Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Victorian (276)

A very pretty pair of Victorian earrings fashioned as lapis lazuli orbs suspended from 14K gold caps decorated with Etruscan beading and rope-twist motifs. The lapis has a beautiful deep violet-blue color of near-Afghan quality with just a small amount of white calcite. The ear wires appear to be original. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: spheres, 1/2" diameter; 1-1/4” long from top of earwires
• Weight: 9.8 grams

A wonderful Victorian equestrian pin in the form of a horseshoe nail enhanced with a cluster of small natural pearls, sapphires, and rubies. Nails were a popular motif in Victorian jewelry, and the red, white, and blue color scheme had momentary popularity around the time of the American centennial in 1876. This piece is a pin, but can easily be worn as a pendant suspended from a chain without alteration. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1876
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-1/8” long
• Weight: 5.6 grams

An unusually nice Victorian gold-filled locket in the aesthetic taste. The front features a marsh scene of reeds and flowers growing alongside the water’s edge, all worked in different shades of gold. The design is enclosed within an engraved border. The back of the locket is engraved with multiple designs akin to a crazy quilt.

• Origin: probably America, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent, no wear to gold
• Dimensions: 7/8” x 1-3/8” (excluding jump ring)

A lovely pair of Victorian 14K gold earrings featuring a rose gold lily with green gold foliage against a yellow gold background. The flower petals and leaves are stippled for added texture. The edges are finished with ornate beading, rope-twists, and appliqués. In Victorian floriography, lilies represented virtue or purity, though in Queen Victoria’s personal floriography, the white lily represented “majesty.” The earrings appear to have been converted from a pair of cuff buttons with the addition of ear wires. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America or England, ca. 1850
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 11/16” x 11/16”; 15/16” long from top of earwire
• Weight: 6.9 grams

A wonderful Victorian hinged bangle bracelet worked in 14K yellow gold and featuring a design of crescent moons and stars. In Victorian jewelry, crescent moons were used to evoke the goddess Selene (Roman “Luna”) as a representation of feminine power while stars represented wisdom and divine guidance. The pearls’ white color further suggests “purity.” This bracelet was likely a bridal gift intended to remind the young woman that she was not going into her marriage without power and guidance. The bangle is hinged and has a generously sized safety chain, so it is quite easy to get on and off. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1880
Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1/2” wide at front; 5/32” wide at back; inner circumference, 6-1/2”
• Weight: 14.4 grams

An elegant Belle Epoque 18K yellow gold negligee pendant necklace, the old mine cut diamond drops formed as pansies. Pendant necklaces of this type, called negligees (from the French word for "careless"), were so called because of their assymetry. The subtle pansy design is achieved by combining three larger diamonds at the top of each cluster to represent larger petals, and two smaller petals at the bottoms. The knife edge bars suspending the clusters keeps the focus on the stones and create wonderful movement. The old mine cut diamonds (J/K color; SI1 clarity) have excellent fire for antique stones. The clasp and the pendant are stamped with French 18K marks.

• Origin: France, ca 1890
• Condition: excellent; all original
• Dimensions: pendant length, 1-5/8"; chain length, 17-3/8"
• Weight: 6.5 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 1.5 carats.

A striking late Victorian 14K yellow gold crucifix set with sapphires, an old European cut diamond and seed pearls. The diamond is graded at I/SI2 and the sapphires are finely colored and show no indication of heat treatment. The gold surface is "bloomed" for a soft matte texture that enhances the gold color but is subdued enough for the religious purpose of the pendant. The bail is original and is stamped for Bippart, Griscom & Osborn, one of the finest Newark jewelers of the era.

• Origin: America, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 1-1/2" x 2-1/14" (excluding bail)
• Weight: 9.2 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, .80 carat; diamond, .23 carat

A nice Victorian 18K gold locket, the front cover featuring a lioness shown in profile. She is enhanced with a bright emerald eye and grasps an old mine cut diamond in her mouth. The back is engraved with a period three-letter monogram. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

• Origin: America, ca 1900
• Dimensions: 1" diameter
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail on the lion; two pinpoint dings on the back cover
• Weight: 8.7 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .05 carat

A Victorian 14K gold ring featuring an oval garnet cabochon surrounded by a laurel wreath border. The 10 x 7 mm garnet has very attractive coloring that contrasts nicely with the gold setting. Originally a stickpin, a 14K gold shank has been added.

• Origin: America, ca 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: crown 9/16" x 7/16"
• Finger Size: 6-3/4
• Weight: 2.3 grams

A superb pair of Victorian drop earrings featuring old European cut diamonds in buttercup settings surrounding oval mixed-cut rubies. The diamonds are separated with radiating lines of black taille d'epargne enamel. The rubies have a classic slightly purplish-red color with good intensity and eye-clean clarity. All rubies fluouresce in natural sunlight to some degree, and these rubies have a particularly strong reaction in bright sunlight, turning an intense red. The microscopic inclusions in the rubies indicate that they are unheated, and the probable source is Burma. The diamonds are F/VVS2. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1890
• Condition: no damage to stones or enamel; replaced wires
• Dimensions: 11/16" diameter; 1" long from top of wire
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .50 carat; diamond, .60 carat
• Weight: 5.8 grams

An elegant pair of Victorian 18K yellow gold earrings fashioned as lover’s knots, with neither beginning nor end. The gold surfaces are decorated with an ornate foliate pattern, enhanced with flush-mounted antique cushion-cut diamonds, sapphires and rubies. The gemstones are of fine quality, with deeply saturated color and eye-clean clarity. The use of red, white and blue stones was particularly popular around the time of the American Centennial celebration in 1876. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1876
• Condition: excellent; replaced wires
• Dimensions: 3/4” x 1-1/8” from top of wire
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .52 carat; ruby, .23 carat; sapphire, .23 carat
• Weight: 8.7 grams

An elegant pair of drop earrings featuring a cushion cut ruby surrounded by rosecut diamonds and seed pearls. The diamonds are set in platinum. The whole is finished with a pierced gallery. The rubies have nice color that contrasts beautifully with the pearls and glittery diamonds. The earrings were created from a French Victorian bar pin with the addition of new 18K wires. Tested and guaranteed 18K and platinum.

• Origin: France, ca 1890
• Condition: excellent; converted from a pin
• Dimenions: drops, 3/8" diameter; length from top of wires, 13/16"
Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .22 carat; diamond, .10 carat
• Weight; 1.5 grams.

A stunning heavy 18K gold bracelet enhanced with ornate chased engraving and royal blue champlevé enamel. Each link of the bracelet is hinged for comfortable wear, but the appearance is that of a solid bangle. The arched links are superbly engraved in a floral/foliate pattern that appears to be either mistletoe or myrtle. In the Victorian flower language, mistletoe would have been used to convey the meaning “I surmount all obstacles in the pursuit of love” and myrtle, “Good luck in marriage”. The arched links are finished with enameled borders in a Greek key design. The vertical hinge bars a enhanced with enamel in a checkerboard pattern. The design is so detailed that even the tongue of the concealed clasp, invisible when being worn, is fully engraved. Stamped with a French 18K mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent, three areas (1/4”, 1/8” and 1/16”) of enamel loss along the borders
• Dimensions: 15/16” wide; interior circumference 7-1/4”
• Weight: 50.0 grams

An elegant pair of long 18K gold earrings enhanced with floral shaded enamel plaques. The gold surfaces are intricately engraved to add a bit of sparkle. The earrings have nice movement when being worn. Each is stamped with French 18K marks.

• Origin: France, ca 1840
• Dimensions: 2-9/16" long from top of earwire
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, replaced earwires
• Weight: 8.3 grams

A large friendship token pendant or charm featuring a hand holding a gem-set bouquet. The design is presented against a stippled background outlined with an engraved border. The bouquet is set with a cabochon ruby, an emerald cut emerald and a brilliant cut sapphire. Jewelry featuring a hand and flower motif were usually given as tokens of affection or friendship in the Victorian era. The back is stamped “18K.”

• America, ca. 1900
• Excellent condition
• Dimensions: 1-1/8” diameter
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .08 carat; emerald, .05 carat; sapphire, .05 carat.
• Weight: 7.8 grams.

This delightful Victorian Art Nouveau pendant and pin features a four-leaf clover nestled inside a crescent moon, both set with seed pearls. The clover is centered with a .2-carat old European cut diamond. The combination of a flower and a crescent in Victorian jewelry was intended to convey the sentiment "honeymoon" and they were often a gift from a groom to his new bride. The four-leaf clover, of course, conveyed good luck. The reverse retains the original folding bail and a pin that's hidden from view, so the piece can be worn in multiple ways. The clasp is marked "10K."

• America, ca. 1900
• Excellent condition; all original
• Dimensions: 1" diameter (excluding bail)
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .2 carat
• 4.1 grams.

A nice quality and heavy 18K gold watch key enhanced with black enamel and seed pearls suspending a pair of foxtail chain tassels and a dog clip clasp. This was originally the cross bar and fob attachments for a Victorian watch chain. With the entire assembly attached to a necklace using the existing jump ring, the key and and tassels would make stunning "charms" and another charm of your choice could be attached to the dog clip. This last charm could be changed up depending on your mood! Stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Dimensions: watch key, 1 1/2" long; longer tassel, 1 11/16"
• Weight: 7.9 grams.
• Condition: excellent.

A wonderful Victorian 18K gold and jet watch chain that has been converted to a bracelet. The bracelet comprises variously-shaped baton and spherical beads. The original carved spherical watch fob and the crossbar dangle freely from the bracelet. The watch fob is carved in a stylized foliate pattern against a matte background. The spring ring is stamped "14K"; other elements are tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Era: ca. 1890
• Length: 7 3/8" (easily extended, if needed, with additional gold links).
• Condition: very good; one of the long beads has a 1/8" flake at one end and another long bead has a 1/16" flake at one end, but neither are easily visible without very close inspection.