Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1639)

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 fine handmade Victorian 18K yellow gold necklace with an extraordinary length of 46 inches. Alternating links are decorated with a twisted rope motif. The necklace is has a spring ring clasp at one end and a tension pendant clasp at the other, so it can be worn full-length or doubled, with or without an pendant. Wound six times, it can be worn as a bracelet, as well. Marked “18” for 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, all original. Length: 46”. Weight: 47.4 gr.

An important 18K yellow gold and natural semi-baroque pearl necklace in the "Lierre" ("Ivy") design by Edouard Aimé Arnould. The necklace features five foliate plaques set with pearls flanked on either side with a long- and short-link chain. The sculptural quality of the leaves is enhanced with areas of bright polish contrasting with areas in a slightly matte finish, a technique repeated on the back sides, as well. The natural pearls have excellent luster with faintly lavender/rose overtones. In Victorian symbolism, ivy represented the bonds of love in marriage. One can imagine a bride, even today, wearing such a necklace with her gown! Each section of the necklace is stamped with French 18K marks, and the central plaque is signed "Arnould".

Arnould was among the most important of the French Art Nouveau jewelers and is well listed in most of the scholarly references of the period. He opened his studio at 7, rue Racine, Paris in 1890. In 1911, a French design journal credited him with "jewels of the best taste." Around 1900, Maison Arnould published a catalog. The final photograph in this listing shows the necklace as it was listed in the catalog. It's interesting to note that the necklace was available with or without the natural pearls, and that the price nearly doubled for the pearl version. Other pages of the catalog show the "Lierre" design used for pendants, bracelet charms, hair barrettes, brooches, rings, bracelets and cufflinks.

Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: overall length, 16-1/2"; length of floral plaques together, 6-1/2"; center plaque, 2" x 1-3/4". Weight: 31.2 grams.

A lovely late Victorian 18K gold locket, the front and back covers worked in a stippled texture with engine-turned engraving along the borders. The front is further enhanced with a spray of vivid blue forget-me-nots and green foliage. In Victorian flower language, forget-me-nots symbolized true love or the desire to be remembered—either one a very fitting sentiment for a locket. The back cover has a monogram reserve that was never engraved. The interior retains the original frames and glass on both sides. The bail is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent, enamel intact
• Dimensions: 7/8” x 1-1/4” (excluding bail)
• Weight: 6.4 grams

Beautiful striped agate mounted in sterling silver and gold. The back of the mounting is silver and the top edges are gold. There are no hallmarks, so the brooch is probably American or a custom-made English piece. It retains its original clasp. 1.25"x1.5"

A very attractive pair of Victorian 10K yellow gold bean-back cufflinks, the oval faces featuring oval cabochon amethysts in a foliate-engraved borders. The backs are marked 10K.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent. Size: 5/8" x 3/8". Weight: 3.3 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 2.8 carats.

A lovely late Victorian 14K yellow gold locket, the front decorated with a coiled snake with a diamond-set head. The serpent’s head and tail are twisted together forming a circle that, in Victorian symbology, represented the eternal nature of love. The snake’s body is very nicely detailed and the 5-point old mine cut diamond has bright color and good clarity. The locket’s smooth surfaces have a slightly matte “Russian” finish that contrasts nicely with the details of the snake. The interior of the locket retains both original frames and glass covers. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, a few pinpoints on the back side, no monogram. Size: 1” diameter. Weight: 5.9 grams.

A lovely Victorian pendant in 10K yellow gold set with a round brilliant cut amethyst at the center, surrounded by seed pearls in an ornate starburst pattern. The rays of the star are separated by fleurs-de-lys. The amethyst has nice medium violet color with reddish overtones. The pendant also has a pinstem so that the piece can be worn as an elegant brooch. Tested and guaranteed 10K. NOTE: The chain is not included in the purchase price, but we do have chains available.

• Origin: America, ca. 1880.
• Dimensions: 15/16" diameter.
• Weight: 3.6 grams.
• Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: .28 carat.
• Condition: excellent.

A pair of Victorian cufflinks in 14K rose gold, each face set with a faceted amethyst cabochon. Cufflinks of this type almost always use plain cabochons and the use of foil-backed faceted amethysts here is particularly attractive. The faces are joined by solid oval links. The backs are marked for 14K.

• America, ca 1890
• Excellent condition
• Faces, 5/8" x 5/16" (16 x 8 mm)
• 6.2 grams
• Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: 11.96 carats

A very fine matched pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold hinged bangle bracelets presented in their original fitted box. Each bracelet is fashioned with a buckle design and accented with ornate engraved and basse taille enamel decoration in a foral pattern. The edges of the bangles have bright cut engraving that lends a little glitter. The bracelets are generously sized with 3/4" width.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: the exterior of both bangles are in mint condition with absolutely no enamel damage or dings; the interiors of both have a very few, shallow pinpoints; one bracelet retains the original patented safety mechanism (dated 1870), while the other has been replaced with a safety chain; the original fitted case shows considerable wear. Size: 3/4” wide; interior opening, 2-1/8” x 1-11/16”. Weight: 68.4 grams.

An outstanding pair of antique 18K yellow gold cufflinks set with diamonds and rubies in the "Japanesque" style produced by Tiffany & Co. for a very brief period following the opening of Japan to western trade in the 1850s. Pieces in this style were wildly popular and always drew from traditional Japanese natural motifs, in this case chrysanthemum blossoms. Each slightly-domed face is ornately worked in a series of overlapping petals, centering old European cut diamonds and cushion cut rubies. The prongs holding the gemstones are fashioned as tiny flower petals--an element not visible except under magnification. The diamonds are estimated at H color and VS1 clarity, while the rubies are strongly-saturated medium-dark, slightly purplish-red in color. The rubies show no signs of heat treatment and are likely Burmese in origin. The faces are joined by chain links, and the backs are marked "Tiffany & Co." in the old style. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

The chrysanthemum was a symbol reserved exclusively for the use of the Japanese emperor and his immediate family. As a further nod to the Japanesque style, Tiffany chose to use gemstones in shades of red and white--the official colors of the Meiji Imperial dynasty.

Origin: America, 1877-1883. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 5/8" diameter. Weight: 11.4 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .172 ct; ruby, .367 ct.

A fine Victorian 14K gold stick pin in the form of a sword. The ornate hilt is bead-set with seed pearls and old European cut emeralds. The emeralds are of very fine quality, with excellent color. The back has a small bale that can be attached to a safety pin and chain, if desired. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Ca. 1890. Condition: excellent. Size: hilt, 7/8” x 3/4"; overall length, 2-5/8”. Weight: 2.5 grams. Approximate Total Emerald Weight: .2 carat.

A lovely pair of classic Victorian earrings in the Etruscal Revival style featuring free-hanging drops of rich violetish-blue drops of lapis lazuli. The 15K yellow gold mountings are enhanced with twisted wire and bead decoration. The lapis is of the finest Afghan quality, with even color and only one tiny fleck of pyrite. The wires are marked "15 Ct".

Origin: England, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: length from top of wire, 1-3/4".

An extraordinary pair of French Art Nouveau 18K yellow gold enameled cufflinks, the faces featuring flowers bearing a secret message. In Victorian symbology, the daisy represented "innocence" or "purity", whereas the red poppy meant "pleasure". Taken together, the choice of flowers in these cufflinks was certainly intended to convey an erotic sentiment. The faces are beautifully hand-pierced and highlighted with translucent enamels in delicate shades of green, rosy red and whitish-yellow. The exposed areas of gold are worked in the semi-matte Russian finish popular in better quality Art Nouveau jewels. Each face is marked with the "tete d'aigle" for 18K.

Origin: France, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent; a couple of extremely minor enamel flakes under magnification. Dimensions: 9/16" diameter. Weight: 10.8 grams.

A fascinating Victorian brooch set in 14K yellow gold. The octagonal plaque with canted corners appears to be made of opaque black glass and is inset with an ornate glass design worked in the pietra dura method. The translucent design is backed with gold foil to create a subtle glittery effect. The setting is very simple and does not detract from the more important enamel work. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Origin: Europe, possibly Switzerland, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, all original, very light surface scratching visible with a loupe. Size: 1-1/8" x 3/4".

An imposing 18K yellow gold hinged bangle bracelet set with sapphires and diamonds. A row of alternating old mine cut diamonds and cushion cut sapphires stretches across the top of the bracelet, flanked on either side by a row of rose cut diamonds set in silver. The sapphires, each of about .75 carat, are of outstanding quality, with vibrant pure blue coloring, eye-clean clarity, and a velvety appearance. The diamonds, each of about .6 carat, are graded as G/SI1. The bangle is double-hinged so it's very easy to get on. The clasp is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1850.
• Condition: excellent; a few very small dings on the back side but no major dents or scrapes.
• Dimensions: 5/8" wide; 6-1/2" interior circumference.
• Weight: 34.8 grams.
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, 3.08 carats; diamond, 2.78 carats.

A fine green-toned cat's eye chrysoberyl cabochon surrounded by delicate scalloped border set with seed pearls centers this Victorian stickpin conversion ring. The stone displays excellent chatoyancy, with a clear milky white streak down the center of the stone that seems to "wink" as it is rocked from side to side. The surrounding pearls pick up the creamy color of the eye. The setting is 18K gold attached to a 14K shank.

• Origin: France, ca 1890.
• Condition: converted to a ring; no chips or scratches to stone.
• Dimensions: crown, 15/32" x 5/16".
• Finger Size: 6 1/4.
• Weight: 1.6 grams.
• Approximate Gemstone Weight: 1.24 carat.

A stunning Art Nouveau medallist brooch depicting Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, and patron of the arts, in 18K gold. The goddess is depicted with several of her attributes, including a dragon-topped war helmet, a wreath of olive leaves, an owl, and a drama mask representing the arts. Her helmet is studded with a star-set ruby and a band of rose-cut diamonds and she wears a necklace of rose-cut diamonds. This design was created by Louis Armand Rault, a lead designer for Boucheron 1868-75. This is once of his most iconic designs, though it is unusual in having quite so many gemstones added. Rault apparently licensed many of his designs to various makers, though the gold examples are French more often than not. This example is fully stamped with French marks for 18K and has an illegible maker's mark. The front is also marked with Rault's monogram. The pin could easily be converted to a pendant with the addition of a folding bail.

• Origin: France, ca. 1880.
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail; all original.
• Dimensions: 1" diameter.
• Weight: 5.0 grams.
• Approximate Gemstone Weight: ruby, .02 carat; diamond, .05 carat.

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

A lovely mid-19th century locket worked in 18K yellow gold set with rubies and natural seed pearls. The setting is enhanced with geometric appliques, engine-turned engraving, rope twists, and a beautifully fashioned bow concealing the bail. The rubies have very good color and are unheated. The locket retains its original reeded jump ring, as well. The back is decorated with engine-turned engraving. The interior retains the original gold frame and glass cover. Faintly marked with French 18K gold marks and a maker’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 1” x 2-1/16” (including jump ring)
• Approximate Total Ruby Weight: .21 carat
• Weight: 14.6 grams

A fine pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold tassel earrings. The foxtail chains are suspended from surmounts enhanced with foliate engraving, black taille d'epargne enameled borders and Etruscan ropetwist "ram's horns". The foxtail chains terminate in small gold balls. The earrings are a bit longer than most tassels and have a lot of movement when being worn. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• ORIGIN America, ca 1880
• LENGTH 2 3/8" from tops of wires
• WEIGHT 12.3 grams
• CONDITION excellent; new 14K wires

A classic Victorian 14K yellow gold fob seal, the surfaces ornately decorated in a repousse pattern of flowers and foliage. Fobs in this design are more typically English than American. It is very generously sized to make an impression when being worn. The citrine plaque is engraved with the monogram “WKV”, so we’ll just assume that was for William K Vanderbilt (LOL!) The ring is marked “14K.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1840
• Dimensions: 1” x 7/8” x 1-1/2” (excluding ring)
• Weight: 19.5 grams

A delightful Victorian reverse carved crystal pendant set in 12K yellow gold. The pendant depicts a Yorkshire terrier (Yorkie). He’s beautifully and deeply carved and painted in shades of brown and cream. The texture of his fur comes across very nicely in the design. The dog wears a blue ribbon around his neck and displays quite a lot of character with a bit of tongue sticking out to one side and one drooping ear. The crystal is backed in gold rather than the mother of pearl that typically appears in later crystals. The pendant is bordered with a double ropetwist border. Tested and guaranteed 12K gold.

Origin: England, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original, no moisture damage. Size: 1-1/4” x 7/8” excluding bail.

A very pretty pair of Victorian earrings fashioned as lapis lazuli orbs suspended from 14K gold caps decorated with Etruscan beading and rope-twist motifs. The lapis has a beautiful deep violet-blue color of near-Afghan quality with just a small amount of white calcite. The ear wires appear to be original. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

• Origin: America, ca. 1860
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: spheres, 1/2" diameter; 1-1/4” long from top of earwires
• Weight: 9.8 grams

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 striking pair of double-sided cufflinks made from Georgian cut steel and garnet buttons joined with 15K yellow gold chains. The garnets have very attractive medium-bright purplish-red coloring that contrasts nicely with bright sparkle of the cut steel “gems.” The garnet cabochons are held in place with fleur-de-lis shaped prongs. The faceting style of the steel indicates they were made in an earlier period, likely no later than 1790. The connecting chains have spring rings, so one face of each link can be removed for ease in placing the cuff hole. One of the spring rings is 9K and the other is gold-filled. They can easily be replaced with 14K by any jeweler. The back of one face has a worn engraving and the date 1871—probably they year the chains were added to the then 100 year-old buttons.

Origin: England, ca. 1770/1871. Condition: very good. Dimensions: 9/16” diameter. Approximate Total Garnet Weight: 30.7 cts.

A spectacular demi-parure comprising a pair of earrings and a pendant/brooch worked in 14K yellow gold and set with Persian turquoise. The earrings have round surmounts decorated with applied bead and ropetwist decoration in the Etruscan Revival taste suspending ornately geometrical elements set with square turquoise cabochons. The pendant is made to match and has a bail that remains hidden when worn as a brooch. The turquoise is very well-matched. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1865. Condition: excellent, one stone at the bottom of the pendant has darkened to green (typical of Victorian turquoise). Dimensions: earrings, 2-7/8" long from top of earwire; pendant/brooch, 3" x 1-1/4". Weight: 39.6 gr.

A stunning Art Nouveau 18K gold brooch featuring an enameled and engraved portrait of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, horses and olives. Her beautifully engraved helmet is adorned with a small rose cut diamond. Her armor and the embroidery along the edges of her gown are also engraved. The quality of the painted enamel facial details and the background champleve enamel in royal blue is gorgeous. The edges of the medallion are enhanced with natural pearls. The back retains the original pinstem and c-clasp, both stamped with French 18K marks. A folding bail could easily be added to the piece can be worn as a pendant.

• Origin: France, ca 1890.
• Condition: excellent; all original; no enamel damage.
• Dimensions: 1-3/32" diameter.
• Weight: 8.4 grams.

An impressive and beautifully-crafted large Victorian locket, each face carved from a single piece of onyx. The front cover is adorned with a gold floral spray studded with small natural seed pearls of the best quality. Seed pearls often have a chalky appearance but these have lovely luster and iridescence. The interior of the locket retains its original frame glass, as well as woven hair. The hair, of course, could easily be replaced with a portrait. The locket is suspended from an elegant bail, enameled in black and set with pearls. The bail has a shepherd’s hook closure so it will fit onto even the thickest of chains. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent; all original; no cracks or enamel damage. Dimensions: 1-7/16” x 1-7/8” (2-1/2” including bail). Weight: 34.2 gr.

A stunning 18K yellow gold festoon necklace featuring dozens of ornately intertwined swags and drops studded with small natural pearls and Mediterranean coral beads. The necklace is finished with an Etruscan style box clasp of the sort associated with Luigi Pallotti e Fratelli, one of the most exclusive jewelers in late 19th century Venice. This particular style of festoon necklace is particularly associated with his work. Pallotti exhibited successfully at the World' Colombian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The clasp is stamped with Venetian gold marks.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: overall length, 14-1/2"; length of center drop, 2-1/2". Weight: 22.8 grams.

A superb pair of Victorian drop earrings featuring old European cut diamonds in buttercup settings surrounding oval mixed-cut rubies. The diamonds are separated with radiating lines of black taille d'epargne enamel. The rubies have a classic slightly purplish-red color with good intensity and eye-clean clarity. All rubies fluouresce in natural sunlight to some degree, and these rubies have a particularly strong reaction in bright sunlight, turning an intense red. The microscopic inclusions in the rubies indicate that they are unheated, and the probable source is Burma. The diamonds are F/VVS2. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1890
• Condition: no damage to stones or enamel; replaced wires
• Dimensions: 11/16" diameter; 1" long from top of wire
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, .50 carat; diamond, .60 carat
• Weight: 5.8 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

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 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.

A classic Victorian fancy double belcher chain link necklace composed of interlocking fluted double links in 14K gold. The fluted shape of the links enhances the reflections in the gold, so the chain has a certain sparkly quality. Substantial enough to be worn alone or suspending a large pendant or locket, the chain can also be worn wrapped three to four times around the wrist as a bracelet. The links are also open enough that the chain can suspend multiple smaller pendants or charms. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

• Origin: America, ca. 1890.
• Dimensions: 28.5” long.
• Weight: 14.2 grams.
• Condition: excellent, no repairs.

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.