Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Gold (1010)

A beautiful Georgian mourning pin worked in 15K yellow gold with black enamel accents. The domed crystal cover encloses a watercolor on ivory memorial scene highlighted with snippets of hair. The scene depicts a rifle and hunting bag, a dog and a willow tree. The rifle indicates that the brooch was intended to memorialize a gentleman and the willow tree was a symbol of sorrow. The dog waits patiently at attention by his master’s belongings, symbolizing loyalty. The concept of loyalty was an important symbol in Georgian jewelry, but the dog motif is not often encountered. The leaves of the willow tree and the grass on the ground are made from very fine snippets of hair. The design is completed with the monogram “L St.” The brooch retains its original extended pinstem and c-clasp. Tested and guaranteed 15K.

Origin: England, ca. 1790. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-5/32” x 25/32”.

An elegant Retro Moderne 14K yellow gold brooch in a stylized bow form, the center set with a large emerald-cut citrine of medium honey color, and the loops sprinkled with round brilliant-cut rubies. Some Retro pieces can be overly heavy, but this pin has a pleasant lightness despite its large size. The gemstones are of fine quality. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 3” x 1”. Weight: 15.5 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .5 carat; citrine, 10.4 carats.

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”.

A very fine and exceedingly rare mid-17th century low-karat gold “Stuart crystal” memorial slide. Such pieces were secretly worn by loyalists to mourn the deposed and executed King Charles I in 1649. Eventually, they were used to mourn other deaths, as well as to celebrate betrothals and weddings. This is a particularly fine example, combining a crystal-encased miniature portrait of a well-nourished lady, regally dressed in a gown of red velvet with gold embroidery and ermine fur trim. A black mourning veil with a widow’s peak covers her hair. Four rose-cut crystals appear at the corners. Two of them enclose a gold wirework crown over a bed of woven hair, while the other two feature gold wirework entwined “CC” ciphers over a hair background. Slides such as this were threaded onto a wide black ribbon and worn on the wrist. They are generally oval or rectangular with rounded corners, but the addition of the four “jeweled” corners is most unusual. Since the portrait miniature depicts a woman in mourning, it is most likely that the image is of the slide’s owner herself rather than the deceased. The entwined “CC” cipher used in conjunction with the crown imagery suggests that this slide is an early piece that actually commemorated the death of King Charles rather than a later piece memorializing someone in the lady's family. To the casual observer it would have looked only like a miniature portrait with decorative corners, allowing the lady to express her secret grief without unfortunate political consequences for herself.

Origin: England, ca. 1650. Condition: excellent, vivid coloring to the portrait, no losses or water damage to the wirework or hair. Size: 1-1/8” x 1-1/16”.

An exceedingly rare Georgian 18K yellow gold pendant locket celebrating the first manned flight by the Montgolfier brothers from Paris in 1783. Hot air balloons were one of the scientific wonders of the late 18th century, and balloon designs were worked into furniture, textiles, clothing and jewels. This locket features a hot air balloon carved from a piece of mother of pearl and then decorated with gilding and realistic painted detail. The balloon is affixed to a pale blue silk background and enclosed behind convex glass in an 18K yellow gold frame bordered by a ropetwist motif worked in gold and natural seed pearls. The edges of the frame are further accented with a beaded ogee design and bright-cut stippling. The back of the locket, also glass covered, features a mother of pearl plaque painted with the initial "F.H.", also affixed to a blue silk background. A piece such as this would most certainly have been made-to-order, so it is not surprising that it is unmarked. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

The rarity of this pendant really cannot be overstated. Very little late 18th century French jewelry survived the Revolution and pieces with a Montgolfier theme are exceptional.

Origin: probably France, ca. 1785. Condition: excellent; a small piece of the balloon carving has become dislodged (probably from the top finial of the balloon) and slipped toward the bottom of the frame (the frame could be opened the the loosened piece reattached). Size: 1-7/8" x 1-5/8".

A lovely and very unusual 18K yellow gold, rock crystal, mother of pearl and aventurine glass ("goldstone") locket. The locket is constructed as a beveled oval frame of aventuring enclosing a pair of rock crystal windows, one of which opens to allow access to the inside of the locket. A mother-of-pearl plaque can be left in place so two photos can be displayed or removed so the locket can hold a lock of hair or a pressed flower. This is the only aventurine locket we have seen. The bail is stamped with French 18K gold import marks.

Origin: Europe, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 1-1/8" x 1-5/16" (excluding bail). Weight: 8.4 grams.

An attractive vintage Venetian Etruscan Revival fob charm worked in 18K yellow gold. The charm is set along the edges with alternating round amethysts and citrines. The center of one face is set with an amethyst and the other with a citrine. Exposed gold surfaces are intricately enhanced with rosettes and twisted wire decoration. The combination of violet and golen-yellow gemstones is quite attractive. Teted and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 1-1/16" diameter. Weight: 9.8 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: amethyst, 2.9 cts; citrine 2.9 cts.

An elegant small 14K gold enameled flower pin featuring a pair of white four-leaf clovers with green veining. Each flower is centered with a seed pearl. During the Victorian era, flowers were used to symbolize specific sentiments, and the white clover meant “think of me.” Small pins such as this were often given as presents to new brides and are sometimes called honeymoon pins. The back of the pin is stamped with Hammerman’s mark and 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1946. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Dimensions: 1-1/8” x 9/16”. Weight: 2.4 grams.

A very good, large 18K yellow gold Sputnik ring by H Stern. The dome is studded with a variety of bezel-set tourmalines, amethysts, citrines, aquamarines and garnets. Stern popularized the style in the 1950’s to show off the variety of gemstones mined in the company’s native Brazil. Due to its spiky appearance, the design eventually became known as “Sputnik”. The rings were made in a variety of dome sizes, and this example is exceptionally large. The inside of the shank is marked with Stern’s hallmark and with 18K hallmarks.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Finger Size: 8-3/4. Size: dome, 1-1/8” diameter. Weight: 8.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 8.0 cts.

A nice 18K yellow gold pendant or charm in the Sputnik style. The sphere is collet-set with round amethysts, citrines, pink and green tourmalines, aquamarines and garnets. This jewelry design was originally created by H. Stern in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from the mines of the company’s native Brazil. It later came to be known as “Sputnik” for its resemblance to the spiky Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Unmarked; tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: very good; under 10x magnification some stones show normal surface wear consistent with their age. Size: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 1.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 1.03 carats.

A heavy, beautifully-detailed 14K yellow gold brooch in the form of a pine branch complete with needles and fully three-dimensional pinecones attributed to Laykin et Cie. The workmanship of the brooch is very fine. Each spray of needles is accented with a prong-set round brilliant diamonds of fine quality (I/VS). The back is marked “14K” and has an illegible maker’s mark. We have seen this exact brooch with a clear signature for Laykin et Cie, the leading Hollywood jeweler of the mid-20th century.

Origin: America, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent; sharp detail. Size: 2-5/16” x 1-1/2”. Weight: 21.1 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .35 carat.

An uncommon 18K yellow gold pendant in the Sputnik style collet-set with round amethysts, green tourmalines, pink tourmalines, garnets, aquamarines and citrines. This design was originally created by H Stern in the 1950s to showcase the range of colored gemstones available from the mines of the company's native Brazil. It later came to be known as "Sputnik" for its resemblance to the spiky Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each piece has a unique appearance resulting from the specific combination of gemstones used. This pendant has rich look with unusually saturated colors. The Sputnik design was most commonly used for rings; pendants are difficult to find. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Size: 25/32" diameter (excluding bail). Weight: 3.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 2.81 cts.

A fine modernist pendant designed as an 18K yellow gold frame enclosing a square plaque of smoky quartz with beveled edges. The front side of the gold frame has two geometric insets, a large square that occupies a fourth of the surface and a small quarter-circle at the opposite corner. This asymmetrical use of complimentary symmetrical shapes is reminiscent of the Mondrian paintings that inspired Yves Saint-Laurent’s 1965/66 couture collection. The pendant retains its original jump ring, stamped with the unidentified master goldsmith’s mark “JG.” The frame is also fully hallmarked.

Origin: France, ca. 1965. Condition: the quartz has small flakes at its corners (they are only visible upon very close inspection and could be removed by having the quartz re-beveled); all original. Dimensions: 32mm x 32mm (1-1/4 x 1-1/4 in) (excluding bail and jump ring). Weight: 18.8 gr.

A lovely 18K yellow gold Sputnik ring by H Stern. The dome is bezel-set with round citrines, amethysts green and pink tourmalines, garnets and aquamarines. This design was created in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from Stern’s Brazilian mines. It came to be called “Sputnik†because of its resemblance to the spike Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each piece has a unique appearance depending on the particular selection and placement of the gemstones. This particular example has a lot of medium-tone green. The inside of the shank is stamped “18Kâ€.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: dome, 7/8†diameter. Finger Size: 5. Weight: 5.3 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 4.12 cts.

A very nice vintage H. Stern style "Sputnik" charm or pendant worked in 18K yellow gold and collet-set with a variety of colorful gemstones including amethyst, citrine, aquamarine, pink tourmaline and green tourmaline. This design was popularized by Stern, the world's largest source of colored gemstones, to show off the range of colored stones available from Brazilian mines. The pointy design was reminiscent of the first Soviet satellite and was nicknamed "Sputnik". A variety of pieces were made in this style, but charms and pendants are among the most difficult to find. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 7/8" diameter (excluding jump ring). Weight: 5.2 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 6.07 cts.

An uncommon 18K yellow gold charm or pendant in the Sputnik style, bezel-set with round amethysts, green tourmalines, pink tourmalines, aquamarines, citrines and garnets. The design was created by H Stern in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from the mines of the company’s native Brazil. It later came to be known as “Sputnik” because of its resemblance to the spiky Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each Sputnik piece has a unique appearance depending on the specific combination and placement of the various gemstones. This particular example has strong contrasts between the darkest and lightest stones. The Sputnik design was most commonly used for rings. Pendants and charms, especially large ones that are fully spherical, are difficult to find. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Size: 7/8” diameter. Weight: 6.5 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 7.98 ct.

A fine and large 18K yellow gold and multi-stone Sputnik ring by H. Stern. This classic modernist design features a golden dome studded with various colored gemstones including green tourmaline, aquamarine, garnet, citrine and amethyst. Each piece of Sputnik jewelry has a unique appearance depending on the combination and arrangement of the gemstones. The design was created specifically to show off the range of gemstones mined in Stern’s native Brazil, but it quickly came to be known as “Sputnik” because of its resemblance to the 1960’s Soviet satellite. The inside of the shank is marked with an older Stern hallmark at “750” for 18K. Origin: Brazil, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, all original. Finger Size: 5 (easily enlarged). Size: 1-1/8” diameter; 5/8” high. Weight: 7.5 grams. Approxiamte Total Gemstone Weight: 8.37 cts (garnet, 2.16cts; tourmaline, 1.89cts; amethyst, 1.80cts; citrine, 1.44cts; aquamarine, 1.08cts).

A handsome and heavy 14K yellow gold ring in a flattened chain link design similar to the classic Gucci “Cuban Link” design. The ring is substantial enough to be worn by a man, but the openness of the design and the split shank makes it equally attractive for a woman. The interior is stamped 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: crown, 7/16” x 3/4". Finger Size: 8-3/4. Weight: 9.4 grams.