Nicholas Sprimont, a silversmith founded the Chelsea Factory in 1743...

This wonderful lava ring was sold in Naples to travelers on the Grand Tour as souvenir jewelry in the 1820’s to 40's after the discovery of the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the 18th century. Made by Pompeian stone cutters, each of the seven round heads of the ring is distinctly carved and is of a different hue as well as a different mythological figure and comes from a different organic material sourced from Vesuvius. The cameos represent the days of the week, The grey cameo represents ...

Bold pave set chrysoberyl ring in 18K gold. The stones came from Portuguese mines in Brazil. Fabulous jewelry was made from the various gemstones exported from these mines until the French invasion of Portugal in 1809. The ring is size 7 1/4 and can be sized up or down.

Antique 19th century Berlin Iron necklace with a Berlin Iron heart and cross. Berlin Iron jewelry is highly prized for its intricate work and rarity. During the Napoleonic Wars wealthy Germans gave their precious jewels for the war effort and substituted them with iron jewelry. Some of the pieces were inscribed, "Gold gab ich fur Eisen"; meaning "I gave gold for iron". Today these pieces are as desirable as in the early 1800's. The chain measures 22"long and the drop with the cross measures 6 1/...

Late 18th century Portuguese tiered cluster rock crystal ring with 2 concentric rows of bright crystals, each approximately 3mm in diameter, surrounding a larger central stone, approximately 39 stones in all. This substantial ring covers the finger from joint to knuckle. The cut down bezel features a rose gold beaded trim, another feature of rings from the era. The polished rose gold closed back molds ergonomically to the finger. The ring is backed in foil and was meant to glimmer and impress ...

Georgian 18K gold cannetille work ring set with a carved turquoise in the shape of a pair of clasped hands, a symbol of friendship. On either side there are set an opal and a garnet. This is truly an unusual and rare ring. It is a size 7 and measures a bit over 1/4" at its widest.

This romantic Georgian Natural Pearl Forget Me not Ring would have been given as a love ring back in its day. It evokes the forget-me-not with its 5 well matched pearls radiating about a central diamond. Besides the forget me not arrangement of the pearls, a coiled serpent curls around each side of the ring, the snake's head appearing at the bottom of the ring on one side and at the top of the ring on the other. A small diamond resides at the center of the pearls in a cut down collet setting. Th...

Dramatic 18K gold marquis shaped ring in royal blue and white enameling surrounded by pearls and centered with a pearl pansy. This distinctly English style of enameling on jewelry was invented in 1775 and became popular with royalty and is often seen on jewelry displaying royal crowns.

Fabulous Georgian Pinchbeck muff chain with a hand clasp set with colored paste stones. Christopher Pinchbeck developed an alloy of copper and zinc in 1720 that had the look of real gold and did not tarnish. The jewelry made with this alloy survives today giving us the enjoyment of its beauty. A muff chain is a long chain worn around the neck fastened to ladies muffs. This chain measures 49" long by 1/4" wide.

Flat cut almandine garnets were the most popular gemstone of the Georgian period shown here in a rarely found naturalistic floral and leaf design necklace set in 18K gold. The pansy shaped flowers represent remembrance.

Three inch long day-night earrings with a lovely rococo design that incorporates foliate and shell motifs set with Persian turquoise and enlivened by the two-color 15K gold. The earrings have a secure hook on the back of the drop part of the earring, not typically seen on Georgian day-night earrings. This enables enabling them to easily be separated and worn with just the tops (for day), or both top and bottom (at night). The mechanism attaching the two pieces can be viewed in the photos.

Lovely drop rose cut diamond earrings in the pendeloque or pear shape. The pendeloque earring shape is a pear-shaped design used for diamonds and was a popular shape for both 17th and 18th-century French earrings. The earrings are day/night, meaning the tops and bottoms can be separated and the tops worn for conservative day time wear, and top and bottom together for special occasion wear. These lovely earrings, which glittered so beautifully in candlelight, are as beautiful today as they were ...

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". These seals were given as love tokens by the wealthy and known as "toys". This particular seal features Cupid holding a spy-glass to his right eye, his left hand on a globe a quiver slung behind him, concave bottom. It reads in crisp read letters, "'ouvrage pour autrui", "work for others". Charles Gouyn, a French jeweler , with Nicholas Sprimont ...

This romantic amethyst 18k necklace has a smooth and sultry snake chain that feels as good as it looks. The glittering large five amethysts fall symmetrically about the chain and always fall perfectly on the neck, with the central largest amethyst positioned exactly at the center. The clasp is hidden in the chain and remarkably easy to attach as it slides right in and holds firmly and securely. The necklace can easily be clasped by the wearer. Amethysts were very popular in Georgian times and be...

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.

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.

Exquisite Berlin Iron cameo necklace consisting of sixteen graduated portrait cameos of classical men and women. This unusual necklace has its original clasp and measures 15 1/4" long by 1 3/8" at its widest.