Catalog (2409)

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 lovely Victorian starburst pendant worked in 14K yellow gold and set with an old mine cut diamond at the center. Stars in Victorian jewelry symbolized guidance and wisdom. Most Victorian starbursts have straight rays, but the Art Nouveau-influenced curlicue design of this example makes it especially nice. The diamond at the center has good brilliance, I/J color and VS1 clarity. The pendant retains the original brooch fitting, as well, but it is very well hidden when being worn as a pendant. Tested and guaranteed 14K (the newer bail is marked 10K).

• Origin: America, ca 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-1/8” diameter
• Approximate Diamond Weight: .35 carat
• Weight: 4.3 grams

An elegant 14K yellow gold Victorian bracelet in a twisted braid design. Interestingly, the bracelet tapers toward either end, leaving the middle heftier. This subtle detail gives the bracelet great elegance. The bracelet could be used to suspend up to 18 charms by passing thin jump rings through the center of each twist. That said, it’s really rather attractive all on its own. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 7-7/8” long; 3/8” wide at center
• Weight: 15.7 grams

An elegant Victorian snowflake pendant worked in 14K yellow gold and set with old mine cut diamonds. The overall effect is very delicate with a lot of sparkle. The center diamond is approximate .33 carat and is graded as I/J, I1; the other diamonds, each .10 carat are I/J color and SI1/2 clarity. The pendant has a folding bail and retains the original pinstem which disappears nicely when being worn as a pendant. The back is marked “14K.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-1/4” diameter
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 1.53 carats
• Weight: 7.5 grams

Colorful Victorian silver gilt double-sided cufflinks featuring beautifully patterned malachite cabochons. The gilt silver borders are finished in a classic laurel wreath design. The removable connectors are marked for 800 silver.

• Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1880
• Condition: excellent, original gilding intact
• Dimensions: 5/8" wide

An impressively sized 14K gold locket ornately decorated in the Etruscan style with rosettes, shaped appliques, and rope twists. The center features a bouquet worked with rose gold foliage and platinum blossoms and buds. Exposed areas of gold have a soft bloomed finish. The back features an oval hinged locket opening. The locket retains the original matching bail. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

• Origin: America, ca 1860
• Condition: excellent, a few very minor dings on the back locket cover
• Dimensions: 1-3/8” x 2-5/8 long (including bail)
• Weight: 18.0 grams

Pretty pair of enamel bottle tags for "Sherry" and "Gin." The labels are decorated with colorful roses and forget-me-nots. The tags hang from brass chains.

• Origin: England, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-7/16" x 1-3/8"

An elegant second standard (800/1000 pure silver) French tastevin. The bowl is engraved with repousse grape clusters and leaves in the 18th century style, but also with the more traditional raised “perles” and “coupules” seen in 19th century examples. The combination of the two is quite unusual. The handle is in the form of two snakes grasping an apple between their jaws—an element thought to stem from the Garden of Eden and intended to remind drinkers of temptation. The tastevin bears regional hallmarks for second standard silver and an unknown maker’s mark (J ancre de marine P). The pinpoint in the bottom of the bowl is a lathe-mark and suggests a date of the mid-19th century at the latest. The rim is engraved with the name of the original owner, “Ane [Antoine] Mouly-Chambon de Chas.”

• Origin: France, Burgundy region, ca 1840
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3-1/8” x 4-1/4” x 1-5/32”
• Weight: 118.4 grams

A steel cowbell hand-painted on one side with a detailed rendering of a living room with stockings hung above a roaring fireplace, a grandfather clock showing midnight, and a sleeping cat (or dog). “’Twas the night before Christmas.” the opening line of Clement Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” is painted at the top. One narrow side of the bell is painted, “Happy New Year,” and the other with “The year is going, let him go,” a line from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s 1850 poem “Ring out, wild bells.” The other large side shows a woman walking along a snowing path, her arms laden with holly wreaths and the legend, “Merrie Xmax,” Given the literary references of the other decoration, this image must refer to some long-forgotten Christmas or New Year’s tale.

• Origin: America or England, ca. 1875
• Condition: good, considerable darkening of painted scene (darker than in photos), some rust (see photos)
• Dimensions: 4-3/4” high; 3-1/2” wide; 2-1/2” deep

An extraordinarily fine Victorian 14K yellow gold and enamel pocket watch chain in the Aesthetic style. The heavy chain comprises ribbed open links joined by doubly-interlocking textured open links. Near each end, the chain is set with a shell-motif bead accented with opaque black taille d’epargne enamel. The original t-bar is heavily decorated with acanthus leaves and geometric motifs typical of the Aesthetic era, all enhanced with enamel. At 15-1/4” long, the chain is just long enough to be worn about the neck as a short necklace or doubled twice at the wrist as a bracelet. And of course, it can still be used with a pocket watch and fob. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original, enamel intact. Size: 15-1/4” long. Weight: 27.0 gr.

n superb pair of Aesthetic period 18K yellow gold and ruby double-sided cufflinks. The faces are decorated in a swirling pattern pinwheel-type pattern faintly suggestive of the curling limbs of an octopus. Each face is centered with an intensely colored natural ruby. The faces are joined with figure-eight connectors. The back of each face is stamped “18K” and with the unidentified maker’s mark “O.W.S’S.S”.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 5/8” x 1/2"
• Weight: 13.2 grams

A large sterling silver locket from the Aesthetic Period, the cover decorated with an engraved Japonaiserie scene of a water bird landing among reeds. The bird is surrounded by a fan-shaped reserve. The ends of the locket are nicely enhanced with beading and a fancy border. The interior retains both original frames and glass enclosing either fabric. The back is unadorned. This locket is unmarked, indicating an American origin. American silver lockets from this era are far more uncommon than English versions.

• Origin: America, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent, all original, no monogram or dings
• Dimensions: 1-3/8” x 1-5/8” (excluding bail)
• Weight: 18.2 grams

A lovely pair of Victorian earrings worked in 14K yellow, rose and green gold depicting a mother bird watching over her nest of three tiny eggs. The bird is nicely three-dimensional for added interest. The design is simply finished with a zigzag border. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1870
• Condition: excellent, earwires are replacements
• Dimensions: 5/8” diameter (excluding wires)
• Weight: 5.2 grams

A beautiful pair of Victorian 14K gold drop earrings with calibre-cut Persian turquoise, pearls and old mine and rose cut diamonds set in an expanding star pattern. The settings are pierced, lightening the overall feeling despite the earring’s generous size. The edges a finished with a pierced gallery. The choice of gemstones is very nice, the diamonds are bright for rose cuts, the pearls have nice luster, and the turquoise a beautifully matched and without discoloration. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 7/8” diameter (excluding wires)
• Weight: 10.6 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .40 carat

A lovely 18K gold locket, the front cover bezel-set with Persian turquoise cabochons. The stones are nicely matched for color. The gold surface is stippled and engraved in a rayed pattern with a foliate border. The engraving on the back takes design elements from the front. The interior has a glass cover. The locket is deep enough that it was likely intended to contain both a portrait and a keepsake of some sort. The original bail, also engraved and set with a turquoise cabochon, is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1870
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3/4” x 1-1/8” (excluding the jump ring)
• Weight: 5.8 grams

An intricately designed 14K yellow gold chain comprised of a double row of reeded oval links enhanced at regular intervals with engraved acanthus leaf plaques. The chain is from the late Georgian or early Victorian period, and is completely handmade. The clasp is a large bolt, reeded to match the links. The individual links are open enough that the chain could be used to hang charms. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca 1845
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 20-1/2" long; 7/16" wide
• Weight: 28.1 grams

A lovely 18K gold locket, the front cover bezel-set with rhodolite garnets. The garnets have very fine color with bright shots of violet. The gold surface is stippled. The back cover is ornately engraved in a checkerboard pattern. The interior has a hinged glass cover. The locket is deep enough that it was likely intended to contain both a portrait and a keepsake of some sort. The bail is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1870
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3/4” x 1-1/8” (excluding the jump ring)
• Total Gemstone Weight: 3.71 carats
• Weight: 6.6 grams

A handsome gentleman’s ring, the front in the form of a horseshoe encircling an onyx cameo carved to depict a steeplechase scene of a jockey and horse leaping over a fence. Interestingly, the carver chose not to polish the black onyx background, perhaps to lend a more masculine feel to the design. The shank is finished in a reeded pattern. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

• Origin: probably, France, ca. 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: crown, 3/4" wide tapering to 3/16” at the back
• Finger Size: 10
• Weight: 6.2 grams.

A colorful butterfly, it’s old mine cut diamond and sapphire body sporting wings studded with rubies, rose cut diamonds and emeralds, stands atop a diamond-encrusted twig in this gorgeous late Victorian jewel. Victorian butterfly jewels usually portray the insect with its wings spread in a rather rigid fashion. This pose is far more naturalistically attractive. The stones together weigh close to 3 carats, and all have excellent color. The piece appears to have been converted from a brooch into a pendant with the addition of a hidden bail at the back. Tested and guaranteed 18K. The contemporary chain is stamped for 18K.

• Origin: probably France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-1/4” x 1-1/4”; chain length, 18”
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 1.20 cts; sapphire, .38 ct; ruby, .67 ct; emerald, .63 ct
• Weight: 9.3 grams.

An impressive 18K yellow gold hinged bangle, the front set with a cabochon emerald surrounded by old mine cut and rose cut diamonds arranged in a floral motif. The larger diamonds are in buttercup settings that add more depth to the design. The emerald has good color with very light treatment and is probably of Brazilian origin. The back side of the bracelet is pierced to retain a feeling of lightness. The hinged opening and oval shape makes the bracelet comfortable to wear. The clasp is stamped with French 18K gold marks and an unidentified master goldsmith’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1870
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: interior circumference, 6-11/16”; width, 1-3/16” at front tapering to 3/8” at back
• Weight: 30.6 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: emerald, 2.15 carats; diamond, 1.3 carats

A very fine French Art Nouveau 18K yellow gold festoon necklace comprising three gold plaques exquisitely engraved in a pattern of roses and their foliage. The plaques are curved to create a "festoon" look, and are suspended from a gold chain set with natural seed pearls. The backs of the plaques are lightly engraved with a reverse image of the roses—a hidden luxury that speaks to the quality of the piece. Each plaque also includes stems with pronounced thorns, perhaps as a reminder of the selflessness of love. Victorian floriography adoped red roses to represent love from the myth of Aphrodite and Adonis. As she raced to the side of her fallen mortal lover, Aphrodite pricked her toe on the thorn of a white rose and her blood forever stained the flower red. The necklace is stamped with French 18K gold marks, and with an illegible maker's mark.

• Origin: France, ca 1895
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: necklace length, 16-3/4"; central plaque, 1-7/8" wide, 1-1/4" high
• Weight: 21.9 grams

This classic late Victorian bangle bracelet is set with a row of gorgeous opal cabochons in graduated sizes enhanced with old European cut and single cut diamonds. The opals have superb play of color evenly spread across the stones’ surfaces. Primary colors are blues and greens with shots of orange and red. The interior of the bracelet has a jeweler’s inventory number, but no maker’s mark. It is presented in a fitted box that appears to be original. The interior of the box bears the name Wm Mossman, Jeweller & Goldsmith, 135 Princes St (Edinburgh, Scotland). The clasp is stamped with French import marks. Tested and guaranteed 15K.

• Origin: Scotland, ca. 1900
• Condition: mint
• Dimensions: 7/16” wide at front; 6-1/8” circumference
• Weight: 17.3 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: opal, 7.36 carats; diamond, .37 carat

An elegant Art Nouveau bracelet comprising foliate shaped links set with round amethysts alternating with fleur-de-lis shaped links. The amethysts have the deep violet coloring typical of the best quality Siberian material. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

• Origin: America, ca 1895
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 7-1/2” long
• Weight: 19.4 grams
• Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: 5.22 carats

A lovely silver and gold necklace with pendant in the shape of two conjoined hearts, one with the word “Mizpah” and the other with the verse “The Lord watch between thee and me when we are absent one from another.” “Mizpah” stems from the Hebrew word for “watchtower,” and was used in jewelry to symbolize protection for loved ones during an extended absence. In an era of months-long travel and extended warfare, the Mizpah became a tangible reminder of being loved and protected from afar. The hears are further adorned with appliqued gold flowers and foliage. “Mizpah” is most frequently seen alone, without any verse or other sentimental decoration. Originally a brooch, the hearts now hang from an old silver chain. The reverse bears hallmarks for Chester, England and an unidentified maker’s mark “SB.”

• Origin: England, ca 1890 (the date mark is partially obscured, but appears to be 1891
• Condition: good, converted from a brooch, some dings on the heart engraved with the verse
• Dimensions: pendant, 7/8” x 1-3/8”; necklace length, 19-3/8”
• Weight: 9.6 grams

A nice late Victorian silver watch chain with striped niello decoration on alternating links. The chain is finished at one end with a dog clip and at the other with a bamboo-shaped t-bar. The chain is stamped with the Swiss mark for 875 silver used 1882-1934.

• Origin: Switzerland, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent, niello intact
• Length: 17-1/2”
• Weight: 21.0 grams

Swiss Silver Niello & Gilt Silver Watch Chain An excellent late Victorian silver watch chain with striped niello decoration on the double bar links, alternating with silver gilt curb links. The chain is finished at one end with a dog clip and at the other with a large niello bolt. The chain is stamped with the Swiss mark for 800 silver used 1882-1934.

• Origin: Switzerland, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent, niello intact
• Length: 16-1/4”
• Weight: 15.2 grams

A very fine and moving 18K gold and enamel locket in loving memory of Francis Mary, Viscountess Forbes who died on Christmas Day, 1877. She married the Viscount Forbes, 26 years her senior when she was just 21 years old. She was predeceased by her husband, and though she never became a Countess, their son inherited the title Earl of Granard. The locket was likely made for her granddaughter-in-law, Beatrice Mills Forbes, an American heiress who was Viscountess Forbes at the time of Francis Mary’s death. Lady Forbes led a rather fascinating life, as Queen Victoria’s confidante and one of her longest-serving Women of the Bedchamber (1837-1874). Even in her later years, she remained an Extra Woman and was called to Court for special occasions.

The front of the locket is beautifully worked with a black enameled cypher surmounted by an Earl’s coronet against a bloomed gold finish. The back is similarly decorated with an engraved cypher and coronet. The interior features an area for a portrait on one side, and a glass compartment enclosing a twisted lock of Francis Mary’s hair on the other. The frame surrounding the hair is engraved “Francis Mary Viscountess Forbes/Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth/b. 21st Oct. 1811/d. Christmas day 1877.”

• Origin: England, 1877
• Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, dings, etc.
• Dimensions: 1-3/8” x 1-5/8” (2-1/4” with bail)
• Weight: 26.2 grams.

A lovely late Victorian 18K gold locket enhanced with ornate pierced arabesques and pearl-studded laurel wreaths. The pearls have particularly nice color and luster. The cover opens to reveal a glass-enclosed compartment for a portrait or other keepsake. A small piece of cloth soaked in perfume could have been added behind the pierced cover to provide a bit of relief from the smelly Parisian streets of the 1800s. The original bail is also set with seed pearls. Stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880
• Condition: excellent; a small ding on the back cover (more visible from the inside of the locket than the outside
• Dimensions: 1-1/16” x 2” (2-3/8” including the bail)
• Weight: 15.2 grams

A very fine 19th century French 18K gold locket, the cover in a very three-dimensional design of overlapping geometric shaped enhanced with calibre-cut Persian turquoise, seed pearls and rose cut diamonds. The turquoise are all original, and a few are have taken on the darker greenish cast often found in Victorian-era turquoise. Additional scrollwork, beading and engraving completes the design. The original bail is set with pearls. The back cover opens to reveal a glass-enclosed compartment. The locket is stamped with French 18K marks and an unidentified goldsmith’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1850
• Condition: excellent, a few small dings to the back cover
• Dimensions: 1-1/4” x 1-15/16” (2-5/16” including bail)
• Weight: 20.6 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .05 carat

A classic Victorian 14K yellow gold fob seal, the surfaces ornately decorated in a repousse pattern of flowers and foliage. Fobs in this design are more typically English than American. It is very generously sized to make an impression when being worn. The citrine plaque is engraved with the monogram “WKV”, so we’ll just assume that was for William K Vanderbilt (LOL!) The ring is marked “14K.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1840
• Dimensions: 1” x 7/8” x 1-1/2” (excluding ring)
• Weight: 19.5 grams

A beautiful enameled oval locket in 18K gold, the cover decorated with a wreath of blue enameled forget-me-nots, each centered with a small rose cut diamond, against a black background. The design is encircled with additional black taille d’epargne enameling. The back is also decorated with blue forget-me-nots surrounded with taille d’epargne enameling and has a shield-shaped reserve that was never monogrammed. In Victorian floriography (the "language of flowers") forget-me-nots represented faithfulness, true love, and remembrance. The exposed gold surfaces on both the front and back are enhanced with engraved and stippled decoration. The interior retains the original glass covers and photos of two 19th century gentlemen. The bail is stamped with French 18K gold marks.Origin: France, ca. 1855

Condition: excellent, less than 5% loss to taille d’epargne enamel, mostly on the back

Dimensions: 15/16” x 1-3/8” (excluding bail and jump ring)

Weight: 13.2 grams

Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .08 carat

A lovely mid-19th century locket worked in 18K yellow gold set with rubies and natural seed pearls. The setting is enhanced with geometric appliques, engine-turned engraving, rope twists, and a beautifully fashioned bow concealing the bail. The rubies have very good color and are unheated. The locket retains its original reeded jump ring, as well. The back is decorated with engine-turned engraving. The interior retains the original gold frame and glass cover. Faintly marked with French 18K gold marks and a maker’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 1” x 2-1/16” (including jump ring)
• Approximate Total Ruby Weight: .21 carat
• Weight: 14.6 grams

A fine pair of French Art Nouveau 18K gold cufflinks, the faces depicting a mythological dragon with a scaly body and feathered wings. The cufflinks are very finely detailed. The back are stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: faces, 9/19” diameter
• Weight: 9.8 grams

An elegant Art Nouveau bracelet worked in 18K gold, each link is the form of a pansy enclosed in a scrolling border. The Victorian floriography (the “language of flowers”), the pansy represented the sentiment “think of me.” Jewels with pansies were often given as a romantic gesture or by the parents of a young woman upon her marriage. The bracelet is stamped with 18K fineness marks and an unidentified goldsmith’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 7-7/8” long; 1/2" wide
• Weight: 16.4 grams

A very good French Art Nouveau 18K gold watch pin in the form of a mythological creature that appears to be a dragon with outspread feathered wings. The details are beautifully worked. The reverse is engraved to match the front. The creature grasps an antique cushion cut diamond in its jaws. The pin retains its original watch hook on the back. This piece could easily and inexpensively be transformed into a pendant with the additional of two pendant hooks at the wingtips. The back is marked with French 18K gold hallmarks, an illegible master goldsmith’s mark, and a design number indicating that the piece was made by a renowned maker of the period.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Dimensions: 1-1/4” x 1-1/8”
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .10 carat
• Weight: 12.7 grams

A very fine Victorian Albert chain fashioned from a set of nineteen sizable natural gold nuggets (approximately 20-24K). The nuggets are connected by short sections of handmade chain worked in 14K. The chain has a t-bar enhanced with small nuggets and a short length of chain to suspend a fob. Nugget jewelry became popular during the California Gold Rush in 1849 and again during the Alaska Gold Rush in 1896. Nuggets were difficult to find and a collection this large was a significant indicator of wealth. Tested and guaranteed for gold content.

• Origin: America, 1850-1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 15-1/2” long (could be extended by adding additional plain links at the clasp)
• Weight: 55.3 grams

A pretty 18K yellow gold pendant in a shape that suggests a pair of wings, each set with rose cut diamonds. The design is completed with an additional diamond at the top in a buttercup setting. The pendant was likely fashioned from a larger piece of jewelry that was no longer fashionable. The reverse is stamped with a goldsmith’s mark and also with the Birmingham date mark for 1849. The jump ring is 14K.

• Origin: Birmingham, England, 1849
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 13/16” x 11/16” (excluding bail)
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .15 carat
• Weight: 1.9 gram

A French silver watch chain with a button hook on one end and a locking swivel on the other. The beauty of this chain is its absolute simplicity. It would look great paired with additional silver chains of various styles to create a longer necklace. Paired correctly, the button hook would make a superb hook for a locket or charms. The chain is stamped with a boar’s head hallmark for 800/1000 silver purity.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 11-5/8” long
• Weight: 16.9 grams

A superb American silver locket and chain necklace from the Victorian era. The book chain is enhanced with three rows of lapidary-cut silver balls. The locket’s cover is decorated with an engraved scene of an egret, bamboo, reeds and a fan in the Japonaise style popular during the Aesthetic period. The interior retains the original frames on either side. The chain can be worn without the locket as a 17” necklace or, with the drop chain in place at the back, as a 19-1/4” necklace. American chains of this style are far more uncommon than English chains. Tested and guaranteed silver.

• Origin: America, ca. 1885
• Condition: chain is excellent; locket has one pinpoint ding to the front and several to the back
• Dimensions: necklace, 17” to 19-1/4”; locket, 1-3/8” x 1-3/4” (excluding bail)
• Weight: 95.3 grams

Cold-painted Viennese bronze sculpture of a devil by Franz Bergman. This half-goat half-man figure is very well detailed, even showing the individual vertebrae along his back and the curls of his hair.

• Origin: Austria, ca 1900
• Condition: near mint; tiny surface rubs at sharp points such as the fingertips
• Dimensions: 2-1/4" tall

A handsome griffin with back-stretched wings, a lion’s head and a curling serpent’s tail grasps an old mine cut diamond in this 19th century French brooch and necklace slide. Interestingly, the creature’s tongue is licking the diamond. The eye is set with a small faceted ruby. The back retains the original pin stem and a hinged clasp so the griffin can be attached to a chain. The hinged clasp is marked “Déposé” meaning the griffin was a patented design. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold. A bail could easily be added for wear as a pendant.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-1/2” x 3/4”
• Approximate Diamond Weight: .12 carat
• Weight: 4.7 grams

A elegant brooch worked in 18K yellow gold filigree centering a round brilliant-cut amethyst surrounded by natural seed pearls. The amethyst’s collet is enhanced with millegraining, as is the remainder of the filigree work. The edge is finished with a border of wirework rosettes. The quality of workmanship is superb. Filigree of this delicacy is usually only seen in platinum. The amethyst is moderately pale with a slightly pinkish tint. The back of the pin is marked “18Kt”, and there is an indistinct mark on the original c-clasp. The brooch could easily be converted for wear as a pendant.

• Origin: England, ca. 1900
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 1-1/8” x 1-1/8” on the diagonal; 7/8" x 7/8" on the square
• Weight: 4.7 grams
• Approximate Amethyst Weight: .68 carat.

A very good 19th century French silver tastevin (wine taster). This example is the in Burgundian style with repousse and engraved grape and leaf decoration around the bowl, rather than the more typical “perles” and fluted “godrons.” The handle, however, is in the classic style of two snakes grasping an apple symbolizing the Garden of Eden and the temptations of wine.The handle and the side of bowl are stamped with French 1st standard silver marks (950/1000 pure silver) and an unidentified maker’s mark.

• Origin: France, probably Burgundy, ca 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3-5/16” x 4-1/2” x 1-1/8”
• Weight: 125.0 grams

A very fine 19th century 18K gold watch chain enhanced comprising a quadruple foxtail chain enhanced with two slides, a fob, and a watch key. The slides and the fob are finished with repousse decoration and cushion cut rubies. The fob also has an unengraved bloodstone plaque on the bottom. When the two slides are drawn close together they cause the chain to plait itself. The watch hook has a secure locking mechanism. This chain is particularly ornate and would have been intended for wear as a “gilletière” high on the vest so it could be readily visible to others. The rubies have vivid color are show no indications of heat treatment. The watch chain would look particularly nice styled with other heavy neck chains or perhaps even worn as a bracelet. The chain is stamped with early 19th century hallmarks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1840
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 13-3/4”
• Weight: 40.4 grams
• Approximate Total Ruby Weight: 2.0 carats

A wonderful, finely detailed 18K gold pendant / brooch featuring a cat surrounded by an ivy-covered wood wreath. The cat has bright emerald eyes and wears a platinum collar with an old European cut diamond at the front. The pendant is finely engraved to represent the cat’s fur and the wood and foliage textures of the frame. Even the back is engraved in a wood texture. Cat jewelry is extremely difficult to find—this example is one of the two best we have had in the last 20 years. Stamped “15 Ct.”

• Origin: England, ca. 1870
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-1/4” diameter
• Weight: 18.8 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: emerald, .02 carat; diamond, .05 carat

An elegant Art Nouveau 18K gold, platinum and diamond pendant and brooch depicting a young woman with flowing flower-bedecked hair. She represents the Spring season, “Printemps.” Each of the flowers is centered a rose cut diamond and the maiden wears a necklace of rose cut diamonds, as well. The gold surface is bloomed for a slightly matte finish. The pendant/brooch is faintly heart-shaped and is finished along the edges with 54 rose cut diamonds set in platinum. The pinstem unscrews from the back, so the jewel can be worn as a pendant from the two pendant loops at the top corners. This design was commissioned in 1886 from the medallist Emile Séraphin Vernier by the esteemed house Fonsèque et Olive which was one of Paris’ most successful Art Nouveau jewelers.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-1/16 x 1-1/8”
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .75 carat
• Weight: 8.9 grams

A fun piece of sporting jewelry depicting a crossed pair of croquet mallets and a coral ball inside the wicket. The banded agate stone is black with a single white line and has never been engraved. Croquet became fashionable among the English elite in 1856 when when the first book of croquet rules was published and the All England Croquet Club was formed at Wimbledon. The fob is stamped “10 ct.”

• Origin: England, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3/4” x 9/16” x 1-1/4 (excluding jump rings)
• Weight: 5.0 grams.

A pretty Victorian 14K gold locket, the cover featuring a lion rampant with a shield. The edges of the locket are worked in an ornate rococo design that is mirrored on the large suspension ring. The interior retains the original glass cover and frame insert. The back is engraved with a period “WWW” monogram. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail
• Dimensions: locket diameter 1”; overall length, 2”
• Weight: 10.7 grams

A wonderful early Victorian portrait locket worked in gilt silver and set with hundreds of Bohemian garnets, including a 10.2-carat rose cut oval at the center. The garnets are set with space between them to lighten the overall effect and better show the bright red coloring of the stones. The locket is suspended from a garnet-encrusted clover shaped bail. The back cover is entirely glass The gilding is intact.

• Origin: probably English, ca. 1845
• Condition: excellent, no missing stones
Dimensions: locket, 1-1/4” x 1-3/8”; overall length, 2-1/8”
• Weight: 14.4 grams

A fine Art Nouveau medallist stickpin depicting Demter (“Ceres”), goddess of the harvest and the seasons, in 14K gold by Louis Rault. She is shown in profile with several of her attributes including a tiara of wheat and a scythe. Louis Armand Rault was a leading designer for Boucheron 1868-75 and this is one of his signature designs. His designs were sometimes licensed to other jewelers, hence this American 14K version. The stickpin is finished in a soft bloomed texture. The pinstem is stamped iwth Carter, Gough's 14K mark. The stickpin could easily be converted to a ring or pendant.

• Origin: America, ca 1880
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Dimensions: head, 9/16” diameter, length, 2-1/2”
• Weight: 2.0 grams

A nice extra-wide Victorian silver cuff bracelet engraved in an ornate Persian-inspired design. The bracelet is hinged, and the back side is unengraved. The width of the bracelet lends a very imposing look. Tested and guaranteed sterling silver.

• Origin: America, ca. 1875
• Condition: excellent, only two pinpoint dings on the back side
• Dimensions: 6-1/4” circumference, 1-7/16” wide
• Weight: 31.9 grams

A fine Victorian 14K gold and platinum locket ornately decorated in the Etruscan style with a lily pond scene. The scene includes rose gold cattails, green gold lily pads, and platinum lily blossoms. The remainder of the locket is enanced with ropetwists, wire work, and appliques. The locket opens at the back to reveal a photo compartment. The locket is completed iwth its original matching bail.

• Origin: America, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent; a few minor pinpoints on the back cover
• Dimensions: 1-3/8" x 2-3/16" (including bail)
• Weight: 14.6 grams

An early Victorian 14K yellow gold locket enhanced with a pretty design of painted enamel roses and taille d'epargne tracery. The exposed gold surfaces are further decorated with engraving. The back cover has a style of engine-turned engraving usually found only in the late Georgian or very early Victorian periods. The interior retains both of the original glass covers and gold frames.

• Origin: America, ca. 1840
• Condition: excellent; no enamel damage; a pinpoint ding to the back cover
• Dimensions: 1-1/16" x 1-1/2" (excluding jump ring)
• Weight: 8.2 grams

A heavy pair of 14K gold cufflinks, the faces decorated with a sort of shield-shaped device against a stippled background. The influence of the Art Nouveau aesthetic can be seen in the assymetrical design of the shields. The semi-matte finish of the stippling contrasts nicely with the more polished shield. The backs marked "14K" and have Kirby's hallmark.

• Origin: America, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 11/16" x 1/2"
• Weight: 9.8 grams

A beautiful pair of 14K yellow gold double curb link bracelets. The links are enhanced with ornate repousse decoration but could be worn inside out when a smoother look is called for. The clasp of each bracelet is stamped with Viennese 14K gold marks used 1872-1902. The bracelets are priced as a pair, but are available separately.

• Origin: Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1872-1902
• Condition: excellent, no dings
• Dimensions: 7-3/4” long; 1/2” wide
• Weight: 47.3 grams

A tour-de-force first standard (950/1000 pure silver) tastevin by silversmith Stanislas Pollet celebrating Napoleon’s great victory at the Battle of Wagram. The tastevin is inset with a Napoleonic silver medal surrounded by fleur-de-lis engraving. The outer edges are enhanced with ornate strapwork (a technique particularly mastered by Pollet) depicting fleur-de-lis and acanthus leaves. The entire design is set off with a pair of magnificently cast and engraved dolphins forming the handle.

Napoleon, never particularly known as a shrinking violet, enjoyed commissioning medals from the Paris Mint to celebrate his victories and various life landmarks. The front of the medal (showing from the top of the tastevin) depicts the river god of the Danube being forced by the Emperor to carry a wooden pontoon bridge laden with French cannons over the river towards the Imperial Austrian capital, Vienna. The Latin inscription translates as, “Danubius, indignant at the breach/Battle of Essling/May 22, 1809.” The reverse (showing from the bottom of the tastevin) depicts the French army marching across the bridge at Wagram, urged on by the goddess of Victory carrying a laurel wreath and pointing the way. The inscription translates as, “Again crossing at the same place/July 5, 1809.” The Battle of Essling was the first defeat of the French army under Napoleon’s direct control, but that fact is obscured by combining it with the Battle of Wagram, just forty-four days later. This latter battle was one of the emperor’s greatest victories and was the largest battle in European history up to that time. The medal was created at the Paris Mint by the medalist Nicolas-Guy-Antoine-Brenet under the supervision of Baron Dominique Vivant Denon, who was Napoleon’s artistic director and to whom the emperor entrusted the Louvre after turning it into a museum. A single copy of the medal was struck in gold for Napoleon’s personal collection. Silver medals were given as gifts to the emperor’s friends and diplomats and bronze versions were available to those of lower rank.

• Origin: France, 1899-1903
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Dimensions: 3-1/2” x 4-5/8” x 1-1/4”
• Weight: 201.4 grams

A wonderful Victorian/Art Nouveau pendant and brooch in the form of a mythological griffin grasping a diamond in its jaws. The creature’s open-winged pose is somewhat unusual for this type of jewel, as they tend to be more curled up in a more circular position. The pose, however, makes for wear as a dramatic pendant hanging from the pendant loops on each wing. The back also has a removable fitting so it can also be worn as a brooch. And finally, there is a watch hook at the bottom that could suspend a watch or a dangling gemstone. The griffin is worked with in great detail and even the back is enhanced with engraved feathers and scales. The old mine cut diamond has good color and VS1 clarity. The pin stem is stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Dimensions: 2-3/4” x 1-3/8”
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Weight: 18.1 grams
• Approximate Diamond Weight: .33 carat

A lovely late Victorian 18K gold locket, the front and back covers worked in a stippled texture with engine-turned engraving along the borders. The front is further enhanced with a spray of vivid blue forget-me-nots and green foliage. In Victorian flower language, forget-me-nots symbolized true love or the desire to be remembered—either one a very fitting sentiment for a locket. The back cover has a monogram reserve that was never engraved. The interior retains the original frames and glass on both sides. The bail is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent, enamel intact
• Dimensions: 7/8” x 1-1/4” (excluding bail)
• Weight: 6.4 grams

Lacquer tobbaco or snuff box with faux tortoise finish and brass Maltese cross inlay on the lid.

Origin: England, ca. 1820. Condition: good; some crackling and scratching of lacquer surface; one 1/2" and one 1/8" flake on the bottom. Size: 3-1/2" diam.; 1-5/8" tall.

English sterling silver berry spoon dating from the reign of George III. The lobed bowl is decorated with repousse apples, berries and foliage; the handle with bright cut engraving, both added later in the 19th century. (We are also offering another berry spoon by a different silversmith and with a slightly different shape, but with identical decoration. Certainly the two spoons were decorated by the same engraver and repousser.) No monograms or removals. The reverse is clearly hallmarked for London, 1811 and an unidentified maker "SA". Excellent condition; the vermeil bowl has faded to a faint lemon color. 8-1/2" long.