Catalog: Antiques (307)

Sparkling Victorian cut steel earrings with faceted balls, leaves and circles. Cut steel was popular in England for its luster and shine in candlelight. Each tiny stud is hand cut and embedded in a metal base plate. Cut steel was the only form of jewelry made by steel workers and was a huge industry in the 19th century. It should be noted that while the jewelry was riveted by steelworkers, the polishing of the jewelry was done by local women, in a cottage industry of sorts...

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...

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...

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.

The symbolism and motifs behind the Victorian bangle bracelets, with their quaint floral bouquets and plants and trails of leaves well known. Our Sterling silver bangle has two carved stylized vases of flowers on either side, a vertical array of flowers next to each and at center, what appears to be two vertical daisies and leaf tendrils. This bracelets are quintessentially Victorian; sentimental jewelry always had associated meanings behind different flowers...

Elegant Georgian pinchbeck Pendeloque earrings with decorative floral accents along the bottom widest part and an attractive carved flower at the ear. The bottom of the earrings are finished with a hand wrought gold ball. Pinchbeck is an alloy developed by Christopher Pinchbeck in 1720 to simulate gold. His alloy of copper and zinc looks like gold and does not tarnish...

This attractive antique full length 18K watch chain has alternating carved ornamental solid gold by-pyramid link (what we call a "fancy" link) which connects to a pair of linked rings, which connects to simple solid gold by-pyramid link. The C1880 chain measures 59 inches long. It can be worn in various lengths, doubled or tripled, with a locket or pendant, or just as is, shown in the images below. A screwed in bolt clip allows you to add a pendant, if desired...

We adore this c 1880 Shakudo ring featuring a We adore this c1880 Shakudo ring depicting a Japanese samurai warrior with two swords, dressed in traditional garb, writing his wishes on strips of paper that he will hang from bamboo branches, in Japanese tradition said to make wishes come true. Shakudo is an ancient Japanese art form which developed from the Samurai tradition of sword making...

We love our wonderfully esoteric Grotesque man (or "other") crafted by a talented unknown carver in the 19th century from a chunk of the most desirable orange-red toned coral. Connoisseurs of literature or theater or the arts understand the term Grotesque as referring to fantastical, exaggerated or distorted representations, usually of the human face or figure...

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)...

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...

Victorian Forget Me Not ring 15K set with six turquoise stones in a radial pattern, 3 supporting turquoises on each side and a diamond at center. The flower literally means “Forget me not” and the small rose diamond in the centre signifies eternal love. The band is ornately carved to enhance the delicacy of the ring. The ring no longer has hair behind crystal back but few examples have survived with this intact. The ring dates to C1880 and is a size 8.

This is an original nineteenth century sterling watch chain with a round interlocking link. Close-up photos reveal the interlocking nature of the links. A great deal of ingenuity went into making chains, and there is nothing like an original long Victorian watch chain that retains its original length...

This is a rare example of the remarkable talent behind the wonderful Austrian Bronze handmade, hand painted bronze miniature figurines which were made around the turn of the 20th century in foundries in Austria and Vienna. Austrian bronzes are individually cast from sand molds used only once, then sculpted and cold painted by hand with several coats of a special and secretive type of enamel paint, resulting in very detailed and life like miniature figures. Our spider, approximately 1 inch square...

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...

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. Ano...

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.

Victorian 18K Carnelian agate swivel ring of a bearded man in profile. The fiery orange red glow of the Carnelian stone mesmerizes and the feel of the revolving swivel makes this a unique and very pleasant ring to won. The bearded unknown man is beautifully carved on one side while the other side is plain. The ring is .75 inches long and .5 inches wide and fits a size 7-7.5 and fairly large in scale and has great presence. The last photos show the scale of the ring relative to other signets.