Catalog (2433)

An amusing late Victorian brooch fashioned as two crossed golf clubs. The shafts are worked in 18K yellow gold, while the heads are made in platinum. A small pearl, representing a golf ball rests against each club. Sporting jewelry is quite desirable, and golf-related pieces are particularly rare. The back retains the original pinstem and c-clasp. Stamped with French hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-3/4” x 3/8”. Weight: 2.0 grams.

An elegant large-scale 18K gold hinged bangle bracelet with repousse floral decoration by Charles Armsheimer & Son. The design is so expertly worked that the hinge is nearly invisible when the bracelet is being worn. Armsheimer’s workshop was located on Maiden Lane, the heart of New York’s jewelry industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tongue of the clasp is stamped “18K” and also has the maker’s mark for Charles Armsheimer & Son.

• Origin: America, ca. 1910
• Condition: excellent, no dings or dents
• Dimensions: width, 3/8”; inner circumference 6-7/8”
• Weight: 24.1 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.

A beautiful late Victorian 18K yellow gold and platinum ring set with a 1/2-carat oval ruby bordered with rose cut diamonds set in platinum. The ruby is graded as slightly purplish-red color, medium-dark tone and moderately strong saturation (slpR 6/4) and shows no indicated of heat or other treatment. The carat weight of rose cut diamonds cannot be accurately determined by measurement, but they have the visual appearance of being about a half carat in total weight. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold and platinum.

• Origin: America, ca. 1900
• Very good condition; the back of the shank is an old sizing replacement that was obviously custom-made to match
• Dimensions: crown, 7/8” diameter
• Finger Size: 7-1/4
• Weight: 3.4 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .50 carat; diamond, .50 carat

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.

An elegant pair of Victorian 18K yellow gold tassel earrings, the tops enhanced with applied green and rose gold flowers surrounding collet-set rubies. The foxtail chains terminate in small balls. The earrings have a lot of movement when being worn, and the small rubies add a subtle shot of color. Each is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• France, ca. 1860.
• Condition: excellent; converted to earrings with the addition of 18K wires.
• Dimensions: 1-3/8" long from tops of wires.
• Weight: 7.2 grams.
• Approximate Total Ruby Weight: .10 carat.

A very fine 18K gold brooch/pendant in the form of a mythological basilisk (cockatrice) pierced through with a jeweled sword. This example is entirely handmade and finished with expertly chased scales and feathers. The quality of workmanship is superb. The wings are formed separately and arranged in a manner that gives the piece great dimensionality. The outer wing is set with a round ruby of very fine color and clarity and the eye is set with a tiny cabochon ruby. The hilt of sword is set with seed pearls with a natural oval pearl at the tip. The gold surfaces have a slightly matte Russian finish. The back retains the original clasp, large watch hook and pendant loop. Many would call this creature a griffin, but with its body of a serpent and with head and wings of a bird, it is more properly considered a basilisk or cockatrice. Such creatures were popular in the late Victorian era. There is a possibility that the back is marked with a script signature, but it is far too difficult to be certain. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: probably America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original. Dimensions: 40 x 40 mm (1-1/2 x 1-1/2 in). Weight: 13.2 gr. Approximate Total Ruby Weight: .15 ct.

Lovely French Second Empire 18K yellow gold, ruby and pearl earrings. Each earring features a surmount set with a round ruby in a buttercup mounting suspending a scrolled drop terminating in a second ruby and seed pearl drop surrounded by an engraved horseshoe. The rubies are relatively pastel, with a soft reddish-pink coloring. The earrings have lots of movement and sparkle. The original wires are stamped with French 18K marks.

• Origin: France, ca 1850
• Condition: Excellent
• Dimensions: 1-11/16" long (from top of ear wire); 1/2" wide.
• Weight: 3.8 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .76 carat

Very nice Victorian 18K yellow gold stick pin in the form of a coiled snake. The head is set with an old European cut sapphire. The engraved detailing is very nice. The snake motif in Victorian jewelry, often used to represent eternal love, became popular after Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a snake ring as her betrothal gift. Hallmarked with the French "tete de cheval" and an unidentified maker's mark.

Origin: France, circa 1850. Condition: all original, the pinstem has the usual bends that are not visible when being worn. Size: 2-1/2” overall length; snake, 9/16” x 9/16”. Weight: 1.5 grams.

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.

Lovely Victorian 18K yellow gold cufflinks featuring small seed pearls set in a diamond-shaped mounting. The faces are connected to the torpedo backs with beautifully crafted chains. The faces are marked “18CT” and the chains have an additional hallmark that is illegible.

Origin: probably England, circa 1900. Condition: excellent. Size: faces, 3/8” x ½”. Weight: 5.25 grams.

A cute, diminutive Victorian fob seal in the form of a silver toga-clad monkey sitting atop a gold base. His eyes are set with tiny cabochon garnets. The base is formed from a faceted carnelian and has never been engraved. Tested and guaranteed silver and 18K.

Origin: Probably France, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, all original, no engraving on seal. Dimensions: 9/16” x 7/16” x 1” tall. Weight: 4.2 gr.

Very nice Victorian 18K yellow gold stick pin in the form of a coiled snake. The head is set with an old European cut green tourmaline. The engraved detailing is very nice. The snake motif in Victorian jewelry, often used to represent eternal love, became popular after Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a snake ring as her betrothal gift. Hallmarked with the French "tete de cheval" and an unidentified maker's mark.

Origin: France, circa 1850. Condition: all original, the pinstem has the usual bends that are not visible when being worn. Size: 2-15/32” overall length; snake, 1/2” x 1/2”. Weight: 1.5 grams.

A wonderful Victorian 18K yellow gold curb link chain interrupted at regular intervals with bi-color ("watermelon") tourmaline beads. The chain is finished with a fantastic clasp in the form of a lady's hand grasping floral-engraved loop. At 39" in length, the necklace can be worn doubled or perhaps even tripled. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 39" long. Weight: 67.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 215.0 carats.

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.

Excellent pair of Victorian 18K yellow gold drop earrings with Mediterranean coral beads. The earrings are quite heavy and are very well constructed with closed backs that make them attractive from behind, as well. The coral has the nice, even coloring of fine Mediterranean coral from the coast of Italy. The original earwires have been replaced with screwbacks, but because of the way the earrings are constructed, there were no alterations to the earrings themselves. They could easily be re-converted to wires. The gold has a slightly rosy color that complements the coral nicely. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold.

Origin: America, circa 1860. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-3/8” x 11/16”. Weight: 8.5 grams.

Elegant pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces decorated with a stamped pattern of baskets filled with diamond-set flowers. The single-cut diamonds, though small, are of very good quality and are a nice contrast to the gold. The gold surfaces have the bloomed texture usually seen in French jewelry of the period. The connecting chains are hallmarked for 18K gold and are signed “R.W.C.”.

Origin: Europe, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 5/8” diameter. Weight: 5.0 grams.

A stunning pair of Victorian 18K yellow gold double-faced cufflinks, each face comprising a large oval mixed-cut rhodolite garnet set in a foliate-engraved border. The garnets have the lovely reddish-purple hue so prized in rhodolites. The faces are connected by chains and are fully hallmarked with French “tete d’aigle” hallmarks for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent. Size: 19/32” x 7/16”. Weight: 6.6 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 9.36 carats.

A very nice Victorian 9K gold buckle ring, fully engraved with an ornate floral and foliate pattern against a stippled background. The gold has faint rose tint. The ring shows almost no wear. The width of the band and larger finger size make this ring ideal for man. The interior of the shank is fully stamped with Chester hallmarks for 1896.

Origin: England, 1896. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 7/16" at the buckle, tapering to 5/32" at the back. Finger Size: 9-3/4. Weight: 4.5 gr.

Very nice pair of Victorian 14K gold cufflinks in the Arts & Crafts or Aesthetic style. The simple engraved decoration of the gold faces, suggestive of a Celtic design, is typical of jewelry in the Aesthetic taste, as is the use of matrix gemstones such as turquoise. These stones were valued more for their appearance than for their intrinsic worth--another characteristic of Aesthetic jewelry. The back faces are plain gold. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Ca 1870. Condition: excellent, all original, no monograms. Size: 3/4” x 21/32”. Weight: 7.0 grams.

A fine Victorian 14K gold fob locket, the front cover worked in a deeply three dimensional design of a rose gold owl perched on a green gold branch. The eyes are set with garnet cabochons. The back cover has an engraved shield design that was never monogrammed. The hinged bail is engraved in a complimentary design. The interior of the locket retains its original frame and glass insert.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 7/8" x 1-3/8" (not including jump ring). Weight: 13.7 grams.

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

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)

Terrific American majolica dish in the form of a fish. The painting on this example is especially nice, with very lifelike colors. The modeling is very crisp and clean. The back has a decorator's mark, but no maker's mark. It is possibly a product of Griffin, Smith & Hill. Perfect condition. Circa 1880. 7-1/2" x 10".

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

A handsome pair of double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with with oval brilliant-cut amethysts set in simple 10K yellow gold collets. The amethysts have nicely saturated, even color that would look particularly good with a white or light blue cuff. The faces are fairly large, so they are connected with a removable s-link for ease in putting them through a buttonhole. Tested and guaranteed 10K.

• Origin: probably America, ca. 1870.
• Condition: excellent; all original.
• Dimensions: larger faces, 11/16" x 1/2"; smaller faces, 19/32" x 7/16".
• Weight: 11.0 grams.
• Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: 29.8 carats

Centered with an intensely violet amethyst, this Victorian pendant will add a pop of rich color to any wardrobe. The gold setting in a fleur-de-lis pattern is adorned with natural seed pearls that contrast beautifully with the intense color and brilliance of the large amethyst. This piece was originally a brooch, but now has new life as a wearable pendant. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• America, ca. 1890.
• Excellent condition.
• Dimensions: 7/8” x 1-1/16” (excluding bail and jump ring).
• Weight: 6.3 grams.
• Approximate Amethyst Weight: 10.25 carats.

A very nice sterling silver sardine fork by the Campbell-Metcalf Silver Company. Originally intended to serve sardines—a Victorian luxury food—the fork could now be used for various hors d’oeuvres, cheeses, etc. The design is clearly based on Scandinavian motifs that later showed up in the work of Georg Jensen and other European makers. In some ways it is similar to Jensen’s 1913 “Rose” pattern. Campbell-Metcalf was in business for only six years during the last decade of the 19th century. The back is hallmarked.

Origin: America, 1892-98. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monograms. Size: 5-7/8” long. Weight: 22.5 grams.

Wonderful Art Nouveau 14K yellow gold stick pin in the form of a flying dragon. The coiled body is covered with finely detailed scales and the wings are detailed with webbing. The dragon clasps a small prong-set single-cut diamond in its jaws. The surfaces have the soft matte bloom or “Russian finish” that was often used in the Art Nouveau period. The pinstem is illegibly hallmarked. Tested and guaranteed 10K gold.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: head, 11/16” x 11/16”; overall length, 2-1/2” long. Weight: 1.5 grams.

A lovely 14K yellow gold Art Nouveau bracelet comprising a series of round floral plaques, each hinged separately for comfort. The center five plaques are set with a round brilliant cut ruby at the middle of each blossom. The rubies have a strong purplish-red color that contrasts nicely with the yellow gold. Each plaque is pierced around the flower petals for added delicacy. The concealed clasp is marked “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 7-1/2” long; 1/2” wide. Weight: 12.8 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, 1.02 cts.

An Art Nouveau 18K yellow gold pin featuring a beautifully enameled morning glory enclosed in a gold whiplash frame. The flower petals and leaves have very fine enameling in translucent shades of rose, cream and green. The enamel has the iridescent finish more often seen in the best quality enameled pieces from Newark workshops. A small pearl peeks out the top of the morning glory. The gold frame is set with rows of rose cut diamonds. Since the morning glory opens and withers in a single day, some charts of Victorian flower language say the flower was used to represent "love in vain." The pinstem is stamped "18Ct".

Origin: England, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, all original. Dimensions: 1-1/4" x 1". Weight: 6.6 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .36 carat.

A very fine and rare Bohemian garnet pendant featuring an openwork butterfly pave set with rose-cut garnets and enclosed within a heart-shaped gilt metal frame. Most Bohemian garnet jewelry was made in the more traditional styles popular in England and America, but this pendant--in the more stylized Germanic Jugendstil--is particularly striking. Some of the butterfly's wings are set with large, deeply colored stones, while others are set with smaller, brighter stones to provide contrast. The pendant is completed with a 20-inch gold-filled chain.

Origin: Bohemia, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent; chain is a later addition. Dimensions: pendant, 1-1/2 x 2-7/8".

Outstanding sterling silver ice cream slice with the fabulous Art Nouveau "Poppy" pattern by Baker Manchester. Both the front and back are beautifully detailed. The blade is lightly matte gilt. During the Victorian era, ice cream was served in a loaf shape, and implements like this were used to slice off pieces for serving. The form often did "double duty" as a fish server. The back is stamped with the hallmark for the Baker Manchester Silver Co. (Providence, RI), a company famous for its ornate serving pieces.

Origin: America, circa 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no monogram. Size: 9" long. Weight: 54.75 grams.

Outstanding Victorian silverplate napkin ring decorated in the Aesthetic or Japonesque taste. The surface is encrusted with decoration representing flying cranes, crysanthemums, fans, and bamboo. The plain surface of the fan was intended for a monogram, but the napkin ring was never engraved.

Origin: America, circa 1870. Condition: excellent, all original, sharp detail. Size: 1-9/16" diameter; 1-1/8" wide.

A beautiful powder jar of colorless crystal cased in rose crystal, cameo cut and then etched. The delicate pattern of wild roses stands out in rose against the frosty etched background. The design is beautifully worked. The bottom has a large concaved polished pontil. Several examples of this coloring and technique, although in different floral patterns, appears in Curtis’ exhaustive book, “Baccarat”.

Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no chips or cracks. Size: 3-5/16” diameter; 2-1/4” tall.

A lovely teal green blow glass hyacinth or bulb vase in the classic cone shape. The flared rim was intended to hold a hyacinth or other bulb just above the water line to root. Forcing bulbs was a popular Victorian pursuit and hyacinth vases were lovely adornments for kitchen and conservatory windows. The teal green is an unusual shade. The bottom has a sheared pontil.

Origin: America, probably New England, ca. 1890. Condition: no chips or cracks, some water staining on interior. Size: 6-5/16" tall.