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Georgian French 18K Gold & Amethyst Swivel Watch Fob
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Pre Victorian:
Pre 1837 VR item# 873025
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
SOLD, PLEASE VISIT US AGAIN!
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A stunning Charles X 18K yellow gold and amethyst swivel watch fob. This fob features the sort of over-sized gemstone fashionable during the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France. Amethysts were very costly stones in the early 19th century, and a specimen of this size would have been a head-turner. The amethyst has nice medium-violet coloring with moderate color zoning. It is set in a simple collet border punctuated with elegant fleur-de-lis prongs. The swivel is held in place by a crescent-shaped frame decorated with fluting. The same decoration appears on the swivel bale. Generally, stone fobs such as this were engraved with a coat of arms or monogram. This example was never engraved, possibly because the owner didn't want to alter a stone of this size. The fob is fully hallmarked with the "tete belier" hallmark for 18K.Origin: France, ca. 1825. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-9/16" x 1-1/2" (excluding bale). Weight: 19.25 grams. Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: 52.39 carats.
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Charles X Bronze Carnelian Erotic TEMPTATION Fob Seal
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Pre Victorian:
Pre 1900 item# 854867
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$595
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A wonderful Charles X watch fob and seal, the gilt bronze figure representing the theme of “Temptation”. A hooded monk, his hands piously folded across his chest, is shown standing perilously close to a nude woman. The woman is pressing her breasts against the monk and appears to be whispering into his ear. Erotic themes such as this were enjoyed by gentlemen of the period as subtle elements of naughtiness in their otherwise restricted daily lives under the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy and its Catholic traditions. Certainly, a fob such as this might also have been seen as a commentary on the Catholic church, itself. The detail of the workmanship is superb. The seal is formed from a rectangular plaque of carnelian with canted corners. The stone has never been engraved.Origin: France, ca. 1830. Condition: excellent, gilding intact, no damage to stone. Size: 7/8” x 11/16” x 1-1/2”.
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George III 9K Gold, Jet & Hair Mourning Pin
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Pre Victorian:
Pre 1837 VR item# 581634
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$195
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A lovely small Georgian mourning pin worked in 9K yellow gold and featuring a border of faceted jet around the central glass-covered hair receptacle. This example is particularly nice because it contains a plait of rarer blond hair that contrasts handsomely with the unusual jet border. The back is engraved “Wm Dunelow/ ob. 16 Mar/ 1811 At 42”. The pin retains the original extended pinstem and c-clasp.Origin: England, ca. 1811. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1” x 5/8”.
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Georgian 9K Gold, Seed Pearl & Citrine Cross Pendant
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Pre Victorian:
Pre 1800 item# 562293
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$825
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A marvelous Georgian cross pendant worked entirely in seed pearls and centering an oval cut citrine in a 9K gold push-up setting. Seed pearl jewelry became popular during the last quarter of the 18th century and remained in fashion for about fifty years. The forms were cut from pieces of mother-of-pearl then drilled with tiny holes. Strands of horsehair, bleached to become white and translucent, were used to sew hundreds of tiny natural seed pearls to the form. The center citrine adds a bit a sparkle to what would otherwise be a very chaste piece. Some of the pearls in this piece are quite large for seed pearl jewelry. Although pearls are associated with purity, crosses are difficult to find in seed pearl jewelry. The 14K gold bale is recent.Origin: England, ca. 1775. Condition: excellent, some glue reinforcement of the horsehair in places on the back. Size: 2” x 1-3/8”.
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Louis XVI Enameled 18K Gold & Garnet Bead Bracelet
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Pre Victorian:
Pre 1837 VR item# 394988
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$795
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Outstanding garnet bead bracelet with an enameled gold clasp dating from the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France, from either the reign of Louis XVIII or Charles X. The 68 oval garnet beads are lapidary cut and are strung in a complex pattern. The pattern creates an airy look, even though the bracelet is really quite substantial. The gold clasp is delicately adorned on both sides with a simple band of opaque black champleve enamel. The garnets are the wonderful rich claret red color only found in Georgian and Restoration period jewelry--not the muddier brownish-red of the late Victorian period. It is most unusual to find a bracelet of this quality in this condition. The clasp is hallmarked wtih the 18K mark used in Paris, 1819-1835 and with an unknown jeweler's mark.Origin: Paris, ca. 1820. Condition: excellent, all original, 1/16" enamel flake on the underneath side of the clasp. Size: 8" long. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 112.9 carats.
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Georgian Gold, Diamond & Amethyst Earrings
Catalogue:
Estate Jewelry:
Gold:
Pre Victorian:
Pre 1800 item# 94884
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Kensington House Antiques
(301)942-0955
$1,400
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Phenomenal formal Georgian earrings in silver-topped gold set with diamonds and amethysts. The earrings are comprised of foliate surmounts set with rose-cut diamonds suspending pear-shape drops set with diamonds and amethysts, further suspending fringes of kite-shaped tassles set with diamonds. All the original diamonds are in place and are of very nice quality for the period. They are bead-set in open mountings. The amethysts are flat-cut pear-shapes and are set in closed backs typical of the period. They have excellent, rich coloring and do not appear to be foiled. The mounting has very nice detail and millegraining. The lever-back posts are original.Origin: probably England, circa 1790. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 2-1/16" long from top of surmount to bottom of fringe, 11/16" at widest. Weight: 8.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamonds, 1.8 carats; amethysts, .75 carat.
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