Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,280.00
$1,280.00
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. People would hang their key...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,050.00
$1,050.00
Unusual lightweight original watch chain of made of gunmetal, an alloy of copper and tin that was used to make decorative chains, purses, brooches, buckles and other items during the Victorian era. Our chain has alternating links and balls throughout and the pattern is consistent and uninterrupted (this is something we look for and is important because it shows the chain is in its original condition with no links removed). Besides being decorative, such watch chains were useful; people would ha...
Our C1890 15K link original watch chain has 19 natural pearls interspersed symmetrically along our exceptionally long chain at 67", with 18 pearls arranged around the chain in perfect symmetry and the 19th single pearl arranged symmetrical to the clasp. The chain feels incredibly light and silky smooth about the neck, almost weightless. It is so long it can be worn tripled without even removing it from your neck, simply fold it over another time around your head and it is tripled. The pearls giv...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,640.00
$1,640.00
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. Small pendants like this one were popular in the early 19th century as sentimental friendship jewelry, to be exchanged among family and friends as tokens of affectio...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$3,200.00
$3,200.00
We love our 18K exceptional hunting fob with a working hinged locket and a jasper and agate base. " Punto di Caccia" in Italian is engraved on one lozenge, translating to "hunting point", and "Rendez vous de chasse" written on another lozenge opposite. Rendez Vous de chasse roughly translates to "appointment for the hunt". The hunting dog stands faithfully to one side along with the horn, and rifle & hunting pouch, also known as a bullet pouch, with hip flask on other side. All the essentials ne...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,625.00
$1,625.00
Our star stamped chain link bracelet is made up of two strands of 9 carat gold chains set parallel to each other and soldered together in at three places along the length of the bracelet, which gives it movement. The bracelet has small round links each of which are stamped with little stars. The back of the bracelet is identical to the front, also stamped with stars on each round link. The double strands terminate at both ends in a square prism set on the angle of a diamond, with the square pris...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$2,850.00
$2,850.00
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. The ring is hallmarked 1906 and is...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,250.00
$1,250.00
This a rare poesy holder, of sterling silver with an intricate cased foliate design and long pin and ring attached. Known also as Tussie-Mussies, the posy holder was a lady's fashion accessory resembling a small vase and meant to to hold the bouquet of flowers brought by a courting 'gentleman caller'. To show her acceptance of him, the lady would secure the flowers into the posy holder with the attached long pin and wear the holder to a ball. It attached to her hand by means of a chain to which ...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,465.00
$1,465.00
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. There is an unreadable signature scratched into the reverse of the cameo.
The goddess of agriculture, Demeter was perhaps the most important as she made everything grow and ripe...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$1,635.00
$1,635.00
The dove of peace soars through the skies. Made of pique, tortoiseshell inlaid with gold, this charming brooch can rest on your shoulder or perch on your lapel.
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. This 19th century brooch has an unusually modern look, without any distracting ornamentation to take ...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$775.00
$775.00
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.
Similar brooches are featured in the jewelry book...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$2,800.00
$2,800.00
This beautiful gold chain has a nice thick substantial link and its smooth texture reminds one of the "slinky" toy of old, in that it falls smoothly in place no matter how it lands. The chain is quite long at 44 inches and it has a well functioning dog tag to hold your pendant. There is no clasp. The chain is 44 inches long and 1/8 of an inch wide and can be looped over the head and worn 2 or 3 times around. The chain easily stands alone. It looks well with bulky sweaters or open necklines, with...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$5,600.00
$5,600.00
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.
Today, one could attach the...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$2,450.00
$2,450.00
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. We have doubled the ...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$845.00
$845.00
This is a sterling silver Victorian chain with a fine link intertwined with 9K ornamental gold balls that add interest and color. The gold balls are spaced evenly and symmetrically around the chain, as they should be, on a properly fabricated chain. We have attempted to show this in the photos. AT 55 inches long, it will hang 2 or 3 times around the neck. Because of the combination of gold and silver used together in this chain, it can be worn with gold or silver pendants (note the large bolt ri...
Moylan-Smelkinson/The Spare Room
$2,400.00
$2,400.00
The rare original Niello watch chain that you have been searching for. Fifty Six inches long, our chain has niello patterned fetter links and alternating triple gold links. The fetter link has a wonderful striped pattern wrapped around a gold link, the ends of which link to the triple gold links. An unusual construction, indeed.
Niello refers to the ancient technique of decorating silver which was revived in the 19th century and adopted by English jewelry artisans. The word niello derives fro...