Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Gold (1010)

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

A nice 18K gold figural stick pin in the form of a bear, nicely detailed with engraved fur. The stem is spiraled, indicating an earlier date. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: head, 5/8” x 5/16”; overall length, 2-5/8”. Weight: 3.5 gr.

An outstanding Victorian 18K yellow gold oval slide locket, the cover with set with an amazing sardonyx cameo depicting an early steamship also rigged with sails. The single smoke funnel, the sails’ rigging and the absence of a sidewheel suggest the locket dates to the mid-19th century. The carving is expertly worked using the alternating cream and rust colors of the sardonyx to represent every small detail. The marshy foreground is littered with barrels, crates and a large anchor. The hardstone is surrounded by a Greek key pattern carved into the gold. This pattern is repeated on the back cover surrounding an oval or engine-turned engraving. The locket opens by sliding sideways from a pivot at the top. Lockets were used, of course, to hold pictures, locks of hair or other sentimental remembrances. Most likely, a locket with this kind of decoration would have been worn by a ship captain’s wife (the only sailor’s wife likely to have enough money to purchase an expensive locket of this size and quality).

Ca. 1845. Condition: excellent, no damage to carving, 2 pinpoint dings on the back cover, original frames remaining in interior, no monogram. Tested and guaranteed 18K. Size: 1-3/16” x 1-11/16” (excluding jump ring). Weight: 15.9 grams.

A wonderful and extremely rare Victorian 15K rose gold brooch set with Scottish agate. The brooch is in the form of the 19th century Prince of Wales’ crown enclosing the traditional feathers in fleur-de-lys arrangement, over a banner with the legend “Ich Dien”. The feathers are set with jasper and bloodstone. The engraved decoration of the gold is first-rate. The back bears a registry mark, dating the brooch to 1891. In 1891, Queen Victoria’s eldest son, the future Edward VII, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his investitute as Prince of Wales. Due to his mother’s longevity, however, Edward was the first Prince of Wales to reach that mark. Agate jewelry set in gold is quite uncommon, and this is the only example we’ve found of this particular design. Tested and guaranteed 15K.

Origin: England, 1891. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-5/16” x 1-1/4”. Weight: 6.0 grams.

A very nice Victorian 18K yellow gold watch fob seal in the form of a seated hound dog. He (it's very obviously a male dog) is extremely well-detailed and is highlighted with a black enameled collar and cabochon ruby eyes. The carnelian seal was never engraved. This fob seal is a little larger than most and has an imposing presence. The fob is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

Origin: France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 7/8" x 3/4" x 1-1/4" tall. Weight: 17.4 grams.

An exceptionally fine French 18K yellow gold ring in the form of a lion's head flanked by a pair of winged griffins that coil around the finger. The lion grasps a round blue sapphire it its jaws. The sapphire has rich coloring and is deeply saturated. The design is entirely hand-chased and pierced. The ring is signed, but is only partly legible "CU**R." It is also marked with the master goldsmith's stamp "AP" and with the French 18K mark. Mythological subjects such a griffins were very popular in French jewelry just before the onset of the Art Nouveau era, and this is very fine example.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Finger Size: 9-1/2. Dimensions: 9/16" wide at front, tapering to 1/4" at back. Approximate Total Sapphire Weight: .36 ct. Weight 11.4 gr.

A lovely Victorian ring featuring a center red spinel flanked by a pair of oval blue spinels, all bordered in old European cut diamonds. The gemstones are intensely colored with excellent clarity. The ring likely dates to around 1876, when jewelry in patriotic colors enjoyed a resurgence for the American Centennial. Tested and guaranteed 14K. This ring would make a stunning and unique engagement ring!

• Origin: America, ca. 1876.
• Finger Size: 5.
• Dimensions: crown, 3/8" x 1/2".
• Weight: 2.5 grams.
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: red spinel, .58 carat; blue spinel, .53 carat; diamond, .20 carat.
• Condition: excellent.

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

A terrific 18K yellow gold stick pin in the form of a German shepherd’s head. The detail work is especially well-done, with very accurate representation of the fur, the texture of the snout, etc. The pinstem is stamped with the “tete d’aigle” hallmark for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original. Size: overall length, 3”; head, 1/2” x 9/16”. Weight: 4.5 grams.

Handsome Napoleon III-era 18K gold brooch in the form of an eagle with spread wings. Eagle motifs were very popular in French jewelry of the 1860's and 70's. This example features a hook from which a lady could hang her gold watch. The eagle's beak holds a small ring that originally would have been attached to a tiny safety chain for the watch. This piece is decorated in the repousse manner, meaning that the design was created by working the gold from the back side rather than engraving the front. The detail is outstanding. The back retains the original pinstem and c-clasp. The back is stamped with the French "tete d'aigle" 18K gold hallmark and with the jeweler's mark (BF).

Origin: France, circa 1870. Condition: excellent, crisp detail. Size: 2-1/4" x 9/16" (excluding watch hook). Weight: 2.5 grams.

A very pretty pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold earrings set with pearls and seed pearls. The main bodies hang freely from the surmounts, and the bottom edges suspend free-hanging pearls, providing a lot of movement when being worn. The delicate scroll work makes a nice counterpoint to the simplicity of the pearls. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 5/8” x 1-3/4” long (from top of wire). Weight: 6.8 grams.

A very fine 14K yellow gold mesh watch fob suspending a nicely detailed 14K Egyptian Revival Sphinx seal. Mesh fobs are most frequently gold-filled, but this example is solid 14K. The fittings at either end are beautifully engraved in a foliate pattern. The Sphinx seal depicts the regal creature in its traditional pose with wings swept back against the leonine flanks. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no engraving on seal. Dimesions: overall length, 6-1/8"; seal, 1 x 3/4". Weight: 30.0 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 wonderful Imperial Russian witch's heart brooch and pendant worked in silver-topped 14K gold and set with 78 rose cut diamonds and a heart-shaped garnet. Interestingly, the garnet is not cut in a standard heart shape, but in a slightly curved fashion that echoes the overall shape of the pin. The heart is topped with a ribbon motif. In Victorian jewelry symbolism, the witch's heart conveyed the meaning, "Bewitched by love." The brooch is Russian, but the pinstem and clasp were replaced around 1920, and at that time the brooch was then marked with a transitional Polish hallmark used 1920-21 to remark items that had been created during the time Poland was occupied by Imperial Russia. The brooch also retains the original Russian maker's mark "KK".

NOTE: The chain is shown for display purposes only.

• Russia, circa 1850
• 15/16" x 1 5/16"
• 7.6 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 2.0 carats; garnet, 2.66 carats

A lovely double-sided 18K yellow gold crystal “porte-photo” (photo carrier), the gold rim elegantly decorated with a bound reed design in the Louis XVI style. The crystal covers are faceted in a star design on both sides. The locket is cleverly constructed with a hidden screw mechanism that allows the gold frame to expand so the crystal covers can be removed for adding or changing the contents. Double-sided porte-photos were often used to display a photo on one side and a tiny lock of hair, a pressed flower or other memento. They could also be used to display a “public” photo on one side and a more “private” image on the other. They are usually round or oval; a hexagonal example is rather uncommon. These lovely little pieces have become increasingly difficult to find. The porte-photo is fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks to crystal. Size: 1-3/32” diameter (excluding bale).

A spectacularly fine, museum-quality Victorian figural watch fob worked in 18K yellow gold and platinum depicting Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes." The seal shows the fox's head, jaws agape, straining to reach a juicy cluster of grapes that are just barely out of reach. Every tiny detail of the fox's fur, teeth, tongue is beautifully worked, as are the leaves and distinct individual berries making up each cluster of grapes. The leather strap is enhanced with three additional grape elements.

The seal surface is worked in platinum engraved through to the underlying gold. The crest is that of the Scottish clan Irwin (variously spelled Irvine, Irving, etc.) with the first two words of the family motto, "Sub Sole Sub Umbra Virens."

The Albert swivel clasp is stamped with a French goldsmith's mark, but it's likely that fob is English and the swivel clasp is an addition from the 1920s. The metals are tested and guaranteed as 18K gold and platinum.

Origin: probably England, ca. 1875. Condition: excellent, all original with the likely exception of the swivel clasp. Dimensions: fob length, 1-5/8"; overall length (including Albert clasp), 5-3/4". Weight: 48.9 gr.

An important 19th century brooch of carved coral lilies nestled among 18K yellow gold chrysanthemum leaves set with old mine cut diamonds. The lily blossoms are fully three dimensional and are carved from the finest Mediterranean red coral, most likely harvested from the Italian coast near Naples. The heavily detailed gold leaves have a strong sculptural quality with undulating movement. Every surface is set with old mine cut diamonds of exceptional quality, averaging I/J color and SI clarity. Diamonds, collet-set and suspended from knife-edge mountings, also form the flowers' anthers. Diamonds are also set into portions of the stem that can't be seen from the front. Exposed areas of gold are delicately hand-engraved. The back of the brooch retains its original extended pinstem c-clasp. There is also a threaded aperture that was probably originally used to attach the brooch to a comb so it could be worn as a hair ornament. Tested and guaranteed at least 18K (it appears to be a little higher, perhaps 19-20K).

Origin: probably France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent; one gold stem appears to have an old repair; no breaks in coral; no replacements. Dimensions: 3" x 3-5/8" x 1-1/8". Weight: 54.9 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 10.0 carats.

A handsome mid-Victorian Scottish agate pendant featuring pear-shaped cabochons of bloodstone ("heliotrope") and carnelian in a fine gold setting. The gold surfaces are heavily decorated with fiolate engraving. Queen Victoria personally led the fashion for all things Scottish. Most jewels were set in silver; those set in gold were generally made in London using Scottish stones. Tested and guaranteed 15K.

Origin: Scotland/England, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, the piece was originally a brooch and the pinstem and clasp were removed and a bail added for wear as a pendant. Size: 1" diameter. Weight: 11.1 gr.