Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Gold: Victorian (276)

A chic Victorian egg pendant of black onyx accented with 14K yellow gold Gothic-style strapwork set with natural seed pearls. The pearls, though small, have particularly nice luster. The simple decoration and strong color contrast makes this a very elegant piece to be worn as a single pendant or as a group of necklace charms. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1865. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 5/8" x 15/16".

A beautiful Second Empire 18K yellow gold locket, the front decorated with an enamel portrait of a society lady in a brightly-colored formal dress. Her ornate hairdo is studded with an ostrich plume, blue forget-me-nots, lace and small rose-cut diamonds. Interestingly, she wears a locket in the portrait, as well as a gold bracelet and a shoulder brooch. The portrait is enclosed in a frame of opaque black enamel that accents the punch-work decoration around the image. The original bail is similarly decorated. The interior retains the original frames, glass covers and French blue silk linings. The back is simply engraved with a shield reserve (never monogrammed). Stamped with French hallmarks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1860.
• Condition: no enamel damage; three dings on the reverse.
• Dimensions: 1-1/4' x 2-1/8" (including bail).
• Weight: 20.3 grams.

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 lovely double-sided 18K yellow gold and crystal “porte-photo” (photo locket), the gold rim accented with small blue sapphires. The bail is attached to a screw mechanism that allows the gold frame to expand for access to the inside of the locket. Porte-photos were often used to display a “public” photo one side and a more private keepsake on the other. They’re usually very simple; a design of this type is uncommon. These pieces are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The bail is stamped with French 18K marks.

Origin: France, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks to crystal. Dimensions: 1-1/8” diameter (excluding bail).

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 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

An elegant Belle Epoque bracelet comprising links in the Louis XVI style, set alternately with round emeralds and rose cut diamonds. The gemstones are set in crimped collets that mimic the center of each flower. Each link is hinged in a way that allows the bracelet to drape nicely on the wrist. The clasp is stamped with French 18K hallmarks and a illegible master goldsmith’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 7-1/2” long: 15/32” wide
• Weight: 17.4 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .10 carat; emerald, .06 carat

A fine shakudo stickpin mounted in 18K yellow gold enhanced with a ropetwist border. The shakudo plaque represents a geisha formally dressed in a gold-flowered kimono and with an elaborate hairdo complete with ribbons and blossoms. Shakudo elements such as these were transformed by European and American jewelers after the opening of Japan to Western trade in the 1850s. The mounting is 18K (tested and guaranteed) and the pinstem is 14K (marked).

Origin: Japan & America, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: head, 11/16” x 15/32”; overall length, 3”. Weight: 5.0 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 lovely Victorian 10K yellow gold locket, the front cover decorated with an embossed lion’s head. The lions mouth grasps an old mine cut diamond and the eyes are set with bright demantoid garnets. The small diamond is nice quality with bright color and good clarity. Demantoids were only discovered in Russian in 1868, so it was still a fairly novel gemstone when this locket was created. The interior retains the original frames and glass covers. Tested and guaranteed 10K.

Origin: America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original, no dings or monograms. Dimensions: 1†diameter. Weight: 5.0 grams.

Breathtaking French 18K gold, silver, diamond and pink tourmaline brooch from the reign of the Emperor Napoleon III. The brooch is formed as a naturalistic swirl of leaves, set throughout with rose-cut diamonds. The design features three large old mine-cut diamonds, each a bit larger than 1/2 carat. The center stone is prong-set while the outer stones are collet-set. The old European cut diamonds are scattered along an unusual knife-edge setting at the top of the brooch. The gold setting is topped with silver in the traditional style of 19th century French jewels. The brooch suspends a collet-set oval pink tourmaline cabochon topped with a collet-set old European-cut diamond. The diamonds used in the period, as would be expected of such a significant piece. The color is a very bright white and the clarity is quite good for the period. The tourmaline is a soft pink shade with just a tinge of violet. The brooch retains the original extended pinstema and c-clasp, both of which are stamped with French 18K marks and the mark of an unidentified jeweler (AH).

Origin: Paris, ca. 1855. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-5/8" x 1-19/32". Weight: 11.25 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 2.6 carats; tourmaline, 1.5 carats.

A beautifully-designed Victorian ball locket enhanced with rose-cut diamonds. The two strap-like decorative elements on either side of the locket lift away, allowing the sphere to be unfolded into a locket accommodating six photos. The sphere is bisected by a band of rose-cut diamonds enhanced with engraving on either side. The original bail is set with rose-cut diamonds. As is typical of French jewels of the period, the diamonds are set in silver over the gold. Ball lockets with multiple panels are extremely rare, and this example is of particularly fine quality. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: France, ca. 1870. Dimensions: 7/8” diameter (excluding bail). Weight: 15.0 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .33 ct.

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 wonderful Victorian angel skin cameo depicting a 17th century gentlemen set in 18K gold. Male cameos are rather unusual and typically depict deities from the Greco-Roman pantheon or historical figures. This example appears very similar to the Van Dyck portraits of King Charles II. The details of the lace collar, heavy neck chain, ruffled shirt, beard and hair are very finely worked. The cameo is deeply carved, with the white figure standing out beautifully from the soft pink background. The setting is simple, featuring only a simple line of wire-twist decoration. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

• Probably American, circa 1850
• Excellent condition; no cracking to coral; replaced clasp
• 2-1/32" x 1-13/16"
• 26.8 grams

A nice Victorian 14K yellow gold locket, the front cover enhanced with a three-dimensional Scottish halberd (a medieval battle axe) applique set with rose cut diamonds and a Persian turquoise cabochon. The Scottish halberd was a distinctive sort of battle axe developed in Scotland in the late 16th century which eventually came to be associated with ceremonial use by the Scottish nobility. During Queen Victoria’s reign, everything Scottish became very popular, and ancient designs such as this appeared in fashionable jewelry. This is quite an unusual design for a locket and it very rare. The locket retains its original frames and glass covers. The back cover has a period three-letter monogram “LML” (?). Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1” diameter. Weight: 7.0 grams.

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 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 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.

A stunning mid-19th century brooch featuring a pansy, the lower petals set with rose cut diamonds and the upper petals with buff-cut amethysts of a deep violet hue. The colorful flower is simply presented against a plain gold background. In Victorian flower language, the pansy represented the sentiment "Think of me" and jewels with pansies were often given as love tokens or going away gifts. The brooch could easily be converted to a pendant with the addition of a bail at the back. The original clasp is stamped with French 18K gold marks and with an illegible maker's mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1860.
• Condition: excellent; all original.
• Dimensions: 1-1/8" diameter.
• Weight: 7.8 grams.
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .36 carat; amethyst, 4.5 carats.

A lovely double-sided 18K yellow gold and beveled crystal porte-photo (“photo carrier”), the gold rim simply decorated with a bound reed design in the Louis XVI style. It 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 or a memento such as a pressed flower on the other. They could also be used to display a "public" photo on one side and a more "private" photo on the reverse. These lovely little pieces are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The porte-photo is fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent; very minor surface scratching on crystal consistent with age and a small roughness of the edge of the crystal (not visible when inside the frame). Size: 29/32” x 1-3/8” (excluding jump ring). Weight: 5.3 grams.

An outstanding Victorian multi-colored 14K gold watch fob worked in yellow, green and rose gold with platinum. The fob is fashioned as a bouquet of flowers bound together with a scalloped border. The flowers are expertly enhanced with engraved details. The trace link chain alternates between rose gold, green gold and platinum. The swivel is original and is marked "14K."

• America, circa 1890
• Excellent condition; sharp detail
• charm, 5/8" diameter; 4-11/16" overall length
• 9.5 grams

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

This substantial Victorian 14K gold chain can be worn alone as a statement piece or be used to suspend a heavy locket or pendant. Each link is reeded to add extra texture and shine. The links are open so the chain can be used to suspend a series of charms, if desired. The chain is completed with a spring ring clasp. The clasp is marked "14K" and the chain is tested and guaranteed 14K, as well.

• America, ca. 1880.
• Excellent condition.
• 22 3/4" long.
• 16.4 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