Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Jewelry (231)

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...

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.

18K gold chased ring in the form of a buckle. Buckle rings were popular in Victorian England as the Queen wore her order of the garter on her finger. The maker of the ring was William Bullock (WB is the maker's mark). The ring is a US size 6 and .38 inches wide and weighs 6.4 grams. It should not be sized or you will destroy the chased and engraved wide gold band.

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...

Sentimental sterling bangle bracelet bearing the biblical Mizpah inscription, signifying an emotional bond between two people physically separated due to acts of war or other calamities. It would typically be given by a lover about to be parted from his beloved. The word "Mizpah" is in raised lettering while the engraved inscription "The Lord When Between We are Me & Absent One Thee From Another" is inscribed beneath...

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 birthstone for December, this antique five-stone turquoise ring, with its smooth, sky blue, nicely matched stones, is 15K and hallmarked Chester, 1907. Turquoise was thought to have talisman properties and to bring good fortune to the wearer. The ring is a size 7.5

Lovely 18K five stone opal ring with five perfect blue-tinged translucent Australian opals set in an embellished gold setting. Eight tiny diamonds nest between the opals. The ring is hallmarked Sheffield and dates to 1870. This is the opal ring you have been looking for. It is a size 8 3/4.

Lava cameo brooch of Demeter (known to the Romans as Ceres) with a crown of wheat sheaves in her hair. The gold openwork bezel is of 12K and is pointed around the frame, a nice detail, and rather unusual, on the gold work. The brooch was possibly a souvenir from Italy acquired by a traveler on the European Grand Tour...

Our marquis shaped 18K ring, carved in the shape of the pointed oval and emblematic of the gothic arch, has twelve old-cut rubies and a central cabochon opal accented with rose diamonds. The ring is a "marquis within a marquis" in the way the rubies form the outside border of another border of gold trim, which forms a marquis shape that encloses the cabochon opal and accent diamonds...

Unusual 15K gold memorial ring depicting an urn in hair paint, surrounded by alternating rose diamonds and amethysts. The enameled band reads "John Jenkins died 20 Feb 1780". The back of the ring is engraved "In loving one sincerely there is great merit".

Condition: excellent

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.

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.

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...

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...

Amazing "Queen Anne" amethyst paste earrings set in gilt metal. This style of jewelry has been historically misnamed for Queen Anne, who reigned from 1695 to 1714, as so called Queen Anne jewelry dates to the mid 18th century. The vivid purple paste stones used are faceted as rose cuts. The earrings have back to front fittings and fit close to the earlobe. There is a matching necklace sold separately.

Silesian wire jewelry is what is known as Historic jewelry. The craft originated with gunsmiths and armor workers in the medieval town of Gleiwitz, Silesia, (formerly Poland, and now part of Germany and Poland), in the late 1700's. After the business of creating ornamentation for armor was no longer, the artisams found others forms for their craft; mirror frames, purses and other ornamentation where iron was used instead of precious metal...

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.

Marquis shaped memorialized ring of plaited hair set in 18K yellow gold with the initials LC in gold. The underside of the ring is engraved B.L.C. ob Nov 10 1789 aet 37;. The ring is a size 5 1/2 and due to its small size it was likely worn by the wife of the deceased as a memento while he traveled. The ring measures 1 1/4 at its widest. A wonderful piece honoring love.

Georgian 18K gold memorial ring set under crystal with a curl of hair and adorned with four rose diamonds. The inscription reads "John Holman ob 28 Oct 1777 age 45. This exquisite ring is a testament to the feelings of this man's loved ones. The ring is a size 8 and can be resized. It measures 5/8" wide by 3/4" high.

Antique marquise shaped 18K gold and chrysoberyl ring is an excellent example of Portuguese jewelry of the late 18th century. The Portuguese mined these gemstones from their colony in Brazil and created jewelry that was typically pave-set as seen here. The ring is size 10 and can be sized to fit.

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.

The agate that comprises our Victorian flower cluster brooch is handcrafted with a high degree of skill and meticulously carved to fit its sterling silver mount. With a singular focus on the agate’s natural beauty and no distracting ornamentation, our 19th century brooch has a surprisingly modern look. Both the towns of Edinburgh and Birmingham made agate jewelry a specialty of their workshops, of which our flower cluster is a fine example...

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...

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....

A lovely pair of white paste earrings closed back set in silver gilt. Approximately 18 MM or .7 inches in width, these well scaled earrings can be dressed up or down. Made of "paste", a special glass and lead formula originating from George Ravenscroft, a London glassmaker, during the 17th century and perfected by a French jeweler Georges Strass in the 18th century. Each "paste" was handcarved to fit the setting. Paste has become very collectible and desirable and can no longer be made today. T...

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.

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...

Victorian stickpin of a dog in essex crystal set in an 18K gold frame with a large 9K gold pin. Keep your lovely furry companion with you all day. C. 1870, 1"W x 1 1/4"H, $ 3860. Condition: excellent Height: 1.25 inches Width: 1 inch

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. Similar to the Art Nouveau period itself, their popularity was brief, not the least of which was that fact that the commercial marketplace had difficulty supporting p...

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...

Wonderful antique silver cuff with rose gold flowers and arches and yellow leaves with etched tendrils in between. Silver jewelry was made to appeal to the "everyman" in society and after the Silver Jubilee in the later part of the 1800's silver jewelry pieces like our cuff bracelet was made in abundance, but no two pieces were alike and each had its own unique design. This antique cuff bracelet is 7 ½ inches in circumference and is 1 inches wide. It fits a small to medium sized wrist.

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...

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 ...

We love baby rings, worn around the knuckle or worn clipped to a large split ring and worn around a chain, or simply collected in honor of a new baby. Our Victorian baby ring has rose diamonds encased in gold, spaced evenly around the band. The band has a royal blue enamel border on both top and bottom of the band. The blue enamel is itself accented by a slender border of gold. The combination of the rose diamonds set in gold with the enamel blue detail make this an exceptional baby ring. The o...